"The Plan"
Ezekiel 42:1-43:27
James 5:1-20
Psalms 119:1-16
Proverbs 28:6-7
For the past few days of reading, God has been bringing Ezekiel through the temple. There are around 100 verses over the course of 3+ chapters talking about hallway dimensions, ceiling heights, walkways, and doorways. It's so detailed yesterday I was thinking of getting out some grid paper and drawing up what Ezekiel was seeing. Reading these types of details we are inclined to ask God, "What are you showing me about you through these scriptures?" His response to me is, "I have a plan."
Do you know that God is omniscient? (that means he knows everything) Our Sunday School answers cause us to nod our head. But do we live like we know that? There REALLY is a Blueprint! He is aware of every detail of our lives! He created us with purpose, and for a plan!
"Son of dust, describe the Temple I have shown you to the people of Israel. Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins. And if they are truly ashamed of what they have done, then explain to them the details of its construction - its doors and entrances - and everything about it. Write out all the directions and the rules for them to keep. And this is the basic law of the Temple: holiness! The entire top of the hill where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the primary law concerning it." Ez. 43:10-12
After spending all this time describing the dimensions of the temple, He tells Ezekiel to describe it to the people. It's very interesting what the result is to be. "Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins." Imagine having a blueprint described to you and it causing you to be ashamed of your sin! sounds weird doesn't it? What is the principle here? The principle is that when we see God's plan, we can see where we fall short of his holiness.
In the same way God had a blueprint for the Temple in Jerusalem, he has a blueprint for our lives. I Cor. 3:16 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" There are measurements that are a necessary part of the make up of who we are. There is a plan for us to discover and become who God has created us to be.
This sounds somewhat elementary, but we too often lose sight of this. We especially forget this when trouble comes. When things happen outside of our comfort zone or we experience hurt and sickness, we forget that this may line up with the blue print of what God is trying to accomplish in us. He may be working patience in us, which only comes through suffering.
"For examples of patience in suffering, look at the Lord's prophets. We know how happy they are now because they stayed true to him then, even though they suffered greatly for it. Job is an example of a man who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow; from his experiences we can see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy." James 5:10-11
From suffering, "the Lord's plan finally ended in good." Too many times when I go through suffering, I cry and feel sorry for myself, and try to get others to feel sorry for me. During those times my posture should be "Lord, complete your PLAN for me through these difficult times." It shouldn't be "God has let me down, so I turn my back on him & figure things out on my own."
We need to be consistent about looking into God's blueprint. As we look into His word, He instructs us, and we need to respond. I love Ps 119. "Happy are all who search for God, and always do his will, rejecting compromise with evil, and walking only in his paths. You have given us your laws to obey - oh, how I want to follow them consistently." vs 2-3.
By seeing God's plan we can become aligned to the blueprint. It corrects us. "After you have corrected me I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey! Oh, don't forsake me and let me slip back into sin again." Ps. 119:7-8
I've been involved in several building projects. We've built 2 homes, I've drawn up & built 2 finished basements (I talk big, but my father in law has done most of the labor!). I've also been a part of the building project at the church. There's one thing I've learned that's REALLY important. You can't just look at the plan once, and go to work. You need to keep checking and re-checking to make sure what you're doing is aligned with the plan. It's amazing how many times a subcontractor will do something that doesn't line up with the plan, and it has to be addressed and brought into alignment.
We can't just read the word during the service on a sunday morning and then go live the Balanced Christian Life. We need to make it a lifestyle. Each day we need to check the blueprint and live accordingly. Being Empowered through Biblical Training equips us to live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship - walking in obedience. It encourages us to commit to Relationships Devoted to Unity - submitting to the needs of one another. It reminds us to use our gifts and resources responsibly through Active Ministry Involvement, and it keeps before us our Mission to Reach our World for Christ.
We need to first acknowledge that God has a plan for us, then seek his plan through his word and time in prayer, and then repent for things in our life that don't align with the plan. We then thank Him and honor Him by living obedient lives!
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
Showing posts with label Discouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discouragement. Show all posts
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
8.25.11 "Life Portrait"
"Life Portrait"
Job 16:1 - 19:29
I Corinthians 16:1-24
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 22:1
What does it take to make a great painting? Well rarely would it be one of just one or 2 colors. Although in the world of abstract, there's some pretty bizarre stuff that gets a "great" label. To most of us though, the greatest portraits are full of a variety of colors and great contrasts.
Our lives are a portrait. God is the artist. The purpose of this portrait is to bring glory to His name. We'd like our life portrait to be the equivalent to a Yellow Smiley Face - nothing but brightness and joy. The truth of the matter is, that is not great art. Great art can only be shown through the contrast of shadow and joy.
Psalm 40 outlines the portrait of David's life.
"I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord and put their trust in him." (Ps 40:1-3)
Why are people standing in awe in these verses? Because of the way God delivered from the miry pit. How can God deliver unless there IS a miry pit? There will be difficult times in life. There may be times when it's the result of disobedience, or rebellion, or the fruit of bad decisions, but that's not always the reason. The book of Job is a journey through a difficult season (how's that for an understatement) and how Job and his friends seek to find meaning in the difficult times.
It may not matter WHY the difficult times are there, but the truth is that God will take the colors from the pallet of discouragement, and cause the brilliance of his hope and his will to shine through.... if we allow him to complete his work.
Often our response to the trial is to make promises and sacrifices, and show up to church more often, etc... That's not really what God wants from us. "It isn't sacrifices and offerings which you really want from your people. Burnt animals bring no special joy to your heart. But you have accepted the offer of my life-long service. Then I said, 'See, I have come, just as the prophets foretold. And I delight to do your will, my God, for your law is written upon my heart!'" (Ps. 40:6-8)
Don't get me wrong. When you've offered God your all, you WILL be in his house as much as possible. You will sing songs, etc. But the motivation is no longer "get me out of this trial". The motivation is now "Take my life and paint a portrait that will bring you glory! Use whatever colors you want. If they can only be found in a valley, I will go with you. I will never cease to trust you!"
Let God complete his artistry in you today. Don't 'bemoan' the trial, but relish with pleasure the work he is completing in you. A friend and I were talking about the famous "pure joy" scripture from James 1:2. He said, "yeah, that always sounded so good when I was giving the scripture to someone else, but when I'm going through it... that's another story."
Your portrait is for a purpose and a mission. "I have told everyone the Good News that you forgive people's sins. I have not been timid about it, as you well know, O Lord. I have not kept this Good News hidden in my heart, but have proclaimed your lovingkindness and truth to all the congregation." (Ps. 40:9-10)
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
Job 16:1 - 19:29
I Corinthians 16:1-24
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 22:1
What does it take to make a great painting? Well rarely would it be one of just one or 2 colors. Although in the world of abstract, there's some pretty bizarre stuff that gets a "great" label. To most of us though, the greatest portraits are full of a variety of colors and great contrasts.
Our lives are a portrait. God is the artist. The purpose of this portrait is to bring glory to His name. We'd like our life portrait to be the equivalent to a Yellow Smiley Face - nothing but brightness and joy. The truth of the matter is, that is not great art. Great art can only be shown through the contrast of shadow and joy.
Psalm 40 outlines the portrait of David's life.
"I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord and put their trust in him." (Ps 40:1-3)
Why are people standing in awe in these verses? Because of the way God delivered from the miry pit. How can God deliver unless there IS a miry pit? There will be difficult times in life. There may be times when it's the result of disobedience, or rebellion, or the fruit of bad decisions, but that's not always the reason. The book of Job is a journey through a difficult season (how's that for an understatement) and how Job and his friends seek to find meaning in the difficult times.
It may not matter WHY the difficult times are there, but the truth is that God will take the colors from the pallet of discouragement, and cause the brilliance of his hope and his will to shine through.... if we allow him to complete his work.
Often our response to the trial is to make promises and sacrifices, and show up to church more often, etc... That's not really what God wants from us. "It isn't sacrifices and offerings which you really want from your people. Burnt animals bring no special joy to your heart. But you have accepted the offer of my life-long service. Then I said, 'See, I have come, just as the prophets foretold. And I delight to do your will, my God, for your law is written upon my heart!'" (Ps. 40:6-8)
Don't get me wrong. When you've offered God your all, you WILL be in his house as much as possible. You will sing songs, etc. But the motivation is no longer "get me out of this trial". The motivation is now "Take my life and paint a portrait that will bring you glory! Use whatever colors you want. If they can only be found in a valley, I will go with you. I will never cease to trust you!"
Let God complete his artistry in you today. Don't 'bemoan' the trial, but relish with pleasure the work he is completing in you. A friend and I were talking about the famous "pure joy" scripture from James 1:2. He said, "yeah, that always sounded so good when I was giving the scripture to someone else, but when I'm going through it... that's another story."
Your portrait is for a purpose and a mission. "I have told everyone the Good News that you forgive people's sins. I have not been timid about it, as you well know, O Lord. I have not kept this Good News hidden in my heart, but have proclaimed your lovingkindness and truth to all the congregation." (Ps. 40:9-10)
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
Sunday, June 19, 2011
6.18.11 "Discouragement at your Door"
"Discouragement at your Door"
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? Not exactly. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, 'Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you.'" The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
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
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? Not exactly. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, 'Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you.'" The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
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
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
5.31.11 "The Enemy's Strategy"
"The Enemy's Strategy"
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.11) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
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 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.11) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
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
Thursday, October 14, 2010
10.14.10 "Where the Fruit Trees Grow"
"Where the Fruit Trees Grow"
Jeremiah 23:21 - 25:38
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 25:15
I remember as a kid hearing the scripture about the "fruit of the Spirit", and seeing pretty pictures, and how sweet it was. Now growing up, I have a little better understanding of what it takes to make fruit grow. As I was reading today's Psalm, I was reminded of this. Galatians 5:22-23 isn't a part of today's reading from the One-Year Bible, but I thought it would be a good reminder:
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23
Those are 9 good things to have aren't they? It would be great if you could just run to Pick-n-Save produce section, rip off a plastic bag, and fill it with what you're going to need for that day. "I'll take a dozen patience... let's see... the kids like kindness... i suppose i should have a bit of self-control..."
It really doesn't work that way does it? Growing fruit is no easy process. It's not found at Pick-n-Save in fact, Psalm 84 gives us a bit of insight into where we can look.
"Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion." Ps 84:5-7
The Fruit of the Spirit is a necessary part of your growth in Christ. You need it. Guess what! Some of these trees grow in the Valley of Weeping. We all walk through this valley at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes we want to run through this valley. We close our eyes, cover our ears, and can't wait until we get out of it. We rush through it without ever opening our baskets to gather fruit. Our focus on self and concern that we've lost our comfort causes us to miss out on so much. We're frustrated at the rains that come, and miss the "pools of blessing and refreshment that collect after rains!"
It's awesome to see God work in people's lives. I see individuals who have walked through the Valley & come out with a priceless treasure. Unfortunately I've seen those who come out bitter for having been there. The saddest part is knowing that the journey the Lord has for them can't be travelled without gaining the fruit that only grows in THAT valley. Somewhere down the line, there will be a sense of "repeating the test".
Where do the fruit trees grow? I can tell you that the patience tree is not in a quiet place. It's on a freeway. or at a red light when you're late for work. (or trying to get one of the plastic bags apart at Pick and Save!) Self-control is right next to Krispy-Kreme. Joy is in a very dark place. Love... that's a hard one. This one grows in the most undeserving place. This is a valley of danger... risk... the potential for hurt is high. It would be great if this tree were in a Hallmark shop on Valentine's day, but not so. It takes a lot of "fertilizer" for this fruit to become what it needs to be.
Remember the whole "Pure Joy" thing in James 1:2? You know, "consider it pure joy when you face trials..." Well, this is what it's about. This is why the armor goes on each day. It's for a purpose. It's not just to survive the Valley of Weeping. It's to come out better for it.
Maybe right now you're in a pleasant part of the journey. No valleys, just beautiful meadows & mountain tops. But someone very close to you could be at the darkest point in the Valley. Their eyes are closed, and they want to scream. You've been through a valley before. Reach in your basket. Pull out the fruit. What you may not realize is that the fruit was never for you in the first place. It was to help someone else. As you bring kindness and gentleness to another, help them open their eyes and see the pools of blessing. There's refreshment there.
Don't miss the most important part of these verses: "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps." The key to a successful journey is to follow in the steps the Lord has laid out. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Don't get worried when the path leads through a valley. It's all the more important to be Empowered through Biblical Training. Too often that's the first to go. "Too busy to read the Word... Too tired to go to church..." No wonder the valley gets so dark. There's no light.
Be refreshed today wherever you are at. The fruit is nearby.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Jeremiah 23:21 - 25:38
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 25:15
I remember as a kid hearing the scripture about the "fruit of the Spirit", and seeing pretty pictures, and how sweet it was. Now growing up, I have a little better understanding of what it takes to make fruit grow. As I was reading today's Psalm, I was reminded of this. Galatians 5:22-23 isn't a part of today's reading from the One-Year Bible, but I thought it would be a good reminder:
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23
Those are 9 good things to have aren't they? It would be great if you could just run to Pick-n-Save produce section, rip off a plastic bag, and fill it with what you're going to need for that day. "I'll take a dozen patience... let's see... the kids like kindness... i suppose i should have a bit of self-control..."
It really doesn't work that way does it? Growing fruit is no easy process. It's not found at Pick-n-Save in fact, Psalm 84 gives us a bit of insight into where we can look.
"Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion." Ps 84:5-7
The Fruit of the Spirit is a necessary part of your growth in Christ. You need it. Guess what! Some of these trees grow in the Valley of Weeping. We all walk through this valley at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes we want to run through this valley. We close our eyes, cover our ears, and can't wait until we get out of it. We rush through it without ever opening our baskets to gather fruit. Our focus on self and concern that we've lost our comfort causes us to miss out on so much. We're frustrated at the rains that come, and miss the "pools of blessing and refreshment that collect after rains!"
It's awesome to see God work in people's lives. I see individuals who have walked through the Valley & come out with a priceless treasure. Unfortunately I've seen those who come out bitter for having been there. The saddest part is knowing that the journey the Lord has for them can't be travelled without gaining the fruit that only grows in THAT valley. Somewhere down the line, there will be a sense of "repeating the test".
Where do the fruit trees grow? I can tell you that the patience tree is not in a quiet place. It's on a freeway. or at a red light when you're late for work. (or trying to get one of the plastic bags apart at Pick and Save!) Self-control is right next to Krispy-Kreme. Joy is in a very dark place. Love... that's a hard one. This one grows in the most undeserving place. This is a valley of danger... risk... the potential for hurt is high. It would be great if this tree were in a Hallmark shop on Valentine's day, but not so. It takes a lot of "fertilizer" for this fruit to become what it needs to be.
Remember the whole "Pure Joy" thing in James 1:2? You know, "consider it pure joy when you face trials..." Well, this is what it's about. This is why the armor goes on each day. It's for a purpose. It's not just to survive the Valley of Weeping. It's to come out better for it.
Maybe right now you're in a pleasant part of the journey. No valleys, just beautiful meadows & mountain tops. But someone very close to you could be at the darkest point in the Valley. Their eyes are closed, and they want to scream. You've been through a valley before. Reach in your basket. Pull out the fruit. What you may not realize is that the fruit was never for you in the first place. It was to help someone else. As you bring kindness and gentleness to another, help them open their eyes and see the pools of blessing. There's refreshment there.
Don't miss the most important part of these verses: "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps." The key to a successful journey is to follow in the steps the Lord has laid out. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Don't get worried when the path leads through a valley. It's all the more important to be Empowered through Biblical Training. Too often that's the first to go. "Too busy to read the Word... Too tired to go to church..." No wonder the valley gets so dark. There's no light.
Be refreshed today wherever you are at. The fruit is nearby.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, June 18, 2010
6.18.10 "Discouragement at your Door"
"Discouragement at your Door"
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, May 31, 2010
5.31.10 "The Enemy's Strategy"
"The Enemy's Strategy"
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.9) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.9) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, May 15, 2010
5.15.10 "The Slingshot Heard 'Round the World"
"The Slingshot Heard 'Round the World"
1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
John 8:21-30
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 15:11
I Samuel 17 has to be a favorite chapter for many people. We've heard innumerable references to it, and many sermons. Each time you read it, you can find new morsels of truth in the story of this boy after God's own heart. I think we relate to it so well because every single one of us face giants of some shape or size. We often find ourselves paralyzed and intimidated. I believe that the Lord would have us learn not only from the details of the story, but from the character of the hero.
Here's what it takes to be a giant killer:
1. Be a servant - Serve faithfully where you're at with all your heart.
"David was the youngest son, and was on Saul's staff on a part-time basis. He went back and forth to Bethlehem to help his father with the sheep... One day Jesse said to David, 'Take this bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Give this cheese to their captain and see how the boys are getting along; and bring us back a letter from them!... So David left hte sheep with another shepherd and took off early the next morning with the gifts." (I Sam 17:14-20)
You have to remember that we're now in chapter 17. It was chapter 16 that David was anointed. For many of us, our reaction is, "Hey, I've been anointed king! Send someone else to deliver pizza to the brothers!" Not David. He would go back & forth from playing the harp for Saul to tending the sheep. We cannot overlook that David's heart is being prepared in all of this. It's this faithfulness that prepares him to lead a nation. He was even faithful to make sure that someone was taking care of the sheep back home.
What kind of tasks do you see before you that seem "beneath" you? Do you feel "over-qualified" for something you're asked to do, or some task that's placed at your hand? You must serve faithfully. It prepares you to kill giants.
2. Don't get discouraged - recognize discouragement as the enemy.
"When Saul and the Israeli army heard this, they were dismayed and frightened... As [David] was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out... As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright. 'Have you seen the giant?' The soldiers were asking.... But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. 'What are you doing around here anyway?' he demanded. 'What about the sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!'... 'Don't worry about a thing,' David told him. 'I'll take care of this Philistine!' 'Don't be ridiculous!' Saul replied. 'How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy and he has been in the army since he was boy..." (vs. 11,23-25,28,32-33)
After all of that negative influence, most of us would give up. We would become paralyzed by fear & discouragement like everyone else. We too often allow discouragement to live with us, rather than seeing it as a weapon of the enemy. We need to battle it with the same intensity we would the giant. Instead, we invite discouragement to sit down with us. We feed it. We make it our friend. And then pretty soon we have plenty of excuses about why it shouldn't be my job to kill the giant. "I can't do it." "I'm not good enough."
3. It's not about you! - Realize who you are in Christ and fight on those terms.
"David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his insults to Israel?' he asked them. 'who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?'... 'I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me... will save me from this Philistine!'... David shouted in reply, 'You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel - the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" (vs. 26,36-37,45-46)
So many times we think about how the giant effects us. We don't even consider that the giant is out to tarnish the name of God. I am God's representative. He has called me. He has a plan, and I have purpose. We are commissioned to be giant killers. The world around us is needing us to step up and sling some stones. They need to see that the name of the Lord is great!
We must get that fact that it's about God's reputation, and not ours. Sometimes we go out to fight a giant armed with an offended spirit. "How dare you do this to me!" Contrast that with David's offense: "How dare you do this to the name of the Lord!"
It wasn't HUGE steps that David took to beat the giant, it was a series of small, faithful steps. That is within the grasp of each one of us. My giant looks different than yours, and ours looks different than David's, but the scriptural principles apply to all of us!
We've all got 5 smooth stones: D, R, E, A, M... Now, get out there & slay the giant!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/15/2009 07:04:00 AM
1 Samuel 17:1-18:4
John 8:21-30
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 15:11
I Samuel 17 has to be a favorite chapter for many people. We've heard innumerable references to it, and many sermons. Each time you read it, you can find new morsels of truth in the story of this boy after God's own heart. I think we relate to it so well because every single one of us face giants of some shape or size. We often find ourselves paralyzed and intimidated. I believe that the Lord would have us learn not only from the details of the story, but from the character of the hero.
Here's what it takes to be a giant killer:
1. Be a servant - Serve faithfully where you're at with all your heart.
"David was the youngest son, and was on Saul's staff on a part-time basis. He went back and forth to Bethlehem to help his father with the sheep... One day Jesse said to David, 'Take this bushel of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. Give this cheese to their captain and see how the boys are getting along; and bring us back a letter from them!... So David left hte sheep with another shepherd and took off early the next morning with the gifts." (I Sam 17:14-20)
You have to remember that we're now in chapter 17. It was chapter 16 that David was anointed. For many of us, our reaction is, "Hey, I've been anointed king! Send someone else to deliver pizza to the brothers!" Not David. He would go back & forth from playing the harp for Saul to tending the sheep. We cannot overlook that David's heart is being prepared in all of this. It's this faithfulness that prepares him to lead a nation. He was even faithful to make sure that someone was taking care of the sheep back home.
What kind of tasks do you see before you that seem "beneath" you? Do you feel "over-qualified" for something you're asked to do, or some task that's placed at your hand? You must serve faithfully. It prepares you to kill giants.
2. Don't get discouraged - recognize discouragement as the enemy.
"When Saul and the Israeli army heard this, they were dismayed and frightened... As [David] was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out... As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright. 'Have you seen the giant?' The soldiers were asking.... But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking like that, he was angry. 'What are you doing around here anyway?' he demanded. 'What about the sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!'... 'Don't worry about a thing,' David told him. 'I'll take care of this Philistine!' 'Don't be ridiculous!' Saul replied. 'How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy and he has been in the army since he was boy..." (vs. 11,23-25,28,32-33)
After all of that negative influence, most of us would give up. We would become paralyzed by fear & discouragement like everyone else. We too often allow discouragement to live with us, rather than seeing it as a weapon of the enemy. We need to battle it with the same intensity we would the giant. Instead, we invite discouragement to sit down with us. We feed it. We make it our friend. And then pretty soon we have plenty of excuses about why it shouldn't be my job to kill the giant. "I can't do it." "I'm not good enough."
3. It's not about you! - Realize who you are in Christ and fight on those terms.
"David talked to some others standing there to verify the report. 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his insults to Israel?' he asked them. 'who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?'... 'I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this Philistine too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me... will save me from this Philistine!'... David shouted in reply, 'You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel - the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" (vs. 26,36-37,45-46)
So many times we think about how the giant effects us. We don't even consider that the giant is out to tarnish the name of God. I am God's representative. He has called me. He has a plan, and I have purpose. We are commissioned to be giant killers. The world around us is needing us to step up and sling some stones. They need to see that the name of the Lord is great!
We must get that fact that it's about God's reputation, and not ours. Sometimes we go out to fight a giant armed with an offended spirit. "How dare you do this to me!" Contrast that with David's offense: "How dare you do this to the name of the Lord!"
It wasn't HUGE steps that David took to beat the giant, it was a series of small, faithful steps. That is within the grasp of each one of us. My giant looks different than yours, and ours looks different than David's, but the scriptural principles apply to all of us!
We've all got 5 smooth stones: D, R, E, A, M... Now, get out there & slay the giant!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/15/2009 07:04:00 AM
Friday, March 12, 2010
3.12.10 "Luvin' Dat Trouble!"
"Luvin' Dat Trouble!"
Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
There are times when the season we are in is just plain difficult. The personality of the trial can vary, but often it can bring discouragement, despair, frustration, hurt, and a variety of other "baggage".
The trial can bring weariness. David is going through such a time in Psalm 55. There are times when we feel like David where we want to say as he did in verse 6-8. "Oh, for wings like a dove, to fly away and rest! I would fly to the far-off deserts and stay there. I would flee to some refuge from all this storm." I probably wouldn't have said "desert". Maybe more of a "beach" setting! But either way, we just want to run from the storm.
The source of the trial can sometimes hurt more than the trial itself. David's sorrow is that his "enemy" is "my companion and my friend." (vs.13)
Regardless of the type of storm it is, who is the source of it, the truths of vs 16-18 ring out. "But I will call upon the Lord to save me - and he will. I will pray morning, noon, and night, pleading aloud with God; and he will hear and answer. Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me."
No matter what, we are to call upon the Lord, and he will rescue. Verse 22 says, "Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them."
As much as we would like to flee, most of the time the Lord has us in the middle of the storm for a purpose. We must allow him to complete his work in us. We need to remember to not try to carry the burden on our own. Even though the waves are high, He is faithful. He will carry the burden for us. It may not reduce the size of the wave right away, but we don't have to make it worse with worry. He will carry us through. Trust in Him.
Why is there Trouble? We have trouble so we can serve out of a pure heart of faith. So we will be able to help someone else. Troubles cause us to run to God. They carve us into the image of Christ. They cause us to get our mind off of this world and our mind on heaven.
Allow any difficulty to complete Christ's work in you. Encourage one another in the same way.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
There are times when the season we are in is just plain difficult. The personality of the trial can vary, but often it can bring discouragement, despair, frustration, hurt, and a variety of other "baggage".
The trial can bring weariness. David is going through such a time in Psalm 55. There are times when we feel like David where we want to say as he did in verse 6-8. "Oh, for wings like a dove, to fly away and rest! I would fly to the far-off deserts and stay there. I would flee to some refuge from all this storm." I probably wouldn't have said "desert". Maybe more of a "beach" setting! But either way, we just want to run from the storm.
The source of the trial can sometimes hurt more than the trial itself. David's sorrow is that his "enemy" is "my companion and my friend." (vs.13)
Regardless of the type of storm it is, who is the source of it, the truths of vs 16-18 ring out. "But I will call upon the Lord to save me - and he will. I will pray morning, noon, and night, pleading aloud with God; and he will hear and answer. Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me."
No matter what, we are to call upon the Lord, and he will rescue. Verse 22 says, "Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them."
As much as we would like to flee, most of the time the Lord has us in the middle of the storm for a purpose. We must allow him to complete his work in us. We need to remember to not try to carry the burden on our own. Even though the waves are high, He is faithful. He will carry the burden for us. It may not reduce the size of the wave right away, but we don't have to make it worse with worry. He will carry us through. Trust in Him.
Why is there Trouble? We have trouble so we can serve out of a pure heart of faith. So we will be able to help someone else. Troubles cause us to run to God. They carve us into the image of Christ. They cause us to get our mind off of this world and our mind on heaven.
Allow any difficulty to complete Christ's work in you. Encourage one another in the same way.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
8.12.9 "Don't Be Afraid! Remember the Lord! Fight!"
"Don't Be Afraid! Remember the Lord! Fight!"
Nehemiah 3:15-5:13
I Corinthians 7:20-40
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 21:5-7
What do you do when it just seems like everything is going wrong? The opposition is too great. Is it worth it?
Nehemiah chapter 4 describes some of the most intense opposition his people experience in the building of the wall. Nehemiah is being obedient to what God has called him to do. He's cast the vision. He has all of the workers organized, and there is progress. And here comes Sanballat & Tobiah, mocking them as they work. Nehemiah cries out to God about this, and keeps on going.
Then things get better, right? No, when the workers visit home, the enemy has planted people to try to discourage the workers. If that isn't enough, then there's an army organized against them, planning to attack.
You know what, Nehemiah? It just ain't worth it. You tried. This must not be of God. It's too tough. Maybe you are out of God's will. Maybe your motives were wrong in doing this. I don't think anyone would blame you if you quit working. Nice try.
Is that how it played out? No. In Nehemiah 4:14 it says, "Then as I looked over the situation I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, 'Don't be afraid! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious; fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!'" verse 15-18 "... Now we all returned to our work on the wall; but from then on, only half worked while the other half stood guard behind them. And the masons and laborers worked with weapons within easy reach beside them, or with swords belted to their sides. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm." verse 20-21, " We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset; and half the men were always on guard."
As modern day believers we are facing tremendous opposition. If we really looked at the state of morality, the lack of fear of God, and other situations in the world, we could very easily feel like quitting. "It's just not worth it."
Marriages are under attack. Not only nationally, but individually. The enemy is doing whatever he can to destroy Godly foundations. What should we do? Should we quit? Give in?
I Corinthians 7:28-30 says, "... marriage will bring extra problems that I wish you didn't have to face right now. The important thing to remember is that our remaining time is very short, [and so are our opportunities for doing the Lord's work]. For that reason those who have wives should stay as free as possible for the Lord; happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep you from doing God's work."
You may read that & think, "What did Paul say?? Marriage brings problems?? We shouldn't face them???" The point is that so many people are shocked when trouble comes in marriage. They think that it must be doomed. NOT AT ALL! That's the point! Your marriage is a weapon the Lord wants to use against the enemy. When you get married, you are a target.
Just like Nehemiah on the wall, when you are doing work for the Lord, don't be surprised when opposition comes. Whether it's in your marriage or your job, or in your ministry, you need to follow the advice of Nehemiah. "Don't be afraid! Remember the Lord. Fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!"
Proverbs 21:5 says, "Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty." So many of us want the "get rich quick" plan. Not just in our finances, but in our marriage, and in our dreams. We want to know the secret so it will just "happen". That's not the way it works. God wants us to prosper in ALL things. He wants our character to prosper. That can only happen through the refining furnace of affliction and the crucible of conflict.
Do not grow weary! Don't Be Afraid! Remember the Lord! Fight!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Nehemiah 3:15-5:13
I Corinthians 7:20-40
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 21:5-7
What do you do when it just seems like everything is going wrong? The opposition is too great. Is it worth it?
Nehemiah chapter 4 describes some of the most intense opposition his people experience in the building of the wall. Nehemiah is being obedient to what God has called him to do. He's cast the vision. He has all of the workers organized, and there is progress. And here comes Sanballat & Tobiah, mocking them as they work. Nehemiah cries out to God about this, and keeps on going.
Then things get better, right? No, when the workers visit home, the enemy has planted people to try to discourage the workers. If that isn't enough, then there's an army organized against them, planning to attack.
You know what, Nehemiah? It just ain't worth it. You tried. This must not be of God. It's too tough. Maybe you are out of God's will. Maybe your motives were wrong in doing this. I don't think anyone would blame you if you quit working. Nice try.
Is that how it played out? No. In Nehemiah 4:14 it says, "Then as I looked over the situation I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, 'Don't be afraid! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious; fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!'" verse 15-18 "... Now we all returned to our work on the wall; but from then on, only half worked while the other half stood guard behind them. And the masons and laborers worked with weapons within easy reach beside them, or with swords belted to their sides. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm." verse 20-21, " We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset; and half the men were always on guard."
As modern day believers we are facing tremendous opposition. If we really looked at the state of morality, the lack of fear of God, and other situations in the world, we could very easily feel like quitting. "It's just not worth it."
Marriages are under attack. Not only nationally, but individually. The enemy is doing whatever he can to destroy Godly foundations. What should we do? Should we quit? Give in?
I Corinthians 7:28-30 says, "... marriage will bring extra problems that I wish you didn't have to face right now. The important thing to remember is that our remaining time is very short, [and so are our opportunities for doing the Lord's work]. For that reason those who have wives should stay as free as possible for the Lord; happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep you from doing God's work."
You may read that & think, "What did Paul say?? Marriage brings problems?? We shouldn't face them???" The point is that so many people are shocked when trouble comes in marriage. They think that it must be doomed. NOT AT ALL! That's the point! Your marriage is a weapon the Lord wants to use against the enemy. When you get married, you are a target.
Just like Nehemiah on the wall, when you are doing work for the Lord, don't be surprised when opposition comes. Whether it's in your marriage or your job, or in your ministry, you need to follow the advice of Nehemiah. "Don't be afraid! Remember the Lord. Fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!"
Proverbs 21:5 says, "Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty." So many of us want the "get rich quick" plan. Not just in our finances, but in our marriage, and in our dreams. We want to know the secret so it will just "happen". That's not the way it works. God wants us to prosper in ALL things. He wants our character to prosper. That can only happen through the refining furnace of affliction and the crucible of conflict.
Do not grow weary! Don't Be Afraid! Remember the Lord! Fight!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, June 18, 2009
6.18.9 "Discouragement at your Door"
"Discouragement at your Door"
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, May 31, 2009
5.31.9 "The Enemy's Strategy"
"The Enemy's Strategy"
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.9) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of himself, and when he's worn out, put words of defeat into his mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.9) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Maintain healthy relationships. Keep in the Word. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
4.1.9 "One of those Days!"
"One of those Days!"
Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10
There are days when it seems like there's nothing the devil throws at you can touch you. The storm rages around, but you're joyful, filled with peace, and faith, and excited about what God is doing.
Then there are those "other" days! There are those days where we just about slide off the edge into the "pit of despair". I don't really need to describe them any better than the Psalmist did:
"How good God is to Israel -- to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked. Yes, all through life their road is smooth! They grow sleek and fat. They aren't always in trouble and plagued with problems like everyone else, so their pride sparkles like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty! These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff at God and threaten his people. How proudly they speak! They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut through the earth.
"And so God's people are dismayed and confused, and drink it all in. 'Does God realize what is going on?' they ask. 'Look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger - theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply.'" (Ps 73:1-12)
Have ya been there?
"Have I been wasting my time? Why take the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe - everyday and all day long! If I had really said that, I would have been a traitor to your people. Yet it is so hard to explain it - this prosperity of those who hate the Lord." (v.13-16)
If you're like me, I feel really guilty when I'm having one of "those" days. It is like a trap. When you start thinking like that, you get snared by self-pity. There's a draw to it. Why take the trouble to be pure?
Listen to where the healthy perspective comes from:
"Then one day I went into God's sanctuary to meditate, and thought about the future of these evil men. What a slippery path they are on - suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction: an instant end to all their happiness, an eternity of terror. Their present life is only a dream! They will awaken to the truth as one awakens from a dream of things that never really were! " (vs. 17-20)
The importance of meditating in God's sanctuary cannot be overstated. We gain understanding, truth and balance from spending time with God. He gives us the perspective we need. Often when we do that we see things as they really are.
"When I saw this, what turmoil filled my heart! I saw myself so stupid and so ignorant; I must seem like an animal to you, O God. But even so, you love me! You are holding my right hand! You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel; and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven! Whom have I in heaven but you? And I desire no one on earth as much as you! My health fails; my spirits droop, yet God remains! he is the strength of my heart he is mine forever!
"But those refusing to worship God will perish, for he destroys those serving other gods.
"But as for me, I get as close to him as I can! I have chosen him and I will tell everyone about the wonderful ways he rescues me." (vs.21-28)
It doesn't make a difference how the wicked prosper. God's truth remains. His love for us is ever-abounding in spite of our moments of ignorance.
Gain the proper perspective by spending time with him today! Be Empowered through Biblical Training! Walk in Obedience and live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, and do it all with your purpose in mind: Mission to Reach our World for Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10
There are days when it seems like there's nothing the devil throws at you can touch you. The storm rages around, but you're joyful, filled with peace, and faith, and excited about what God is doing.
Then there are those "other" days! There are those days where we just about slide off the edge into the "pit of despair". I don't really need to describe them any better than the Psalmist did:
"How good God is to Israel -- to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked. Yes, all through life their road is smooth! They grow sleek and fat. They aren't always in trouble and plagued with problems like everyone else, so their pride sparkles like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty! These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff at God and threaten his people. How proudly they speak! They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut through the earth.
"And so God's people are dismayed and confused, and drink it all in. 'Does God realize what is going on?' they ask. 'Look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger - theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply.'" (Ps 73:1-12)
Have ya been there?
"Have I been wasting my time? Why take the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe - everyday and all day long! If I had really said that, I would have been a traitor to your people. Yet it is so hard to explain it - this prosperity of those who hate the Lord." (v.13-16)
If you're like me, I feel really guilty when I'm having one of "those" days. It is like a trap. When you start thinking like that, you get snared by self-pity. There's a draw to it. Why take the trouble to be pure?
Listen to where the healthy perspective comes from:
"Then one day I went into God's sanctuary to meditate, and thought about the future of these evil men. What a slippery path they are on - suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction: an instant end to all their happiness, an eternity of terror. Their present life is only a dream! They will awaken to the truth as one awakens from a dream of things that never really were! " (vs. 17-20)
The importance of meditating in God's sanctuary cannot be overstated. We gain understanding, truth and balance from spending time with God. He gives us the perspective we need. Often when we do that we see things as they really are.
"When I saw this, what turmoil filled my heart! I saw myself so stupid and so ignorant; I must seem like an animal to you, O God. But even so, you love me! You are holding my right hand! You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel; and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven! Whom have I in heaven but you? And I desire no one on earth as much as you! My health fails; my spirits droop, yet God remains! he is the strength of my heart he is mine forever!
"But those refusing to worship God will perish, for he destroys those serving other gods.
"But as for me, I get as close to him as I can! I have chosen him and I will tell everyone about the wonderful ways he rescues me." (vs.21-28)
It doesn't make a difference how the wicked prosper. God's truth remains. His love for us is ever-abounding in spite of our moments of ignorance.
Gain the proper perspective by spending time with him today! Be Empowered through Biblical Training! Walk in Obedience and live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, and do it all with your purpose in mind: Mission to Reach our World for Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
10.14.8 "Where the Fruit Trees Grow"
"Where the Fruit Trees Grow"
Jeremiah 23:21 - 25:38
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 25:15
I remember as a kid hearing the scripture about the "fruit of the Spirit", and seeing pretty pictures, and how sweet it was. Now growing up, I have a little better understanding of what it takes to make fruit grow. If I ever wrote a book about the Fruit of the Spirit, I would title it "Where the Fruit Trees Grow". As I was reading today's Psalm, I was reminded of this. Galatians 5:22-23 isn't a part of today's reading from the One-Year Bible, but I thought it would be a good reminder:
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23
Those are 9 good things to have aren't they? It would be great if you could just run to Pick-n-Save produce section, rip off a plastic bag, and fill it with what you're going to need for that day. "I'll take a dozen patience... let's see... the kids like kindness... i suppose i should have a bit of self-control..."
It really doesn't work that way does it? Growing fruit is no easy process. It's not found at Pick-n-Save in fact, Psalm 84 gives us a bit of insight into where we can look.
"Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion." Ps 84:5-7
The Fruit of the Spirit is a necessary part of your growth in Christ. You need it. Guess what! Some of these trees grow in the Valley of Weeping. We all walk through this valley at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes we want to run through this valley. We close our eyes, cover our ears, and can't wait until we get out of it. We rush through it without ever opening our baskets to gather fruit. Our focus on self and concern that we've lost our comfort causes us to miss out on so much. We're frustrated at the rains that come, and miss the "pools of blessing and refreshment that collect after rains!"
It's awesome to see God work in people's lives. I see individuals who have walked through the Valley & come out with a priceless treasure. Unfortunately I've seen those who come out bitter for having been there. The saddest part is knowing that the journey the Lord has for them can't be travelled without gaining the fruit that only grows in THAT valley. Somewhere down the line, there will be a sense of "repeating the test".
Where do the fruit trees grow? I can tell you that the patience tree is not in a quiet place. It's on a freeway. or at a red light when you're late for work. (or trying to get one of the plastic bags apart at Pick and Save!) Self-control is right next to Krispy-Kreme. Joy is in a very dark place. Love... that's a hard one. This one grows in the most undeserving place. This is a valley of danger... risk... the potential for hurt is high. It would be great if this tree were in a Hallmark shop on Valentine's day, but not so. It takes a lot of "fertilizer" for this fruit to become what it needs to be.
Remember the whole "Pure Joy" thing in James 1:2? You know, "consider it pure joy when you face trials..." Well, this is what it's about. This is why the armor goes on each day. It's for a purpose. It's not just to survive the Valley of Weeping. It's to come out better for it.
Maybe right now you're in a pleasant part of the journey. No valleys, just beautiful meadows & mountain tops. But someone very close to you could be at the darkest point in the Valley. Their eyes are closed, and they want to scream. You've been through a valley before. Reach in your basket. Pull out the fruit. What you may not realize is that the fruit was never for you in the first place. It was to help someone else. As you bring kindness and gentleness to another, help them open their eyes and see the pools of blessing. There's refreshment there.
Don't miss the most important part of these verses: "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps." The key to a successful journey is to follow in the steps the Lord has laid out. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Don't get worried when the path leads through a valley. It's all the more important to be Empowered through Biblical Training. Too often that's the first to go. "Too busy to read the Word... Too tired to go to church..." No wonder the valley gets so dark. There's no light.
Be refreshed today wherever you are at. The fruit is nearby.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Jeremiah 23:21 - 25:38
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 25:15
I remember as a kid hearing the scripture about the "fruit of the Spirit", and seeing pretty pictures, and how sweet it was. Now growing up, I have a little better understanding of what it takes to make fruit grow. If I ever wrote a book about the Fruit of the Spirit, I would title it "Where the Fruit Trees Grow". As I was reading today's Psalm, I was reminded of this. Galatians 5:22-23 isn't a part of today's reading from the One-Year Bible, but I thought it would be a good reminder:
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23
Those are 9 good things to have aren't they? It would be great if you could just run to Pick-n-Save produce section, rip off a plastic bag, and fill it with what you're going to need for that day. "I'll take a dozen patience... let's see... the kids like kindness... i suppose i should have a bit of self-control..."
It really doesn't work that way does it? Growing fruit is no easy process. It's not found at Pick-n-Save in fact, Psalm 84 gives us a bit of insight into where we can look.
"Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion." Ps 84:5-7
The Fruit of the Spirit is a necessary part of your growth in Christ. You need it. Guess what! Some of these trees grow in the Valley of Weeping. We all walk through this valley at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes we want to run through this valley. We close our eyes, cover our ears, and can't wait until we get out of it. We rush through it without ever opening our baskets to gather fruit. Our focus on self and concern that we've lost our comfort causes us to miss out on so much. We're frustrated at the rains that come, and miss the "pools of blessing and refreshment that collect after rains!"
It's awesome to see God work in people's lives. I see individuals who have walked through the Valley & come out with a priceless treasure. Unfortunately I've seen those who come out bitter for having been there. The saddest part is knowing that the journey the Lord has for them can't be travelled without gaining the fruit that only grows in THAT valley. Somewhere down the line, there will be a sense of "repeating the test".
Where do the fruit trees grow? I can tell you that the patience tree is not in a quiet place. It's on a freeway. or at a red light when you're late for work. (or trying to get one of the plastic bags apart at Pick and Save!) Self-control is right next to Krispy-Kreme. Joy is in a very dark place. Love... that's a hard one. This one grows in the most undeserving place. This is a valley of danger... risk... the potential for hurt is high. It would be great if this tree were in a Hallmark shop on Valentine's day, but not so. It takes a lot of "fertilizer" for this fruit to become what it needs to be.
Remember the whole "Pure Joy" thing in James 1:2? You know, "consider it pure joy when you face trials..." Well, this is what it's about. This is why the armor goes on each day. It's for a purpose. It's not just to survive the Valley of Weeping. It's to come out better for it.
Maybe right now you're in a pleasant part of the journey. No valleys, just beautiful meadows & mountain tops. But someone very close to you could be at the darkest point in the Valley. Their eyes are closed, and they want to scream. You've been through a valley before. Reach in your basket. Pull out the fruit. What you may not realize is that the fruit was never for you in the first place. It was to help someone else. As you bring kindness and gentleness to another, help them open their eyes and see the pools of blessing. There's refreshment there.
Don't miss the most important part of these verses: "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps." The key to a successful journey is to follow in the steps the Lord has laid out. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Don't get worried when the path leads through a valley. It's all the more important to be Empowered through Biblical Training. Too often that's the first to go. "Too busy to read the Word... Too tired to go to church..." No wonder the valley gets so dark. There's no light.
Be refreshed today wherever you are at. The fruit is nearby.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
6.18.8 "Discouragement at your Door"
"Discouragement at your Door"
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Kings 19:1-21
Acts 12:1-23
Psalm 136:1-26
Proverbs 17:14-15
In I Kings 18 yesterday, we saw Elijah meet King Ahab with boldness in spite of the fact that Ahab was looking to kill him. Then we have this awesome story of how fire comes from heaven & consumes the offering, and there's revival, etc. The next event is I Kings 19. We have the same "main" character: Elijah. Queen Jezebel hears what Elijah has done, and she sends him a message, "you killed my prophets, and now I swear by the gods that I am going to kill you by this time tomorrow night." (I Kings 19:2)
Well now, Elijah is full of faith from the recent victory right? He stands up to her and says, "My God is greater!", right? That's what we would have done, right? I doubt it. Elijah does what many of us would do.
If there's one thing that seems to be true it's that no matter where you are in your Christian maturity, discouragement is never far away. Elijah runs to the wilderness, sits under a bush & prays that he might die. "'I've had enough,' he told the Lord. 'Take away my life. I've got to die sometime, and it might as well be now.'"
If he really felt like he wanted to die, why didn't he just hang around and let Jezebel do him in? It was more of a matter of feeling sorry for himself. You ever feel that way?
When does discouragement set in? The crazy thing about it is that it comes at some pretty bizarre times, catching us unaware. MANY times its after God has done a great work in us or through us. And then like BAM! we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves.
What's God's perscription for this onset of discouragement?
(1) Take care of yourself. As Elijah is there sleeping, an angel wakes him and tells him to eat. Then he rests again. If we do not take care of our physical needs, it's like sending an open invitation for discouragement to walk into your life. In living the Balanced Christian Life, we must keep a gauge on where we're at in terms of rest and health. Sometimes just acknowledging you're tired will help keep discouragement at bay. 19:7 says, "then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you." The Lord created you. He knows you have physical needs, and he has provided a way for them to be met.
(2) Stay away from self pity. 19:10 the Lord asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" His answer is "I have worked very hard... and now they are trying to kill me, too." Elijah's perspective is out of balance. He is bearing the weight of the work of the Lord. Remember "My yoke is easy and by burden is light"? Walking in the will and timing of God is work, but God is bearing the weight. We will get tired, but when we attach our fatigue to "I'm doing SO much for you Lord..." we get ourselves into trouble.
(3) Meet with God. 19:11-12 are really cool. I'd like to see this one in a movie, but I don't even think it could do it justice. God makes an appointment to meet with Elijah. "Go stand before me on the mountain', the Lord told him." There's a windstorm, an earthquake, and a fire. Pretty impressive. Sometimes I think when we meet with God we want to find him in a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. A big revival service. Dancing, shouting, etc... But where is he? He's in a still small voice. In meeting with God, you will get your perspective back. When Elijah met with God, God asked him again, "Why are you here," He answered the same as before which I think is funny. If I were God, I'm thinkin' one zap, and there's a grease spot on the mountain. I'm a hypocrite, though, i should have been a grease spot a long time ago.
(4) Look at the big picture. In Meeting with God, you realize He has a plan and a purpose. Remember, "It's not about you." I've said this before, but sometimes we need to "zoom out" a bit on our perspective of life. God's looking at the big picture, and he only needs us to be obedient for his will to be accomplished. He tends to remind us that we're not alone. Elijah had whined that he was the only one left. God said in verse 18, "And incidentally, there are 7,000 men in Israel who have never bowed to Baal..."
(5) Get back to work. The bicycle principle is this: "You find balance when you're moving." This is true in the Christian life. People think they will find balance by quitting everything. That won't work. God gave Elijah instruction to anoint a new King of Syria, and to develop a new assistant Elisha. After these times of discouragement, there can be new vision and focus in ministry and life. Sometimes the results can be exponential.
Discouragement will come. "Do not grow weary in doing good, for at a proper time you will reap the harvest." Take care of yourself, and "Guard your heart for out of it is the wellspring of life. "
One evening a few years ago I was having one of those times where discouragement was setting in. I was really in a funk. I was kind of feeling sorry for my self on the drive home. As I drove up to my house, I saw my daughter (then four years old) dancing in the driveway, singing to the top of her lungs. She loves to make up her own songs. When I heard what she was singing, I stopped in my tracks. I made her stand in front of me and sing it again. I said, "You didn't write that did you?" she said she did. The next day she told us that the song is Jesus singing it to us. This was my "still small voice". Here's what she was singing:
Do you know that life can be perfect
Can you see that life can be true
Even when life is not what you Dreamed it to be
Life is perfect when you are here with me.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, May 31, 2008
5.31.8 "The Enemy's Strategy"
"The Enemy's Strategy"
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of themself, and when they're warn out, put words of defeat into their mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.8) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Develop healthy relationships. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Samuel 17:1-29
John 19:23-42
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 16:12-13
What is the best way to render a Christian ineffective? Would it be to drop him in the middle of a huge crisis? Would it be to assault with accusation? Probably not... if that were the case, the sirens would sound, the prayer corps would be called to action, the attack would be instantly recognized. A more devious attack might be something a bit more subtle. Maybe get the warrior to cut corners on taking care of themself, and when they're warn out, put words of defeat into their mind.
Throughout scripture the enemy has tried many methods with varied success, but he loves to do to us what is spoken of in 2 Samuel 17. David is with his men and he's running away from his son Absalom. Absalom has an advisor named Ahithophel. Ahithophel develops a plan to attack David. He says in 2 Samuel 17:2, "I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged..."
We have to realize that is the strategy of our enemy. He is looking for an opportunity to take us down, and the opportunity comes when we are weary and discouraged.
Why does this strategy work?
1. When we are tired & discouraged, we lose our motivation to mobilize our defenses. In the middle of fatigue, we are so apt to relax in our Discipline. There's something within us that says, "I owe it to myself..." then we slack off. We become more of a target.
2. Weariness & Discouragement tend to make us turn on ourself. When we are tired and discouraged, we are already feeling a sense of failure. We can feel that we've blown it, so what's the use. We can almost feel like the enemy's got a good point. We in essence hand the enemy weapons to use against us when we allow discouragement to set in.
3. There's a subtle timing to all of this. The enemy knows it will take subversive means to over throw us. If it were a frontal attack of full force, it would be easier to recognize & call us to battle. Instead, it's a sneaky way of waiting until we invite discouragement, doubt, and fear into the camp, only to be attacked from within.
So what can we do?
1. Stay balanced. Take care of the body. You need to "check your gauges". Be aware of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and take care of them. We must be consistently in a mode of "preventative maintenance". We need to do a DREAM Check-up. How am I doing in each area?
2. Recognize discouragement as an attack from the enemy. Sometimes we treat thoughts of discouragement more as a "comfort food" than as poison. Discouragement is a wet blanket to put out the fire of faith. If we get more aggressive and take a "get thee behind me satan" stance on discouragement, we will close the door to a key entry point for the enemy.
3. Zoom out and see the big picture. It's tough sometimes to see what's really going on when we're in the middle of the storm. Instead of letting the "little things" (however big they may be) effect our decision, we must stay the course of obedience. We need to recognize that frustrations are a necessary element in God's refining process and serve to complete his work in our lives.
Are there any warning signs for you today? What can you do to get things in order. Sometimes people think the answer is to pull out of everything. That's not the healthy choice. Taking a spoke out of the 3 spoke wheel (see DEVO 1.5.8) doesn't achieve balance. You must keep moving. Keep Christ at the center. Develop healthy relationships. Be a good steward of all that God has given you. Live with your purpose in mind.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, March 31, 2008
4.1.8 "One of those Days!"
"One of those Days!"
Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10
There are days when it seems like there's nothing the devil throws at you can touch you. The storm rages around, but you're joyful, filled with peace, and faith, and excited about what God is doing.
Then there are those "other" days! There are those days where we just about slide off the edge into the "pit of despair". I don't really need to describe them any better than the Psalmist did:
"How good God is to Israel -- to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked. Yes, all through life their road is smooth! They grow sleek and fat. They aren't always in trouble and plagued with problems like everyone else, so their pride sparkles like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty! These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff at God and threaten his people. How proudly they speak! They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut through the earth.
"And so God's people are dismayed and confused, and drink it all in. 'Does God realize what is going on?' they ask. 'Look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger - theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply.'" (Ps 73:1-12)
Have ya been there?
"Have I been wasting my time? Why take the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe - everyday and all day long! If I had really said that, I would have been a traitor to your people. Yet it is so hard to explain it - this prosperity of those who hate the Lord." (v.13-16)
If you're like me, I feel really guilty when I'm having one of "those" days. It is like a trap. When you start thinking like that, you get snared by self-pity. There's a draw to it. Why take the trouble to be pure?
Listen to where the healthy perspective comes from:
"Then one day i went into God's sanctuary to meditate, and thought about the future of these evil men. What a slippery path they are on - suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction: an instant end to all their happiness, an eternity of terror. Their present life is only a dream! They will awaken to the truth as one awakens from a dream of things that never really were! " (vs. 17-20)
The importance of meditating in God's sanctuary cannot be overstated. We gain understanding, truth and balance from spending time with God. He gives us the perspective we need. Often when we do that we see things as they really are.
"When I saw this, what turmoil filled my heart! I saw myself so stupid and so ignorant; I must seem like an animal to you, O God. But even so, you love me! You are holding my right hand! You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel; and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven! Whom have I in heaven but you? And I desire no one on earth as much as you! My health fails; my spirits droop, yet God remains! he is the strength of my heart he is mine forever!
"But those refusing to worship God will perish, for he destroys those serving other gods.
"But as for me, I get as close to him as I can! I have chosen him and I will tell everyone about the wonderful ways he rescues me." (vs.21-28)
It doesn't make a difference how the wicked prosper. God's truth remains. His love for us is ever-abounding in spite of our moments of ignorance.
Gain the proper perspective by spending time with him today! Be Empowered through Biblical Training! Walk in Obedience and live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, and do it all with your purpose in mind: Mission to Reach our World for Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10
There are days when it seems like there's nothing the devil throws at you can touch you. The storm rages around, but you're joyful, filled with peace, and faith, and excited about what God is doing.
Then there are those "other" days! There are those days where we just about slide off the edge into the "pit of despair". I don't really need to describe them any better than the Psalmist did:
"How good God is to Israel -- to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone. For I was envious of the prosperity of the proud and wicked. Yes, all through life their road is smooth! They grow sleek and fat. They aren't always in trouble and plagued with problems like everyone else, so their pride sparkles like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty! These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff at God and threaten his people. How proudly they speak! They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut through the earth.
"And so God's people are dismayed and confused, and drink it all in. 'Does God realize what is going on?' they ask. 'Look at these men of arrogance; they never have to lift a finger - theirs is a life of ease; and all the time their riches multiply.'" (Ps 73:1-12)
Have ya been there?
"Have I been wasting my time? Why take the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe - everyday and all day long! If I had really said that, I would have been a traitor to your people. Yet it is so hard to explain it - this prosperity of those who hate the Lord." (v.13-16)
If you're like me, I feel really guilty when I'm having one of "those" days. It is like a trap. When you start thinking like that, you get snared by self-pity. There's a draw to it. Why take the trouble to be pure?
Listen to where the healthy perspective comes from:
"Then one day i went into God's sanctuary to meditate, and thought about the future of these evil men. What a slippery path they are on - suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction: an instant end to all their happiness, an eternity of terror. Their present life is only a dream! They will awaken to the truth as one awakens from a dream of things that never really were! " (vs. 17-20)
The importance of meditating in God's sanctuary cannot be overstated. We gain understanding, truth and balance from spending time with God. He gives us the perspective we need. Often when we do that we see things as they really are.
"When I saw this, what turmoil filled my heart! I saw myself so stupid and so ignorant; I must seem like an animal to you, O God. But even so, you love me! You are holding my right hand! You will keep on guiding me all my life with your wisdom and counsel; and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven! Whom have I in heaven but you? And I desire no one on earth as much as you! My health fails; my spirits droop, yet God remains! he is the strength of my heart he is mine forever!
"But those refusing to worship God will perish, for he destroys those serving other gods.
"But as for me, I get as close to him as I can! I have chosen him and I will tell everyone about the wonderful ways he rescues me." (vs.21-28)
It doesn't make a difference how the wicked prosper. God's truth remains. His love for us is ever-abounding in spite of our moments of ignorance.
Gain the proper perspective by spending time with him today! Be Empowered through Biblical Training! Walk in Obedience and live the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship, and do it all with your purpose in mind: Mission to Reach our World for Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
3.12.8 "Luvin' dat trouble!"
"Luvin' dat trouble!"
Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
There are times when the season we are in is just plain difficult. The personality of the trial can vary, but often it can bring discouragement, despair, frustration, hurt, and a variety of other "baggage".
The trial can bring weariness. David is going through such a time in Psalm 55. There are times when we feel like David where we want to say as he did in verse 6-8. "Oh, for wings like a dove, to fly away and rest! I would fly to the far-off deserts and stay there. I would flee to some refuge from all this storm." I probably wouldn't have said "desert". Maybe more of a "beach" setting! But either way, we just want to run from the storm.
The source of the trial can sometimes hurt more than the trial itself. David's sorrow is that his "enemy" is "my companion and my friend." (vs.13)
Regardless of the type of storm it is, who is the source of it, the truths of vs 16-18 ring out. "But I will call upon the Lord to save me - and he will. I will pray morning, noon, and night, pleading aloud with God; and he will hear and answer. Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me."
No matter what, we are to call upon the Lord, and he will rescue. Verse 22 says, "Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them."
As much as we would like to flee, most of the time the Lord has us in the middle of the storm for a purpose. We must allow him to complete his work in us. We need to remember to not try to carry the burden on our own. Even though the waves are high, He is faithful. He will carry the burden for us. It may not reduce the size of the wave right away, but we don't have to make it worse with worry. He will carry us through. Trust in Him.
Why is there Trouble? We have trouble so we can serve out of a pure heart of faith. So we will be able to help someone else. Troubles cause us to run to God. They carve us into the image of Christ. They cause us to get our mind off of this world and our mind on heaven.
Allow any difficulty to complete Christ's work in you. Encourage one another in the same way.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Numbers 16:41-18:32
Mark 16:1-20
Psalm 55:1-23
Proverbs 11:7
There are times when the season we are in is just plain difficult. The personality of the trial can vary, but often it can bring discouragement, despair, frustration, hurt, and a variety of other "baggage".
The trial can bring weariness. David is going through such a time in Psalm 55. There are times when we feel like David where we want to say as he did in verse 6-8. "Oh, for wings like a dove, to fly away and rest! I would fly to the far-off deserts and stay there. I would flee to some refuge from all this storm." I probably wouldn't have said "desert". Maybe more of a "beach" setting! But either way, we just want to run from the storm.
The source of the trial can sometimes hurt more than the trial itself. David's sorrow is that his "enemy" is "my companion and my friend." (vs.13)
Regardless of the type of storm it is, who is the source of it, the truths of vs 16-18 ring out. "But I will call upon the Lord to save me - and he will. I will pray morning, noon, and night, pleading aloud with God; and he will hear and answer. Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me."
No matter what, we are to call upon the Lord, and he will rescue. Verse 22 says, "Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them."
As much as we would like to flee, most of the time the Lord has us in the middle of the storm for a purpose. We must allow him to complete his work in us. We need to remember to not try to carry the burden on our own. Even though the waves are high, He is faithful. He will carry the burden for us. It may not reduce the size of the wave right away, but we don't have to make it worse with worry. He will carry us through. Trust in Him.
Why is there Trouble? We have trouble so we can serve out of a pure heart of faith. So we will be able to help someone else. Troubles cause us to run to God. They carve us into the image of Christ. They cause us to get our mind off of this world and our mind on heaven.
Allow any difficulty to complete Christ's work in you. Encourage one another in the same way.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
9.26.7 "Just Do It"
"Just Do It"
Isaiah 48:1-50:11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Psalm 69:1-14
Proverbs 24:5
Do you ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel like what you're doing isn't making a difference?
Isaiah is relating a conversation he had with the Lord in the beginning of chapter 49. It's something we can relate to. In verse 1 he says, "The Lord called me before my birth. From within the womb he called me by my name." That's true for everyone of us. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. He has a path laid out for us that is for the point of completing His mission.
What God says to Isaiah in verse 3 is what he is saying to each one of us. "You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory." That's why we're here. To bring him glory. It's a great thing that we can rely on the power of His Spirit.
In verse 4 we hear Isaiah say what we can sometimes feel. "But my work for them seems all in vain; I have spent my strength for them without response."
Have you ever been there? Have you ever done what you felt God had told you to do, and yet saw no fruit? You witnessed to someone, but they didn't say the sinner's prayer, or you stepped out in faith, but didn't see the miracle?
Is that failure?
There are many times we judge our success by results. There are some things that work that way. A successful business makes money, for example. But is that the way it is in the kingdom of God?
What's really important to God is the obedience of his people. When we are obedient, we bring him glory. In God's rule book, the question of success is: "Did you do everything I commanded you to do?" It's a "yes" or "no" question of success. "Well, kind of..." just wont cut it.
There's something in our human nature that "tricks" us into thinking that it's our own effort that brings results for the kingdom. But it's not us. God brings the increase. It's not by our strength.
Don't take this the wrong way. This doesn't mean we relax. We have to understand that it is our responsibility to obey with intensity. Isaiah 50:7 says, "Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will..." That's how we need to be, regardless of the results. We need to be committed and disciplined to do what the Lord commands.
Todays reading in Psalm 69:9 says, "My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me." There should be a passion that stirs up within us to follow God's direction. Passion doesn't just "happen". It is stirred up. This is a fire that is maintained and stoked and refreshed through the Word and through the power of the Spirit.
The recognition of God's voice comes through consistent discipline of getting into the Word and seeking his face. This isn't necessarily going to be easy, and the results can be difficult. Isaiah 50:4-6 says, "The Lord has given me his words of wisdom so that I may know what I should say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Lord God has spoken to me and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. I give my back to the whip, and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame - they spit in my face."
Going through all of that, Isaiah could easily feel like a failure. Whatever your situation is, you may at some level feel like a failure. You need to ask yourself the question: "Am I obedient". What's the answer? If you can say yes, you are not a failure. It is not in vain. If you have to answer, "no", even the positive results you may have experienced during your disobedience are in vain. You need to return to the point of direction that God has given you, and walk in obedience.
This is all about living the DREAM. Obedience is the fruit of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Submission to the needs of those God has called you to serve is Relationships Devoted to Unity. Being Disciplined in seeking the will of God is being Empowered through Biblical Training. Being Responsible to set ourselves to the task God has laid out is our Active Ministry Involvement. And as always, this is all for our Purpose: Mission to Reach our World for Christ.
Whatever God is leading you to do, do it. As you step in obedience, you will hear his next command. And then the next. Don't worry about what's ahead. Know that he's in control.
Have an Obedient day!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Isaiah 48:1-50:11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Psalm 69:1-14
Proverbs 24:5
Do you ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel like what you're doing isn't making a difference?
Isaiah is relating a conversation he had with the Lord in the beginning of chapter 49. It's something we can relate to. In verse 1 he says, "The Lord called me before my birth. From within the womb he called me by my name." That's true for everyone of us. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. He has a path laid out for us that is for the point of completing His mission.
What God says to Isaiah in verse 3 is what he is saying to each one of us. "You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory." That's why we're here. To bring him glory. It's a great thing that we can rely on the power of His Spirit.
In verse 4 we hear Isaiah say what we can sometimes feel. "But my work for them seems all in vain; I have spent my strength for them without response."
Have you ever been there? Have you ever done what you felt God had told you to do, and yet saw no fruit? You witnessed to someone, but they didn't say the sinner's prayer, or you stepped out in faith, but didn't see the miracle?
Is that failure?
There are many times we judge our success by results. There are some things that work that way. A successful business makes money, for example. But is that the way it is in the kingdom of God?
What's really important to God is the obedience of his people. When we are obedient, we bring him glory. In God's rule book, the question of success is: "Did you do everything I commanded you to do?" It's a "yes" or "no" question of success. "Well, kind of..." just wont cut it.
There's something in our human nature that "tricks" us into thinking that it's our own effort that brings results for the kingdom. But it's not us. God brings the increase. It's not by our strength.
Don't take this the wrong way. This doesn't mean we relax. We have to understand that it is our responsibility to obey with intensity. Isaiah 50:7 says, "Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will..." That's how we need to be, regardless of the results. We need to be committed and disciplined to do what the Lord commands.
Todays reading in Psalm 69:9 says, "My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me." There should be a passion that stirs up within us to follow God's direction. Passion doesn't just "happen". It is stirred up. This is a fire that is maintained and stoked and refreshed through the Word and through the power of the Spirit.
The recognition of God's voice comes through consistent discipline of getting into the Word and seeking his face. This isn't necessarily going to be easy, and the results can be difficult. Isaiah 50:4-6 says, "The Lord has given me his words of wisdom so that I may know what I should say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Lord God has spoken to me and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away. I give my back to the whip, and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame - they spit in my face."
Going through all of that, Isaiah could easily feel like a failure. Whatever your situation is, you may at some level feel like a failure. You need to ask yourself the question: "Am I obedient". What's the answer? If you can say yes, you are not a failure. It is not in vain. If you have to answer, "no", even the positive results you may have experienced during your disobedience are in vain. You need to return to the point of direction that God has given you, and walk in obedience.
This is all about living the DREAM. Obedience is the fruit of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. Submission to the needs of those God has called you to serve is Relationships Devoted to Unity. Being Disciplined in seeking the will of God is being Empowered through Biblical Training. Being Responsible to set ourselves to the task God has laid out is our Active Ministry Involvement. And as always, this is all for our Purpose: Mission to Reach our World for Christ.
Whatever God is leading you to do, do it. As you step in obedience, you will hear his next command. And then the next. Don't worry about what's ahead. Know that he's in control.
Have an Obedient day!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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