10.13.12 "Faith Rewarded with Power"

"Faith Rewarded with Power"

Jeremiah 22:1-23:20
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 25:110-14

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have - will make you as good as you wish you could be! - rewarding your faith with his power. Then everyone will be praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and your greatest glory will be that you belong to him. The tender mercy of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ has made all this possible for you."

These verses are a great reminder of some very important things.

1. God is trying to make us into the children he wants to have. There is intentionality to God's purposes for our life. He is working in us and through us for our good!

2. His work in us is to make us as good as we wish we could be. If you're like me, there are a lot of times you can get frustrated with yourself. I know I'm not who I should be. But the great thing is that as I let him do his work, I will become what I need to be!

3. This whole process takes the power of God! What this portion of scripture shows is that our faith is rewarded with power. Notice the sequence. As we move in faith, we experience His power! Too often I think I wait around for his power and I never exercise faith. This doesn't have to be huge leaps of faith. It is just in these little steps of faith where we begin to experience the power which increases our faith.

4. There should be observable results! What God is doing in your life should result in developing character and conduct that others see. Can others see growth in you? Can they see it in me? I'm not talking about piety or "holier-than-thou" type of growth, I'm talking about genuine steps of Christian maturity. I really have to think about it. When was the last time someone praised the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they saw in me?

5. It's only by the mercy of God that any of this is possible. We don't deserve this attention for growth that God gives us. We deserve far less. Yet in the price Jesus paid for us, all of this is possible for you.

If there's a tidbit I want to take today, it's that I must take steps of faith. His power will follow. This power will equip me to accomplish what he has for me. It will give me strength to become who He wants me to be. As I experience this, I know my faith will grow.



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 

10.15.12 "Get to Work!"

"Get to Work!"

Jeremiah 26:1-27:22
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
Psalm 85:1-13
Proverbs 25:16

"Now here is a command, dear brothers, given in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by his authority:..."

Got your ears perked up? This must be big. Paul has been talking about the coming of Christ in 2 Thes, and now he makes this statement in 2 Thes. 3:6. It must be important. What could it be?

Here it is: "Stay away from any Christian who spends his days in laziness and does not follow the ideal of hard work we set up for you." What do you think of that? Sounds harsh doesn't it?

As we spend time studying scripture, we begin to discover in a new light, the things that are really important to God. When you look at this verse, what DREAM principle applies? Is it a lesson on "Relationships devoted to Unity"? Not this verse. A few verses later that comes in.

This scripture shows the importance God places on Active Ministry Involvement. As we've discussed before, the principle of AMI is Responsibility. As with the other principles, this is not just a good idea. It's a necessary element in the way God created us. It's something we must activate in our lives to grow in our Christian walk... To Live the DREAM.

It may be easy for some to think, "Well, I'm in the choir. I'm living the 'A' of DREAM." or "I got that covered, I'm an usher..." We have to come to terms with the fact that it's not just about being a part of a group. It's about applying the principle of Responsibility to every area of life.

An individual who is not properly Empowered Through Biblical Training can read this verse and take it upon themselves to go around and judge how hard each one is working, and then form division in the church based on those judgments, destroying unity. This isn't the point. In verse 15 it says, "Don't think of him as an enemy, but speak to him as you would to a brother who needs to be warned." This is where "Relationships Devoted to Unity" kicks in: You show you care about me enough to talk to me when you feel I am not being responsible with the resources God has given me.

What Paul is showing by saying "stay away" from the lazy ones is that it is really easy to get lured into their mindset. Verse 11 says, "Yet we hear that some of you are living in laziness, refusing to work, and wasting your time in gossiping." A gossip needs someone to talk to. It's very easy to get drawn into that trap. There's a lure to it that is dangerous. The same is true with laziness. Individuals who are not being good stewards of their resources often will say, "Why work so hard? Come on over Sunday night. Let's watch TV..." It has the appearance of a comfortable lifestyle, but comfort is not a scriptural principle. Responsibility is.

Let's encourage one another to "quiet down, get to work" (I Thess. 3:12) and also to "never be tired of doing right." (3:13) Make sure you are being Responsible with what God has given 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 

10.14.12 "Where the Fruit Trees Grow"

"Where the Fruit Trees Grow"

Jeremiah 23:21 - 25:38
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 25:15

I remember as a kid hearing the scripture about the "fruit of the Spirit", and seeing pretty pictures, and how sweet it was. Now growing up, I have a little better understanding of what it takes to make fruit grow. As I was reading today's Psalm, I was reminded of this. Galatians 5:22-23 isn't a part of today's reading from the One-Year Bible, but I thought it would be a good reminder:

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Gal. 5:22-23

Those are 9 good things to have aren't they? It would be great if you could just run to Pick-n-Save produce section, rip off a plastic bag, and fill it with what you're going to need for that day. "I'll take a dozen patience... let's see... the kids like kindness... i suppose i should have a bit of self-control..." 

It really doesn't work that way does it? Growing fruit is no easy process. It's not found at Pick-n-Save in fact, Psalm 84 gives us a bit of insight into where we can look. 

"Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength and each of them is invited to meet with the Lord in Zion." Ps 84:5-7

The Fruit of the Spirit is a necessary part of your growth in Christ. You need it. Guess what! Some of these trees grow in the Valley of Weeping. We all walk through this valley at one time or another. Unfortunately, sometimes we want to run through this valley. We close our eyes, cover our ears, and can't wait until we get out of it. We rush through it without ever opening our baskets to gather fruit. Our focus on self and concern that we've lost our comfort causes us to miss out on so much. We're frustrated at the rains that come, and miss the "pools of blessing and refreshment that collect after rains!" 

It's awesome to see God work in people's lives. I see individuals who have walked through the Valley & come out with a priceless treasure. Unfortunately I've seen those who come out bitter for having been there. The saddest part is knowing that the journey the Lord has for them can't be travelled without gaining the fruit that only grows in THAT valley. Somewhere down the line, there will be a sense of "repeating the test". 

Where do the fruit trees grow? I can tell you that the patience tree is not in a quiet place. It's on a freeway. or at a red light when you're late for work. (or trying to get one of the plastic bags apart at Pick and Save!) Self-control is right next to Krispy-Kreme. Joy is in a very dark place. Love... that's a hard one. This one grows in the most undeserving place. This is a valley of danger... risk... the potential for hurt is high. It would be great if this tree were in a Hallmark shop on Valentine's day, but not so. It takes a lot of "fertilizer" for this fruit to become what it needs to be. 

Remember the whole "Pure Joy" thing in James 1:2? You know, "consider it pure joy when you face trials..." Well, this is what it's about. This is why the armor goes on each day. It's for a purpose. It's not just to survive the Valley of Weeping. It's to come out better for it. 

Maybe right now you're in a pleasant part of the journey. No valleys, just beautiful meadows & mountain tops. But someone very close to you could be at the darkest point in the Valley. Their eyes are closed, and they want to scream. You've been through a valley before. Reach in your basket. Pull out the fruit. What you may not realize is that the fruit was never for you in the first place. It was to help someone else. As you bring kindness and gentleness to another, help them open their eyes and see the pools of blessing. There's refreshment there. 

Don't miss the most important part of these verses: "Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps." The key to a successful journey is to follow in the steps the Lord has laid out. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Don't get worried when the path leads through a valley. It's all the more important to be Empowered through Biblical Training. Too often that's the first to go. "Too busy to read the Word... Too tired to go to church..." No wonder the valley gets so dark. There's no light.

Be refreshed today wherever you are at. The fruit is nearby.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

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 

10.12.12 "We're All In This Together"

"We're All In This Together"

Jeremiah 19:1-21:14
1 Thessalonians 5:2-28
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 25:8-10

Leadership can be challenging sometimes. There are times when you'd love to make the "easy" decision, but you know you can't. Following God is not an exercise in popularity. Jeremiah realized this, and took an opportunity to vent about it a bit. "O Lord, you deceived me when you promised me your help. I have to give them your messages because you are stronger than I am, but now I am the laughing stock of the city, mocked by all. You have never once let me speak a word of kindness to them; always it is disaster and horror and destruction. No wonder they scoff and mock and make my name a household joke. And I can't quit! For if I say I'll never again mention the Lord - never more speak in his name - then his word in my heart is like fire that burns in my bones, and I can't hold it in any longer." (Jer. 20:7-9)

Godly leaders lead because of the fire of God in them. I'm so thankful for the leadership team God has placed around me here at Oak Creek. No one is in this for themselves. These are people who are called by God, and are walking in obedience. I have the privilege of working with leaders of many different ministries in preparation for illustrated sermons, musicals, young married activities, and so many other events. I am so blessed by the individuals that are giving so much of their life to lead others to Christ.

Many of you on this list are not a part of Oak Creek Assembly of God, but no matter where you're at, the leaders that serve over you or with you have given so much as well.

Think of these individuals in today's scripture.

"Dear brothers, honor the officers of your church who work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because they are straining to help you. And remember, no quarreling among yourselves." I Thess. 5:12-13

Having grown up in church ministry and been a part of it all my life, I can so greatly appreciate Paul's context of honoring your leaders: no quarreling among yourselves. I guess leadership is kind of like having kids. Parents are so pleased when the kids are getting along.

If you are involved in ministry, you know that there will always be times of struggle, miscommunication, and even hurt. There are times when someone will disagree with methods or decisions, and because each of us are different, some of those decisions and practices will really upset someone. Depending on the circumstance, this can be a minor thing, or it can really turn into a barn-burner.

I've been on both sides of these situations. The perspective given in today's scripture is so valuable no matter where you are at. WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM! I've seen it on the Packer's sidelines just like i've seen it on the Vikings sideline: Two players walking off the field hollering at each other. Usually it's a receiver and a quarterback. They're often fighting about not getting the ball enough, or a blown route, or for fumbling the ball. Sometimes these are minor skirmishes, but none the less they happen.

Players on the same team will make mistakes. That's not what's important. What's important is that we never forget that we're on the same team! I've not yet met anyone who's out for evil intent in ministry. There have been times I've been close to wondering, but when the dust settles, it was usually a matter of miscommunication... a blown route... a fumbled ball. But you know what? That's WHY we're in this together: to help each other along. to strengthen. to encourage.

In the very next verse Paul continues: "Dear brothers, warn those who are lazy; comfort those who are frightened; take tender care of those who are weak; and be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else." I Thes. 5:14-15

If we live this way, the Body becomes so healthy. The perspective is not lost. There may be hurts, there may still be fumbles & interceptions, but the important thing is that we are a team. This is what unity is about. We're all in this together!




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

10.11.12 "Formed or Crushed?"

"Formed or Crushed?" 

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23
I Thessalonians 4:1-5:2a
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 25:6-7

There was a small window in my life where I thought I might be good at art. I think it was a period of about 2 days in 7th grade. Our assignment was to make a little head and face out of clay. The first day of the project was great! I was seeing my creation take form. But what happened the 2nd day "reshaped" my desires. One of the "punks" in my class thought my project belonged to a friend of his, and he smashed the side of it. I couldn't really do much in the few minutes before the grading began, so it was a bad grade, and i never really found the motivation again. 

Jeremiah 18:1-4 says, "The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, "go down to the potter's shop and I will speak to you there. so i did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over." Verse 6 says, "As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand." 

The phrase that really sticks out to me today is, "But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped..." God is the potter we are the clay. Are we turning out as he hoped? 

The main difference between us and my little clay project is that the primary issue as to whether or not we turn out according to the Artist's design is whether or not we allow Him to shape us. When we are pliable in his hands, we become who he intends for us to be. When we decide we don't want his "shape", he has no option but to crush us and start again. 

I Thess. 4:1,2 says, "... You already know how to please God in your daily living, for you know the commands we gave you from the Lord Jesus himself. Now we beg you - yes, we demand of you in the name of the Lord Jesus that you live more and more closely to that ideal."

The acrostic "DREAM" is not a magic formula for Christianity. It is simply a reminder of the foundational principles necessary to "please God in your daily living." We are pliable in the Potter's Hands when we put into practice what the Lord is revealing to us!

I remember some powerful times the Lord has spoken to my heart. I have been given clear direction. It's not enough to have been given direction. There's no "merit badge" for that. What we are held to account for is our obedience. This is the essence of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship.

Here's what the Psalmist has to say about it: "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. 81:11-14

Paul jumps into "Relationships Devoted to Unity" in verse 9. "But concerning the pure brotherly love that there should be among God's people, I don't need to say very much, I'm sure! For God himself is teaching you to love one another." Well, Paul "shouldn't" need to say very much, but I think there are some brotherly love issues that need to be put into practice. We need to "... live more and more closely to that ideal." This REALLY needs to be a priority of the Church. Too many of our actions are motivated by offense, rights and opinions instead of brotherly love.

Reading this portion of scripture is in itself "Empowered Through Biblical Training", but Paul refers to living by the "rules" in verse 8. "If anyone refuses to live by these rules he is not disobeying the rules of men but of God who gives his Holy Spirit to you." You may think because this refers to obedience, it's a "D" thing, but the essence of "E" is discipline in the context of aligning to God's Word. I'm reminded of the song lyrics, "This is my daily bread: your very Word spoken to me." We need the empowerment of the Spirit found through the discipline of the Word.

Active Ministry Involvement is referred to in verse 11 & 12. "This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work, just as we told you before.... and you will not need to depend on others for enough money to pay your bills." The principle of Responsibility needs to be applied to the work before us. Paul says that applying this principle will result in God's provision.

Also, at the beginning of verse 12 Paul says the fruit of living the "A" is the "M". "As a result, people who are not Christians will trust and respect you." Our Mission to Reach our World for Christ should not only be a focused action, it should be the fruit of everything we do.

As we "live more and more closely to that ideal", as I Thes. 4:2 says, we place ourselves in the center of the Potter's wheel. We need to put into practice the things we know are right. 

Where are you at right now? Are you being formed, or do you find yourself in a season of crushing? As difficult as it is, the crushing is not a bad thing. It's a sign that the Potter has not given up.

I'm thankful that the Lord is a much better artist than I am. He doesn't give up like I did, When someone bashes in the side of his project, He just crushes it down and begins again to form it into all he "desires it to be". 



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 

10.10.12 "God's Plan of Trouble"

"God's Plan of Trouble"

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15
I Thessalonians 2:9-3:13
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 25:1-5

Do you ever feel like Christian growth is a process of 2 steps forward & one step back? Maybe you feel like it's the other way around: 1 step forward & 2 steps back. What causes us to feel that way? Usually it's a trial of some shape or size that knocks us off our horse. 

Why do trials have such a strong effect on us? Especially when we've made some step of obedience to grow in God? I think it's because we don't expect them. We forget a great principle:

TRIALS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN GOD'S PLAN!

If you don't know this, you've probably been blindsided many times. In I Thes. 3:3 it says, "But of course you know that such troubles are a part of God's plan for us Christians." We also read in James 1 how we are to consider them "pure joy". 

We nod our heads in Sunday School like we understand, but when these theoretical trials become OUR real life trials, we whine and want to quit. There are times in my life where I've surrendered something to God. I've followed his command. Because I went through so much, I catch myself subconsciously feeling that "God owes me." My attitude is that of, "Ok, I did this for you, so you better make my path smooth!" Sounds foolish, right? I'm sure you've never done it! 

I can't tell you how many times I see people giving up on their progress in a marriage relationship because they hit a bump in the road. They give up on things that God has called them to do because of circumstances that have happened. Paul must have seen this too. In verse 5 he says, "... when I could bear the suspense no longer I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that perhaps Satan had gotten the best of you and that all our work had been useless."

I'm sick of seeing Satan getting the best of Christians. It really irritates me. I've seen it over and over again. Christians bail on their progress because "it's just too hard". The writer of Hebrews says in 12:5, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood." Yet, we lose heart long before that point. 

Today's Proverb 25:4 says, "When you remove dross from silver, you have sterling ready for the silversmith." How is dross removed? It's by heating it up and skimming off the top. Going through the trial is the way we get "heated up". More often than not, our response is to pull out of the process long before there's an opportunity for the dross to come off. Because of that, we're left with the same impurities that we had before. Then the process must be repeated. 

We shoot ourselves in the foot. We want God to use us, so he begins to prepare us. We don't like the process, so we pull out... then we wonder why he's not using us. We get stuck in this cycle over and over and over. 

How about when the next trial comes, we recognize the nastiness that rises up within us as dross and let him skim it off? Then see what happens. Dross is ugly. We're not going to like it. It's going to make us vulnerable, and maybe even ashamed. When we pull out of the process too soon, we let Satan get the best of us. That's not God's plan, and it shouldn't be ours. These trials are a part of growing up. Expect them. Expect to dig deeper into the Word when they come. Expect to learn. Expect to come through it better for it. A trial is not a step backward. If we allow God to do his work, each trial is 2 steps forward. 




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 

10.9.12 "Great Plans of Amounting to Nothing"

"Great Plans of Amounting to Nothing"

Jeremiah 12:1-14:10
I Thessalonians 1:1-2:8
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 24:30-34

Do you ever wonder why individuals go through life accomplishing nothing? Do you think that was the plan from the beginning? No one ever plans to fail, yet it happens. Why? I'm not talking about failure in the sense of the many attempts it took to create the light bulb. Those failures were the path necessary to accomplish the goal. I'm talking about failure in the sense of today's reading:

"I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns, and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked, I learned this lesson: 'A little extra sleep, A little more slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest' means that poverty will break in upon you suddenly like a robber, and violently like a bandit." Prov. 24:30-34

Consider the lazy man. I can relate to him. Left to my own devices, I think I could be lazy. I could spend several days doing nothing, and not have a problem with it. I'm one of those that have to have goals in mind, and even a little bit of stress to motivate me. If I don't, the couch is my home.

The point of the lazy man is this. His thoughts are not, "I will never do work". His thoughts are "just a little more sleep." His thoughts are not, "I will just let my walls fall down & let poverty come in." His thoughts are "I'll get to that later." Some of us have that "gift" of procrastination. It's a dangerous gift. There's a seduction to putting things off that is far more dangerous than it seems.

What kinds of things do we put off? Of course, there's the "honey do" list that we have. That can vary in urgency. When our garage door was broken, it was something I had to get to right away. It affected the security of our home. There's usually a lightbulb somewhere that needs changing, but how quickly it gets changed depends on it's location.

What about spiritually? We put off getting right with God. "Yeah, I should repent of that... but... I'll do it later." We know we should get up in the morning to do devotions... but "just a little more sleep..." Little do we know the danger in those words. Suddenly the flood waters come and the levies of our heart are not secure. Poverty of spirit rushes in. 

We all have dreams and goals and plans to some measure or another. We need to understand that God has a purpose in putting those things in our heart. The enemy of these dreams is the couch of comfort. Each and every moment of every day we need to understand that we are building a foundation for what God wants to do in our life. When we see the value of what's at stake, is it worth sleeping in?

No dream (vision) is free. Many times I've had someone come to me with a great idea for a new ministry, and it really is a great idea, but they will drop it on my desk and walk away, expecting someone else to pay the price for it to happen. There is a cost of discipline that must accompany the dream for it to become a reality.

No DREAM (Balanced Christian Life) is free, either. We need to live the balanced Christian Life, but it doesn't just happen because we understand the DREAM principles. It doesn't just happen because we read a devotional everyday, or even write one. Discipline in every area of life is necessary to this process.

It is so easy to live life falling short of potential. No one really plans on it. It happens for lack of discipline. It is possible to be who God created you to be. It happens when we discipline ourselves to follow in obedience to his direction and his timing, and align our thoughts and beliefs to his Word.

God's plans for you are not "great plans of amounting to nothing." They are to "prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer. 29:11. Live like those are your plans. Then when disaster strikes it will find your walls secure and your harvest ready.




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