Mark 4:15
Some people are like seed along the path, where the Word is sown as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them.
Some of us have had enough of God’s Word sown in us to last a lifetime. The problem is not that we haven’t heard the Word of God; the problem is that there are thieves in the Temple.
Not long ago two men robbed my business and stole two flat screens that I purchased for my customers to watch while they were waiting to be serviced. I was outraged by this trifling act of robbery. It bothered me that they had been there before, sat in those seats pretending they were there for service. The most painful part was looking at the tape of the men swiftly snatching down what cost me to put up. The money, the time, the vision, the labor of love that went into putting them in was taken away in a manner of minutes, 9 to be exact.
Those were material things that can be replaced, but imagine how God feels watching us from heaven and seeing His work snatched out after it took Him precious time to put the Word in the preacher to put into you. The cost of sending His Son, the living Word, to die for people who reject Him weekly by not heeding the Word spoken about Him. I wonder how God feels seeing His preacher’s time, sacrifice, labor of love being snatched out by scandalous people who work for Satan. Satan and his imps only come to steal, kill, and destroy.
When somebody steals something from you everybody becomes a suspect when you are still raw but with time I narrowed my suspects down to three people. My biggest suspects were people who weren’t coming in to get serviced but who were just loitering, lingering, and lying.
Watch out for people who:
1. Loiter –to stand idly by to remain in an area for no obvious reason. To Lag behind. Typically when people remain around, not contributing, they are scoping you out to steal from you. If you have people in your life not taking part in service and not contributing they are probably trying to steal your Word. You come home from worship full of the Word, they’ve been chilling at home and you get home for them to steal your Word by arguing or being toxic.
2. Linger—to continue to live or exist although very close to death. If you have people who are just existing and are in close proximity to death around you they have no problem trying to steal your Word. These people rain the Word out of you. The more you teach the more they take but there’s no return because their “deadness” keeps stealing your “living” word. It’s okay for them to linger if your living is influencing them but if not they need to leave and quit lingering.
3. Lying. Ray Charles said, “Scratch a lie, find a thief.” If a person will lie to you they will steal from you. Don’t have anybody around you that you can’t trust.
Dear God, Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you and that people working for Satan might not steal it. I don’t hide it so they can’t hear it, I hide it so they won’t know how to steal it. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power unto salvation. Guard my heart against thieves in the Temple.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
PS: To make sure they don't steal your Word make sure you download the New Direction Christian Church Iphone App where you can hear the Word of God for free at the touch of a button. All my sermons and devotionals are on there. Bless you.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Dangers of Being Presumptuous
Numbers 14:44 (New International Version)
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.
pre·sume (pr-zm)
v. pre·sumed, pre·sum·ing, pre·sumes
v.tr.
1. To take for granted as being true in the absence of proof to the contrary: We presumed she was innocent.
2. To constitute reasonable evidence for assuming; appear to prove: A signed hotel bill presumes occupancy of a room.
3. To venture without authority or permission; dare: He presumed to invite himself to dinner.
v.intr.
1. To act overconfidently; take liberties.
2. To take unwarranted advantage of something; go beyond the proper limits: Don't presume on their hospitality.
3. To take for granted that something is true or factual; suppose: That's the new assistant, I presume.
We’ve all been presumptuous before. We have gone forward in areas where we were not authorized to go because God did not give us the green light to proceed. Oftentimes, we abuse grace by preceding and asking God to bless our actions after we have gone forward in activities he never sanctioned. There is a danger of advancing where God is not present and where He has not authorized you to be. There is a danger in moving off of yesterdays anointing into areas that call for a new generation. In our disobedience from yesterday we are presuming a lot from God by trying to take territory that we have not been authorized to take. It could be that we are supposed to be investing in the next generation instead of trying to advance in places God has said you will not see because of your disobedience.
The Israelites had grumbled against Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua because they thought that it would be disastrous to fight against the inhabitants of Canaan even though God already promised that He would give them the land. They wanted to raise up a leader to take them back to Egypt. Whenever we are faced with change and challenge there is always an older contingent that wants to take things back to Egypt. God is never about backward movements, He is always about moving forward in the face of opposition but the key is to move when God moves and in the direction God wants to move. Very seldom does He move backward.
God was so angry that He struck down all the men who spied out the land except Joshua and Caleb. And God told the assembly that everyone 20 years or older who had seen Him work miracles in their deliverance from Egypt would die in the wilderness.
A group of them decided that they would go up into the Hill country to change God’s mind and fight against the Canaanites and the Amelikites. They presumed that if God said He would give us victory before our disobedience then He will give us victory after our disobedience.
There are dangers in being presumptuous.
1. You waste your resources when you are presumptuous. If God didn’t tell you to do it don’t waste your money, your human resources on initiatives God didn’t tell you to do. Don’t use God-talk to sanction your own fleshly initiatives.
2. You forfeit your anointing. Moses warned them God is not going to go with you. That is enough for me. I’m not going if I’m out of His Holy jurisdiction.
3. You will be defeated. Nobody wants to be defeated. The only way I’m fighting if I know that God is going with me.
How do you avoid the dangers of being presumptuous?
1. Listen to your Leader. The people kept grumbling against Moses but what you need to realize is that when you grumble against the leader God has appointed you are really grumbling against God.
2. If God don’t move, don’t you move.
3. Ask God for forgiveness and accept your punishment. It’s hard to accept when God says,”this is it!” When we are continually disobedien...the Israelites had been in contempt 10 times.... God will eventually stop our movement and give it to someone else. We have to know when it’s time to hand it to the next generation.
Dear God, forgive me for my presumptuousness. If I have moved too far bring me back in alignment before I’m exposed because of the lack of coverage. Help me to be in step with Your will so I can get to where you want me to be in your time not mine.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.
pre·sume (pr-zm)
v. pre·sumed, pre·sum·ing, pre·sumes
v.tr.
1. To take for granted as being true in the absence of proof to the contrary: We presumed she was innocent.
2. To constitute reasonable evidence for assuming; appear to prove: A signed hotel bill presumes occupancy of a room.
3. To venture without authority or permission; dare: He presumed to invite himself to dinner.
v.intr.
1. To act overconfidently; take liberties.
2. To take unwarranted advantage of something; go beyond the proper limits: Don't presume on their hospitality.
3. To take for granted that something is true or factual; suppose: That's the new assistant, I presume.
We’ve all been presumptuous before. We have gone forward in areas where we were not authorized to go because God did not give us the green light to proceed. Oftentimes, we abuse grace by preceding and asking God to bless our actions after we have gone forward in activities he never sanctioned. There is a danger of advancing where God is not present and where He has not authorized you to be. There is a danger in moving off of yesterdays anointing into areas that call for a new generation. In our disobedience from yesterday we are presuming a lot from God by trying to take territory that we have not been authorized to take. It could be that we are supposed to be investing in the next generation instead of trying to advance in places God has said you will not see because of your disobedience.
The Israelites had grumbled against Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua because they thought that it would be disastrous to fight against the inhabitants of Canaan even though God already promised that He would give them the land. They wanted to raise up a leader to take them back to Egypt. Whenever we are faced with change and challenge there is always an older contingent that wants to take things back to Egypt. God is never about backward movements, He is always about moving forward in the face of opposition but the key is to move when God moves and in the direction God wants to move. Very seldom does He move backward.
God was so angry that He struck down all the men who spied out the land except Joshua and Caleb. And God told the assembly that everyone 20 years or older who had seen Him work miracles in their deliverance from Egypt would die in the wilderness.
A group of them decided that they would go up into the Hill country to change God’s mind and fight against the Canaanites and the Amelikites. They presumed that if God said He would give us victory before our disobedience then He will give us victory after our disobedience.
There are dangers in being presumptuous.
1. You waste your resources when you are presumptuous. If God didn’t tell you to do it don’t waste your money, your human resources on initiatives God didn’t tell you to do. Don’t use God-talk to sanction your own fleshly initiatives.
2. You forfeit your anointing. Moses warned them God is not going to go with you. That is enough for me. I’m not going if I’m out of His Holy jurisdiction.
3. You will be defeated. Nobody wants to be defeated. The only way I’m fighting if I know that God is going with me.
How do you avoid the dangers of being presumptuous?
1. Listen to your Leader. The people kept grumbling against Moses but what you need to realize is that when you grumble against the leader God has appointed you are really grumbling against God.
2. If God don’t move, don’t you move.
3. Ask God for forgiveness and accept your punishment. It’s hard to accept when God says,”this is it!” When we are continually disobedien...the Israelites had been in contempt 10 times.... God will eventually stop our movement and give it to someone else. We have to know when it’s time to hand it to the next generation.
Dear God, forgive me for my presumptuousness. If I have moved too far bring me back in alignment before I’m exposed because of the lack of coverage. Help me to be in step with Your will so I can get to where you want me to be in your time not mine.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Too Heavy To Bear Alone
Numbers 13:23
When they reached the valley of Eschol they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes, two of them carried it on a pole between them along with some pomegranates and figs.
Sometimes, God will send you into a place that is overflowing, sometimes with milk and honey and the abundance can be overwhelming. Oftentimes, when we think about not being able to bear something alone we think about bad news, but sometimes God can take you to a place where there is so much fruit that you can’t carry it by yourself. I can imagine that the two men that were carrying the clusters of grapes were Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two that came back with a positive report. Everybody else was punked out by the sight of the Giants. Caleb said that we can take the land, the other ten said, “We are like grasshoppers in our own sight and in their sight as well.”
God wants you to take over the land with the help of a spiritual partner because the load is too heavy to carry by yourself. You got to make sure you choose the right partner. I can imagine Joshua and Caleb walking back with that big cluster of grapes speaking into each other. “Man look at all these grapes! Look at how big they are!” They were not focusing on how big the giants were they were focusing on how big the fruit was. It all depends on who you are walking with in how you see your situation.
God does not call us to be timid against our blessings regardless of the size that it may come in. We must face our giants in order to get our giant fruit.
Five things you need to know when you partner up with the right person to go get your fruit:
1. How you see yourself determines how others see you. You have got to see yourself victorious before you can win.
2. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.
3. Don’t let the majority rule your opinion over what God has already spoken in your spirit.
4. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
5. Two are better than one. If one falls down there will be no one there to pick him up.
Dear God,
Help me to choose the right friend to help me go get all this fruit that you have spoken in my life. You have shown me that the land is ours; now show the right partner to go get this fruit. I’m ready to take everything that you have already promised to us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
When they reached the valley of Eschol they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes, two of them carried it on a pole between them along with some pomegranates and figs.
Sometimes, God will send you into a place that is overflowing, sometimes with milk and honey and the abundance can be overwhelming. Oftentimes, when we think about not being able to bear something alone we think about bad news, but sometimes God can take you to a place where there is so much fruit that you can’t carry it by yourself. I can imagine that the two men that were carrying the clusters of grapes were Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two that came back with a positive report. Everybody else was punked out by the sight of the Giants. Caleb said that we can take the land, the other ten said, “We are like grasshoppers in our own sight and in their sight as well.”
God wants you to take over the land with the help of a spiritual partner because the load is too heavy to carry by yourself. You got to make sure you choose the right partner. I can imagine Joshua and Caleb walking back with that big cluster of grapes speaking into each other. “Man look at all these grapes! Look at how big they are!” They were not focusing on how big the giants were they were focusing on how big the fruit was. It all depends on who you are walking with in how you see your situation.
God does not call us to be timid against our blessings regardless of the size that it may come in. We must face our giants in order to get our giant fruit.
Five things you need to know when you partner up with the right person to go get your fruit:
1. How you see yourself determines how others see you. You have got to see yourself victorious before you can win.
2. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.
3. Don’t let the majority rule your opinion over what God has already spoken in your spirit.
4. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
5. Two are better than one. If one falls down there will be no one there to pick him up.
Dear God,
Help me to choose the right friend to help me go get all this fruit that you have spoken in my life. You have shown me that the land is ours; now show the right partner to go get this fruit. I’m ready to take everything that you have already promised to us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Share the Load
Numbers 11:17
I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the sprit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.
Ministry can be overwhelming as a leader. Someone once said it’s loneliest at the top. Sometimes, I think they are right. God has allowed New Direction Christian Church to see over 17 thousand people give their life to Christ and come across the stage of the church. Each person that came across had diverse needs, different backgrounds, divergent expectations and every week they are expecting a tailor made word to speak to those specific areas in their lives. You want to be all things to all people but soon realize you can’t; only God can be God. Humans are not omnipresent.
As a leader, you begin to hear the murmurs of unmet needs, disappointment from unrealistic expectations, disdain for spoiled religious appetites, you hear it. Like Moses, I want to complain to God about the complainers but I hold my peace because there is a fundamental difference between Moses and me. He didn’t ask for all these people. I did. Going into ministry initially I never knew anything about mega-ministry. I accepted my call on the backside of nowhere as a nobody just trying to be obedient while being terrified at the ramifications of a call to ministry. Would I have the same friends? Would I be able to do the same things I did before the call? Would my family understand?
After wrapping my mind around my call I set out to do what God told me to do: feed his lambs and go after the lost sheep. After getting a taste of what successful ministry looked like. I believed God anointed me to reach thousands but I didn’t know that they would come with so many needs.
Moses helped deliver some 600K people out of bondage who seemed to have selective retention. They always remembered things to be better in Egypt when it got rough in the desert. The people started complaining about not having meat. They were getting bread but wanted meat. Their complaints were not about sustenance but about substance. When you travel with the same people for a period of time there will always be a craving for more substance. People always want more than what they are getting. It’s human nature.
When people lose sight of the vision it’s easy for them to start focusing on what’s missing in their lives. When you are a leader you can become so inundated with leading the people that you forget the joy of seeing them delivered. Moses told God, I cannot carry all these people by myself. The burden is too heavy for me.
We were not designed to carry the burdens of other people by ourselves. You can’t have a shepherd mindset once God puts you in a mega-situation. A shepherd can watch 200 sheep, know them by name, attend to their every distress but it becomes tricky at 2000. It’s not that you become callous it’s that you become overwhelmed.
The only cure is that you have to empower your other leaders with the same sprit that is on you. Capable leaders of integrity can help you share the load. Moses was instructed to get 70 leaders so that God could take the spirit on Moses and put it on them and they would help him carry the load.
Sunday was awesome at New Direction because other leaders stepped up to do ministry that God had burdened their hearts with. We call them “heart bursts.” I saw something in our young church that I had failed to do. I had failed to share the load. There were people sitting out in the congregation waiting to share the load they just needed to be asked. As a Christian, this is how you can help your pastor share the load:
1. Find out what your spiritual gift is. You can go to www.n2newdirection.org and take the spiritual gifts assessment.
2. Use your S.H.A.P.E. to find out where you fit. Got to www.n2newdireciton.org and print out the S.H.A.P.E. Lenten brochure and follow the weekly devotions for the next 40 days.
3. Purchase your copy of U-Turn to listen to God everyday and journal what he speaks to you in the scripture. Go to www.fillingstationbookstore.com to get your copy.
4. Grow as you go. Sign up for a ministry so that you can help share the load in your local church.
Dear God, help me to share the load. Show us how to empower people to minister to your people from their “heart bursts.” I pray they will be successful in meeting the needs of your people so they can get to the Promised Land of purpose. Send me the right leaders so that they can catch my spirit.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the sprit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.
Ministry can be overwhelming as a leader. Someone once said it’s loneliest at the top. Sometimes, I think they are right. God has allowed New Direction Christian Church to see over 17 thousand people give their life to Christ and come across the stage of the church. Each person that came across had diverse needs, different backgrounds, divergent expectations and every week they are expecting a tailor made word to speak to those specific areas in their lives. You want to be all things to all people but soon realize you can’t; only God can be God. Humans are not omnipresent.
As a leader, you begin to hear the murmurs of unmet needs, disappointment from unrealistic expectations, disdain for spoiled religious appetites, you hear it. Like Moses, I want to complain to God about the complainers but I hold my peace because there is a fundamental difference between Moses and me. He didn’t ask for all these people. I did. Going into ministry initially I never knew anything about mega-ministry. I accepted my call on the backside of nowhere as a nobody just trying to be obedient while being terrified at the ramifications of a call to ministry. Would I have the same friends? Would I be able to do the same things I did before the call? Would my family understand?
After wrapping my mind around my call I set out to do what God told me to do: feed his lambs and go after the lost sheep. After getting a taste of what successful ministry looked like. I believed God anointed me to reach thousands but I didn’t know that they would come with so many needs.
Moses helped deliver some 600K people out of bondage who seemed to have selective retention. They always remembered things to be better in Egypt when it got rough in the desert. The people started complaining about not having meat. They were getting bread but wanted meat. Their complaints were not about sustenance but about substance. When you travel with the same people for a period of time there will always be a craving for more substance. People always want more than what they are getting. It’s human nature.
When people lose sight of the vision it’s easy for them to start focusing on what’s missing in their lives. When you are a leader you can become so inundated with leading the people that you forget the joy of seeing them delivered. Moses told God, I cannot carry all these people by myself. The burden is too heavy for me.
We were not designed to carry the burdens of other people by ourselves. You can’t have a shepherd mindset once God puts you in a mega-situation. A shepherd can watch 200 sheep, know them by name, attend to their every distress but it becomes tricky at 2000. It’s not that you become callous it’s that you become overwhelmed.
The only cure is that you have to empower your other leaders with the same sprit that is on you. Capable leaders of integrity can help you share the load. Moses was instructed to get 70 leaders so that God could take the spirit on Moses and put it on them and they would help him carry the load.
Sunday was awesome at New Direction because other leaders stepped up to do ministry that God had burdened their hearts with. We call them “heart bursts.” I saw something in our young church that I had failed to do. I had failed to share the load. There were people sitting out in the congregation waiting to share the load they just needed to be asked. As a Christian, this is how you can help your pastor share the load:
1. Find out what your spiritual gift is. You can go to www.n2newdirection.org and take the spiritual gifts assessment.
2. Use your S.H.A.P.E. to find out where you fit. Got to www.n2newdireciton.org and print out the S.H.A.P.E. Lenten brochure and follow the weekly devotions for the next 40 days.
3. Purchase your copy of U-Turn to listen to God everyday and journal what he speaks to you in the scripture. Go to www.fillingstationbookstore.com to get your copy.
4. Grow as you go. Sign up for a ministry so that you can help share the load in your local church.
Dear God, help me to share the load. Show us how to empower people to minister to your people from their “heart bursts.” I pray they will be successful in meeting the needs of your people so they can get to the Promised Land of purpose. Send me the right leaders so that they can catch my spirit.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Listen For Yourself
Acts 25:22
Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
It’s amazing how quick we can condemn another off of hearsay. We get caught up in “tabloid truth,” the “barbershop gospel,” and read the “blog bibles” to put together sketchy accounts of what actually happened. What is most surprising is how educated, mature, Christian people still allow a “mob mentality” to take over their reasoning process when determining the guilt or innocence of a person.
African-Americans are all too painfully familiar with this “Lynch Mob” mentality. In the early 50’s hundreds of blacks were lynched because of speculation of some offense. Emmitt Till a teenager from up North was visiting his family in Mississippi and made the deadly mistake of flirting with a white woman. A group of white men came to his relatives house dragged him out the house threw him in a truck, beat him, murdered him, and threw him in the river with a “cotton gin” barb-wired around his neck. I wonder if they talked to him before they killed him or is all they needed was confirmation of their own insecurities, 'a young black man trying to take what belonged to them?'
How many more innocent people have to die because you chose to assassinate their character on hearsay?
The Apostle Paul was in danger of a “lynch mob” of religious leaders who wanted to ambush him to kill him all because of jealousy. He was preaching about Jesus and large crowds would come to hear him and they got jealous. They were trying to say Paul was heretical in his teaching but the fact was they were jealous and wanted to kill him because this young man was taking away what they were insecure of losing, power.
Paul appealed to a higher court and he asked to go see Caesar because he was a Roman Citizen. God was using his attack as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The persecution was for a greater good but it was the misguided hate of these haters that propelled Paul to a greater audience.
While he was awaiting trial and departure in Rome, King Agrippa heard about Paul’s case. He heard some good things and some bad things about Paul. He said, “Let me hear him for myself.” Whenever there is a buzz of controversy about someone and there is a mixture of good and bad, do yourself a favor and listen for yourself. You may be missing out on being enlightened because of the hype of insecure people.
Listen for yourself. For example, when you’re watching the ideological chess games of opinions between CNN and Fox News about Pres. Obama learn how to listen for yourself. Read the plans of the President before you get caught up in a Tea Party that is fueled by hate and insecurity.
How do you listen for yourself?
1. Read their books/plans. You can learn a lot about a person by following their train of thought. You may not agree totally but at least give them a read before you lynch them.
2. Listen to their story. There are always two sides to a story...well maybe three. His Story, Her Story, and the Truth.
3. Watch the whole movie, not an edited clip. Look at the totality of their career and life before you take a sound bite to prove your opinion correct. Jeremiah Wright will be known for one sound bite, “GD America!” when he spent his whole life doing ministry, helping people, and fighting for Social Justice. He has been lynched.
4. Listen to their heart. If you were to listen to them in person, the Holy Spirit will let you know if they are who they say they are. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice and will not listen to a voice of a stranger.”
Dear God, give me the ability to listen for myself and form my own informed truth. We’ve lost some great minds because of “lynch mobs,” Dr. King, Malcolm X, Dietrich Bonheoffer, John F. Kennedy…Don’t let me get caught up in the mob and don’t let me be a victim of the mob but let me discern between truth and hype.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
It’s amazing how quick we can condemn another off of hearsay. We get caught up in “tabloid truth,” the “barbershop gospel,” and read the “blog bibles” to put together sketchy accounts of what actually happened. What is most surprising is how educated, mature, Christian people still allow a “mob mentality” to take over their reasoning process when determining the guilt or innocence of a person.
African-Americans are all too painfully familiar with this “Lynch Mob” mentality. In the early 50’s hundreds of blacks were lynched because of speculation of some offense. Emmitt Till a teenager from up North was visiting his family in Mississippi and made the deadly mistake of flirting with a white woman. A group of white men came to his relatives house dragged him out the house threw him in a truck, beat him, murdered him, and threw him in the river with a “cotton gin” barb-wired around his neck. I wonder if they talked to him before they killed him or is all they needed was confirmation of their own insecurities, 'a young black man trying to take what belonged to them?'
How many more innocent people have to die because you chose to assassinate their character on hearsay?
The Apostle Paul was in danger of a “lynch mob” of religious leaders who wanted to ambush him to kill him all because of jealousy. He was preaching about Jesus and large crowds would come to hear him and they got jealous. They were trying to say Paul was heretical in his teaching but the fact was they were jealous and wanted to kill him because this young man was taking away what they were insecure of losing, power.
Paul appealed to a higher court and he asked to go see Caesar because he was a Roman Citizen. God was using his attack as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The persecution was for a greater good but it was the misguided hate of these haters that propelled Paul to a greater audience.
While he was awaiting trial and departure in Rome, King Agrippa heard about Paul’s case. He heard some good things and some bad things about Paul. He said, “Let me hear him for myself.” Whenever there is a buzz of controversy about someone and there is a mixture of good and bad, do yourself a favor and listen for yourself. You may be missing out on being enlightened because of the hype of insecure people.
Listen for yourself. For example, when you’re watching the ideological chess games of opinions between CNN and Fox News about Pres. Obama learn how to listen for yourself. Read the plans of the President before you get caught up in a Tea Party that is fueled by hate and insecurity.
How do you listen for yourself?
1. Read their books/plans. You can learn a lot about a person by following their train of thought. You may not agree totally but at least give them a read before you lynch them.
2. Listen to their story. There are always two sides to a story...well maybe three. His Story, Her Story, and the Truth.
3. Watch the whole movie, not an edited clip. Look at the totality of their career and life before you take a sound bite to prove your opinion correct. Jeremiah Wright will be known for one sound bite, “GD America!” when he spent his whole life doing ministry, helping people, and fighting for Social Justice. He has been lynched.
4. Listen to their heart. If you were to listen to them in person, the Holy Spirit will let you know if they are who they say they are. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice and will not listen to a voice of a stranger.”
Dear God, give me the ability to listen for myself and form my own informed truth. We’ve lost some great minds because of “lynch mobs,” Dr. King, Malcolm X, Dietrich Bonheoffer, John F. Kennedy…Don’t let me get caught up in the mob and don’t let me be a victim of the mob but let me discern between truth and hype.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Keep A Clear Conscience
Acts 24:16
Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people.
It is so important to live in such a way that you know you’ve done everything right. There is a peace and a confidence you have when you know you’ve done the right things for the right reasons.
In the old Disney movie, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket tells Pinocchio to let his Conscience be his guide. By saying so, Jiminy Cricket assumes that Pinocchio has a conscience to be led by but as we all know Pinocchio has a lying problem that sabotages his conscience and gets him in a lot of trouble. His inability to let his conscience be his guide takes him away from his Father and gets him in trouble with people.
Before we talk about keeping a clear conscience we need to make sure we understand what a “conscience” is.
Conscience is defined as the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. 2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one’s actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
There should be a process daily going on in our minds whereby we are weighing our motives against our actions to see if they line up with what is right according to the will of God.
The two areas where we should have a clear conscience are with:
1. God. When David said in Psalm 51 “I have sinned against you and you alone.” He was talking to God about his adultery and murder. David had sinned against Bathsheba for having sex with her, he sinned against her husband by having sex with his wife and then setting him up for murder, he sinned against Joab for using one of his loyal soldiers to die a needless death to cover up his mess, he sinned against his wives and children by bringing innocent blood upon his future generations. I don’t think he was in denial but he knew that primarily he had not obeyed God. When God is our primary source of morality we know that He is a priority for a clear conscience. Before we hurt anybody else we’ve already hurt God first and foremost.
We keep a clear conscience with God by obeying His commandments.
2. With Hu(man)s. It is secondarily important that we have a clear conscience with people. You want to be able to look every person in the eye and be able to honestly say, “I’ve done right by you.” This dual relationship between divinity and humanity with our conscience was best summarized by Jesus when He said in Matthew 5:23-25 (New International Version)
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
In other words God is not trying to hear you if you do not have a clear conscience with other people.
Dear God, help me to keep a clear conscience, just as I try to keep good records financially to avoid an audit so also let me keep good spiritual books so that when the Holy Spirit audits my life, He will find everything as it should be. I want to live with a clear conscience that I have not hurt anyone or owe any man anything. Lord, guide me today so that I can keep a clear conscience with you and all those that I encounter.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people.
It is so important to live in such a way that you know you’ve done everything right. There is a peace and a confidence you have when you know you’ve done the right things for the right reasons.
In the old Disney movie, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket tells Pinocchio to let his Conscience be his guide. By saying so, Jiminy Cricket assumes that Pinocchio has a conscience to be led by but as we all know Pinocchio has a lying problem that sabotages his conscience and gets him in a lot of trouble. His inability to let his conscience be his guide takes him away from his Father and gets him in trouble with people.
Before we talk about keeping a clear conscience we need to make sure we understand what a “conscience” is.
Conscience is defined as the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one’s conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong. 2. The part of the superego in psychoanalysis that judges the ethical nature of one’s actions and thoughts and then transmits such determinations to the ego for consideration.
There should be a process daily going on in our minds whereby we are weighing our motives against our actions to see if they line up with what is right according to the will of God.
The two areas where we should have a clear conscience are with:
1. God. When David said in Psalm 51 “I have sinned against you and you alone.” He was talking to God about his adultery and murder. David had sinned against Bathsheba for having sex with her, he sinned against her husband by having sex with his wife and then setting him up for murder, he sinned against Joab for using one of his loyal soldiers to die a needless death to cover up his mess, he sinned against his wives and children by bringing innocent blood upon his future generations. I don’t think he was in denial but he knew that primarily he had not obeyed God. When God is our primary source of morality we know that He is a priority for a clear conscience. Before we hurt anybody else we’ve already hurt God first and foremost.
We keep a clear conscience with God by obeying His commandments.
2. With Hu(man)s. It is secondarily important that we have a clear conscience with people. You want to be able to look every person in the eye and be able to honestly say, “I’ve done right by you.” This dual relationship between divinity and humanity with our conscience was best summarized by Jesus when He said in Matthew 5:23-25 (New International Version)
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
In other words God is not trying to hear you if you do not have a clear conscience with other people.
Dear God, help me to keep a clear conscience, just as I try to keep good records financially to avoid an audit so also let me keep good spiritual books so that when the Holy Spirit audits my life, He will find everything as it should be. I want to live with a clear conscience that I have not hurt anyone or owe any man anything. Lord, guide me today so that I can keep a clear conscience with you and all those that I encounter.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Obedience Yields Fruit
Leviticus 26:9
I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you.
Many of us are working really hard to make ends meet. Every morning we get up in hopes that our labor will yield the fruit we need to feed our families and pay the bills. we pursue higher education to give us an advantage over others in hopes of leveraging a better job, but often times there is something we neglect that is a crucial factor in our success. It’s our obedience to God’s Word. When we are obedient to the Word of God, we can be certain that His obligation toward our well being will work in concert with our efforts and yield a greater harvest than we could have gotten on our own.
God promised a few things for us when we obey him. He promised some blessings for following, keeping and observing God’s law and commandments.
1. Fertility of the land. Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its season and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. God will allow it to rain in our season and yield growth. In contrast to that, when we are disobedient God will make the sky like iron and the earth like bronze. We will sow seed but not see and see our enemies eat it. Our obedience is what makes us fruitful.
2. Security in the land. Leviticus 26:6 And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid. When we are disobedient, we will lose sleep because our hedge of protection is removed and we will be afraid even when nobody is pursuing us. Obedience gives a security that ADT or Brinks can’t even give.
3. Triumph over our enemies. Leviticus 26:7-8 you will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
4. Prosperous offspring. Leviticus 26:9-10 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
Dear God, thank you for blessing us when our hearts were obedient to your Word. Forgive us for our disobedience as we turn back to you. Please make us fruitful again without cutting us off. We are your people turning back to you; please heal our land and our hearts.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
I will look with favor upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you.
Many of us are working really hard to make ends meet. Every morning we get up in hopes that our labor will yield the fruit we need to feed our families and pay the bills. we pursue higher education to give us an advantage over others in hopes of leveraging a better job, but often times there is something we neglect that is a crucial factor in our success. It’s our obedience to God’s Word. When we are obedient to the Word of God, we can be certain that His obligation toward our well being will work in concert with our efforts and yield a greater harvest than we could have gotten on our own.
God promised a few things for us when we obey him. He promised some blessings for following, keeping and observing God’s law and commandments.
1. Fertility of the land. Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its season and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. God will allow it to rain in our season and yield growth. In contrast to that, when we are disobedient God will make the sky like iron and the earth like bronze. We will sow seed but not see and see our enemies eat it. Our obedience is what makes us fruitful.
2. Security in the land. Leviticus 26:6 And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid. When we are disobedient, we will lose sleep because our hedge of protection is removed and we will be afraid even when nobody is pursuing us. Obedience gives a security that ADT or Brinks can’t even give.
3. Triumph over our enemies. Leviticus 26:7-8 you will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
4. Prosperous offspring. Leviticus 26:9-10 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. 10 You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.
Dear God, thank you for blessing us when our hearts were obedient to your Word. Forgive us for our disobedience as we turn back to you. Please make us fruitful again without cutting us off. We are your people turning back to you; please heal our land and our hearts.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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