"There's More at Stake than you Think"
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Why does temptation seem to have such a power over us? We know what we ought to do, and yet the lure of sin draws us so easily into its grip. Many times the main problem is the fact that we don't realize what is really at stake when we allow compromise and disobedience into our life.
In Joshua 6 the Israelites are at the walls of Jericho. Joshua gives them the command of how to defeat the enemy. This story is familiar to us. "The walls come a tumblin' down..." He has also given them the command to destroy everything except that which is to be used in the Lord's treasury.
"But there was sin among the Israelis. God's command... was disobeyed. For Achan... took some loot for himself" (Jos 7:1)
The result of Achan's sin is that the people scoped out the next enemy and while they were full of faith from what God had done in Jericho, they went out and were defeated. The result of that defeat was, "The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events." (7:5)
Remember Jesus' temptation in the Desert? Jesus was really being offered a shortcut to meeting his needs. Think about how often we like to take short cuts to the gratification of our desires. What we don't realize is that when we are tempted, there is ALWAYS more at stake than we think. It's not just about the issue at hand, there are great consequences to disobedience. We fool ourselves to think that we can live under the umbrella of blessing with our heart given to disobedience.
God's commands are very clear. "You must never worship any other god, nor ever have an idol in your home." (Ps. 81:9) He promises great blessing if we obey that. "Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use! But no, my people won't listen. Israel doesn't want me around. So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes!" (Ps 81:10-14)
What is really at stake when we pursue the desires of our flesh? God tells the people, "You cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin." (Jos 7:13) Small steps of self-gratification are far more costly than we realize.
In today's reading in Luke Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. This son is one who wants his future NOW. He doesn't want to wait. What does this impatience cost him? He loses it all. Not only that, he finds himself out of relationship with his father. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son..." (Luke 15:21)
We risk so much when we serve self. In tomorrow's reading in the One-Year Bible we see that Achan and his entire family is killed in judgement of his selfishness. When we are tempted, it is not merely a matter of testing our self-control. We risk our family, our future, and ultimately our faith. Every step of disobedience is extremely dangerous. It is a step toward a hard heart. It is a step away from God.
In whatever area the Lord is dealing with you in, make sure to walk in his path. Walk in his timing. Don't take a shortcut.
There's more at stake than you think!
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 Temptation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Temptation. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
4.13.11"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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, April 12, 2011
4.12.11 "There's More at Stake than you Think"
"There's More at Stake than you Think"
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Why does temptation seem to have such a power over us? We know what we ought to do, and yet the lure of sin draws us so easily into its grip. Many times the main problem is the fact that we don't realize what is really at stake when we allow compromise and disobedience into our life.
In Joshua 6 the Israelites are at the walls of Jericho. Joshua gives them the command of how to defeat the enemy. This story is familiar to us. "The walls come a tumblin' down..." He has also given them the command to destroy everything except that which is to be used in the Lord's treasury.
"But there was sin among the Israelis. God's command... was disobeyed. For Achan... took some loot for himself" (Jos 7:1)
The result of Achan's sin is that the people scoped out the next enemy and while they were full of faith from what God had done in Jericho, they went out and were defeated. The result of that defeat was, "The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events." (7:5)
Remember Jesus' temptation in the Desert? Jesus was really being offered a shortcut to meeting his needs. Think about how often we like to take short cuts to the gratification of our desires. What we don't realize is that when we are tempted, there is ALWAYS more at stake than we think. It's not just about the issue at hand, there are great consequences to disobedience. We fool ourselves to think that we can live under the umbrella of blessing with our heart given to disobedience.
God's commands are very clear. "You must never worship any other god, nor ever have an idol in your home." (Ps. 81:9) He promises great blessing if we obey that. "Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use! But no, my people won't listen. Israel doesn't want me around. So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes!" (Ps 81:10-14)
What is really at stake when we pursue the desires of our flesh? God tells the people, "You cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin." (Jos 7:13) Small steps of self-gratification are far more costly than we realize.
In today's reading in Luke Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. This son is one who wants his future NOW. He doesn't want to wait. What does this impatience cost him? He loses it all. Not only that, he finds himself out of relationship with his father. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son..." (Luke 15:21)
We risk so much when we serve self. In tomorrow's reading in the One-Year Bible we see that Achan and his entire family is killed in judgement of his selfishness. When we are tempted, it is not merely a matter of testing our self-control. We risk our family, our future, and ultimately our faith. Every step of disobedience is extremely dangerous. It is a step toward a hard heart. It is a step away from God.
In whatever area the Lord is dealing with you in, make sure to walk in his path. Walk in his timing. Don't take a shortcut.
There's more at stake than you think!
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
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Why does temptation seem to have such a power over us? We know what we ought to do, and yet the lure of sin draws us so easily into its grip. Many times the main problem is the fact that we don't realize what is really at stake when we allow compromise and disobedience into our life.
In Joshua 6 the Israelites are at the walls of Jericho. Joshua gives them the command of how to defeat the enemy. This story is familiar to us. "The walls come a tumblin' down..." He has also given them the command to destroy everything except that which is to be used in the Lord's treasury.
"But there was sin among the Israelis. God's command... was disobeyed. For Achan... took some loot for himself" (Jos 7:1)
The result of Achan's sin is that the people scoped out the next enemy and while they were full of faith from what God had done in Jericho, they went out and were defeated. The result of that defeat was, "The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events." (7:5)
Remember Jesus' temptation in the Desert? Jesus was really being offered a shortcut to meeting his needs. Think about how often we like to take short cuts to the gratification of our desires. What we don't realize is that when we are tempted, there is ALWAYS more at stake than we think. It's not just about the issue at hand, there are great consequences to disobedience. We fool ourselves to think that we can live under the umbrella of blessing with our heart given to disobedience.
God's commands are very clear. "You must never worship any other god, nor ever have an idol in your home." (Ps. 81:9) He promises great blessing if we obey that. "Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use! But no, my people won't listen. Israel doesn't want me around. So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes!" (Ps 81:10-14)
What is really at stake when we pursue the desires of our flesh? God tells the people, "You cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin." (Jos 7:13) Small steps of self-gratification are far more costly than we realize.
In today's reading in Luke Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. This son is one who wants his future NOW. He doesn't want to wait. What does this impatience cost him? He loses it all. Not only that, he finds himself out of relationship with his father. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son..." (Luke 15:21)
We risk so much when we serve self. In tomorrow's reading in the One-Year Bible we see that Achan and his entire family is killed in judgement of his selfishness. When we are tempted, it is not merely a matter of testing our self-control. We risk our family, our future, and ultimately our faith. Every step of disobedience is extremely dangerous. It is a step toward a hard heart. It is a step away from God.
In whatever area the Lord is dealing with you in, make sure to walk in his path. Walk in his timing. Don't take a shortcut.
There's more at stake than you think!
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, April 13, 2010
4.13.10 "Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that after all of this, now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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, April 12, 2010
4.12.10 "There's More at Stake than You Think"
"There's More at Stake than you Think"
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Why does temptation have such a power over us? We know what we ought to do, and yet the lure of sin draws us so easily into its grip. Many times the main problem is the fact that we don't realize what is really at stake when we allow compromise and disobedience into our life.
In Joshua 6 the Israelites are at the walls of Jericho. Joshua gives them the command of how to defeat the enemy. This story is familiar to us. "The walls come a tumblin' down..." He has also given them the command to destroy everything except that which is to be used in the Lord's treasury.
"But there was sin among the Israelis. God's command... was disobeyed. For Achan... took some loot for himself" (Jos 7:1)
The result of Achan's sin is that the people scoped out the next enemy and were full of faith from what God had done, and based on that went out and were defeated. The result of that defeat was, "The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events." (7:5)
Remember Jesus' temptation in the Desert? Jesus was really being offered a shortcut to meeting his needs. Think about how often we like to take short cuts to the gratification of our desires. What we don't realize is that when we are tempted, there is ALWAYS more at stake than we think. It's not just about the issue at hand, there are great consequences to disobedience. We fool ourselves to think that we can live under the umbrella of blessing with our heart given to disobedience.
God's commands are very clear. "You must never worship any other god, nor ever have an idol in your home." (Ps. 81:9) He promises great blessing if we obey that. "Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use! But no, my people won't listen. Israel doesn't want me around. So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes!" (Ps 81:10-14)
What is really at stake when we pursue the desires of our flesh? God tells the people, "You cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin." (Jos 7:13) Small steps of self-gratification are far more costly than we realize.
In today's reading in Luke Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. This son is one who wants his future NOW. He doesn't want to wait. What does this impatience cost him? He loses it all. Not only that, he finds himself out of relationship with his father. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son..." (Luke 15:21)
We risk so much when we serve self. In tomorrow's reading in the One-Year Bible we see that Achan and his entire family is killed in judgement of his selfishness. When we are tempted, it is not merely a matter of testing our self-control. We risk our family, our future, and ultimately our faith. Every step of disobedience is extremely dangerous. It is a step toward a hard heart. It is a step away from God.
In whatever area the Lord is dealing with you in, make sure to walk in his path. Walk in his timing. Don't take a shortcut.
There's more at stake than you think!
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
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Why does temptation have such a power over us? We know what we ought to do, and yet the lure of sin draws us so easily into its grip. Many times the main problem is the fact that we don't realize what is really at stake when we allow compromise and disobedience into our life.
In Joshua 6 the Israelites are at the walls of Jericho. Joshua gives them the command of how to defeat the enemy. This story is familiar to us. "The walls come a tumblin' down..." He has also given them the command to destroy everything except that which is to be used in the Lord's treasury.
"But there was sin among the Israelis. God's command... was disobeyed. For Achan... took some loot for himself" (Jos 7:1)
The result of Achan's sin is that the people scoped out the next enemy and were full of faith from what God had done, and based on that went out and were defeated. The result of that defeat was, "The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events." (7:5)
Remember Jesus' temptation in the Desert? Jesus was really being offered a shortcut to meeting his needs. Think about how often we like to take short cuts to the gratification of our desires. What we don't realize is that when we are tempted, there is ALWAYS more at stake than we think. It's not just about the issue at hand, there are great consequences to disobedience. We fool ourselves to think that we can live under the umbrella of blessing with our heart given to disobedience.
God's commands are very clear. "You must never worship any other god, nor ever have an idol in your home." (Ps. 81:9) He promises great blessing if we obey that. "Only test me! Open your mouth wide and see if I won't fill it. You will receive every blessing you can use! But no, my people won't listen. Israel doesn't want me around. So I am letting them go their blind and stubborn way, living according to their own desires. But oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly then I would subdue her enemies! How soon my hands would be upon her foes!" (Ps 81:10-14)
What is really at stake when we pursue the desires of our flesh? God tells the people, "You cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin." (Jos 7:13) Small steps of self-gratification are far more costly than we realize.
In today's reading in Luke Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. This son is one who wants his future NOW. He doesn't want to wait. What does this impatience cost him? He loses it all. Not only that, he finds himself out of relationship with his father. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and you, and am not worthy of being called your son..." (Luke 15:21)
We risk so much when we serve self. In tomorrow's reading in the One-Year Bible we see that Achan and his entire family is killed in judgement of his selfishness. When we are tempted, it is not merely a matter of testing our self-control. We risk our family, our future, and ultimately our faith. Every step of disobedience is extremely dangerous. It is a step toward a hard heart. It is a step away from God.
In whatever area the Lord is dealing with you in, make sure to walk in his path. Walk in his timing. Don't take a shortcut.
There's more at stake than you think!
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, May 27, 2009
5.27.9 "Sin as God Sees It"
"Sin as God Sees It"
2 Samuel 12:1-31
John 16:1-33
Psalm 119:71-80
Proverbs 16:4-5
David, the King of Israel, the man after God's own heart, has sinned. He allowed his eyes to wander, he saw a wife of another man, had an affair, and to hide it all, he had the man killed. How could this be? How could this great man get so far off course?
2 Samuel 12 is when King David is called to account for his actions. It's fascinating how the Lord, through the prophet Nathan describes David's sin. Here's the story:
"There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." (2 Samuel 12:1-4)
This story of injustice angered David, as it would all of us. How could anyone think of doing such a thing??
Nathan's rebuke brings it home: "Then Nathan said to David, "you are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed?" (2 Sam. 12:7-9)
In the context of this story is a perspective that is important for us to note. This story was an analogy of how God saw David's sin. The rich man represented David. The "guest" represents desire that shows up unannounced at times. Often this opens the door to the arrival of temptation. Temptation wants us to feel that we can't meet this need with what we have. It tells us we must cheat. If we give in, we go outside of God's plan and God's blessing to meet our desires in our own way, and thus, we despise the word of the Lord.
A very key phrase that should not be overlooked is: "And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more." This expresses the all-sufficiency of God. He can, and will, supply EVERY need.
So often we are lured into sin because we allow ourself to entertain the thought of "If i do it God's way, I'll never get what I want." Then we dive into the short-cut and the cheat of the sin. The truth is that when we walk in obedience and trust him to meet the needs, and for him to place his desires in us, we experience the bounty of his blessing.
Sin, from God's perspective, is so foolish! He has everything we need at his disposal, and yet we shut ourselves off to him to pursue fleeting desires and things we feel we "deserve", and in doing that we lose out on so much!
The next time that the "guest" of desire appears at your door, trust God. Trust that He will meet your need, and that he will give you the strength to follow HIS plan!
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 12:1-31
John 16:1-33
Psalm 119:71-80
Proverbs 16:4-5
David, the King of Israel, the man after God's own heart, has sinned. He allowed his eyes to wander, he saw a wife of another man, had an affair, and to hide it all, he had the man killed. How could this be? How could this great man get so far off course?
2 Samuel 12 is when King David is called to account for his actions. It's fascinating how the Lord, through the prophet Nathan describes David's sin. Here's the story:
"There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." (2 Samuel 12:1-4)
This story of injustice angered David, as it would all of us. How could anyone think of doing such a thing??
Nathan's rebuke brings it home: "Then Nathan said to David, "you are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed?" (2 Sam. 12:7-9)
In the context of this story is a perspective that is important for us to note. This story was an analogy of how God saw David's sin. The rich man represented David. The "guest" represents desire that shows up unannounced at times. Often this opens the door to the arrival of temptation. Temptation wants us to feel that we can't meet this need with what we have. It tells us we must cheat. If we give in, we go outside of God's plan and God's blessing to meet our desires in our own way, and thus, we despise the word of the Lord.
A very key phrase that should not be overlooked is: "And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more." This expresses the all-sufficiency of God. He can, and will, supply EVERY need.
So often we are lured into sin because we allow ourself to entertain the thought of "If i do it God's way, I'll never get what I want." Then we dive into the short-cut and the cheat of the sin. The truth is that when we walk in obedience and trust him to meet the needs, and for him to place his desires in us, we experience the bounty of his blessing.
Sin, from God's perspective, is so foolish! He has everything we need at his disposal, and yet we shut ourselves off to him to pursue fleeting desires and things we feel we "deserve", and in doing that we lose out on so much!
The next time that the "guest" of desire appears at your door, trust God. Trust that He will meet your need, and that he will give you the strength to follow HIS plan!
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, April 13, 2009
4.13.9 "Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
"Don't Take the Short-Cut!"
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Are you a goal oriented person? Do you have specific objectives that you want to accomplish down the road? For some it could be a monetary issue, for others a job position, others even ministry goals. Maybe you want to get married. Maybe you just want a happy marriage. I should state right up front that these are not in themselves unhealthy drives. God places passion and desire within us. He wants us to strive for growth and pursue his promise.
Having goals and vision can also be a dangerous thing. There will always be temptations to take a shortcut to achieve the goal. There can be many temptations to move ahead of God's timing.
Yesterday we read about Achan's sin. The people were instructed not to keep anything of the spoils from Jericho for themselves. Achan did. Today, his sin is revealed to everyone. Listen to his confession.
"Achan replied, 'I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. For I saw a beautiful robe imported from Babylon, and some silver worth $200, and a bar of gold worth $500. I wanted them so much that I took them...'" (Jos. 7:20-21)
As a result of his sin, him & his family were destroyed. I find it interesting that now the Lord instructs the people to attack the city of Ai, and listen to this instruction:
"... but this time you may keep the loot and the cattle for yourselves." (Jos. 8:2)
If Achan had waited for God's timing, he would have had plenty. But his inability to be obedient and faithful to God's commands destroyed him. He wanted to take the shortcut.
We can think "I'd never do something like that," but the temptation isn't always in a huge "destroy the family right away" kind of thing. It happens in little things. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of manipulation. For example, if you want a promotion at work and someone else is in the running, you can be tempted to cut them down to others. Or if you want to skate in the olympics you can club another skater in the knee...
This type of temptation can dwell in finances as well. You may be tempted to hold off tithe until you "catch up" or there may be other little things. What we fail to realize is that when we give in to the short cut, we alienate ourselves from the full gratification of the promise.
Jesus explains this in Luke "... for unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12)
Each and every day we are in the proving ground for the promise ahead. The Lord is desiring to use the circumstances of our lives as tools for shaping our character and moulding us into trustworthy stewards of his resources. As we said yesterday, there is more at stake than we think.
Can you imagine what Achan's thoughts would be from his view from eternity? "if only I had done it God's way..."
Don't trade the promise for a bowl of soup. Don't feed the appetite of flesh. Don't take the Short-cut. Be faithful in small things. God has BIG plans!
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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