4.1.12 "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!

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

3.30.12 "Fruit for the Journey"

"Fruit for the Journey"

Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23
Luke 8:40-9:6
Psalm 71:1-24
Proverbs 12:5-7

When I was a kid my neighbor had the first video game I had ever seen. It was Amazing! the fact that you could control something on your black and white TV screen! The skill required to play this game was intense. The game was called "Pong"!

My cousin had another type of video game on his Commodore 64. This game was page after page of text. It was basically a story of an adventure. You would walk from room to room and find things in each room. For example, you would come into a room and it would say there was a table in the corner. you would then type in "look at table". It would then say "On the table there is a blue key". Now here's what separated the good players from the amateurs. The amateurs would think, "Cool, but I don't need a blue key," and move on. The experts would type in "pick up key". Sure enough a little farther on in the journey they would encounter a "Blue Door". There were a few times a guy would say, "Man, I wish I would have picked up that key!"

So why the trip down memory lane? Well we are all on this adventure game of life. Thankfully, It's slightly more exciting and more intense than the old Commodore 64. We never know what we are going to encounter, and whether we realize it or not, there are little items that we discover that we need for the journey ahead.

"O Lord, you alone are my hope; I've trusted you from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth and have helped me constantly - no wonder I am always praising you!' (Ps. 71:5-6)

The experiences we have in life give us the ammunition to praise him. It is the fruit for our journey. Sometimes the best fruit grows in the darkest valleys. We will often cry out in the middle of sickness or times of mourning, "I don't need this!" But the truth is, we've got options when it comes to how we react to difficult times. We can just complain and "endure", or we can glean the fruit we need, pick it up and use it for the journey ahead. We will always find that when we've chosen to "pick up" the fruit, we will find a "blue door" down the road, and there's no way we could pass through without the experiences of that valley.

"I will keep on expecting you to help me. I praise you more and more. I cannot count the times when you have faithfully rescued me from danger. I will tell everyone how good you are, and of your constant, daily care. I walk in the strength of the Lord God. I tell everyone that you alone are just and good... I will talk to others all day long about your justice and your goodness." (vs. 14-16, 24)

The only way the fruit of the journey we've traveled does us any good is if we use it. We need to constantly tell of God's faithfulness. We need to tell of the way that he has delivered us and freed us, and sustained us through difficult times.

If you are in a difficult time right now, you need to type in, "use fruit", and begin to testify of the great things God has done for you in the past. This is the key to the victorious Christian life.


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

3.18.12 "The Message & the Desert"

"The Message & the Desert"

Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17

In his book, "A Heart Ablaze" John Bevere writes of the importance of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. "Had he not encountered the Lord... he would have been on a campaign to get them out of slavery and into their own land..." At first glance it may seem "WHAT? He WAS on a campaign getting them out of slavery!" That may be man's perception, but the truth is that he was bringing them to meet with God! That's a much higher priority.

Bevere makes the statement, "if we have a calling on our lives but have not allowed God to bring us to the back side of HIs desert to reveal Himself, we will seek to free people for the sake of freedom. But we need to free people for the purpose of coming to the One for whom we were created."

How do we apply this to our lives? We need to make sure that we subject our plans, good ideas, and even messages from the Lord to his refining process. If we don't do that, we end up with a "product" or message that is not exactly what God had intended it to be.

Let's look at a couple of the "deserts" mentioned today. In Numbers 26, they've done another census. verses 64-65 say, "Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as the Lord had decreed when he said of them, 'They shall die in the wilderness.' The only exceptions were Caleb & Joshua."

What's the significance of that? The people who had been in Egypt did not submit themselves to the plan of God in the wilderness. There was time after time that they would rebel, complain, and compromise the plan of God. Many times it was because of concern for their own comfort. In this time of wilderness, had they trusted in God, sought his face more diligently, and allowed Him to refine them, they could have experienced the Promised Land. The only 2 that would see Egypt as well as the Promised Land would be Caleb & Joshua: the ones who trusted in the Lord. The Lord needed to refine the people.

In Luke 3 there's another wilderness. verse 1 says, "... a message came from God to John... as he was living out in the deserts." Sometimes it's in the wilderness where the message is received. Moses was in exile when he saw the burning bush. He got the message in a lonely place. John did as well. The message John had was incredibly impacting. Its importance was so great, it necessitated the refining of the wilderness.

John's message, as prophesied by Isaiah applies to us today: "Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him! Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts! And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God." (Luke 3:4-6)

We must clear a path for the Lord. We may all be in a different place in this process. Some may have no "message", or dream, or plan. Some may not realize they do. Others see a glimpse, and others may be chomping at the bit ready to dive ahead. But ALL must clear the path for God to do his work.

For some the path may need to be cleared to get the message, and for others the process of clearing the path will refine the message. What God places in our hearts is for more than we can understand or imagine. It is world-changing. We all have ruts & valleys, and curves that need to be refined in the presence of the Lord. They need to be refined in the wilderness.

It's a tough prayer to say: Lord refine me. The refining process is hot and can get ugly. Heaven forbid that we take the precious message the Lord has for us the wrong direction. We must seek his face. Though the desert will refine us, God is faithful to carry us through. "For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, i will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me." (Ps 61:2-3)

THEN all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God! That is what all this is about: to meet with God!



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

3.12.12 "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!

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

3.1.12 "What Am I Doing Wrong?"

"What Am I Doing Wrong?"

Leviticus 24:1-25:46
Mark 10:13-31
Psalm 44:9-26
Proverbs 10:20-21


"The great thing about being a Christian is that ALL your problems go away! There's never a trial that comes! It's always happy and there's flute music and birds chirping and everything!" -- sounds like campaign rhetoric, doesn't it....

In Mark 10 Peter says, "We've given up everything to follow you." Jesus answers, "Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything - home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property - for love of me and to tell others the Good News, who won't be given back, a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecution."

Woohoo! When we give up for God we get it all back!!!

Wait a minute... did Jesus say, "... with persecution."? Does that mean trials DO come?? There IS pain??

So often it's in our nature to want the quick fix. We want the trial to just go away. We figure there MUST be a "formula" out there than can fix this. If we have a problem, we figure we MUST be doing something wrong.

Believe it or not, you can be doing everything right and still see no release from the trial. This is shown in today's Psalm.

"I am constantly despised, mocked, taunted and cursed by my vengeful enemies. And all this has happened, Lord, despite our loyalty to you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you! We have not left your path by a single step. If we had, we could understand your punishing us in the barren wilderness and sending us into darkness and death. If we had turned away from worshiping our God, and were worshiping idols, would God not know it? Yes he knows the secrets of every heart. But that is not our case. For we are facing death threats constantly because of serving you! We are like sheep awaiting slaughter.

"Waken! Rouse yourself! Don't sleep O Lord! Are we cast off forever? Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our sorrows and oppression? We lie face downward in the dust. Rise up, O Lord, and help us. Save us by your constant love." (Ps. 44:15-26)

One of our biggest problems is that we connect ourselves to our "trials". We make the trial about "me". "Lord, fix this for me." "Lord, help me to be more comfortable." We forget the beloved phrase, "It's not about you."

God works in all circumstances with the purpose of bringing glory to his name. There may be times that the trial I am in is to serve a purpose that has absolutely nothing to do with me. I think I fall into the trap sometimes of thinking that God's greatest concern should be my comfort. That's a distorted theology that has me a little too close to being the object of worship.

Don't get me wrong. There are times that the "mess" we're in is a direct result of disobedience. We need to be repentant and seek the face of God and ask him to restore things according to his will. But in all things, we need to remember that our goal is the DEATH of our flesh, not the PLEASURE of our flesh. Through EVERY trial, we need to ask God to mould us into who he wants us to be. MOST of the time, there are elements of our character that the Lord is working on.

Remember Job 13:15, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." Job did not sin before the Lord, yet the trial was very real. His friends all approached him with the "formulas" and the "you need to"'s, but that wasn't what it was all about.

We open the door to frustration and doubt when we forget that it's not about formulas and quick fixes. As we mature in Christ, the trials will most likely intensify from the outward sense, but inwardly our flesh is dead, and the trial has a decreasing impact on us.

If I am a Dead Man Walking, what can any circumstance do to me? Nothing can shake my trust, my faith, my love for the Lord.

Searching our hearts for impure thoughts and motives does need to be our FIRST priority. But sometimes after doing that our prayer needs to be, "Lord, I've laid myself bare before you, and I believe that I have been walking in obedience to your command, and that my heart is right before you. If there's something I've missed, please bring it to light. Make me into who you want me to be."

Through all of that, we understand what it really means to live a "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship". Our relationship with the Lord is one of intimacy in all things regardless of what the enemy may throw at us.

"What am I doing wrong?" The answer may be "Nothing. Just enjoy your time with the Lord through your trial!"


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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

2.20.12 "'Tis the Season"

"'Tis the Season"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In "due season he will honor you"!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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

1.22.12 "What Are You Looking At?"

"What Are You Looking At?"

Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13

If you want to walk on water, quit looking at the waves.

Today's reading from Matthew is a familiar story. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake.

Starting in verse 24 it says, "Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. About four o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. Then Peter called to him: 'Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.'"

Peter then walks toward Jesus. Verse 30 says, "But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me Lord!' He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. 'O man of little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?' And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."

There is such incredible teaching from God's Word. Look at how the progression of this story gives us a life lesson:

It caught my attention how Jesus sent them across the lake, and as night fell the storm started. It wasn't until 4 in the morning that Jesus came out to them. We know God has a plan for our lives. Too often we think that if we walk in obedience to the plan there wont be any storms. That's not the case at all. Storms will happen. Storms do not negate the fact that we are doing what we are called to do.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the storm that when Jesus comes to us in the midst of it, we don't even recognize him. The storms of life can make so much 'noise' that we don't hear the voice that says, "Do not be afraid!"

We need to develop a full understanding of the fact that God doesn't just want us to "survive" the storm, he wants us to experience miracles through it. The circumstances of the storm did not change when Jesus told Peter to step out in faith. The waves didn't die down before he did it.

Too often, the waves keep us in the boat. We hear God speaking to us & we say, "That's ridiculous!" We miss the opportunity to experience the miracle.

What happens to Peter is a life lesson to us all. He steps out in obedience, but he takes his eyes off Jesus. Then he begins to sink.

What are you looking at today? The Master or the waves? With our eyes on Jesus, we can have a victory that is beyond belief. Maybe your eyes have been on the waves, and you can feel yourself sinking. All you have to do is cry out, "Save me, Lord!" the scripture says, "Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him." Jesus will do the same for you.

Take note that after Peter cried out to the Lord it didn't say, "Instantly the storm stopped." Yes, Jesus took his hand but the storm didn't stop until they were back in the boat. Often I think we get the mentality that if we cry out to God the waves of circumstance around us should change immediately. There are times that may happen, but what really should change is our heart. Our faith should grow. What should happen is that we shouldn't care if there are waves our not. We are in his hand.

We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The storms are different for each one of us, but that doesn't change the principle of keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of obedience.

What are you looking at?




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

1.19.12 "The Makings of a Great Story"

"The Makings of a Great Story"

Genesis 39:1-41:16
Matthew 12:46-13:23
Psalm 17:1-15
Proverbs 3:33-35


I love the story of Joseph. I think it's my favorite. There are many people who love this story. What makes it such a great story?

See if this lines up with your thoughts: I love how his brothers hate him. I think it's great that they plot to kill him. It's really cool how they decide to throw him in a pit. It's moving to read how his father's heart breaks at the report of Joseph's "death". Being sold to slavery must have been so cool! Getting to ride those camels...

That's not all! It gets better! He gets to go to prison for something he didn't do! He's put in chains. I love to read how he helps this guy who forgets about him for 2 years! Ah, what a story...

Are these the parts of this story that make it great to you? Of course, there are those other elements. There's the love of his father. He gets a great coat of many colors. He has awesome dreams of the future. He's put in charge of the household of Potiphar. Then, he's given charge of the jail! Ultimately, he's brought into the king's presence, and obtains the most powerful position in the kingdom.

Too often we forget that these are elements of the same story.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Mark Bouman, a missionary from Cambodia. He has some stories. Someone he doesn't know gave him $100,000 to build a school for the government in his country. At another time, he was in a group of people who raised $250,000 for the mission field in 15 minutes. He told about how 2 major league baseball players each gave several hundred thousand dollars to his missions work.

Great story, right?

The missionary also told how he and his family stood on the street in front of his house as a jeep with a mounted machine gun came around the corner shooting everyone that was outside. His family got inside in time. He told of the raw sewage that surrounded the school. He told of fleeing the country with his family at night. he told of how his house was the only thing between two warring factions. He told of machine guns being pointed in his face as his family watched.

Guess what... Same story.

What's your story? There's a consistent pattern in the "great" stories. It's the pattern of God's faithfulness. What makes God's faithfulness so evident is the obedience of his people. The story of Joseph and the story of Mark Bouman (the missionary) are stories of men. They're just people like you and me. Their lives have effected untold thousands.

Whether I realize it or not, my life has all the makings of a great story. I have a key roll. No matter what circumstances are in front of me, all I have to do is obey what God commands. It may or may not involve prisons, camels or machine guns, but that doesn't make a difference. My Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is not contingent on comfort, ease, or convenience. It's a decision I make. I will give God my life. All of it. I will offer him the highest form of worship: my obedience.

Right there are all the makings of a great story!




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

1.14.12 "Opportunity Knocks"

"Opportunity Knocks"

Genesis 30:1-31:16
Matthew 10:1-23
Psalm 12:1-8
Proverbs 3:13-15

I love board games. One of the games I enjoy playing is one I played as a kid called "Careers". If you've not played it, it's similar to "LIFE" in that you determine a career, collect a salary, etc. What's exciting is when you land on a space called "Opportunity Knocks". You draw a card and it holds the potential to get you into a more profitable career, make more money, or other exciting things. Of course you have the option of taking advantage of the opportunity, or not.

In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out his disciples, and giving them authority to proclaim the gospel. As he's giving them instruction, Jesus says, "But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me." (Matt. 10:17-18)

"...this will be your opportunity..." How much do you desire THAT opportunity knocking at your door?? We're so blessed to live in the United States where we are free to worship as we please. Sure, there exists opposition, but we don't have people attending services each week who do so under fear of being whipped publicly in the city. Sad to say it IS happening around the world. This is very real today.

Because we are "free", we feel we have "rights". So we're quick to yell, "It's not fair!!!" We're quick to pray for deliverance when any type of trial comes. We want to flee anything that even has the scent of persecution. But Jesus says, "This will be your opportunity."

What if we looked at every trial and situation as an "opportunity"?

Jesus says, "When you are arrested, don't worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking - it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matt. 10:20)

If we began to see every element of life as an "opportunity", we would begin to "practice" allowing the Spirit to speak through us. We would be experiencing greater power and greater works on a daily basis. Does this mean persecution would cease? No. It just means we would have more opportunities!

Look for opportunities today!



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

1.11.12 "The Pain and the Promise"

"The Pain and the Promise"

Genesis 24:52-26:16
Matthew 8:18-34
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 3:7-8

What is the most precious "human" event in life? I would think that most would answer: the birth of a child. What is the most painful "human" event in life? I would think that most [women, at least!] would answer: the birth of a child.

"Isaac pleaded with Jehovah to give Rebekah a child, for even after many years of marriage she had no children. Then at last she became pregnant. And it seemed as though children were fighting each other inside her! "I can't endure this," she exclaimed, so she asked the Lord about it."

As you look throughout scripture there seems to a connection to pain and promise. It seems that the greater the pain, the greater the promise. Abraham is promised that he will be the father of many nations. Look at the pain of barrenness that Sarah has for so many years. This is repeated in Rebekah.

God's people are in Egypt for 400 years. They are led out by Moses toward the promised land, but there's 40 years of desert.

A sacrifice is necessary to pay the price for our sins, so God gave his only Son who suffered and died... the intense pain bringing so great a promise.

One may think "well that's kind of sadistic. To receive the promise you must have pain?" As a slave to comfort the whole concept of pain can be easily misunderstood. The reality is that for us to be trusted with the promise, we must experience being refined. The refining process is rarely comfortable. In fact, comfort works against refining. The "wilderness" events in our lives are there for the purpose of securing Godly character in difficult times. Remember James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

What is the application of this message? There are marriages that are going through rocky times. God is there. He sees it. It's worth it to stick it out. The greater the pain the greater the promise. The marriage that weathers the storm comes together with intense strength and promise. So many can't see this. They feel like "Hey, I want the Promised Land, not the wilderness!" And their heart begins to run away. What a tragedy to realize that running from the pain is running from the promise.

This applies to work situations. Some individuals live a life as a "victim" to their surroundings. Because of a difficult boss, or unfair treatment they look for another job based on the uncomfortable circumstances rather than on the voice of God. It may very well be that they are in that position for the very purpose of developing Godly character.

What happens when people "bail" from the painful situations? More often than not, the test is repeated. Remember that Jesus "for the joy set before him endured the cross." Such great pain, such enduring promise.

God is not a God of pain for the sake of pain. He created us for having an intimate relationship with Him. If you've ever gone through difficulty or tragedy, or trial, you know that these are the times that you learn to trust God as never before. This is where you rely on HIS strength, and not your own.

Whatever pain you are going through right now, understand that you are in the "gestation period" of promise. God is faithful to His Word. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will carry you if you trust Him.




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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

12.5.11 "We Got What it Takes"

"We Got What it Takes"

Hosea 1:1-3:5
I John 5:1-21
Psalm 124:1-8
Proverbs 29:5-8

You've heard the phrase "Attitude is Everything". There's a great deal of truth in that. When tackling a project it makes a big difference when you approach it as if it can be accomplished or not. Have you ever been involved in a project with someone who always says, "This is never going to work"? They're not much fun to be around, are they?

Too often in the Christian's life we walk around as if the task is too great. There's no way we can do this. It's the "Proximity Principle". It's how the giant seems biggest when you're close to it. We need to realize that even if we're standing eyeball to kneecap to the giant, we STILL have what it takes to win.

"Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn't hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him. But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God?" (I John 5:3-5)

Don't you love that phrase, "...and really, that isn't hard at all..." If we are living the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship by walking in Obedience, we walk equipped. There's no doubt, no fear, no question. God has given us what we need.

We are equipped to live a fulfilling life. "So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have life." I John 5:12 There's no reason that the believer needs to walk around feeling sorry for himself. I need to look inside to the one who lives within me who has called me to do what I am doing, and realize that the giants in front of me are object lessons in my school of faith building.

So what if I'm tired. I need to be refreshed in the Spirit. So what if I'm sick. God will restore.

You know what else we are equipped for? Answered prayer. "And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us." I John 5:14-15

We can't do anything in our own strength. "If the Lord had not been on our side (let all Israel admit it), if the Lord had not been on our side, we would have been swallowed alive by our enemies, destroyed by their anger." Psalm 124:1-3

Let's have a victorious day! A victorious week! A victorious life! We have what it takes to live the DREAM! We have Christ! We have the Power of the Spirit!

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 

11.29.11 "The Godly Life"

"The Godly Life"

Daniel 6:1-28
2 Peter 3:1-18
Psalm 119:132-155
Proverbs 28:21-22

Reading through the Bible is such a powerful process of getting to know who God is. The pages of scriptures each reveal a different element of his character; a different angle of what he desires; a picture of his heart. I'm finding as I read through some of the bible stories that I can remember hearing from being a little boy, there are such tremendous nuggets of truth that are new for today.

Today's reading is the story of Daniel in the lions' den. I'm sure we could all tell the story. In reading the Word, we could also very easily skip over it as if it were a "re-run" on TV Land. "Oh, I've seen this one... there's nothing new here..."

Take a look at the Godly life of Daniel. Daniel is working for his 3rd king, King Darius. I find it interesting that Daniel remains in a position of honor for 3 administrations. I don't know about the politics of Babylon, but to me that says something about his character. King Darius made him one of 3 presidents who were in charge of 120 governors. 

"Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other presidents and governors, for he had great ability, and the king began to think of placing him over the entire empire as his administrative officer." Dan. 6:3

This should be our goal. No, not to rule over the empire, but that we do our job to the absolute best of our ability. Not that we are "better" than other people, but we should be working hard to live up to our full potential and to be people of integrity and honor. This brings such incredible honor to God. This path isn't easy however.

"This made the other presidents and governors very jealous, and they began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs so that they could complain to the king about him. But they couldn't find anything to criticize! He was faithful and honest, and made no mistakes." Dan. 6:4

What an incredible testimony. What if everyone at your workplace decided they were going to watch your life looking for a chance to complain about you? What kind of ammunition does your life give them? Are they able to complain about the way you talk about your superiors, the way you take too long of a lunch break, or how you waste time?

A Godly life brings glory to God. Wouldn't it be great if those around us would have to say, "Our only chance is his religion!" (Dan. 6:5) Oh that my greatest fault was my love for God.

We know the story, the other leaders plot against Daniel, make a law about praying, he prays, and he's in the lions den. Listen to what King Darius says of Daniel's "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship" when he is thrown into the den: "The king said to him, 'May your God, whom you worship continually, deliver you.'" (Dan. 6:16) The next day King Darius rushes to the den and says, "O Daniel, servant of the Living God, was your God, whom you worship continually, able to deliver you from the lions?" (Dan. 6:20) That should be our trademark. We should be known as people who "Worship Continually". It's not enough for them to say, "hey, don't you go to that church?"

We need to live lives of complete devotion and worship of God. This points others to God in an incredible way. King Darius' decree to his entire empire at the end of the chapter is: "Greetings! I decree that everyone shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel in every part of my kingdom. For his God is the living, unchanging God whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and whose power shall never end. He delivers his people, preserving them from harm; he does great miracles in heaven and earth; it is he who delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

In 2 Peter 3, Peter is talking about the coming of the Lord. He says in verse 11, "And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living!" Verse 14 &15 say, "Dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen and for him to come, try hard to live without sinning, and be at peace with everyone so that he will be pleased with you when he returns. And remember why he is waiting. He is giving us time to get his message of salvation out to others."

It is so important that our lives point to God. The integrity of our lifestyle preaches far more than words. We don't work hard to make it "look like" we love God, we Love God! The fruit of that is our integrity and hard work. This is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.




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