healingimpact.com

God gets the last word!

mdn — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:38:45 +0000

I wanted to start these thoughts with a passage that I believe speaks to one of the greatest internal trials the church faces. The lack of diligence when it comes to the trickery of the devil.

I Peter 5:8 KJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Message

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

What I am saying is that we have turned our heads to things that years ago we would not tolerate.

Now be careful and don’t let your minds wander to to the things of the world. I am speaking to us. The people who come to church. Claim Him as their Redeemer.

Peter wrote this entire chapter to the elders of the church; giving them instruction in their duties and their lives.

“The devil would like nothing better than to catch you napping.”

Life is filled with compromise. We compromise in relationships, in our jobs, in our families. We have even compromised with our relationship with God.

As Pastors today we face a tough challenge. If we preach on sin people think we are condemning and judgmental. If we don’t preach on sin people think they can do anything and it is ok.

Lulled to sleep by attendance and finances Pastors have compromised with the Gospel.

Let me tell you this in no uncertain terms; we must strive to live a life that is pleasing to God. One that is dedicated to righteousness and right living. Not pleasing to the flesh but committed to killing it.

It is time for Christians and the church to stop focusing on what we can get by with and start living a Godly life.

Please know this that when I ever speak of particular sins that I am in no way being critical of anyone that might be captive to that sin.

For I have been and always will be chiefest amongst sinners in this place. Redeemed by His Grace I move forward in Him and so can you.

The challenge for us all today is that we must learn to watch. To pray. The devil is out to get us and he will spare nothing in his quest for your soul. Even if it means presenting himself at the throne of God and requesting permission to trouble you.(as he did with Job.)

Luke 22:31 KJV

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Message

Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat.

In our quest for prosperity and the American dream; God often comes in second in time spent and effort made to develop our relationship with Him.

I have said this several times of late and I am going to say it again.

We are in a battle, for our soul and the souls of others. Every thing that can be poured out upon Christians and the church will be poured out.

Like Peter, the enemy is trying to separate us from God.

Often the snares he lays are so deceiving. They look so good and so right. Their appearance is almost Godly.

Their end result is to drive a wedge between you and God; and between you and your fellow man.

We must watch in prayer, and be diligent in our commitment so we will see them coming and have the strength to resist.

The Apostle James in the fourth chapter of his writings to the church he said submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee.

He was talking to us.

The Apostles knew as we all should that the sins we must be diligent against are the ones that come into our lives as Christians.

They knew as we should that these sins are what cause division in God’s house and separate us from fellowship with Him.

Can I name them? All day long. Pride, arrogance, laziness, stinginess, hate, and so on and so on.

What about all those sins in the world. Name some of them. Ok.

Pride, arrogance, laziness, stinginess, hate, and so on and so on.

The same thing that makes you think you are better than another in God’s house, is the same thing that makes you think you can run around on your spouse.

The same thing that makes you talk about someone to feel better about yourself, is the same thing that will make you turn up a bottle or light a pipe so you can make your troubles go away.

The same thing that causes you to judge someone is the same thing that could cause you to hate them.

Sin is a manifestation of something from the inside. Yes, doctrinally it is the manifestation of being separated from God.

Yet the hurt and pain from our past, the weakness in our personalities, the anger from wrongs, as well as many other things cause us to sin against God and His word.

James 4:17 KJV

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:16-17 Message

As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that, for you, is evil.

The church, individually and corporately, needs to examine itself on a daily basis and repent from our complacency and pride.

This message is not to burden you with guilt and condemnation. I do not believe in doing that.

From my heart it is to help you realize what great potential you have.

We all need to realize where condemnation comes from. It comes from the devil. He is the one who reminds us of our faults and failures. He is the one who tells us that God can’t use us. He is the one intent on destroying our hope and our relationship with God.

Let me tell you something. Your redemption, your success, your victory, is not up to him or those who follow him.

Let me read the passage is started with again and add a couple of more verses to it from the message Bible.

I Peter 5:8-11 Message

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

Why not let God have the glory for the work He does in you today.

Anybody can talk about sins, faults, and failures.

I am here to talk about love, forgiveness, redemption, victory and the great and wonderful grace of God.

He Will Teach You All Things

mdn — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:30:43 +0000

We have all heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

I have found that some of the traditions in churches are like that. People cling to things because they are comfortable and they are used to them.

There is nothing wrong with history and there is nothing wrong with traditions, at least some traditions.

God does not live in the past and He expects us to move forward as well.

I know there are tried and proved methods to serve the Lord but I often wonder how close we come to disobedience when we forsake the teaching of the Holy Spirit in favor of what we know.

If you have been a Christian more than a day or two you have already experienced God moving outside the normal perimeters of what we know.

Leading you, asking you by the Spirit to step outside the organized box and do something different.

John 14:26 NIV

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The Father gave us the Holy Spirit to lead us and to teach us. Teach us the word and the plan He has for our lives.

You can box it, copy it, denominationalize it, “new word” and the Holy Spirit will shake up the normal every chance He gets.

Education is great, life experience is critical, mentors and relationships are necessary.

In every situation allow the Spirit to remind you of the teachings of Christ and to teach you the things that God wants to do in you life.

The Leadership of the Holy Spirit

mdn — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:30:26 +0000

Do you ever think that you get ahead of God in the work He has called you to do.

That is when I stop and evaluate myself and make sure that I am following His direction.

Getting back to basics is necessary from time to time so we can adjust our thinking and remember that “it is not about us, it is all about Him.”

He gave us the Holy Spirit to give us direction and to keep us on course and we need to learn to follow His direction and not our own desires.

John 16:13 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

The truth is revealed as we follow the direction of the Spirit. He tells us what God wants us to hear and reveals His word and plan for our lives.

It is His direction we must follow, not our own.

I believe if we ever become the leader that Christ wants us to be we will need to learn to follow.

How do you respond when the Holy Spirit directs you in a way you do not want to go?

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

mdn — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:30:05 +0000

I had on my mind this past weekend the wonderful grace of God in giving to His church the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

In our relationship with God He has covered all the bases by equipping us to be successful in our walk with Him.

He sent us the Comforter, “Holy Spirit” to establish certain things in our lives.

I want to talk of them individually this week but for now I just want to share the promise of the Spirit.

John 14:15-17 NIV

15 If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

However you want to read this He has singled out those who love Him to be filled with His Spirit.

To those who will obey Him the Spirit offers great comfort and peace.

We must love Him, love others as he loves them, and obey His commands in any endeavor we undertake.

There will be no shortage of grace to see it through to success.

Tomorrow I will share the direction of the Spirit.

Are You Ready For That Day?

mdn — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Throughout the Bible we are admonished not to be afraid. In fact the phrase “fear not” is found 63 times in the KJV Bible.

In the NT we are encouraged to be patient and not to worry. There is a reason for this and I am going to try to convey it to you in the next few minutes.

It is really very simple to understand when we honestly look at our lives.

When we are afraid, when we worry our eyes are not on Him. We can not see Him coming.

In fact I have examined myself and I spend so much time trying to tell you how God wants you to live and the destiny that He has for you. This is what I feel my ministry is, but today I want to tell you that there is a day coming when the Son of God will return for His own; and I want to ask you are you ready for that day?

Philippians 4:4-7 KJV

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Message

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

I love the way the message Bible renders these verses. Working with people instead of against them. Helping them see Jesus is coming and it could be any minute. Instead of worrying pray. Let your petitions and praises shape your worries into prayer. God will bring things together.

Celebrate God all day every day.

I am just curious; does this sound like very many of your days?

Many of our days, in fact much of our life has become a futile act of worry.

Please hear me today. God is reminding us what this is all about.

Yes I believe that we must make the best of everyday, why; because the day approaches that Christ is coming back. Why do I preach with urgency? Because Christ is coming back.

This life is not about having a nice obituary written about us when we die.

It is about lifting our heads because our redemption draws near.

I must lift my head from the pit of despair and praise God for the soon coming King of Glory.

Let me tell you something. It is not worry that opens the eyes of the blind. It is not worry that heals the sick. It is not worry that sends your enemies to flight. You will not resist the devil with worry.

These things and more will happen when you celebrate the grace and mercy of God. Helping others see the goodness of Jesus with the love you have for them. Pointing them to the forgiveness and restoration that Christ provided and sharing the Good News that Christ is coming soon.

Worry does not bear fruit but praise will. Prayer will. Faith will.

The Apostle Luke begins the book of Acts with the story of the Ascension of Christ. He shares the words He spoke to the assembled disciples.

Acts 1:10 KJV

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Acts 1:9-11 Message

These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”

Whatever they were thinking the Angels spoke to jar them from the worry that was building in their hearts and remind them that they had an appointment in the upper room.

You can not fulfill your God given destiny when you are worried about everything. When every minute of every day is filled with anxiety and fear.

The Bible says; “Cast all your care on Him.”

What you have need of is patience. You all need patience!!!!

Hebrews 10:36-37 Amplified

For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

37 For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He will not delay.

It is the world we live in and the cares of the world that hold our attention most of the day. Most of our lives.

We worry over our job, our family and friends. We are anxious in our relationships and fearful of the way the world is changing. This has become our life. Living our days thinking only how we can best fulfill our immediate needs and selfish desires.

Focused solely on the moment with little thought given to the day that is approaching.

Jesus gave us this warning to consider.

Luke 21:34-36 KJV

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Message

“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

Jesus spoke of being ready for that day often. Directly and in parables.

It was, I believe for this result. That His people would go forward in their mission and declaring the Gospel. Celebrating God and helping their fellow man along the way.

Not bound by circumstances and asleep with complacency. But moving forward through every obstacle and every temptation with a firm commitment to Him. Knowing that He is coming back again and that the day is fast approaching.

Let me end with how I began.

Are you ready for that day?

The Heart of a Leader

mdn — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:50:34 +0000

Following Christ is not as boring as some think. Since I have become a Christian I have had more fun than ever and the joy of seeing others freed from sin is incredible.

I have found that one of the greatest challenges is when you feel you have been called to do something that no one else wants to do.

Not because you are more worthy or more qualified. I am speaking of the mindset that will get you out out the boat while everyone else stands and watches.

The love that will lead you into the darkest corners of human depravity to let Christ shine in someones life.

I speak of the rebellion “if you will” that says there is no reason why it has to be done that way. Let’s do it another way.

This is the heart of a true leader. One that will get the mission done regardless of the criticism and the doubt.

A person that will help others leave the pit of complacency and fear and reach higher than they could ever dream to reach.

Let me know what you have done that has stretched your faith in Christ.

The Wonderful Majesty of God

mdn — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:55:25 +0000

I wonder how often we stop and take in the wonderful majesty of God. The journey with Christ is a wonderful experience of grace and mercy.

It is very easy to get so entrenched in our own lives and ministry that we neglect the very basic experiences that God wants us to have.

His majesty is overwhelming and it is so humbling when we stop and take it in. Realizing how much love that He has for us when everything in creation revolves around His will.

Psalms 19:1-4 NIV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

If His creation, on a daily basis, proclaims His majesty, how much more should we who have experienced His grace do the same.

It will cost you your pigs

mdn — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:57:11 +0000

There are so many wonderful stories in The Bible. There are hundreds of encouraging and uplifting scriptures.

Words that God inspired to give us hope and build our faith.

Who can forget the first time you heard of Abraham and the promise that he would have a son. Or Jonah and the great fish that swallowed him and then spit him out when he cried unto God.

What young boy raised in church didn’t pretend he was David killing a giant with a slingshot or young woman who didn’t dream of finding a man like Jacob, or David to love them.

Reading the gospels I have always been amazed at the accuracy of the prophecies that were written hundreds of years before Christ was born.

Yet there are some very sad stories as well. Scriptures that point out our nature to rebel and turn away from God.

In fact one of the saddest scriptures that I ever read is found in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 8:20 KJV

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Message

The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing’s changed. We’re still waiting to be rescued.

Living in the bondage that rebellion brings is hard. When the Jews were in captivity they sometimes spent lifetimes before they realized how good it felt to be free.

There are people today who do not know what it is like to really be free.

When you become honest with yourself. When you look in the mirror and get real you will admit you are not free.

You will never know nor understand freedom until you give your life to Christ and allow Him to be Lord.

Over the years there is one conclusion I have drawn from all the different denominations in the church. They make things too complicated.

Too many rules which in their very nature are irrelevant. Isms and schisms abound.

Jesus kept it simple. Probably because He knew that the most precious attribute we could have was faith.

One day they asked Him this question.

John 6:28-29 KJV

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Message

To that they said, “Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?”

29Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”

What Christ is saying is what I said earlier. You must follow Him. You must let Him be Lord.

Here is another passage that leads us in the same direction

I John 3:21-24 Message

And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

With all the evidence of the greatness and goodness of God. With the Biblical examples and the life examples of His grace and mercy there are those who will still not accept Him and believe in Him.

This is nothing new.

When Christ entered the Gadarenes and found a man among the tombs possessed with a legion of devils; He cast them out. Did the people of the land welcome Him and invite Him into their lives?

Mark 5:17 KJV

And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

Message

They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.

WOW! You know why. The devils begged Christ to let them enter a herd of pigs and when they did the pigs ran and drowned themselves.

Having Jesus around cost them something.

People are still refusing to follow Him today for exactly the same reason. It will cost something.

Why are you sending Him away? Refusing the very grace He died to give you because you don’t want it to cost you your pigs.

If and when you follow Christ it will be the most wonderful experience you can ever have but it will cost you your pigs.

You will have to acknowledge the life that the devil controls and turn from it.

The life of the flesh that controls you. I do not care what they say on the talk shows. Living for Christ means turning away from the desires of your flesh and allowing God to make of you a new creature. Rooted and grounded in love and free because of the Grace of God.

In John the sixth chapter Jesus spoke in the synagogue in Capernaum and it was a particularly controversial message.

Those that heard the message said this.

John 6:60 KJV

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

Message

Many among his disciples heard this and said, “This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow.

Anytime the spoken word causes us to examine ourselves and the way we live; or as Christians examine our beliefs and traditions it is hard.

It is tough when we become honest and admit we have sent Him away in favor of our own selfish desires.

It is tough when we come to realize as Christians that it is not about what we want or have been taught; it is all about what Christ taught us in the Gospel and the example He gave us to live.

It is hard to swallow.

Listen at what happened six verses later.

John 6:66 KJV

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Message

After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him.

This is another of those sad passages. They left him because of what He said. It was too hard.

They sent Him away because He cost them their pigs. It cost too much to serve Him.

So what is up with you today. You in or are you out. Will you simply ignore Him or will you send Him away.

Waiting to deal with Christ and make a decision to follow Him another day. When it is more convenient.

Leading Through the Seasons of Life

mdn — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:01:06 +0000

There are so many passages in the Bible that speak mercy and grace to humanity and give us hope to move forward in our lives.

I am so thankful for God’s word that has equipped us to be what He wants us to be.

His word that establishes our leadership based on our ability to serve others.

Sprinkled within all the hope and grace occasionally a tragic scripture arises, at least on the surface it appears that way.

I believe these words are there by God’s design to cause us to look inside our hearts and evaluate our own personal relationship with the Father.

One such passage that arises from time to time as I read through the Bible is found in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 8:20 NIV

“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.”

The Message Bible renders it this way.

Jeremiah 8:20 Message

The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing’s changed. We’re still waiting to be rescued.

This passage reminds me that our life and our relationship with God is an ongoing process. We go through many seasons of life and if we are truthful we wonder where God is at sometimes.

I can assure you that Jesus is always there. When we read these passages they must quicken us to evaluate ourselves and then move forward in the grace and mercy that Christ has provided.

Being honest with ourselves and with those around us will establish us as the leaders that we have been called to be.

Can You Go Where He Goes?

mdn — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:25:06 +0000

Can you go where He goes? That is a question that Christ has been asking His followers for over 2000 years. We all want to be successful in our particular endeavors but how do we handle the failure that sometimes precedes the success.

I have written about Peter and how he humbled himself and repented when he denied Christ. That is always the first place to start.

Then you will have to move forward in the midst of your critics that do not understand your vision and the fire that burns inside of you to see it come to pass.

Next you must find someone to hold you accountable. That really needs to be a mutual thing. Working together with one or more with the same goals in mind.

Reminding each other to pray, give, and serve along the road to seeing the vision come to pass.

It is a hard thing to go where Christ goes, but it is the only path to success and fulfillment.

Let me know how you get on track when an obstacle arises in your walk towards destiny.