How much more?

Think of a granpa who loves to play pranks on his grandchildren. What seems to be a piece of candy turns out to be a frightening explosion when unwrapped. What looks like a friendly handshake turns out to be an electric shock. What appears as an invitation to his favorite chair becomes an embarrassing experience with a whoopie cushion! Perhaps the occasional prank is funny, but if used repeatedly, grandchildren will learn not to trust their grandfather. They learn what kind of man he is.

Do we know what kind of God we pray to?

Is He a deceptive God who gives only tricks? Is He a hard-hearted God who gives begrudgingly? Or is He a loving God who gives more than we can ever ask? Matthew 7:7-11 answers the question: God is a Father who gives “good gifts to those who ask him” (v. 11). God is generous in giving; He also gives what is good for us.
We can look to human parents as examples. If a son is hungry, a father does not hand his boy a stone or snake (vv. 9—10), things that may appear as answers to the request but in reality are only deceptions. The point is clear: God is no prankster who delights in fooling us; rather, He is a generous Father who gives us what we need. If even sinful humans know how to provide generously for their children’s requests, how much more will our heavenly Father lavish upon us all our needs (v. 11)? Knowing, then, what kind of God we petition brings new light to the first verses of the passage: ask, seek, knock (vv. 7—8)—all ancient metaphors for prayer. If God is a generous Father, then we can take our needs to Him and ask. We can seek Him, confident that He will provide for us. Persistence in prayer on our part is done not in desperation toward a stingy or deceptive God, but in hopeful anticipation that our heavenly Father knows our needs and will generously provide the best for His children.

Truth or Consequences

Why are we sometimes "Emotional Basket Cases"? I think it's because we don't base our perceptions on reality, rather, we think about what things are going to be like, based on our own preconceptions instead of on actual facts. Frankly, that's the problem with most people who are depressed. They are locked into the error of emotional and physical bondage. Realizing, then, how important it is to be able to discern truth from error, how can we learn to tell the difference?

We might compare the problem to a banker who, knowing that there is counterfeit money circulating, wants to teach his tellers how to distinguish between the real and the phony. The method he cooses is not to focus on the counterfeits. Rather, he provides them with so much exposure to real dollar bills that when a counterfeit bill slips in, it's obvious.

Likewise, Christians have one defense against erroe. That is to become so familiar with truth, as revealed in God's Word, that when they are confronted with error, it is easily discerned. But if we are not steeped in truth, we become gullible and vulnerable to all sorts of error.

The war between truth and error has raged for thousands of years. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they didn't commit adultery. They didn't steal or break any the other Commandments. It all began when Adam and Eve believed a lie instead of the truth. God made only one decree to Adam, that he not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Agreement with that one law meant Adam acknowledged that God and God alone determins what is right and wrong. The day Adam chose to eat of that tree, he became like God in the sense that he determined for himself right from wrong and good and evil.

From the day of the fall, man has continued to say, in essence, "I know more than You, God, about what's right and wrong. I don't need You to tell me the truth. I can discover it for myself." That's error, the ultimate error- the lie against the Truth.

SEND US YOUR SEED MONEY!

Pastor Ray Stedman told the story of a man in Houston who received a letter from a Christian radio station seeking contributions. The station calculated that it needed $76 from each listener to stay on the air. The letter promised that God couldn’t be “out-given”—thus contributors could be assured that their $76 would come back to them three-fold. The man wrote back to the station suggesting that they send him the $76 first. That way the station would receive back three times the amount they needed to stay on the air!
Many people believe that giving is like a cosmic investment plan—give a certain amount and it will come back, with interest! At first glance, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 seems to support this thinking. Yet a deeper look shows a much different principle.
In the ancient world, like now, no farmer would sow grudgingly or sparingly, knowing that a little seed in the ground meant little fruit at harvest. So, just as farmers sow generously, God’s people should also give generously. Paul followed this proverbial saying with a key principle.

God gives to us first so that we can be generous.

The order here is key.

We don’t give first so that we can receive a blessing.

This is where the radio station got it wrong.
Knowing that God gives first encourages us that there’s never a time when we can’t be generous. This also encourages us that when we receive a little extra, it’s not so that we can spend it all on ourselves. Instead, material blessings enable us to give even more to others.
Our generosity is a practical means of sharing the gospel, because others will see obedience linked with our verbal profession of Christ.

What comes back to us is a spiritual, not material, blessing—namely, others praying for us (v. 14). Ultimately, giving brings us right back to where it all begins—God’s indescribable gift of Christ.

Do you ever feel like God has forgiven you but you can't forgive yourself?

Why do you feel such condemnation?

Don't mistake the conviction of the Holy Spirit with the accusations of the devil, and if you can't tell the difference, you are in one viscious, hopeless cycle. Condemnation can destroy you.

What's the Secret?

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13

I was in a store recently when the checkout lady asked me, “Have you got your lottery ticket yet? The jackpot is $33 million!” So I said, “I don’t need $33 million” and she looked at me kind of funny. I explained, “It wouldn’t make me any happier.” The girl beside her said, “It’d make me happier,” to which I added, “or more miserable.”

Our dialogue reminded me of how many people live in a perpetual state of hunger for more. “If I could just get more . . . ” I wonder how many people are going to have to drive over the money-doesn’t-make-you-happy cliff before they figure out this truth.

Contentment is where the real satisfaction comes from.

Content in what I have. Psalm 62:10 says, “If riches increase, set not your heart on them.” Happiness is not in the having, it’s in the acceptance of what God has given you.

Content in whom I’m with. “I wish my wife was a little more . . .” “If my husband would just change . . .” Sure, you can focus on your spouse’s shortcomings and stay miserable if you want, or you can choose to concentrate on the good. Read Philippians 4:8 to discover the joy.

Content in whose you are. Listen to this promise in Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

You may say, “I can do a couple of those, but I don’t think I can ever be content in all those areas, all the time.”

Do you want to know how you can be content? Before he closes his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul lets us in on a huge secret. “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need, [here’s the secret] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”(Philippians 4:12-13). Through Christ! That’s the Christian life-it’s Jesus living His life through me.

Is There Hope?

Today our society openly condones and defends the worst kinds of evil. Civilization as we know it has reached the deepest level of corruption. People's consciences have been seared, obstructed, repressed, and overturned. Without a functioning conscience, people destined only to sink deeper and deeper into wickedness. Humanity is merely storing up wrath against the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5).

Is there hope?

For those willing to repent and follow Christ, there is. They can "be saved from this perverse generation" (Acts 2:40). Their consciences can be renewed and cleansed (Heb. 9:14). They can become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17).

Can society itself be saved?

Certainly not without full-scale revival. Unless multitudes turn to Christ, the downward spiral is certain to continue. With so many dampened consciences and hardened hearts, it would take a revival of unprecedented proportions to reverse the downward direction of our culture. The problems are spiritual and cannot be solved through politics or education. Christians who believe political activism can reverse the trends in our society don't understand the nature of the problem. True believers must realize that the state of our society is the result of the righteous judgement of God. God has not commissioned His people to reconstruct society. We are not called to expend our energies for moral reform. We are salt- a preservative for a decaying generation (Matt. 5:13). And we are lights designed to shine in a way that enables people who see our good works to glorify our heavenly Father (Matt. 5:14-16). In other words, our primary task is to preach the truth of God's Word, live in obedience to that truth, and to keep ourselves unstained by the world (Jas. 1:27). Our influence on society must be the fruit of that kind of living, not the product of fleshly energy or political clout.

What we can do, and must do, is keep our own consciences pure. We must saturate our minds and hearts with the truth of Scripture, and refuse to yield to the spirit of our age. To do that we must understand our own sinfulness and know how to deal with our sins.

Stickin' to the Word

Romans3

So what’s Paul saying here when he talks about the obedience that we might say that leads to faith? When you and I share Christ with people and I know that you do and when we share Christ with children and I know that you do we use ways to explain it. One of the worst ways we tell children is you need to ask Jesus into your heart. Please don’t ever do that, it’s not in the Bible and if there are concrete child of ages 3 to about 6 Jesus just shrunk down, came in, opened the door and sat in their heart, you know. That’s how they think, don’t give them those examples. Don’t say ask Jesus, don’t say give your life to Jesus, the Bible never says ask Jesus into your heart. The Bible never says to give your life to Christ, never says that. It says to believe, it says to trust, it says to put your faith in.

Now the reason we say ask Jesus into your heart is we’re not satisfied with trust, believe and faith. We’ve got to add on a little bit, we can’t, well let me explain it to you son, that means to ask Jesus into your heart. Oh, okay, I’ll ask Jesus into my heart, I understand why we do it, but let’s trust the Scripture. Let’s rest on God’s Word that’s sufficient to do the work it came to accomplish, okay? You’re better off, believe me. A child can understand belief, they can probably better than you and me. They can understand faith better than you and me. Put your trust in, to believe in someone, God made a promise, I’m believing Him, not asking him to crawl inside my chest cavity. Be clear about it.

Freedom

I'm listening to one of my favorite worship songs right now...I am Free...by the Newsboys...they just have some of the best worship songs that really bless me.
Through You the kingdom's come
Through You the battle's won
Through You i'm not afraid
Through You the price is paid
Through You there's victory
Because of You my heart screams I am free

I am free to run, i am free to dance, i am free to live for You....i am free....

Who the Son sets free is free indeed.

It just really puts into words what i was thinking when i was driving to work today. I was thinking of my cousin and her 2 houses, nice vehicles, designer clothes, perfect children, attorney husband, PTA life...and how 10 years ago I would've been so jealous. And now, in my heart i truly praise God that my life is not like that because I AM FREE....and she's not. I really pray that she will see that.
Look at all the effort, pain, unrest, turmoil, and stress that people put into making their lives appear perfect. Their clothes are the best. Their vehicles new. Their kids are involved in everything. Their homes are in the 'right' neighborhood. Their lives are beautiful. They secretly scorn those whose drive 10 year old cars,wear wal-mart clothes or God forbid Goodwill, those whose children aren't involved in everything.
They don't realize that, the people they are trying to fool...see through it all and are not impressed...in fact they pity them...for they are making fools of themselves and leading their children down the wrong path. And even more so than trying to fool the world into thinking their lives our great...when Jesus looks in their windows, He's sees all the fighting, the compromising of what is truly important, the emptiness, the darkness and lonliness that comes with living selfishly. ...things they feel deep down but can't really identify. Yet, when He looks in the windows of us, His children...He sees...windows that need replaced...but better yet...He sees a family laughing at the dinner table, He sees a dad teaching his little girl how to pound nails, a mother and daughter praying together for that Dad's salvation.....He knows their lives are far from perfect, as do they, but He offers them His overwhelming grace and mercy so they may live in peace and rest. They don't always have the payment for their one house until the last minute...but they know the Lord will provide. They know that their kids aren't all stars, super stars, most popular, best at everything....but they know "raise them up in the way of the Lord and they will not depart from His ways....They know that they are going to argue and have days that they don't even like each other, that there will be people who wrong them and are even down right mean...but they know that they are God's children and He will do battle for them ...to defend, vindicate and supply ALL their needs. That is free! amen!

Controlling Your Thoughts

Introduction: Do you have problems controlling your thoughts? Perhaps you struggle with negative thoughts or ones you know are not godly. What you think determines where you end up in life. So, it’s vital that you learn to master your mind.

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-3
The Bible is full of truth about the importance of controlling our minds.
• Unbelievers set their minds on what comes naturally to humans—pursuing sensual, selfish or materialistic things (Rom. 8:5-7).
• God gives disobedient people over to their depraved minds (Rom. 1:28).
• We have to be careful that our minds aren’t led away from pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2-3).
• Controlling our thoughts is a vital part of spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 10:4-5).
How can our transformation into new creatures affect our thought lives?
• The Holy Spirit enables us to walk out the Christian life. We died to our old life, and were raised to walk in newness of life. Example: a caterpillar turning into a butterfly
• We can learn to view ourselves primarily as children of God: born-again and citizens of heaven.
• To have the mind of Christ means that we agree with Him about what’s good and evil in this world. We share His values and begin to think like Him (2 Cor. 2:16).
• We have to guard our minds from the influence of the world. Example: watching soap operas
• We must prepare by being alert to erroneous thinking (1 Peter 1:13). “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a destiny.”
• Seek first the rule of God in your life, and He will provide for your needs (Matt. 6:33).
If you want to be happy, even in difficult times, you must think rightly. How do you do that?
1. Screen your thoughts.
• Let the Word of God be the grid of your mind. Reject thoughts that aren’t compatible with the Bible.• Ask yourself these questions:
1. What’s the source?2. Where will it lead me?3. Is this scripturally sound?4. Is this thought going to build me up or tear me down?5. Can I share this thought with someone else?6. Does this thought make me feel guilty?7. Does this fit who I am as a follower of Jesus?
2. Reject ungodly thoughts.
• If you ask yourself the questions above and realize the thought isn’t godly, choose not to think about it again.
3. Cultivate godly thoughts.
• Dwell on things that are good and practice living out those thoughts (Phil. 4:4-9).

Closing: Who you will be in the future will be a result of what you’re thinking right now. If you don’t like where you’re headed, begin to think godly, positive thoughts. God will change your destiny.

Holding On

A civilization spiraling into an abyss often finds the spiral thrilling, and sometimes loves the promise of the depths below. People often see the romance of the darkness but cannot see the ultimate terror that waits at the bottom, in the deepest blackness. I know people who have gone there. Consequently, they resist the Hand of Truth extended, regardless of the promise that is offered.

How sad and pointless it is at the inevitable demise of mankind. Our only hope is to remain focused on the Truth and if we do start to slip into those worldly desires; to reach out and hold on without constraint.

Untitled

The fact that you have a beautiful home, the fact that you have new cars is no indication that you are closer to the Lord than the one who drives an old beater. Nor even the one who doesn’t have the money to even own a car. Now those who are busy across our nation suggesting that God came into this world to give us this world’s goods must take another look at the One who came into this world who had nowhere to lay His head, and God has something better than houses and land, silver and gold. This God has something infinitely greater in satisfaction than a solid stock portfolio and progressively upward mobility.
He plans to bring something greater than this world’s goods. Some ask, “Is He gonna deliver us from our burdens and oppressions?” I can’t promise that, because He moves in strange and mysterious ways, and I know about those daily battles. In fact, 1 Peter 4:12 tells us, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”When you have Jesus, the first thing, according to the book of Romans, in the fifth chapter, in the light of what transpired in the previous verses, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Now that’s the real deal, that when you have Jesus, you have peace with God, therefore, the fact that He was raised again from the dead for our justification, we have something, and that something is, there is therefore no condemnation and we can have peace with God for those who accept Jesus Christ.

Let Go

As children bring their broken toys,
with tears; for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him,
in peace, to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
with ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How can You be so slow?"
"My child", He said,"what could I do?"
"You never did let go."

7 Keys to Spiritual Renewal

1. Surrender
See the need to allow God to help you grow through others. "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in His good time He will honor you." - 1 Peter 5:6

2. Acceptance
Accept the full reality of your situation. "Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me." - Psalm 139:1

3. Confession
Begin to open up about the reality of your life. "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." - James 5:16

4. Responsibility
Accept responsibility to make the changes that must be made. "Each one of you should test his own actions...each one should carry his own load." - Galatians 6:5

5. Forgiveness
Forgive your own failures and the failures of those who have hurt you. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you." - Matthew 6:14

6. Transformation
Transform your pain into a purposeful ministry out of love for others. "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." - 2 Corinthians 1:4

7. Preservation
Protect the spiritual gains you have made-persevere through the struggles we must all experience as we grow. "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." - Philippians 2:12-13

Following The Map

He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.


--Psalm 23:3

Have you ever set out to go somewhere, only to realize that the direction you were heading was the wrong direction? There’s nothing quite like the experience of a trip that ends up going in a direction different then you thought it would.

That’s how it is at times in our Christian lives. We are called to follow Christ, which sounds easy enough. But there are times when it feels like He is taking us in a different direction then we thought He would. That’s when we need to cling to the Bible’s promise that Christ will indeed be with us and lead us every step of the way.

When Moses led Israel out of Egypt, God instructed him not to take the quickest and most direct route to Canaan, but to follow the path He would lead him on. I’m sure Moses wondered many times what was going on and why God was having the nation of Israel trek so many extra miles to reach the Promised Land.

But God was working out His plan in His way. In fact, in Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses says this about God’s leading in the wilderness, “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.”

Be assured God is at work in your life no matter how strange His leading might seem at the moment.

So if you’re not sure where you’re heading today, just get close to Christ and don’t give in to the temptation of giving up or going the way you think best. We don’t have the promise of an easy and clear journey, but we do have the promise of His guidance!

STEPPIN' OUT

Have you ever said something to someone about God’s power, or love, or your faith, or “standing on the Rock”, etc., etc., only to realize that you were terrified and lacking in that professed faith?
That’s why I love this passage in Ezra. That’s exactly what happened. The exiled Jews were returning to Jerusalem, led by Ezra, and they were scared half out of their wits that they were going to be attacked along the way. They had already told the king, basically, “No problem! Our God has it handled.” The problem was that it was more bravado than belief. Aren’t you glad that when we aren’t wholly faithful, He is?

Ezra 8:21-23 NASB
Protection of God Invoked
21Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.
22For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him."
23So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

Are You David or Saul?

Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

--1 Samuel 9:21

When you look at the life of Saul, you see a man who had everything life had to offer. He was good-looking. Humble. A leader. And God’s Spirit rested upon him. But he squandered it all because of the choices he made and the life he lived.

Saul’s fatal flaw was his own selfishness. He was determined to do his own thing and not wait on God. This selfishness transformed into stubborn disobedience, and it cost Saul everything. His stubborn will wasn’t worth the price he paid.

How often are we determined to do things our own way? To have what we want just because we want it. When we do, we take our eyes off God and plow ahead blindly.

Hopefully though, we’ll learn from the actions and hearts of both Saul and David!

David, like Saul, also wandered far from God. But David was also very different from Saul. David’s heart sought after God. He had the will to obey Him, and that made all the difference in David’s life.

You may be walking in disobedience and defeat, but you don’t have to stay there! Seek God. Seek His forgiveness. Become a man or woman after God’s own heart. Because that is the life of true victory!

is your heart more like David’s…or like Saul’s?

Above Our Circumstances

Philippians 1:19-21

We are expected to live above our circumstances and focus upon God and His sovereignty. But how do we accomplish this in practical terms? In reality, we are often too weak to properly adjust our mindset to Christ and see the potential for good in painful times. Thankfully, believers are not without help.
In order to focus on God and successfully live above our circumstances, we must understand our unity with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Life is not segregated into neat packages of work, family, church, etc., with no crossover or blurring of the lines between areas. Christ should permeate our entire existence. Paul was in such oneness with the Lord that to live in his earthly body meant to have Christ with him every moment, no matter the situation. No area of the apostle’s life could be defined apart from his faith. His mind, heart, and will were completely saturated with Christ.
When Paul wrote, “To live is Christ,” he was referring to Jesus living and working through us in the Holy Spirit’s power (Philippians 1:21). That doesn’t mean we think of divinity every second of the day, but we do make God’s will our first consideration when dealing with others.
Trying circumstances are a reality for everyone, Christian or not. The difference for believers occurs when we recognize our oneness with Christ, when we act by His strength and live according to His directions. That’s when focusing on Him becomes second nature.

Changing Our Focus

John 15:18-21

Nothing can touch a believer’s life unless it comes through the permissive will of God. That means He has complete control, even when it feels like Satan is running rampant through our personal lives. Trapped in Roman confinement, Paul knew that God could rescue him; after all, He had removed Peter’s chains. (Acts 12:7) But Paul was not simply waiting around for liberation. Even in his chains, he earnestly continued with his kingdom work because he believed God did everything for a reason.
It is true that the Lord has a purpose for whatever He brings into a person’s life. Though we may desperately wish for different circumstances, God allows us to go through a given situation when it will ultimately bring about the most favorable result. If we allow Him to finish the work instead of trying to extricate ourselves, we’ll see a positive outcome.
Paul’s time in prison proved a benefit for the Gospel, though logically, the spread of the Word should have been severely hindered by the imprisonment of such a great preacher. In two years, he had been guarded by many of the elite praetorians (Philippians 1:13), and we know what Paul talked to them about Christ during their shifts.
There isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says believers are promised an easy life. In fact, the Word warns that the opposite is true. (John 16:33) But we, like Paul, can choose to live above our circumstances by realizing that God has a plan to use our experiences for our good and the benefit others.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, ANY ROAD WILL GET YOU THERE.

CHINESE PROVERB

False Prophets

I woke early this morning thinking of the false prophets in the last days that Christ spoke about in His word. (Matt. 24:24)

I think people expect them to be obvious, like, "OH, that guy! Well, I know he's a fake." The problem is that it's not like that at all.

Almost always, they will be ever so slightly off center, barely distinguishable from the truth, enticing, convincing, and by golly, they make me feel better! (Psalm12:1-4)

Sadly, they aren't "bad" people in most cases, just misguided by power, pride, money, or any number of manifestations of self. There comes a point where a breakthrough or decision has to be made where we realize that it's absolutely not about us.....Not even an inkling!

Anything, and I mean anything that puffs us up is wrong because our nature is so weak that we can't stop those feelings of self from creeping in. (2Cor.11:12-15)

I've always loved the passages concerning the Bereans. (Acts 17). They were being taught by Paul and Silas. Can you imagine? That's like Billy Graham, (or in the secular world), a famous actor coming to town. I mean, wouldn't we be hanging on their every word? Anyway; What did the Bereans do? They said, "great messages guys", and then they gathered together and poured over the scriptures to make sure they weren't full of hooey.

I've watched most of these people on TV or read their books. I always have my Bible open and ask God for discernment, and it's amazing how often The Breath of God is misquoted or used out of context. (Rev.22:18-19)

If we are in the end times... and even if we're not, read the warnings in His unfailing word. (Jer.14:13-16)

It's gonna sound nice, it's gonna seem easier, And it's gonna get more confusing by the day! (2Peter 2:1-3)
The paths will get wider and there will be more of them, but there is only one center, and there is no compromise.