4.18.12 "The Way it Works"

"The Way it Works"

Joshua 16:1-18:28
Luke 19:1-27
Psalm 87:1-7
Proverbs 13:11

Do you ever walk downstairs, and you forget why you were there or what you had gone to do? Or you find yourself in another room in the house, but you can't remember the reason you went there? It can be because old age is creeping up, but for some of us it's a way of life! It's a simple example, but when that happens, what has been forgotten is the mission. "What was the purpose I came downstairs?"

On a larger scale it's too easy to forget the purpose for our lives. It can bee too easy to forget God's plan for us and his desire for the way we live. "Purpose" is the principle of our Mission to Reach our World for Christ. Although it may seem I'm headed toward that discussion, I want to talk about "Responsibility" which is the principle of Active Ministry Involvement.

In Luke 19 Jesus tells a story that is familiar to many of us. What stood out to me today is verse 11 which tells WHY he told the story. "And because Jesus was nearing Jerusalem, he told a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away." Jesus had come as the Messiah. In fact, in verse 10 he had just visited Zacchaeus and made the statement. "... and I, the Messiah, have come to search for and to save such souls as his."

Everyone began to see the that Jesus was the Messiah... the Promised one... the one who was to set up the kingdom. Everyone thought this would be a political overthrow, But Jesus knew that it was important to make sure that everyone knew the truth about how it works. This is the story he told:

"A nobleman living in a certain province was called away to the distant capital of the empire to be crowned king of his province. Before he left he called together ten assistants and gave them each $2000 to invest while he was gone. But some of his people hated him and sent him their declaration of independence, stating that they had rebelled and would not acknowledge him as their king. Upon his return he called in the men to whom he had given the money, to find out what they had done with it, and what their profits were." (vs. 12-15)

You probably remember the rest of the story. The first individual makes 10 times what he was given. The second makes 5 times as much, and the third just returns what he was given. Each one receives a reward based what they did with what they were given.

We need to apply this parable to our world today. Jesus returned to heaven after rising from the dead, and he's coming back soon. There are many of us who mistakingly are looking at his return in "political" terms. We're thinking, yeah, we'll show all those unbelievers! Yeah, we'll be free from this sinful world! That perspective isn't too far removed from the people of Jerusalem in Jesus' day. They were missing the point.

I think too often WE are missing the point. We stand at the bottom of the stairs of this life asking, "what was I here to do?" Jesus has given each of us resources. Each and every day we need to remember this. In worship we must develop a thankful heart, and realize that everything we have is from him.

THEN, we need to DO SOMETHING with what he has given us! God is going to ask you for the increase of what you have. It includes your finances, your time, your ministry, and the souls of the unbelievers he has placed in your life.

What's your answer going to be? What's mine?

We live in a society that has written God a "declaration of independence". We've thumbed our nose at God saying, "This is MY stuff!" "I don't have TIME to serve you!" "I'm going to do things MY way!" There will be a price to pay for that. In Jesus' parable, the master has the "independent" executed (vs. 27).

We have to remember the way this works. We are here with a purpose. God wants us to be responsible for everything he has put at our disposal. We MUST be good stewards! We must apply the principles of Active Ministry Involvement. We must live with the Mission To Reach our World for Christ. We Must Live the DREAM!




Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

Pastor Greg Lathe

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

4.17.12 "Ain't No God Like Mine!"

"Ain't No God Like Mine!"

Joshua 15:1-63
Luke 18:18-43
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 13:9-10

As kids there was always a "my dad's tougher than yours" conversation at some point or another. My dad was a hockey coach, so I had a lot of clout in that area. Of course those conversations are motivated by pride, and not the healthiest thing to get involved in as they usually lead to a fight in some form or another, which proves today's Proverb true: "Pride leads to conflict..." (Prov. 13:10)

Reading today's Psalm, we get that "my God's tougher than yours" feeling. "Where among the heathen gods is there a god like you? Where are their miracles?" (Ps 86:3) What a great line! Where are their miracles? There is no god like our God! He is awesome his power is unending. As much as we've experienced, we can only comprehend a portion of his greatness.

Everyone's going to know it, though. "All the nations - and you made each one - will come and bow before you, Lord, and praise your great and holy name. For you are great, and do great miracles. You alone are God." (Ps 86:9-10)

We serve an awesome God! We need to think about that. We need to acknowledge his greatness. We need to respond in worship. How do we worship? With our lives.

"Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name. With all my heart I will praise you. I will give glory to your name forever, for you love me so much! you are constantly so kind! You have rescued me from deepest hell." (Ps 86:11-13)

I love that line "May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name." What would our day be like if we lived like that? If every fiber of my being united in reverence to his name, I would obey his commands, I would walk in unity, I would study his Word, I would use the gifts he's given me for his glory.

I would Live the DREAM!

Today's reading from Joshua is one that you probably don't have memorized. It lays out the allotment for the tribe of Judah in the promised land. It lists the boundaries on all sides, and then goes on to list the hundreds of cities & surrounding villages that were conquered, and allotted to them.

Ok, be honest... did you read each name of each city? I caught myself skipping over a few verses because i caught the "gist" of what was going on. As I was doing that, I realized I was skipping over answered prayer. The cities that are listed are the result of the unbelievable trials and miracles that God's people went through. This was the promise.

It made me stop to think if I'm doing the same thing in my life. Do I skip over the "details" of the great things God has done for me. "yeah, yeah, yeah... my God is better than any other... I got the gist...." That's not how we should be! We should be listing the great things God has done!

In Luke 18:35-43 the blind man is crying out to Jesus, and Jesus asks him, "'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord,' he said, 'I want to see!'" Jesus healed him, and verse 43 says, "Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too."

While the healing of the blind man may seem a bit more dramatically exciting to us than the list of cities, both are a sign of an awesome God. What do you have to praise God for today? I have health! I have provision.

God is GREAT! There ain't NO god like mine!

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

4.16.12 "Forgiven"

"Forgiven"

Joshua 13:1-14:15
Luke 18:1-17
Psalm 85:1-13
Proverbs 13:7-8

"Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other a cheating tax collector. The proud Pharisee 'prayed' this prayer: 'Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't commit adultery, I go without food twice a week, and I give to God a tenth of everything I earn.'

"But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven! For the proud shall be humbled, but the humble shall be honored." (Luke 18:10-14)

What goes through our minds when we have conversations with unbelievers? I hate to say it, but as I look back on my thought process through some of those conversations, I fear that my motives may have been more of the Pharisee than the tax collector. No, I didn't necessarily look down at them, or roll my eyes and say, Thank God, I'm not like them," but yet i think it's in our human nature to look at "them and us". I inadvertently catch myself thinking of unbelievers as "outsiders."

How different would our relationships be with unbelievers, if the arrogance of our piety were gone? What if we approached our conversations with them in humility instead of hoping to get another star on our "witnessing chart". I know I'm sounding a bit harsh, but i hope you can catch the heart of what i'm saying.

Who am I to take pride in the fact that I'm forgiven. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Remember the sacrifices that please God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

When I spend time at my neighbor's house and I have a broken spirit, I'm not so much worried about getting a chance to fill them with my knowledge, I'm more interested in hearing their need. God will give the opportunity to reveal His love and truth.

Thank you Lord for being merciful to me, a sinner!


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

4.15.12 "Business as Usual"

"Business as Usual"

Joshua 11:1-12:24
Luke 17:11-37
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 13:5-6

Jesus is coming soon.

We have a Mission to Reach our World for Christ.

When Jesus returns, it's not going to be like a movie where they see a comet coming and you've got 24 hrs. That's not the case. It could be this very moment. You might not even get this email.

"[When I return] the world will be [as indifferent to the things of God] as the people were in Noah's day. they ate and drank and married - everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot: people went about their daily business - eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building - until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the hour of my return." (Luke 17:26-30)

We need to live with the urgency that it could be right now. My neighbors will all be doing yard work in the weeks to come. We're all trying to get our lawns going. I know Jesus is coming. Do they? How should I live because I know?

I should probably develop an intentional relationship with them. I should probably care for them when they need it. I should ask if I can pray for or with them when they're going through hard times.

I can't wait until the emergency broadcast beeps on my tv to tell people about the saving knowledge of Christ. I need to do it now. Because it could be any moment.



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

4.14.12 "Practicing Forgiveness"

"Practicing Forgiveness"

Joshua 9:3 - 10:43
Luke 16:19-17:10
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverb 13:4

Isn't it great to be forgiven? I have really done some stupid things in my life. I've sinned against God in ways that I'm so ashamed of. And yet, I went to him and he forgave me. That's an incredible thing... He forgave the debt of my sin. Have you been forgiven? How awesome is that? Spend some time thinking about how you've been forgiven.

Forgiveness is awesome. Let's look at it in another context:

"If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." (Luke 17:3-4)

Now how awesome is forgiveness? We LOVE to be forgiven, but when it comes to forgiving others... yeah, that's another story. Forgiving is canceling debt. It's tough when we feel someone "owes" us to say the words, "you don't owe me any more." That is so tough because our emotions and self-worth are all tangled up in the process.

But forgiveness is not an emotion. It's a decision. If we waited for the "forgiveness emotion" to come, it never would. In the time that passes before we forgive, the pain of the debt grows deeper roots in our soul. We replay the offense in our mind. We add "interest" to the "debt". This is why we must get in the habit of forgiving early and often.

This is something that can be practiced. Since it is a decision, we must learn to discipline our hearts to forgive. As with other disciplines, it isn't an instant result thing. It takes time. It takes effort.

But when we go back and remember what it feels like to be forgiven, and when we consider the hypocrisy we are in if we do not forgive, how could we do any less than wipe the slate clean for those who "owe" us. What incredible freedom there is in practicing forgiveness.


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

4.13.12"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

4.12.12 "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