Reasons Not Excuses

How do you keep life from taking you for a ride? The life of Joseph (Genesis 37—45) teaches us various principles and five of those we highlighted on Sunday and we will examine them through this week.

        The first principle is Reasons Not Excuses. Joseph had experienced numerous difficulties in his life from being abused by his brothers to being lied upon and imprisoned by his boss’ wife. Yet in all of these experiences it is clear that Joseph did not let these bad experiences become excuses for him to think that he did not, or could not live for God. Joseph could have easily doubted God’s promises to him when he kept suffering but he chose not to give them that power and to rather trust God. Joseph had numerous reasons for not trusting God, yet he also knew that he had no excuses to not obey God.

        As we look over our lives we are continually challenged by reasons to not trust God. We can probably identify numerous times we were treated wrongly by those who say they know God or that we did not get what we believed God should give us. Yet, please remember that none of these reasons can give us an excuse to not trust and obey God.

        What event in your life are you struggling with today? Please take the time to pray and ask God to give you the right view of Himself for He is always good and will always accomplish His promise to use every event in our lives for good—“ Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” Romans 8:26—28.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”    John 3:17 (KJV)

Did you hear about the disease that is going around?

Did you hear about the disease that is going around? It is noted in Hebrews 12:1—3 (where we are told that the believer must stand strong in faith rather than grow weary & lose heart), one of the most fatal spiritual sicknesses for the believer to possess is the ‘doubt God flu.’ It is the illness that is most detrimental to our possessing a faith that is active and vibrant. Worse of all it is the mindset that weakens us and can render us in a coma spiritually.

The effects of this sickness of doubt are seen in the life of Lot in Genesis 19:30—31. Lot who hesitated when told to ‘go!’ (19:16), who corrected the angels when told where to go (19:18—19), and who eventually leaves the place where he argued to be allowed to go (30). Lot manifested the symptom of those infected by doubt—double mindedness when it comes to the things of God.

I hope you don’t have this illness, but if you are concerned pay a visit to your local medicine chest, the Bible, and dwell on the great anecdotes found within. But be sure that you take them with an intent to do them. Here is one of the most important incentives to take this step towards health—“It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Take a moment and find a verse of promise in the Bible and then commit to dwell on it for a day or so as you go through your day. Here are a few great verses to choose from— Psalm 16:11; Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 4:13, 19; 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Father, help us to take you at your word. Help us to believe your word so much that we’ll step away from our safety zones to step out on you. You are worthy of our trust and we want to live in line with your will in order to bring you praise. Have your way in us today.

What is Your Passion?

Have you ever noticed that your passion for certain things, even for things you enjoy, can dip over time? The Bible tells us that this can occur in the life of a follower of Christ towards the things of God and cautions us to be careful. The caution is for us to not “faint.” Let’s be honest, that is a challenge we each face in our pursuit of God for we can struggle to keep our intensity high over time and through life’s various changes.  At times we may even have to fight through feelings of low self worth expressed in the thought that what we are doing doesn’t matter much. But we must never give in to these thoughts. Note the words of Mahatma Ghandi to his followers, who faced the overwhelming task of overcoming the English,

“Whatever you do is insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.”

Note Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9 to us who face the overwhelming task of overcoming ourselves and spiritual attacks to pursue God & His will,

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

So, don’t ever throw in the towel.  The key is not what you feel, but what God has promised to do through your obedience. Here are a few suggestions to keep the fires of your passion for God high:

1. Every weekend choose one promise that you will meditate on through the week to keep you persevering through the challenges of that week (Psalm 119:11).
2. Every day choose at least one event of that day to give God thanks for bringing into your life (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
3. Every week take a break from your typical actions of the week, or ministry, in order to fulfill the biblical concept of ‘sabbath’ (Exodus 20:8—11). It is true that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ so give yourself the gift of some away time.

Importance Of Jesus Resurrection

In a time where the person of Jesus is being questioned please don’t allow the great meaning of His resurrection to be questioned in your life. Paul realized the pivotal importance of the resurrection and challenged us to focus on its central value:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 1 Corinthians 15:16—19

Paul is clear that Jesus’ resurrection is the basis of God’s doing great things in our lives:

We can now make U-Turns in life—Regardless of our past we can change to walk with God.
We can now overlook our expiration date—Death is not the end of life but the start of a better life.
We can now shine in the rain—Our hope is not built on our experiences but on God’s promises.

Where does the power of the resurrection need to be applied in your life? Remember, He is risen, and so are we in Him!

Connecting With God

The story of Martha & Mary in Luke 10 give us a solemn and shocking truth—Sometimes serving God can get in the way of connecting with God.  Hard to imagine isn’t it?  But realize that Martha was busy preparing a meal and a house for Jesus. Yet, Mary is who we are to follow in that she was the one who truly connected with Jesus.  There are a few ways she was able to do that:

• Mary got still.  Being busy is not a virtue, just as being still is not a vice.  Jesus greatly valued being away from the hustle & bustle of life to connect to God (Mark 1:35).  Is stillness built into your life?
• Mary listened.  Mary was intently focused on Jesus, but noticed that it does not say that he was teaching.  Mary just wanted to study and get as much from the words of Jesus that she could (v. 39). Jesus still speaks to us and He still speaks many times in a day. We can hear Him in the events in a day, in the counsel of godly individuals, and most of all in His Word.  Are you listening for Jesus? What has He told you recently?
• Mary humbled herself.  Mary was at Jesus’ feet (v. 39). This was a position that was taken by most disciples to their Rabbi (Teacher).  In this position she was submitting to learn from Jesus in contrast to Martha who, although using the designation Lord, was so busy doing what she felt was best that she became “distracted” from Jesus (v. 40).

Ask God to show you ways you might mirror Mary’s example, then do it. 
• Consider what keeps you from being still before God. Are there activities that you do not need to be involved in that you are? Do you have a set time to sit quietly with the Lord?
• Consider what creates distractions to your hearing from God. Are there times in your day when you have all electronic items turned off so you can listen to God?
• Consider how humble you are before God. Do you ask God about most decisions you make in a day?  Is connecting with God one of the ‘needs’ you have in life?
I pray God’s blessing on you in this process.

What is Wrong With It?

What is wrong with watching sexually explicit material? The Bible gives us a few reasons why we should not:

1. You will go blind—JUST KIDDING.

2. You will deaden your sensitivity to God’s standard. In Genesis 2: 25 husband and wife “both were naked and not ashamed.” After sin, though, we see that clothing is mandated, as even this first couple are now dressed by God (Genesis 3:21). Their nakedness is to be saved for their private time together. Not for the enjoyment of other eyes. 

3. To let your mind, and fantasies, go down that road will only lead to frustration or error in behavior— Song of Solomon 3:5 (& also similarly in 2:7):

Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem,
                            by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer:
                            Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up,
                            until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.

4. We must remember that our eyes are a direct path to our hearts (emotions and will). Therefore, we should guard our eyes and therefore our hearts, for out of our heart come our actions in life.

‘Father, help us to live, think, and yearn for that which is according to your heart and standards. In some cases this change will be very difficult but keep before us how much greater our lives will be when this transformation is complete. We pray this in Jesus’ name. ’

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Proverbs 4:23

‘Not Actual Size’

Have you ever noticed the small print on the cover picture of a cereal box or on the picture of an item you’ve purchased that says ‘Not Actual Size’?  The reason this phrase appears is to lower our expectations because many items can seem larger than they really are depending on how they are presented. This is also the case in our day-to-day lives.

There are a lot of people who seem larger than life when presented to us but they really should come with a ‘Not Actual Size’ note attached to them. This is the case with politicians, entertainment and sports stars, potential suitors, religious leaders, new acquaintances, bosses, etc. It is important to remember that no one is as great as their presentation, except God.

We are reminded of this perspective in the first chapter of Esther as we see a mighty king presenting himself as all glorious and powerful (“he displayed the richness of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days” Esther 1:4). Yet he who began the chapter larger than life ends it humbled and humiliated by one word—‘no!’ (Esther 1:12).

The book of Esther reminds us that even when the size of the world’s presentation seems to overshadow God, we must trust by faith that things aren’t as they seem. So here are a few approaches we should take if we indeed believe God to be greater:

1. Let us give God first priority with our time and emotions (Matthew 6:33; 22:37).
2. Let us seek to be please God in everything if His evaluation is most important (1 Corinthians 10:31).
3. Let us love what He loves if He knows that which is best (Philippians 4:8).

If we can’t commit to these steps it may reveal that we have a ‘Not Actual Size’ note on our God rather than on the people and things around us.

Old Sins Are Hard To Kill

Have you found this statement to be true in your life?—“old sins are hard to kill.” God knows that we become attached to our old, sinful ways of life and so He is constantly placing us in situations that force us to deal with entrenched sin. That was the case with Abraham in Genesis 20:1—2 as God moves him into a situation where he must deal with his old pattern of faithless scheming.

        In our lives we commonly have a problem removing sin’s presence in our lives because we have not gotten serious with dealing with it. Some reasons for this are:

1. We still enjoy it.
2. We are lazy in applying God’s truth to ourselves when our desires cry out to be fed.
3. We don’t know the power and victory we have in Jesus to overcome sin’s control.
4. We feel guilty that we have this pattern in our life at all and spend more time denying its presence rather than dealing with it.

So, in which category do you fall? Here are a few verses to dwell on for each of these options:

1. Sin is not to be at home in the Christian’s life—1 John 1:5—7; Romans 3:23; Galatians 2:20.
2. We are to be active in giving Jesus full authority in our lives—Jude 24; 2 Timothy 2:20—22.
3. We have the power to overcome sinful habits—2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13.
4. Our freedom from sin’s guilt is unto obedience—1 John 1:8—10; Romans 8:1; 2. 

Yes, old sins are hard to kill. Yet, they can be killed and we must never stop working with
God to achieve this goal.

Some Will Say They ‘Know’ Jesus.

“I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” This statement, which was used by Jewish exorcists who did not believe Jesus (Acts 19:13) sounds humorous until we consider that many people make similar statements today. There are many who we come into contact with who use the name of Jesus and would even call themselves a Christian, but don’t have a relationship with Him. They know about Jesus, and have family members who are great friends of His but they don’t know Him for themselves. So, don’t set yourself up for a disappointment or an ambush from the enemy for everyone who uses the name of Jesus may not know Him.

        On the other hand, for those of us who have an intimate relationship with Jesus our use of His name should reflect our great esteem for His name, and therefore His person. This means:

• A bold use of this name to overcome evil and to see radical change in our lives and the lives of others—“even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” (Luke 10:17), and “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

• A respectful use of the name since “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

• An evident submission to this name since “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”  (Philippians 2:9-11).

• A sharing of this name so that others may call on it themselves and know why He is called Jesus— “for it is He who will save His people from their sins”  (Matthew 1:21).

It is my prayer that you live in the power of this name today.

“Father, bless us today as we walk in Jesus’ name. Help us to realize the power, presence, and pleasure of living in an intimate relationship with Jesus.”

Father, Teach Us To Be Satisfied

Proverbs 27:20 is a very powerful evaluation of who we are as humans by God. 

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.
        It is probably even more accurate of our lives as Americans.  We are the greatest consumer society ever. Our cultural values of possessing and possessions have caused us to lose the concept of “enough.”  We don’t know what it means when it comes to food, money, sex, desires, recreation, or possessions in general. 

Yet, without this concept of “enough” we cannot truly appreciate life.  Nor can we see that we have been blessed so much, and have so much to give to others and to God’s Kingdom. 

That’s why fasting, tithing, giving to others, and sacrificing to God is so good for us! It continually trains and refocuses us.  As this week begins select one of these disciplines to get your heart, eyes, and life back in focus.  Maybe it will mean that you will fast for a day from television, or food. Maybe it will mean that you will commit to giving some of your time, money, or possessions to someone in need.  Maybe it will mean committing to give the Lord 10% of your income on a regular basis (if you aren’t already), or an offering to a Christian organization.  Whatever it is, take a moment to commit this to God through prayer and then do it.

‘Father, teach us to be satisfied. Help us to take joy in the simple things of life. We know that this approach will put us at odds with those around us, the messages/values of our society, and even ourselves but remove all else so that we might again rejoice in the life you’ve give us.’

A Right Relationship With God

The key issue that drove the rich young ruler to Jesus in Matthew 19:16—26 is that he wanted eternal life. He knew that it was achieved by having a right relationship with God, but he had doubts on how to obtain that right relationship.  That is why he came to Jesus.  Jesus showed clear signs that he had such a relationship with God and could tell others how they could also have such a relationship.  The problem, though, was the price—everything!  All of one’s reputation, finances, time, abilities…everything!  No wonder this young man’s pursuit of Jesus stuttered and he thought he had heard the absurd—‘sell everything, give the profit to the poor, and follow me! 

But the price of God stays the same—you must pay all. As Jesus similarly told Nicodemus in John 3 you must become as a child once more as God now parents you through life.  Telling you what is good and bad for you, rearranging your priority lists, and having the final say in everything you think and do.  Yes, the price is everything!

Yet, that is the problem we each now have in the Christian life.  We find it hard at times to be adult, yet a child.  You may presently be going through a situation where you really want something but God is not giving you an ‘okay.’  It is tough, but please remember that what you gain far outweighs the cost.  No wonder Jesus describes it in a parable as a pearl of great value that one sells everything to obtain— “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:14—16).

Is there something that hinders you today from letting God parent you? Is there a fear, a pleasure, a status, a goal that keeps you from trusting God? As you start your day please remember that the greatest treasure is to find life in the eternal God by letting Him lead you. Only then will you experience life as He intended for you to live it.

‘Father, help us to trust you for more than just deliverance from eternal judgment. Help us this day to grow in our love and dependence on you. Make our experience in walking this way today be so wonderful that we will pursue your presence every day of our lives. Amen.’

God Is Able

One of the measurements that is used to reveal the strength of a victor in a competition is “the margin of victory.” It is noted that the greater the margin the greater the victor’s ability to impose their strength over their opponent.

This concept best describes the display of power Jesus revealed in feeding multitudes with a few small loaves of bread. In the account of Matthew 16:5—12 Jesus told His disciples that they should not worry about their inability to provide for themselves when He is present. To prove this Jesus reminds them of the margin of victory He had in providing food for the large and hungry crowds that numbered over 5,000 and 4,000 in two separate occasions. When He fed 5,000 there were 12 full baskets of leftovers (Matthew 14:20). When he fed 4,000 there were 7 very large baskets full of left overs (Matthew 15:37).

Jesus’ emphasis on these great miracles is not only that He fed so many from little, but that He could have kept on feeding as many as needed. This is why the mention of the fact that everyone was full, yet there was an abundance of leftovers. Jesus could have multiplied just enough to feed everyone, but He gave leftovers in abundance to show that He did not have to stop.

You see we try to limit God’s ability even in respect to miracles. God loses no strength in going above and beyond our standards of reality and our expectations. Paul notes this truth in his use of what is believed to be a great hymn of the early church—“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20—21)

So, how is your expectation? Do you believe God to do far more abundantly beyond your expectations? Do your actions show this to be true?

This week’s Friends Sunday is a perfect opportunity to see the Lord do great such great things.

Money Matters

Yes, even God would agree with this. Some have wrongly believed and taught that God is anti-money and is opposed to His people having wealth.  Yet, that is not biblical.  Jesus repeatedly communicated that God is not against wealth.  It is important to note that Jesus spoke more about finances than about hell.  Jesus said that it would be “hard,” not impossible, for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23—24).  To the contrary, God is very concerned with money for He knows that Money Matters! 

Why is God concerned with money?  God knows that money is a false god to most people, even to those who seek Him. Note 1 Timothy 6:10 where Paul says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Paul highlighted that the “love of money,” not money itself, is a root from which much evil grows. 

As He opposes all pretenders to His throne and distracters from His glory, so God also opposes a wrong view of money.  That is why Hebrews 13:5 tells us that our character, the core of who we are, must not be built on a love, trust and obsession, for money.  In contrast, God strongly desires His people to worship Him alone.  So, money matters most when it is kept in its right position in our lives—as an instrument and not a goal.  Unfortunately, for some of us the end goal of life is money. But, from God’s perspective the end goal of money is life.

Only this perspective will keep God in His rightful position in our lives.  Our lives do not depend on what we earn but on God’s provision.  Our lives do not depend on what we have, but on God’s grace.  What we have can then be held on to a lot looser for we are not dependent on anything or anyone but our heavenly Father for what we need.  We can aggressively seek to better ourselves and to increase our earnings for then we are honoring the God who invested potential in us that should be developed to glorify Him (Note Joseph in Genesis 39:2, 21; 41:38-39).

So, do you have money in its place in your life? A great way to determine this is to ask the Lord to show you the position money has in your life and commit to encouraging or changing that position once God reveals it to you. We have a great financial counseling ministry to assist you with money matters so contact the church for more information.

Walking On Water

“Cut him a little slack Lord, he did just walk on water.” I’m sorry but that is the thought I first had when I read Jesus’ response to Peter—“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” But it is clear that Jesus was not grading His disciples on a curve. He had full expectations that Peter would keep walking on water.

How could Jesus have such a great expectation of Peter? Jesus did not commend Peter for being better than the other disciples, He challenged him for not realizing what he had & how to maintain it. Can I tell you that He has the same great expectations for us as well. Here are two reasons in the account of Matthew 14:21—33 that are the basis for Jesus’ expectations:

1. Peter had Jesus’ word. Jesus had given Peter His command to ‘come’ to Him on the water. Therefore, the same permission/authority Jesus had to do this great act was now extended to Peter as well.

2. Peter had Jesus’ presence. Don’t miss the point that Jesus’ command was for Peter to connect with Him, ‘come,’ not to walk on water. The key for Peter was to have his heart deeply connected with His Master first, then he was able to do what Jesus did. And, it was only when he took his eyes off Jesus did he start to sink.

Please remember that these two reasons for Peter’s great act are the basis for our great acts of faith today as well. We are called to step out on God’s Word. The Bible says that our faith grows as we hear, meditate, and obey the Word of God (Romans 10:17). If Jesus commands us in His Bible to do anything we must step out of the boat and take Him at His Word. To do anything else is to shrink our spiritual muscles. We are also called to continually keep our hearts connected to Jesus. Once that occurs, we are ready to do the amazing. Note that this was the basis for Jesus’ assurance to His disciples—‘I am with you always’ as He sent them out to impact generations after generations (Matthew 28:20).

So, are you doing those things daily that will grow your faith? Remember, that is God’s expectation of us.

God Knows Better

Have you ever wondered, “God knows that I need _________, why then has He not given this to me?”  The problem that arises is that we then want to make excuses for God but our theology, our faith beliefs, gets in the way.  Theologians use the word omniscient to describe the fact that God is “all knowing,” or God knows everything.  So in light of Jesus’ statement, “for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things,” why has He not responded?

        Jesus knows that not receiving what we desire would be an ongoing point of challenge for a believer’s faith so He gives us in this verse an important statement of assurance.  Jesus states that this is not just HIS heavenly Father, but OUR heavenly Father as well.  It is not just Jesus who has this deep connection to the Father. Our connection to God the Father is just as strong through our relationship to Jesus.

We then have to dig deep into God’s Word and believe (“stand” in Ephesians 6:11—14) Him who never lies when our desires & disappointments whisper doubts into our minds. In these times we must pray a prayer like this one,  “No! I will not give in to this lie.  MY heavenly Father knows that I need all these things.  Since He has not provided them for me I will still trust Him till He is ready to provide these for me. Or, until He has shown me that this is not really a need for my life.”