What Do You Fear?

In the ancient world it was a common practice to fear the natural forces (such as floods, droughts, crop failures, plagues, etc.) that were out of their control and occurred in the world around them. So focused were many of these cultures on the devastation and disaster these natural forces could wreak that they literally gave these forces personalities and worshipped them as their gods.

Yet God wanted His people Israel to not fear these forces, and definitely not to appease them by worshipping them. Rather He continually challenged Israel to focus and trust in Him as their ultimate protector and warrior. To the greatness Yahweh the Bible presents these natural forces as subservient to God and as powerless as attendants who walked before and after a great ruler in the ancient world proclaiming that ruler’s supreme greatness. This is the picture that Habakkuk paints as he states in Habakkuk 3:5 “Before Him goes pestilence, and plague comes after Him.”  The response to such a realization is highlighted by the Psalmist in Psalm 91—

“For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence” (v. 3)

“You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon” (v. 5-6)

So, what fear has gripped your heart and imagination? Is it a sickness that has stalked your family for generations? Is it that a threat might come to past? Whatever your fear might be remember that it too must bow before the God who reigns supreme. Won’t you cast your care upon Him today because He cares about you (1 Peter 5:7)?

Our Vision/Destination:
A Church Family where the Triangle will see, hear, & touch the diversity of God’s grace.

Does God Care?

One of the most fascinating aspects of God is the fact that He makes everything personal. God is an active God and is interested in what occurs in His creation. No matter what occurs on earth God is aware, interested, concerned, and active to keep good occurring in the midst of bad. Yet, we can often forget this fact about God for even one of his great prophets did as Habakkuk viewed all the bad events occurring around him, and a seeming lack of response to his prayers. No wonder Habakkuk opens his discussion with God with the phrase ‘How long?’ (Habakkuk 1:2), or in other words, ‘Why don’t you care? Why aren’t you personally involved?’

The rest of this great book is God’s showing His servant just how personal he takes the affairs of His people and His creation. In one poignant moment as Yahweh begins to reveal His plans to deal with Babylon He even uses the same exact phrase of the prophet —“For how long” Habakkuk 2:6—to say that He does view all events as personal, and that He has a designated time to respond to them all.

Is there a ‘How long?’ in your world right now? Do you ever catch yourself wondering if God is taking your issue personally, does he care? Let me remind you that God makes everything personal, and especially those things that directly relate to His children. If He has not answered yet, He has a reason. Continue in faith to wait on the Lord (Isaiah 40:28—31).

This week we’re in Habakkuk 2:9—20 so take some time to prepare for our gathering Sunday.

Stay in Control Of Your Finances

As God challenged Habakkuk to realize that He is fully aware and active in the ‘real world,’ may we also realize this truth in respect to our finances. Remember to stay in control of your finances for the misuse of credit and the accumulation of debt is not in accordance with His desire for us. Note the words of derision towards Babylon in Habakkuk 2:7

    Will not your creditors rise up suddenly,
      And those who collect from you awaken?
      Indeed, you will become plunder for them.

If God has spoken to your heart to make changes please contact Greg Ulmer who is over Grace’s Financial Counseling Ministry —gulmer@nc.rr.com

INVEST (time, prayers, resources, etc.) in someone then INVITE that person to church.

The Role of Faith in Life

How do you view faith’s place in your hike through life? For many believers the role of faith in the journey of life is more like an item packed away in a backpack whereas others view it as a compass that is constantly utilized. 

For many faith is an item that having been already obtained is safely packed away, checked off the ‘to pack’ list and awaits any unforeseen opportunities where we may have to use it.

But Habakkuk’s view of faith—‘But the righteous will live by his faith’ (Habakkuk 2:4)—presents its role as more like a compass. Like a compass, faith is to be depended on to point us in the right direction, constantly moving us towards God, even when our surroundings are unfamiliar. Faith encourages us that we are heading in the right direction so that we can move boldly forward, even when we don’t feel sure of our ability to guide ourselves.

So, what role is faith playing in your life today? 

This week we’re in Habakkuk 2:6—8 so take some time to prepare for our gathering Sunday.

God’s Promises

‘Promises promises.’ Sometimes we can come to the Word of God in this way. Maybe it is because of promises that were given to us in the past that were never fulfilled. I want to remind you that God never fails to keep His promises. A ‘not yet’ is not a ‘never will be.’ This is the key emphasis that God makes to the nation of Judah in Habakkuk 2:3. After telling Habakkuk to write the vision for all to see so that they might respond accordingly, God then goes on to emphasize that although the fulfillment of the promise might take a while they can be certain that the fulfillment is coming. Note God’s emphasis:

The message I give you
waits for the time I have appointed.
It speaks about what is going to happen.
And all of it will come true.
It might take a while.
But wait for it.
You can be sure it will come.
It will happen when I want it to.
(New International Version)

What promises of God are you trusting in and waiting on to be fulfilled? However great it might seem to be, and however long it might be taking don’t give up on it. Don’t lose heart and don’t cease to wait in excited expectation. God is not a man that He should lie ‘so though it tarries, wait for it.’

INVEST (time, prayers, resources, etc.) in someone then INVITE that person to church.

Remember the Character of God.

One of the key attempts of our soul’s enemy is to have us forget the nature of our God when we are going through difficult times.  If Satan can get us to question God’s commitment to us, the goodness of His nature, the purpose of His actions in our lives then he achieves victory because in that moment we oppose God’s working in our lives rather than embracing, trusting, and looking forward to His loving touch.

In light of our enemy’s strategy it is no wonder that James, the half brother of Jesus, states “Blessed is the man who keeps on going when times are hard. After he has come through them, he will receive a crown. The crown is life itself. God has promised it to those who love him. When you are tempted, you shouldn’t say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God can’t be tempted by evil. And he doesn’t tempt anyone” (James 1:12-13).

To guard his own heart from the waves of shock at God’s actions and doubts about the goodness of God that were washing over his mind, Habakkuk begins his interaction with God with what he knows of the character of His God:

Lord, haven’t you existed forever?
    You are my holy God.
    So we won’t die, will we?
  Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians to punish your people.
    My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us.
Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil.
    You can’t put up with the wrong things people do.
    (Habakkuk 1:12—13)

Whatever you are wrestling with today remember the character of your God, the strategy of your soul’s enemy, and the only response we are to have. Take a moment and talk to God about these challenges, inserting throughout it the truths you know about your God.

Remember to read Habakkuk as you go through the week.

Our Only Hope

Have you ever been so frustrated with the state of things that you’ve turned off the news, pushed the paper aside and just agonized “Why are things so bad?” That is the sentiment of Habakkuk who is tired of seeing the outbreak of international hostilities, marriages shattered, life savings become worthless or stolen, young people making horrible life choices, political corruption, and moral bankruptcy in society. Can’t you hear the agony in his words?

“Lord, how long do I have to call out for help? Why don’t you listen to me? How long must I keep telling you that things are terrible? Why don’t you save us? Why do you make me watch while people treat others so unfairly? Why do you put up with the wrong things they are doing?
I have to look at death. People are harming others. They are arguing and fighting all the time.
The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do. Fairness never comes out on top. Sinful people surround those who do what is right. So people are never treated fairly.”  Habakkuk 1—4 (New International Version)

Whoever said that the Bible is not relevant has never read Habakkuk. His words are so relevant we can almost think he lives next door, or works in the cubicle next to us. But there is one thing that separates him from most of those around us—his conviction that the Lord is in charge and that only He can make things right.

Be like Habakkuk, get frustrated with sin but remember your hope. Never hinder yourself from feeling the frustration caused by a sinful world for it is only then that we truly long for our Savior God and His ultimate salvation—‘thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Remember to read Habakkuk as you go through the week.

A Major Reason Why Jesus Had To Rise

As we considered five reasons why Jesus had to rise from the dead let us not forget a major one that is to affect us—so that we can intimately walk with the resurrected Jesus each day of our lives. This is the desire Paul has in mind as he penned a life goal in Philippians 3:10:

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” 

My prayer is that each of us will walk through this day as if having one hand outstretched to remind us that our greatest need is to walk hand-in-hand with Jesus. I know that it is only then that we will experience the resurrection power of a risen Savior on a daily basis.

Business Report

What if you were living in the final week of Jesus’ life?

In a stunning move that has caught many in the business world by surprise, Lamb Corporation’s CEO Jesus Christ announced today that He would be sacrificing his company and his vast personal wealth in order to fully pay off the world debt that has burdened every living person. The announcement was made this evening in a board meeting as Mr. Christ told the privately held company’s twelve board members that his sacrifice was the only one that could pay the great debt of the world. Needless to say each board member expressed great surprise at this decision as they spoke with reporters afterwards. The board members’ comments ranged from disbelief to shock, with one board member stating off record that the move was a waste of the corporation’s great profit potential and that he was now forced to take a counter move to stop this action.

Simon Peter, a prominent board member, stated that he sensed the banquet and meeting was going to be different than those of the past when Mr. Christ insisted on washing each of the board members’ hands, which is considered the dirtiest part of the body, as they entered the banquet hall. The subservient act is usually done by a banquet attendant and when Mr. Peter protested he was told that his submission was mandatory to truly be a part of the Lamb’s board.

Mr. Christ’s personal sacrifice will immediately sink the once prominent CEO into total poverty. Throughout the day other prominent business, civic, and religious leaders have criticized Mr. Christ’s actions using such descriptive as ‘reckless,’ ‘media showboating,’ and ‘a dangerous example for other leaders.’ The consensus of the group, though, is that Mr. Christ’s bankruptcy is a clear indication of his unstableness and a well deserved judgment for his own shortcomings. When told of these comments by a reporter Mr. Christ responded by quoting the Old Testament prophet Isaiah (53:4), “Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Breaking News

What if you were living in the final week of Jesus’ life?

News outlets in Jerusalem are reporting that a Rabbi, Jewish teacher, has just staged a one man
riot in Judaism’s holiest site, a few days before one of their holiest days. Today the popular but radical Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth entered the Temple in Jerusalem and started overturning sales booths and driving out sales representatives of the major worship supply companies. Eyewitnesses report that the Rabbi became enraged by what he viewed as the commercialization of the Temple and its worship experience, quickly fashioned a whip, and began whipping the sales associates driving them out of the Temple.

No arrests were made but it is clear from the comments of Temple officials and other Jewish leaders that action would be taken soon to deal with the Rabbi. Some are suggesting that the popularity of the Rabbi, whose entry into the city a few days ago caused an impromptu parade of adoration to occur, is the only reason why no arrests were made today. A source who is close to both the Rabbi and Jewish leaders suggests that this will all change after the Passover observance later this week.

We will keep you updated, but for more details on this event see your Bible—Mark 11:15-26.

“God’s Word—Filtering the Messages of the World”

One of the challenges of the Christian walk is keep the message of the Bible before the message of the world. If this is properly achieved then we use the Bible as a filter for the world’s message, but if the order is reversed then the world becomes a filter for the Bible’s message. One of the clearest examples of the importance of this order today is in respect to Gay & Lesbian issues.

The world tells us that homosexuality is a legitimate option to heterosexuality. Arguments have been based on history (homosexuality was a legitimate option to heterosexuality in many ancient societies), genetics (genes have been identified that are believed to predispose a person to homosexuality), political (homosexuals as full American citizens deserve all the human rights and freedom as any other American citizen), and sociology (homosexual couples have been shown to be just as capable as heterosexual couples to raise a child in a healthy home environment). Yet the greatest message that we are hearing is “This is who they are and they cannot change.” The volume of the world’s position is increasing and with it are the cries for the narrow minded position of Christians to be overlooked.

But the Bible has a different message. Scripture clearly tells us that the romantic-sexual desires & acts of homosexuals are not acceptable to God (Romans 1:24-28).  Yet at the same time God states that there is forgiveness, acceptance, and the power to change that can be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ if they will surrender to it:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘but the righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

So, in what order are you keeping the messages? The best indicator is if you are actively seeking to let the Word of God transform the lives of all those you have relationships with, regardless of their sexual orientation. Remember, ‘such were some of you.” Give the gospel, the power of God, opportunities to transform lives.

God’s Standards to Find & Experience Love

Like Samson there are a lot of people finding “love” in various faces and places, but many of these are where God never intended for love to be found. As creator & sustainer, God has a supreme right to dictate standards to His creation and we know that He has clearly set standards for acceptable and unacceptable places for us to find/experience love. Here are just a few of those standards that God has communicated to us:

Do not let your mind focus on lustful thoughts/fantasies, or images—Matthew 5:28ff; Galatians 5:19.
A Christian (a Christ follower) must not marry a non-Christian—1 Corinthians 6:14.
Do not have sex with someone you are not married to—Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4.
Do not view romantically someone of the same gender— Romans 1:24—27.
Do not have sex with someone of the same gender—1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10.

Did you already know these standards & boundaries? Are you living them out in your own life? If you are struggling with any of these please remember that God loves you and wants you to get in line with His will so that you might experience the fullness of life as He intended it to be experienced. Remember that His forgiveness and mercy are available to you if you come to Him with a repentant heart (Lamentations 3:22-23), and that He can restore us (1 John 1:9; Joel 2:25).

God’s Design for Love Relationships and Marriages—Part 2

Today let’s speak with MEN. Ladies, you are welcome to listen in if you so choose as we look at Ephesians 5:22—28 ..

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage. 

The best way to sum up Paul’s instruction to men is that they give of themselves, or more succinctly that they ’die.’ This is a big task, such a big task that it is reflected in the number of words Paul uses in the passage. In the Greek, the language Paul originally wrote in, the command for the woman is 47 words long, whereas the command for the man is 143 words long. Men, are you dying for her? Do you give up your time to truly listen to her with your undivided attention? Are you making it clear that meeting her needs in the marriage is your priority? For most men who are not seeking to reflect Christ’s example this can be a horrifying thought:

“Perhaps this is why the text talks about the man dying for the woman. This can be terrifying for a man. Committing to a woman for life is going to demand courage, fidelity, and strength he may not know he has. This is why some men take such pride in their sexual conquests. They’re desperately running from their fear that they don’t have what it takes to lay down their lives for a woman. Sleeping with lots of women gives them the feeling of being a man without actually having to be one” (Taken from Sex God by Rob Bell).

So men, have you been the main attraction at a funeral in your wife’s honor lately? If not, pray today that the Lord will give you the strength to die to self so that your wife will experience a Christ-like love through you.

God’s Design for Love Relationships and Marriages—Part 1

For the next 2 days I’d like to focus on a message for each gender when it comes to love as given in Ephesians 5:22—28 . Today let’s begin with WOMEN. Gents, you are welcome to listen in if you so choose.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.Ephesians 5: 22ff (The Message).

If you are not married, please note women that you are to make sure that you are giving yourself to a man who is committed to giving himself to you. The man is to be examined and inspected in his treatment of you so that you are sure that he gets the fact that you are worth dying for. I say this because the text is clear that although the woman is to submit, the man is to foster, and encourage this action. Like the rain nourishes a bulb to finally bloom to the fullness of that plant’s potential, so a man’s unselfish, agape (Godlike) love is to cause a woman to blossom to the fullness of her potential.

But if you are already married and you’ve found that your husband is a work in process when it comes to his understanding of his role in your life, please note that your actions play a key role in moving your husband to where God wants him to be. Remember that God loved us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), that Jesus taught His disciples that they did not choose Him but He chose them (John 15:16). Clearly, God loved us into becoming what He desires for us to be. Your key approach, then, is to love your husband into what God desires for him to be, or to love him into his Ephesians 5 role. That means treating him as if he already is what you desire him to be, even though he still may constantly disappoint you and still has all of his flaws. God will use your reflection of His agape love in the life of your husband to push him to be the person/husband/lover God desires for him to be, and that you long for him to be.

So ladies, if your desire is to enjoy God’s design for love relationships and marriages, take a moment to pray that He will empower and guide you to be the woman He desires you to be.

The Biblical Instruction for Marriage

Making love work is a hard job. But it is even harder when the Lord is not part of the process or when His instructions are not heeded during the process.

This was highlighted in the story of Bradley Gellert. Bradley was arrested last night wearing an “I ♥ My Marriage” T-shirt for allegedly choking his wife during an argument in their Tampa-area-home. If that was not bad enough, the T-shirt was a promotional item tied to the 2008 Christian movie “Fireproof” which centers on a fireman’s religious awakening and his subsequent attempt to save is failing marriage.

The biblical instruction for marriage is not that one person needs to submit to the will of the other person for the relationship to work, but that they both have to submit to God’s will. Note Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 5:22—28 (The Message):

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage. 

Making love work is a hard job. To enjoy love to the fullest, listen to its manufacturer.