I Samuel 16:7
Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for the lord does not see as mortals see, they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
In this vain society in which we live we are obsessed with beauty. Whether it’s the fascination with the thousand dollar weave or the ten thousand dollar breast enhancement or the bulging biceps or killer abs…we are preoccupied with being “beautiful.” We make our first impressions on how people look on the outside. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of how you look on the outside. In the world we live in you have to make sure you are presentable, well kept, and beautiful (whatever beautiful is where you live) on the outside in order to make an entry into societies gateway of commerce but what’s going to keep you in once you walk through the door is not what you have on the outside its going to be what you have on the inside!
Many people have failed at business, at marriage, and in relationships in general because they only focus on the outer appearance without ever checking out the heart.
When Samuel the prophet goes to Bethlehem to anoint the new king he’s looking for somebody tall, dark, and handsome. God tells him you are looking at the wrong thing. If an Old Testament Prophet can get it wrong what about a post-modern pilgrim like ourselves? We go looking for body measurements, height, weight, and marry somebody for their looks and are miserable because of their heart. Anita Baker said it best, “you can’t do right because you are the wrong man.”
Out of the eight sons of Jesse, David was chosen. The bible says in verse 12 “he was ruddy (healthy looking), and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome but the most telling part of about David was his character traits as described by a young man to King Saul. Saul was looking for an Armor-Bearer to play a harp to help him when he was tormented by an evil spirit. Here’s how the young man describes David’s Heart and this is what you ought to be looking for instead of just outward appearance:
1. He was skillful in playing. Good looks don’t pay the bills. What skills does the person have?
2. A man of valor. David had courage and was fearless. He fought a bear, lion, and even a giant. You got to make sure that the person closest to you is brave and courageous.
3. A warrior. David knew how to fight. Not just with his fists but with his mind. David was strategic in his fighting ability. You need somebody who knows how to do warfare. We do not fight against flesh and blood but against dark powers and principalities. Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual for the pulling down of strongholds and taking captive every negative thought. They have to know how to fight in the spirit.
4. Prudent in speech. David didn’t waste words. He was cautious in his speech. Some people talk too much and others are too quiet; David had a good balance in how he communicated. You can’t work for the King and not know how to speak.
5. A man of good presence. David knew how to carry himself. When you are an armor bearer you don’t come in to disrupt you come in to bring peace. The king was tormented he needed somebody that brought peace not drama.
6. God is with him. You want somebody who has some oil on them. Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it bears.
Dear God, help me to develop my inside as much as I do my outside. 1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Lord make me over from the inside out.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Can You Follow The Leader?
I Samuel 14:7
His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.”
Who are those guys following the pastor? Why does he need all of those armor bearers? Is he really that important? Somewhere around the late 90’s many charismatic churches began to use the biblical understanding of armor bearers in serving with their pastoral leasers. Terry Nance in his book, “God’s Armor-bearer," talks about how important it is in serving, protecting, and standing beside the leader of God. The armor-bearer is more than a glorified flunky. He or she is a prayer warrior, security, organizer, and supporter of vision. With the demands and threats that come along with ministry in post-modern times it is essential to have someone designated to help cover the Leader God has sent. Recently someone that didn’t agree with a book I wrote put my family at risk by listing my home address, threatening my life, and made disparaging comments about my wife. It’s these kinds of direct threats that the average person never sees that affect leaders in any profession and increases the need for “armor-bearers.”
Even though the function of armor-bearer is limited to a select few the Spirit of armor-bearer should be present with all who serve with their leader. Jonathan was the son of King Saul he was a prince and a warrior. On one occasion, the Israelites were being overwhelmed by the Philistines, their enemy. The soldiers of Israel had been defeated, depressed, and many of them deserted. They dwindled down to 600 men fighting against thousands. Jonathan saw the hopes of Israel being decimated and he decided it was time to act. He looked at his armor-bearer and said “Let's you and I go up against the Philistines, because God is able to save by many or by few”
The armor-bearer could have said:
1. You crazy! This is a suicide mission.
2. Have you thought this through? We don’t have the resources to fight this war.
3. I’m leaving.
Instead the armor-bearer said:
1. Do all that your mind inclines to. How much easier it would be if leaders had armor bearers and not antagonists. When you are a leader and you hear from God you want people to trust that you hear from God. That doesn’t mean you are a “yes” man or woman but when the God in you sees the God in your leader you should say, "Yes!" Do all that your mind can envision I’m with you.
2. I am with you. Once the disciples of Jesus got upset because there were outsiders baptizing and casting out demons in Jesus name. Jesus said, “If they are not against us they are with us.” Sometimes, it is the people with us that are the most against us. Sometimes, the pull leaders feel is not coming from the outside but it’s in the house. We don’t have any Joe Wilson’s standing up in the house screaming, “Pastor you Lie!” but when you are not with your leader they feel the pull.
3. As your mind is so is mine. When you are close to someone you tend to think alike. How can two walk together unless they agree? You should be in tune with your leader. You can always tell when you are losing connection with your leader. When you do things they would not have done or you constantly disagree. When you can no longer agree with leadership then it is time for you to leave. In order to effectively follow you must have the same mind. For us to follow Christ we must have the mind of Christ.
When the armor-bearer followed his leader into an impossible mission God gave them a supernatural victory. Are you following your leader or fighting against your leader?
Dear God, help me to be an effective armor bearer whether it’s my President or my pastor, my boss or my spouse. Somebody needs my support to defeat an enemy that is threatening the Kingdom. Give me the courage, humility, and loyalty needed to follow my leader.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to. I am with you; as your mind is, so is mine.”
Who are those guys following the pastor? Why does he need all of those armor bearers? Is he really that important? Somewhere around the late 90’s many charismatic churches began to use the biblical understanding of armor bearers in serving with their pastoral leasers. Terry Nance in his book, “God’s Armor-bearer," talks about how important it is in serving, protecting, and standing beside the leader of God. The armor-bearer is more than a glorified flunky. He or she is a prayer warrior, security, organizer, and supporter of vision. With the demands and threats that come along with ministry in post-modern times it is essential to have someone designated to help cover the Leader God has sent. Recently someone that didn’t agree with a book I wrote put my family at risk by listing my home address, threatening my life, and made disparaging comments about my wife. It’s these kinds of direct threats that the average person never sees that affect leaders in any profession and increases the need for “armor-bearers.”
Even though the function of armor-bearer is limited to a select few the Spirit of armor-bearer should be present with all who serve with their leader. Jonathan was the son of King Saul he was a prince and a warrior. On one occasion, the Israelites were being overwhelmed by the Philistines, their enemy. The soldiers of Israel had been defeated, depressed, and many of them deserted. They dwindled down to 600 men fighting against thousands. Jonathan saw the hopes of Israel being decimated and he decided it was time to act. He looked at his armor-bearer and said “Let's you and I go up against the Philistines, because God is able to save by many or by few”
The armor-bearer could have said:
1. You crazy! This is a suicide mission.
2. Have you thought this through? We don’t have the resources to fight this war.
3. I’m leaving.
Instead the armor-bearer said:
1. Do all that your mind inclines to. How much easier it would be if leaders had armor bearers and not antagonists. When you are a leader and you hear from God you want people to trust that you hear from God. That doesn’t mean you are a “yes” man or woman but when the God in you sees the God in your leader you should say, "Yes!" Do all that your mind can envision I’m with you.
2. I am with you. Once the disciples of Jesus got upset because there were outsiders baptizing and casting out demons in Jesus name. Jesus said, “If they are not against us they are with us.” Sometimes, it is the people with us that are the most against us. Sometimes, the pull leaders feel is not coming from the outside but it’s in the house. We don’t have any Joe Wilson’s standing up in the house screaming, “Pastor you Lie!” but when you are not with your leader they feel the pull.
3. As your mind is so is mine. When you are close to someone you tend to think alike. How can two walk together unless they agree? You should be in tune with your leader. You can always tell when you are losing connection with your leader. When you do things they would not have done or you constantly disagree. When you can no longer agree with leadership then it is time for you to leave. In order to effectively follow you must have the same mind. For us to follow Christ we must have the mind of Christ.
When the armor-bearer followed his leader into an impossible mission God gave them a supernatural victory. Are you following your leader or fighting against your leader?
Dear God, help me to be an effective armor bearer whether it’s my President or my pastor, my boss or my spouse. Somebody needs my support to defeat an enemy that is threatening the Kingdom. Give me the courage, humility, and loyalty needed to follow my leader.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, April 12, 2010
I Can't Get Rid of It
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (New International Version)
8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Oftentimes when we think of people who are successful in life or in ministry we think of people who are anointed and they never experience any kind of setbacks. Quite the contrary; those whom God uses sometimes go through more than those who are not. There is a lot that comes along with being used by God.
Sometimes it can be frustrating being a believer when you do what you think is right only to be rewarded with hard times. When we experience persecution, heartache, and heartbreak it isn’t that God doesn’t love us but its God’s way of keeping us close to him so that we will not get puffed up.
Paul was talking about how God had revealed so much to him but then in 12:7 he says, ‘to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh…I asked God to remove it three times.’
Can you think of something that is nagging you right now that constantly irritates you in the midst of all of the good that is going on in your life? You prayed about it but it’s still there. It’s there to keep you close to God and you might have to deal with it for life. Now this flies in the face of deliverance where you come to the altar pray something away and it’s gone. That can happen but there are some “thorns” that will be with you for life. You can be saved, used by God, but still have a thorn.
I was watching the BET Gospel awards, highlights from the last ten years and one of my favorite singers from the year 2004, Tonex, was singing ‘Make me Over.’ He cried out passionately, “I don’t want It, I’m trying to sing IT out of me, Lord I don’t want IT, Lord make me over.” That was a great year for Tonex; he was married, put out the best album of his Life, “Out the Box.” I even remember him coming to New Direction for his Album Release with his wife, he sang so powerfully and told me, “Man, I got to come back here because the oil is on this house.” But not long after 2004 it seems like “IT” overwhelmed Tonex.
We all have an “It” that we ask God to take away but we wrestle with “It” constantly and God’s response is, “My Grace is sufficient, when you are weak I am strong.” There is strength in my weakness. My “IT “has me crying out to God to remind; me that I have this gift in a jar of clay. God’s power is seen better in me when I am wrestling with my “It.” If “IT” were gone I might start taking more credit for my achievement than I should.
How do I deal with my It?
1. Keep praying about IT. Prayer keeps a firm grip on your IT and God keeps a firm grip on you. Even Jesus had to pray about his IT . He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father I would that this cup would pass from me, I don’t want IT but nevertheless not my will but thine will be done.”
2. Don’t give into IT. When Cain was wrestling with his IT God warned him that Sin is crouching at your door like a lion and IT wants to devour you but if you do what is right IT won't get you. Cain gave into IT and killed his brother. Do what’s right and don’t give into IT.
3. Keep working through IT. Salvation is a process . You didn’t get this overnight and you can’t get rid of IT over night.
4. Talk about IT with your counselor. When you expose IT to the light it can’t continue to breed in the darkness.
5. Don’t worry about IT. When you are more focused on ministry and less about IT the significance of IT fades.
6. Put the word on IT. David said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not do IT.”
7. Celebrate IT! Had IT not been for the Lord who was on my side I never would have gotten through IT!
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I am content with my weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak then I am strong.
Dear God, give me strength over my “IT” Don’t let me lose sight of you over my “IT” Hold on to me when “IT” tries to hinder me. Fill me with more of you so IT remains a thorn and not a limb. Use me as you see fit but don’t let “IT” defeat me. You get all the Glory for when I’m weak you are strong.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Oftentimes when we think of people who are successful in life or in ministry we think of people who are anointed and they never experience any kind of setbacks. Quite the contrary; those whom God uses sometimes go through more than those who are not. There is a lot that comes along with being used by God.
Sometimes it can be frustrating being a believer when you do what you think is right only to be rewarded with hard times. When we experience persecution, heartache, and heartbreak it isn’t that God doesn’t love us but its God’s way of keeping us close to him so that we will not get puffed up.
Paul was talking about how God had revealed so much to him but then in 12:7 he says, ‘to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh…I asked God to remove it three times.’
Can you think of something that is nagging you right now that constantly irritates you in the midst of all of the good that is going on in your life? You prayed about it but it’s still there. It’s there to keep you close to God and you might have to deal with it for life. Now this flies in the face of deliverance where you come to the altar pray something away and it’s gone. That can happen but there are some “thorns” that will be with you for life. You can be saved, used by God, but still have a thorn.
I was watching the BET Gospel awards, highlights from the last ten years and one of my favorite singers from the year 2004, Tonex, was singing ‘Make me Over.’ He cried out passionately, “I don’t want It, I’m trying to sing IT out of me, Lord I don’t want IT, Lord make me over.” That was a great year for Tonex; he was married, put out the best album of his Life, “Out the Box.” I even remember him coming to New Direction for his Album Release with his wife, he sang so powerfully and told me, “Man, I got to come back here because the oil is on this house.” But not long after 2004 it seems like “IT” overwhelmed Tonex.
We all have an “It” that we ask God to take away but we wrestle with “It” constantly and God’s response is, “My Grace is sufficient, when you are weak I am strong.” There is strength in my weakness. My “IT “has me crying out to God to remind; me that I have this gift in a jar of clay. God’s power is seen better in me when I am wrestling with my “It.” If “IT” were gone I might start taking more credit for my achievement than I should.
How do I deal with my It?
1. Keep praying about IT. Prayer keeps a firm grip on your IT and God keeps a firm grip on you. Even Jesus had to pray about his IT . He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father I would that this cup would pass from me, I don’t want IT but nevertheless not my will but thine will be done.”
2. Don’t give into IT. When Cain was wrestling with his IT God warned him that Sin is crouching at your door like a lion and IT wants to devour you but if you do what is right IT won't get you. Cain gave into IT and killed his brother. Do what’s right and don’t give into IT.
3. Keep working through IT. Salvation is a process . You didn’t get this overnight and you can’t get rid of IT over night.
4. Talk about IT with your counselor. When you expose IT to the light it can’t continue to breed in the darkness.
5. Don’t worry about IT. When you are more focused on ministry and less about IT the significance of IT fades.
6. Put the word on IT. David said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not do IT.”
7. Celebrate IT! Had IT not been for the Lord who was on my side I never would have gotten through IT!
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I am content with my weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak then I am strong.
Dear God, give me strength over my “IT” Don’t let me lose sight of you over my “IT” Hold on to me when “IT” tries to hinder me. Fill me with more of you so IT remains a thorn and not a limb. Use me as you see fit but don’t let “IT” defeat me. You get all the Glory for when I’m weak you are strong.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Finish What You Started
2 Corinthians 8:11
Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.
It’s so easy to quit when you are in the middle of something especially when the fire of your initial enthusiasm has died down to a flicker. We’ve all had projects, assignments, and commitments we began with great zeal only to run out of gas because we grew tired or lost our emotional buzz but if we are to ever accomplish anything great we have to finish what we started.
The Apostle Paul is challenging the church in Corinth to come through on their promise to give an offering for the Poor in Jerusalem. When he initially shared with them the need of the poor everyone was fired up but as time went on they retreated back into their narcissistic shells and left the poor people in Jerusalem hanging.
It’s kind of like Americans who get fired up and compassionate about human tragedies like Haiti but when the cameras are turned off and CNN is off to the next thing the Haitians are still sleeping in tents and we have become numb to another unfinished project. We must finish what we started with follow mission trips, helping to rebuild the infrastructure, and empowering the people of Haiti through our generosity. We’ve got to finish what we started.
On a smaller scale how many personal projects have we left undone because we lost our eagerness? We have got to learn how to finish what we started.
1. Act your way into a feeling. When we are in church it is so easy to get emotional when a vision is shared. People are excited and pledge to give money, or to sign up for a ministry or to be consistent with their worship attendance but when they get out of the church the routine of life meets them on Monday and the feeling they had in church is gone. You can’t rely on feelings. Once you have made a commitment you have to follow up even if the feelings aren’t present. Once you go through with the act the feelings will soon follow. As long as the act is not a performance but an action toward a noble commitment.
2. Set a time to finish. If we do not set a goal some projects can go on to infinitum. Give yourself a deadline so that you will not continue on with something that needs to be finished.
3. Fight through mendacity. Mendacity is the state of being untrue. Quit lying to yourself that you are going to get to something when you have made no initiative to do so. Procrastination is the cousin of a lie. You are lying to yourself by continuing to put off for what you need to finish.
4. Don’t rush success. Often times when we don’t have an immediate return on our effort we are ready to give up. I believe it was Earnest and Julio that said, “you can’t rush good wine, it takes time.”
5. Fulfill your commitment. There is a sense of fulfillment when you finish what you started. Whether it’s turning in a paper on time or completing a tour of duty, nothing feels better than knowing I did what I said I was going to do. When it boils down to it all you have is your name, people judge you by watching to see if you are gong to do what you say you are going to do. The bible says Samuel was a trustworthy prophet because “none of his words fell to the ground.” Don’t let your words fall to the ground by failing to finish what you started.
Dear God, give me the fortitude to finish what I started. I want to quit sometimes when the road gets rough and the hills get hard to climb but if you give me the strength to climb then I can make it to the top. I’m going to finish what I started, starting today.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.
It’s so easy to quit when you are in the middle of something especially when the fire of your initial enthusiasm has died down to a flicker. We’ve all had projects, assignments, and commitments we began with great zeal only to run out of gas because we grew tired or lost our emotional buzz but if we are to ever accomplish anything great we have to finish what we started.
The Apostle Paul is challenging the church in Corinth to come through on their promise to give an offering for the Poor in Jerusalem. When he initially shared with them the need of the poor everyone was fired up but as time went on they retreated back into their narcissistic shells and left the poor people in Jerusalem hanging.
It’s kind of like Americans who get fired up and compassionate about human tragedies like Haiti but when the cameras are turned off and CNN is off to the next thing the Haitians are still sleeping in tents and we have become numb to another unfinished project. We must finish what we started with follow mission trips, helping to rebuild the infrastructure, and empowering the people of Haiti through our generosity. We’ve got to finish what we started.
On a smaller scale how many personal projects have we left undone because we lost our eagerness? We have got to learn how to finish what we started.
1. Act your way into a feeling. When we are in church it is so easy to get emotional when a vision is shared. People are excited and pledge to give money, or to sign up for a ministry or to be consistent with their worship attendance but when they get out of the church the routine of life meets them on Monday and the feeling they had in church is gone. You can’t rely on feelings. Once you have made a commitment you have to follow up even if the feelings aren’t present. Once you go through with the act the feelings will soon follow. As long as the act is not a performance but an action toward a noble commitment.
2. Set a time to finish. If we do not set a goal some projects can go on to infinitum. Give yourself a deadline so that you will not continue on with something that needs to be finished.
3. Fight through mendacity. Mendacity is the state of being untrue. Quit lying to yourself that you are going to get to something when you have made no initiative to do so. Procrastination is the cousin of a lie. You are lying to yourself by continuing to put off for what you need to finish.
4. Don’t rush success. Often times when we don’t have an immediate return on our effort we are ready to give up. I believe it was Earnest and Julio that said, “you can’t rush good wine, it takes time.”
5. Fulfill your commitment. There is a sense of fulfillment when you finish what you started. Whether it’s turning in a paper on time or completing a tour of duty, nothing feels better than knowing I did what I said I was going to do. When it boils down to it all you have is your name, people judge you by watching to see if you are gong to do what you say you are going to do. The bible says Samuel was a trustworthy prophet because “none of his words fell to the ground.” Don’t let your words fall to the ground by failing to finish what you started.
Dear God, give me the fortitude to finish what I started. I want to quit sometimes when the road gets rough and the hills get hard to climb but if you give me the strength to climb then I can make it to the top. I’m going to finish what I started, starting today.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Good Grief
2 Corinthians 7:10 (New International Version)
10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (Amplified Bible)
10For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].
2 Corinthians 7:10 (The Message)
10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets; end up on a deathbed of regrets.
Is Charlie Brown's "good grief!" an exclamation of fundamental angst? Does Linus' blanket have a deep symbolic meaning? Such questions may sound like ways to take the fun out of Charles Schulz's famous comic strip Peanuts. But Robert L. Short, 32, a graduate student at the University of Chicago Divinity School, argues not only amusingly but also convincingly that Peanuts indeed has intentional theological significance.
Charlie Brown always seemed to be depressed and getting empty advice from Lucy that he had to pay to get. Often times his best advice came from his closest friends, those who told him the truth out of love. There is such a thing as good grief not just for Charlie Brown but also for us.
When we think of grief we don’t think of it as being good, because grief usually accompanies death, but there is such a thing as good grief. Grief is the realization of a loss of something. When we feel a loss of something we go through the grieving process. In fact, there are seven stages of grief:
1. Shock. This is the body/mind's way of saving you from the devastating pain of the loss, at least initially. It is a blessing at best, but at worst can become a long-term numbness to feelings that resembles a sort of living death. It will pass naturally as long as the other stages of grief are honored.
2. Denial. This is your mind's attempt to protect you from the reality of the loss. You may lie to yourself and think about the person as if they were still alive. A certain period of denial is normal but if prolonged, it can keep you stuck and prevent resolution. There are many forms of denial, as varied as people are different from each other.
3. Anger. When you lose someone you love, it is natural to be angry for a period of time. You may be angry with the person for leaving you, angry with yourself for what you did not do to save them or angry with God for taking them away. You may just be angry at the unfairness and injustice of life. Healthy anger management techniques may be essential here.
4. Guilt. There seems to be a human tendency to blame yourself when something happens to a loved one. In loving someone, you automatically take some degree of responsibility for her or his welfare. It is only natural to question yourself for a period of time after your loved ones die. This is a normal part of the grief stages, but it is extremely important that you move through it and don't get stuck in this stage. Use these healthy grieving techniques to help you through this stage.
5. Pain And Sorrow. These feelings often exist throughout all 7 stages of grief, and are the core feelings of grief. In the early stages, however, you are often distracted from your sorrow by denial, anger, guilt and the resulting confusion.
6. Release And Resolution. This stage of grief process is accompanied by a sense of acceptance of the reality of the loss, a sense of letting go. There may also be a degree of forgiveness that occurs in this phase.
7. Return To the Willingness To Love. This is the final stage of the grieving process. Healing has occurred, and the grieving person is able to laugh again and to get involved in life.
Paul talked about writing a sorrowful letter to the church in Corinth about some internal issues. He had to tell them about themselves. Whenever you share truth a lot of times people are not going to like it. Paul says, “Even if I made you sorry in my letter I do not regret it because I see that it grieved you.” This was good grief.
The reason it was good grief was that it led them to do something about what they were doing wrong. When you are a leader you have to be willing to live with good grief. People are not going to like you at times and stretches because you have to write sorrowful letters, but it is good grief if:
1. It produces repentance. If people turn from bad behavior to good behavior.
2. Leads to salvation. If people are saved from destruction then the grief is good.
3. Brings no regrets. Saving a person’s life soon makes people forget the pain they initially went through.
Bad Grief on the on the other hand is when:
1. People ignore the truth and turn away from God.
2. They internalize their anger instead of dealing with the truth that was shared.
3. Their grief over their perceived loss causes them to walk away from life and into death.
Dear God, help me to write letters and speak words that get people to experience good grief. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you and cause good grief in those I love so that they can experience salvation through repentance.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (Amplified Bible)
10For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].
2 Corinthians 7:10 (The Message)
10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets; end up on a deathbed of regrets.
Is Charlie Brown's "good grief!" an exclamation of fundamental angst? Does Linus' blanket have a deep symbolic meaning? Such questions may sound like ways to take the fun out of Charles Schulz's famous comic strip Peanuts. But Robert L. Short, 32, a graduate student at the University of Chicago Divinity School, argues not only amusingly but also convincingly that Peanuts indeed has intentional theological significance.
Charlie Brown always seemed to be depressed and getting empty advice from Lucy that he had to pay to get. Often times his best advice came from his closest friends, those who told him the truth out of love. There is such a thing as good grief not just for Charlie Brown but also for us.
When we think of grief we don’t think of it as being good, because grief usually accompanies death, but there is such a thing as good grief. Grief is the realization of a loss of something. When we feel a loss of something we go through the grieving process. In fact, there are seven stages of grief:
1. Shock. This is the body/mind's way of saving you from the devastating pain of the loss, at least initially. It is a blessing at best, but at worst can become a long-term numbness to feelings that resembles a sort of living death. It will pass naturally as long as the other stages of grief are honored.
2. Denial. This is your mind's attempt to protect you from the reality of the loss. You may lie to yourself and think about the person as if they were still alive. A certain period of denial is normal but if prolonged, it can keep you stuck and prevent resolution. There are many forms of denial, as varied as people are different from each other.
3. Anger. When you lose someone you love, it is natural to be angry for a period of time. You may be angry with the person for leaving you, angry with yourself for what you did not do to save them or angry with God for taking them away. You may just be angry at the unfairness and injustice of life. Healthy anger management techniques may be essential here.
4. Guilt. There seems to be a human tendency to blame yourself when something happens to a loved one. In loving someone, you automatically take some degree of responsibility for her or his welfare. It is only natural to question yourself for a period of time after your loved ones die. This is a normal part of the grief stages, but it is extremely important that you move through it and don't get stuck in this stage. Use these healthy grieving techniques to help you through this stage.
5. Pain And Sorrow. These feelings often exist throughout all 7 stages of grief, and are the core feelings of grief. In the early stages, however, you are often distracted from your sorrow by denial, anger, guilt and the resulting confusion.
6. Release And Resolution. This stage of grief process is accompanied by a sense of acceptance of the reality of the loss, a sense of letting go. There may also be a degree of forgiveness that occurs in this phase.
7. Return To the Willingness To Love. This is the final stage of the grieving process. Healing has occurred, and the grieving person is able to laugh again and to get involved in life.
Paul talked about writing a sorrowful letter to the church in Corinth about some internal issues. He had to tell them about themselves. Whenever you share truth a lot of times people are not going to like it. Paul says, “Even if I made you sorry in my letter I do not regret it because I see that it grieved you.” This was good grief.
The reason it was good grief was that it led them to do something about what they were doing wrong. When you are a leader you have to be willing to live with good grief. People are not going to like you at times and stretches because you have to write sorrowful letters, but it is good grief if:
1. It produces repentance. If people turn from bad behavior to good behavior.
2. Leads to salvation. If people are saved from destruction then the grief is good.
3. Brings no regrets. Saving a person’s life soon makes people forget the pain they initially went through.
Bad Grief on the on the other hand is when:
1. People ignore the truth and turn away from God.
2. They internalize their anger instead of dealing with the truth that was shared.
3. Their grief over their perceived loss causes them to walk away from life and into death.
Dear God, help me to write letters and speak words that get people to experience good grief. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you and cause good grief in those I love so that they can experience salvation through repentance.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Mismatched Mates
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness?
Two of these things belong together one of these things is not the same.
"One of These Things" was a song written by Joe Raposo, Jon Stone and Bruce Hart and regularly used on Sesame Street for sketches where viewers would be shown a group of four items, one of which was different from the other three, and they would have to identify the item which didn't belong. This song taught children how to put things that matched together.
It’s not uncommon for a child to come walking down the stairs with mismatched socks because they don’t take the time to notice that these two don’t go together. Children don’t care that they match as long as they are comfortable and provide some appearance of covering. Children don’t care that what they have doesn’t match because they are more concerned about going out to play than they are about the fact that what I have on doesn’t go together. They are not mature enough to know that these two things, this outfit, was never supposed to go together. A child walking down the stairs mismatched is not as tragic as a grown person walking down the aisle of the church getting married and they are mismatched. It’s not as tragic as two people going into business together mismatched.
How do you know if two things go together?
1. Do the patterns match? When you hold up two things that you are about to put on you have to study the patterns. We don’t hold up the two things long enough to discover any patterns. Is their behavior consistent with who they say they are. Have I been with them long enough to see if the patterns are consistent.
2. Make sure you get dressed in the light. If you get dressed in the dark chances are you will come out with something not matching. All dress socks look black in the dark but when you come out in the light you discover that one is really brown.
3. Do they fit together? When they are in a bundle all socks look like they can fit together but when you hold them side by side you will discover that although they look alike they don’t fit.
4. Is one dirtier than the other? If you have a dingy sock with a icy white sock that is not a good look. That dingy sock was the sock you wore outside while the icy white is the one you wore with your new shoes. You can’t mix what’s been overused with what’s been reserved.
5. Is one Holier than the other? You can have two socks that look like they are the same but one may have more holes than the other. Do not be unequally yoked. Make sure you are on the same spiritual level.
6. Are they made from the same material? You can’t wear linen and corduroy. They are meant for two different seasons.
7. Do they have the same function? I can’t stand to see an older man with a jogging suit on with Sunday shoes. They don’t match. One is for working out and one is for worship. It’s the same with people, one is a worshipper and the other one is always trying to run away.
As Christians, we are supposed to be matched with other believers. Whenever I discover a mismatch on Facebook, that is people who hate God, I quickly delete them because we have nothing in common. If a person does not believe that God exists nothing else matters. The bible says, choose this day who you will serve, whether God or Satan, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Dear God, help me to choose carefully my friends. Eveybody can’t match up with me and if it don’t fit I’m not going to force it. We can’t choose your relatives but we can choose our friends.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness?
Two of these things belong together one of these things is not the same.
"One of These Things" was a song written by Joe Raposo, Jon Stone and Bruce Hart and regularly used on Sesame Street for sketches where viewers would be shown a group of four items, one of which was different from the other three, and they would have to identify the item which didn't belong. This song taught children how to put things that matched together.
It’s not uncommon for a child to come walking down the stairs with mismatched socks because they don’t take the time to notice that these two don’t go together. Children don’t care that they match as long as they are comfortable and provide some appearance of covering. Children don’t care that what they have doesn’t match because they are more concerned about going out to play than they are about the fact that what I have on doesn’t go together. They are not mature enough to know that these two things, this outfit, was never supposed to go together. A child walking down the stairs mismatched is not as tragic as a grown person walking down the aisle of the church getting married and they are mismatched. It’s not as tragic as two people going into business together mismatched.
How do you know if two things go together?
1. Do the patterns match? When you hold up two things that you are about to put on you have to study the patterns. We don’t hold up the two things long enough to discover any patterns. Is their behavior consistent with who they say they are. Have I been with them long enough to see if the patterns are consistent.
2. Make sure you get dressed in the light. If you get dressed in the dark chances are you will come out with something not matching. All dress socks look black in the dark but when you come out in the light you discover that one is really brown.
3. Do they fit together? When they are in a bundle all socks look like they can fit together but when you hold them side by side you will discover that although they look alike they don’t fit.
4. Is one dirtier than the other? If you have a dingy sock with a icy white sock that is not a good look. That dingy sock was the sock you wore outside while the icy white is the one you wore with your new shoes. You can’t mix what’s been overused with what’s been reserved.
5. Is one Holier than the other? You can have two socks that look like they are the same but one may have more holes than the other. Do not be unequally yoked. Make sure you are on the same spiritual level.
6. Are they made from the same material? You can’t wear linen and corduroy. They are meant for two different seasons.
7. Do they have the same function? I can’t stand to see an older man with a jogging suit on with Sunday shoes. They don’t match. One is for working out and one is for worship. It’s the same with people, one is a worshipper and the other one is always trying to run away.
As Christians, we are supposed to be matched with other believers. Whenever I discover a mismatch on Facebook, that is people who hate God, I quickly delete them because we have nothing in common. If a person does not believe that God exists nothing else matters. The bible says, choose this day who you will serve, whether God or Satan, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Dear God, help me to choose carefully my friends. Eveybody can’t match up with me and if it don’t fit I’m not going to force it. We can’t choose your relatives but we can choose our friends.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Back Then You Didn't Want Me
Judges 11:7
Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?
It’s amazing how people can write us off as insignificant when we don’t fit their “cookie cutter” paradigm of what is acceptable. If we are not careful we can get caught up in the opinions of other people and miss our date with destiny. If we are not careful we can allow the situation we are born into to affect the way we see our future.
Jepthah was a mighty warrior, the son of a Gilead and a Prostitute. His Kinsmen drove him away because they didn’t want him to have a share in the inheritance. What they didn’t know was that this “driving him” away was actually driving him into his destiny. He went and surrounded himself with adventurers. Sometimes, the worst things that happen to us are really the best things that can happen to us. Jephthah learned how to fight even better because he was now surrounded by adventurers. People who thought outside the box were now his friends. People not limited by tradition were now his friends. People who were not afraid to fight were now his friends. Sometimes getting out or being driven out from your “Kin” is the best thing that could have ever happened!
When the enemy came upon the people of Gilead the citizens came running to Jepthah for help. Jepthah reminded them of how much they hated him but now they run to him for help in times of trouble, which goes to show that people that hate you still admire you. I think it was Rev. Run who said, “Haters are really secret admirers.”
Why else would they have come to this warrior whose mama was a prostitute? Why would they come to a man they had driven away? Because they knew but hated to admit this man had skills. Like the father in the movie “Taken” he had acquired a certain set of skills that made him the best in warfare. You hate me but you need me. When you are driven out your best revenge is to keep on getting better. Back then they didn’t want you but now that you Hot they all on you!
When the time comes in your life for your haters to admit they need you and it is coming, you must be “Kingdom Minded.” Jepthah didn’t like the people who drove him out but when he saw the Kingdom needed his help, he stepped up in spite of his personal feelings. The needs of the Kingdom supersede any personal feelings I might have. This ain't personal this is Kingdom.
Dear God, help me to be bigger than my haters. There are more pressing needs in the Kingdom and I can’t let personal grievances get in the way. Use my gifts you gave me in the wilderness to help deliver the oppressed, set the captives free, give sight to the blind and proclaim that this is the year of the Lord’s favor. Deliver the kingdom and bless my haters.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?
It’s amazing how people can write us off as insignificant when we don’t fit their “cookie cutter” paradigm of what is acceptable. If we are not careful we can get caught up in the opinions of other people and miss our date with destiny. If we are not careful we can allow the situation we are born into to affect the way we see our future.
Jepthah was a mighty warrior, the son of a Gilead and a Prostitute. His Kinsmen drove him away because they didn’t want him to have a share in the inheritance. What they didn’t know was that this “driving him” away was actually driving him into his destiny. He went and surrounded himself with adventurers. Sometimes, the worst things that happen to us are really the best things that can happen to us. Jephthah learned how to fight even better because he was now surrounded by adventurers. People who thought outside the box were now his friends. People not limited by tradition were now his friends. People who were not afraid to fight were now his friends. Sometimes getting out or being driven out from your “Kin” is the best thing that could have ever happened!
When the enemy came upon the people of Gilead the citizens came running to Jepthah for help. Jepthah reminded them of how much they hated him but now they run to him for help in times of trouble, which goes to show that people that hate you still admire you. I think it was Rev. Run who said, “Haters are really secret admirers.”
Why else would they have come to this warrior whose mama was a prostitute? Why would they come to a man they had driven away? Because they knew but hated to admit this man had skills. Like the father in the movie “Taken” he had acquired a certain set of skills that made him the best in warfare. You hate me but you need me. When you are driven out your best revenge is to keep on getting better. Back then they didn’t want you but now that you Hot they all on you!
When the time comes in your life for your haters to admit they need you and it is coming, you must be “Kingdom Minded.” Jepthah didn’t like the people who drove him out but when he saw the Kingdom needed his help, he stepped up in spite of his personal feelings. The needs of the Kingdom supersede any personal feelings I might have. This ain't personal this is Kingdom.
Dear God, help me to be bigger than my haters. There are more pressing needs in the Kingdom and I can’t let personal grievances get in the way. Use my gifts you gave me in the wilderness to help deliver the oppressed, set the captives free, give sight to the blind and proclaim that this is the year of the Lord’s favor. Deliver the kingdom and bless my haters.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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