Happiness vs. Joy--Republished from 2016

Happiness and joy. Two great ideas that go great together. But are they only available together? Happiness is something that has to do with circumstance. If our circumstances are favorable, then we are happy. Joy, on the other hand, has more to do with position. We are joyful because of who we are and who we are becoming in Christ. So let's explore this further...

HAPPINESS
Happiness is an emotion that is derived from things that are pleasant to us. When people remember you on your birthday it makes you happy (or maybe it doesn't...I guess that would depend on your view of aging). When people tell you you've done a good job on a project or an endeavor, it makes you happy. But the problem with happiness, is that it is always (ALWAYS) dependent on external circumstances. It depends on what people say or do to you or for you. It depends on your mood, other people's moods, etc. Basically, it is out of your control.

JOY
Joy, on the other hand, is that which is present no matter what. It is a constant, something that we either choose to be or not be. Joy is not defined in the circumstances of our lives, but rather in the state of our hearts. Paul was joyful, even in the midst of a prison cell, or house arrest. It wasn't a pleasant place to be and I'm sure at times he wasn't happy. But he knew how to be joyful even in the midst of such circumstances.

Do we? Do we know how to be joyful people even when we are crying because a good friend passed away? Do we know how to be joyful people even when we have just lost our job? Do we know how to be joyful people even though we've been gossiped about, lied to, cheated on, or betrayed? No matter the circumstances, Christ followers are to be people of joy. I hope that I exude joy, even when I feel tired and irritable. I hope that you can, too!

We'll see you on Sunday!

Seeing God for Who He Is--Republished from 2016

Our second challenge on Sunday centered around the way that we see God...our view of Him. Now I would venture to guess that no one reading this blog would say that they have actually seen God. We may have seen the results of His presence, or the work of God in the life of someone we know or even our own life, but we haven't seen God in the way that Isaiah did in Isaiah chapter 6.

Read Isaiah 6:1-8.

Now notice some things here about Isaiah's interaction with God.

1--He truly saw God. No filters, no veils, no nothing. He says in verse 1, "I saw the Lord..." and then he explains what all he saw as he was looking at the Lord. So many times when we come to the Scriptures (which is where we truly see God), we come with a set of filters that taint our vision of Him. We come with preconceived notions that come from our past experiences, our upbringing, or our theological bent. But God wants us to look at Him without these filters, and just see Him for Who He is. We need to truly see God...no filters, no bias...and let that change us.

2--When Isaiah saw God for Who He was, he saw himself for who he was. Notice his response to seeing all of this in verse 5: "Woe to me! I am ruined!" A loose paraphrase might be, "Oh no! I'm going to die!" Why? "I am a man of unclean lips (or a sinner) and I live among a people of unclean lips (or sinners), and my eyes have seen the...Lord Almighty!"

When we see God for Who He truly is, then we realize just how much of a sinner we truly are. When God's reality becomes reality to us, our sinfulness becomes that much more apparent. There is nothing more hideous than seeing something you thought was clean held up next to something that really is clean. You thought it was looking good, but then you see that it wasn't all that good at all.

Isaiah identified his lips as unclean. Why was that? Because he was a preacher, and had been preaching for quite a while before this particular event took place. He was struck by the purity of God and that his own words were not as pure as God's words. This caused him to think that God would strike him down because of it.

But God's mercy triumphed over judgement and he sent the angel to purify Isaiah's lips. A burning hot coal on the mouth would have been painful. But that leads to the next thing I want you to think about...

3--When we see ourselves for who we are, it brings pain. God had to purge Isaiah from his sin and so when it happened, He brought pain upon him. Friends, our sin should bring us pain. Maybe not physical pain as in having a burning hot coal touch the part of your body that is sinful, but the pain of knowing that we have offended a righteous, holy, sovereign God. If our repentance and confession doesn't bring a modicum of pain, are we truly repentant? Pain is not always a bad thing.

When I was in college I tried my hand for about a week at weightlifting. Needless to say, I didn't stick with it. But one of the things that I remember my trainer telling me was this..."Pain is just weakness leaving the body!" I never forgot that. And this applies to the Christian life as well. When we experience pain...the pain of repentance, the pain of loss, the pain of being unjustly accused and persecuted...weakness leaves us. Spiritual weakness becomes a thing of the past. We become Spiritual Body Builders that can face the toughest of challenges in the strength that we have been given from the Lord. And we remember that it is not our strength, but God's!

4--Only after his sin was purged was Isaiah ready to do the work that God had called him to do. Friend, what is it in your life that the coal needs to touch? Perhaps it is your mind harboring lust, greed, envy or bitterness. Perhaps it is your hand that reaches out to steal, hurt or hide those things that are unworthy of the follower of Christ. Perhaps it is your lips that speak gossip, slander or lies. Perhaps it is your feet that take you to places you should not be. Whatever the case is, ask God to show you Who He is so that you will have the courage to tell Him where your sin is the ripest. Then He will purge your sin...painful as it may be...and then He will call to you.

Then be ready to say with Isaiah..."Here am I! Send me!"

Feel free to comment below or ask a question. And we hope to see you on Sunday!

Mouth Issues--Part 2--Republished from 2016

Another way that our mouth gets us into trouble is through boasting. We've done it, haven't we? We have all made a statement with absolute certainty that what we have said is the truth! We say things like, "The Pirates will win the division!" or "Bob Dole for President!" or "That's the ugliest doll in the world. Who's gonna buy a Cabbage Patch Kid?" And then we find out that what we said was absolutely wrong. It tough when, as the saying goes, "our mouths are writing checks that our bodies can't cash." But we've all been there at one point or another.

When our mouths begin to boast it is most likely due to a sin of pride. Pride in what we know, what we have or what we do. It can lead us to do things that are outrageous and sometimes just plain stupid.

Jesus gives us an example of a man who boasted in the things he owned. He was a very rich farmer, and one year his crops brought in so much produce, he didn't have room for it all. So instead of giving it away and feeding the poor with it, he decided that he would build bigger and better barns to store all of his goods in. But as Jesus goes on in the story, he calls this man a fool. Why? Because that very night, God came and took him out of this life.

We need to keep a tight reign on our mouths when it comes to boasting. I know a time in my own life when I felt like a fool. I was watching a football game with a friend of mine who happened to be a Ravens fan. The Ravens were playing the Steelers in a Monday Night Football match-up. The Steelers were up by two touchdowns with just over two minutes to go. I was going on and on to my friend about how sorry the Ravens were and how they were going to go down this year. But when the Ravens got the ensuing kickoff, they marched right down and scored in 46 seconds. They then tried an on-sides kickoff which they recovered. They then marched right down the field again and scored another touchdown with 5 seconds left on the clock. They'd tied it up. I was feeling brought a bit low, to be sure. I was so certain, that I didn't even think that about any other option.

God wants us to be careful that our words don't cause us to have to eat them later on. So when you speak, make sure your words are sweet, for in due time, you may have to eat them.

Share a time that you had to "eat your words" by sending me an email or commenting below. God bless you today and we will see you on Sunday!

Celebration--Republished from Thanksgiving, 2016

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Here are a couple of great old Thanksgiving Hymns for you to enjoy this day of Thanks!

Mouth Issues--Republished from 2016

This week we return to talk about the tongue. James, for all of his concern about how we live our lives in this world, speaks an awful lot about keeping track of the things that come out of our mouths. In chapter one, he speaks to us about the fact that our tongues can disqualify our religion. This is because we need to avoid hypocrisy...the leading killer of testimonies in the world. In chapter three, James picks up on this and really fleshes it out for us. He tells us that the tongue (or our mouths) can get us into so much trouble because we say we love God, and then we turn around and say we hate our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is not what should be going on in the life of the true believer.

Now James gives us some direct examples of the kinds of sins that we might expect from our mouths. Namely slander, judgment and presumption. All three of these are issues of the mouth that need to be addressed if we are going to be holy lights in an unholy world. But to keep from giving away my entire sermon for the week, I'd like to take us to a couple of the issues of the mouth that are not addressed in this passage in James.

Let's talk about gossip today. No, I don't have a juicy story about someone for you to pass on, because this is exactly the kind of issue that God wants us to avoid. Gossip tends to hurt the person who is being talked about. And it can also be cleverly disguised, especially by Christians.

"Hey, I want to share a prayer request about so-and-so." That's probably the most used in the church...perhaps you've even used that one yourself. It sounds so spiritual, doesn't it? But it's really gossip cloaked in a false veneer of piety. What should be your answer when someone says this? Here's my usual response: "Did they share this request with you personally?" If the answer is anything but yes, I walk away. And I also make sure to let the person know prior to their "sharing" that I will be contacting so-and-so to let them know that I am praying about this thing. That usually stops it in its tracks.

Another way we gossip is simply by talking about someone else's problems. If someone hasn't given you permission to talk about their problems with someone else, then it is gossip. So just don't do it.

Yes, our mouth can get us in a lot of trouble, and we can even candy-coat our sin to make it more "easy to take." But it is not good for us, for the church, or for the people we talk about. So let's make a commitment today to not gossip.

Share with me ways that you try to stop gossip before it starts. Comment below if you can, or shoot me an email at jim.augustine1970@hotmail.com and we'll talk. And we'll see you on Sunday!

An Apology and an Announcement

Since the last time this blog posted, three weeks have gone by. For the lapse in anything new, I want to sincerely apologize. The fact of the matter is that my life and ministry over the past three weeks bears a striking resemblance to Six Flags or Cedar Point (let the reader understand…or Google it). Suffice it to say that Ian still trying to get back to “normal” and write something new.

That being said, I invite you to enjoy these past blog posts for the next few weeks as we try to get back on track. These will start tomorrow and continue for at least two if not three weeks. I mad once again sorry for the lack of anything new, but God knows and I am trusting in Him. Until then, thank you for your love and for following our blog.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Celebration-Week 16

This week, we celebrate the risen Lord with two songs. Comment below if you know who these folks are who are singing these songs (try not to look at the captions...lol.

Hope for Life

Yesterday, we talked about Biblical hope and how it is defined not as wishful thinking, but confident knowledge of guaranteed future events. I want to talk more about this hope because I want you to see that this very hope that we are talking about is hope that lasts.

In the Bible, hope is something that comes only when the Lord is at work. Hope came to Israel when they were in the wilderness when the cloud by day and the fire by night (both physical representations of the presence of the Lord with them) continued to lead them. Hope came to Israel again when their Messiah, Jesus Christ, came. Our hope is found in the fact that the grave is empty…Christ rose from the dead, and because of this, we no longer need to fear the grave, or death, or hell, or Satan, or anything else that seeks to dismay us.

God’s purposes for us include hope…guaranteed future blessings…that will help us to face even the most of uncertain times.

I remember when I had lost my job. The circumstances surrounding it were sketchy, but one of the things that I always knew is that God would honor my decision to do the right thing. And He did. I never lost hope, even when it seemed as if no one would give me a call back or another look. I was struggling at times when God made me wait, but the beautiful thing about it was that the waiting actually helped me to remember my hope.

So what are you dealing with today that is causing you to lose your hope? Remember that God has given you all the hope you need today because of what Jesus did on the cross, and in the power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead!

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Comment below about a time that you found hope in the midst of horrible circumstances!

He is Risen, Indeed!

Yesterday we celebrated the fact that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died for our sins and then rose again from the grave (just writing those words gives me goose-bumps)! He is alive and well, and He’s coming soon for us!

But the cool thing about this whole deal is that because Jesus rose again, we now have hope that allows to no longer fear death. It has been said that human beings are the only creatures with an innate understanding that they are going to die. And for most people that fear of death is what drives them to do all kinds of things.

I heard of a guy who was so afraid of dying or of one of his family dying that he did everything in his power to keep them safe. He put up nine foot fences around his home, had the latest in home security, bought guard dogs to patrol the grounds, had his house monitored, put in an air-purification system in the whole house, filtered his tap water, and any other safety feature he could think of...he did it. He felt that his family was safe.

But one day as he was pulling out of the driveway to go to work, he didn’t notice his small boy had run out behind his car to get a ball that had gotten away. He ran over his son, and killed him.

We can do all we want to feel safe, but the fact of the matter is that we all know that one day we are going to die. There is nothing we can do to stop it, and there is nothing that will keep that day from coming upon us eventually.

But there is something that happened nearly 2000 years ago that does give us hope. Not hope in the classic definition of “hope” (which is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen), but a guarantee that this life is not all there is…that, like Jesus, we will rise again!

When Jesus rose from the dead, He did so by the power of God within Him that even the death of His earthly body couldn’t stop. And we are told that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us through the Holy Spirit. Now, follow me on this: if the power that raised Christ from the dead is in us, why in the world should we be afraid of dying? Death isn’t the end. Even if this body made of dirt and dust should cease to function, there is something far more powerful at work in us…it’s the power that raised Christ from the dead…and it will raise our bodies at the proper time and we will be changed.

Changed? Yes. We will be changed. Look at what Paul said:

Philippians 3:21—“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” (NLT)

God’s power at work in us to give us a new body. He is risen, indeed! And we, too, will be risen when we go to be with Him in glory! I hope you know that power today. I hope you have the hope (guarantee) that this life is not all that there is. I hope that you will be so enraptured with Jesus that there isn’t a moment of your life that goes by that you don’t thank Him for what He has done.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Comment below about how you came to know Christ and the hope that is in you! How have you felt His power changing you even now!?

Taxes

Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

                      

“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

So with Tax Day fast approaching, we need talk about this last paragraph in Romans 13:1-7. Paul says that we honor the government set up by God when we pay our taxes. We should give them because it is the right thing to do. We should pay our taxes because as God also tells us in verse 8, we should not owe anything to anyone. So we must pay the taxes so that our governments can function.

So in these days of struggle and confusion, make sure that you are making the right decisions when it comes to following God. God’s work for you may be to stand up and become a part of the system to effect change. Some of us may just stand up and speak our minds. But all of us need to treat those in authority with respect and honor. Let’s do that this weekend, and for the rest of our lives.

Think about that today, and God bless you.

Comment below on ways that we might be able to show honor to the authorities that God has placed in our lives.

Conscience

Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

                                  

Why is it so necessary to honor our authorities? It is necessary because we are called by God honor the human authority that He has put in place. It’s a question of God’s sovereignty. If we truly believe that God is sovereign, then we realize that nothing that happens, no one who is elected, is not first approved by God. Now it doesn’t mean that all those in authority are godly people. We don’t have to look too far to know that this is the case. But if we believe in God’s sovereignty, then we must also believe that He has placed in those positions, those who are in authority over us.

With that said, we must honor them, not only to avoid being punished, but to keep our consciences clear. If we stand up for what is right, and we are punished for it, so be it…our conscience is clear when we honor authority.

A great example of this is in the third chapter of Daniel where the three Hebrew children, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (better known to us by their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were summoned before King Nebuchadnezzar when they refused to bow down to the king’s image of gold. Their first allegiance was to God, and they would not disobey Him by bowing before an idol. But when they were brought before the king, they were respectful of him. They didn’t defy him with threats, but they did tell him that their God was greater, and even if their lives were forfeit, they would still honor God over him.

We must respond like they did, and be willing to accept any consequences that may come our way for stating our position. We may lose friends or position or reputation, but we must always do what is right for the sake of our conscience.

So think about that today, and God bless you!

Comment on what you feel it is “out of bounds” for the government to ask of the citizenry, and what you would do if it came down to it.

Celebration—Week 15

Since we are talking about government this week, I thought it best to remind ourselves about this great nation we live in. Listen to these two great hymns that speak to who we are as a nation.

The first is our National Anthem (don’t forget to stand), and some of the verses that we don’t sing that shed light on what F. Scott Key had in mind as he wrote the poem.

The second is America the Beautiful, that speaks about this great land we live in and all that God has done to help us be the people we are called to be.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Government’s Purpose

Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

Sometimes on this blog, I will send you to another site to read a story, blog post, listen to a sermon or something of that kind. I want to do that today, because I think Chip Ingram gave a wonderful message on the Christian’s response to government. This was broadcast during the elections last year, so some of the content is specific to that. But his insights on the government’s purpose to the people and the Christian’s purpose are quite eye-opening. Please take the time to listen to this today.

Part 1 & Part 2 

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Honoring Authority

This week, I thought it might be good for us to look at some of the things that the Bible has to say about honoring our authorities. With Tax Day looming on the horizon, some of us may have a hard time looking at our government with the respect that we ought, so let’s see what God has to say about government, and what it means to us who follow Christ.

The first thing I want us to see is that God ordains the governments that are in existence.

Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.”

There is quite a lot to unpack here, so let’s just jump right in. The first thing that we see here is that God is the one who puts people into places of authority. He is the one who gives us our Mayors, our Aldermen, our President, our Congressmen. While we may not see eye-to-eye with all of these people, it is true that God is the one who has placed them in their positions of authority and as such, they must be respected.

Now that doesn’t mean that we just accept what they say and do as gospel and do not stand up when we see them acting in ways that are contrary to the good of the people. These people are just human beings who are fallible and make mistakes. But we must always “disagree” in a way that is “agreeable”…meaning with respect for the position that they are in.

We must also do the right things to keep from being afraid from those in authority. Some would say that if the authority is corrupt, it deserves to be disobeyed. But I also believe that most governments (at least those in America) are not corrupt to the point of wanting to see people persecuted for no reason. I do believe that a time is coming in America when those of us who are Christ-followers might see that kind of persecution, but if and when that comes, then we’ll talk more.

But for now, we must submit to authority. We must do what they ask and not rebel. We must respectfully disagree when the opportunity arises, and we must always respect the opinions of others who may disagree with us. All of this will help make us better citizens.

More on this tomorrow, but for now, think about these things, and God bless you!

Comment below on ways that you feel you can be respectful of the government even when they make poor decisions.

Forgiveness

Proverbs 14:9—Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

             

Those whom the Bible would call “fools” are people who say things like, “It’s just a little white lie…it’s no big deal,” or “There’s no harm in looking (at another woman/man),” or “I can watch/read/listen to this…it won’t affect me at all!” This verse tells us that the fool makes light of sin. They don’t see it as a big deal.

We live in a culture that does this all the time. No, scratch that…we are a people who do this all the time. It’s not the culture, it’s us. WE are the ones who wink at sin. WE are the ones who find it to be no big deal. WE are the ones who take every opportunity to call everyone else out but ourselves. And in time, we’ll pay for that.

But those who are godly, those who are true Christ-followers, they recognize their sin for what it is. They are willing to confess their sin before God AND those around them. They seek out reconciliation (that means making it right with the one you’ve offended). The end of those people’s situation is restoration of their relationships with both God and those they’ve offended.

I think sometimes we think that if we just cover it up, it won’t be a big deal. But as the song we looked at on Wednesday told us, when we’re Honest there is a much deeper level to be reached in our relationship with God and with those around us.

Comment below about a time that you screwed up and sought true forgiveness and had a relationship restored.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Words

Proverbs 10:14—Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites trouble.

How many times have you seen it? Someone starts talking about things that they have no knowledge about, and it invariably gets them into trouble. About 85% of all situation comedies have always been about someone claiming something that they know about, only to find out later, they were just trying to impress someone, and it got them into all sorts of trouble.

Well, long before the sit-com came God’s Word, and spoke the exact same truth. Far too often we get ourselves into so much trouble because we lie about what we know, or about what we can do, and then we’re called out, and we have to show our cards…and then we have to tell the truth.

This proverb tells us that we ought to treasure the knowledge that we have and not try to impress others by talking about things we have no real knowledge of.

So, while you’re going about your day today, why not try to speak only of that which you know. You might look more impressive that way, and you might learn something from all the listening you’ll do!

Comment below about a time when you boasted about knowing something or someone that you didn’t really know. And then tell us how it turned out.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Celebration Week 14

Today we celebrate relationships, and not being fools. First up is Francesca Battistelli’s song Honest.

Up next is an old hymn entitled Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven!

Enjoy!

Think about that today and God bless you!

Discipline

Proverbs 1:7—Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The fool…the one with no sense…the one that always seems to be doing the wrong thing. Why? Because they lack the ability to embrace wisdom and discipline.

Now this isn’t the kind of discipline that comes to us when we do the wrong thing, but rather, the training that helps us to do the right thing.

Here’s the issue folks: we are bent to do the wrong thing. Most of us, when faced with a situation that calls for a moral judgement, will always choose the option that best benefits us…regardless of whether the decision is right or wrong. For instance, when a child is faced with the option to take a cookie from the plate when no one is looking, they will more often than not choose to satisfy their own desires.

I remember a funny video that demonstrated this very thing. Kids were offered a marshmallow, and if they refused to eat it for about ten minutes or so, they were then given two marshmallows. The different kids all had a different response to the choice before them, but many of them just chose to eat the yummy treat now rather than wait for more later.

So here is the issue that we face. Those who are foolish tend to not want to go through discipline. They don’t want to put in the work to become better people. They’d rather just be who they are, and forget about the circumstances. In fact, the work to become better is just too hard for them to comprehend, and therefore, they despise it.

But you and I, Christ-follower, should always decide to take the time to be disciplined. In fact, as I write this today, I want to share with you that I, too, have been foolish in this area…opting to try and follow Christ on the “fast-track” and not put the time in that I need to. As a result, I have felt empty, distant and disconnected from Christ. But I am choosing to embrace discipline. I want to honor God with my life, my time, and the decisions I make.

How about you? Will you embrace discipline? If you will, you will be wise, and no fool.

Comment below about ways that you practice spiritual discipline.

Think about that today and God bless you!

Atheists’ Day

The story is told (and I must admit, that I do not know if it is true) of a man who was an atheist. He hated God, and everything there is to do with Him. He so desired to ridicule God that filed a protest with the powers that be to either disband all holidays relating to God (Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and the like) or begin a national holiday celebrating atheism. His crusade took him all the way to a high court in his state, and there he met a judge who really knew his Scripture.

When the atheist had presented his case before the judge, the judge looked at him straight in the face and said, “You make a very compelling argument, sir. But aren’t you forgetting that atheists already have a holiday?”

The atheist was taken aback by the statement, and puzzled, could only manage to say, “We do?”

Smiling the judge said, “Yes. April 1^st. For the Bible says very clearly in Psalms 14 verse 1 that ‘The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God!”’ So, sir, you already have April Fools’ Day to celebrate your atheism. Next case!”

Now I relate that story not to get the dander up of any and all atheists, but simply to introduce this week’s topic. Far too many times, we act like fools. We may not be like the fool in Psalm 14, boldly proclaiming that there is no God. But we may act like fools in other ways. This week, we’ll look at the book of Proverbs and see what Solomon and the other authors of that book had to say about those who are foolish, and hopefully be able to avoid some of the traps that lie ahead of us this week.

So please keep reading this week as we begin our new format. We will be introducing a topic on Monday, and then on Tuesday through Friday, we will be looking at it in more detail. So thanks for reading.

Leave a comment below on how you may have “pranked” someone on April 1^st!

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Forgiveness

Proverbs 14:9—Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

             

Those whom the Bible would call “fools” are people who say things like, “It’s just a little white lie…it’s no big deal,” or “There’s no harm in looking (at another woman/man),” or “I can watch/read/listen to this…it won’t affect me at all!” This verse tells us that the fool makes light of sin. They don’t see it as a big deal.

We live in a culture that does this all the time. No, scratch that…we are a people who do this all the time. It’s not the culture, it’s us. WE are the ones who wink at sin. WE are the ones who find it to be no big deal. WE are the ones who take every opportunity to call everyone else out but ourselves. And in time, we’ll pay for that.

But those who are godly, those who are true Christ-followers, they recognize their sin for what it is. They are willing to confess their sin before God AND those around them. They seek out reconciliation (that means making it right with the one you’ve offended). The end of those people’s situation is restoration of their relationships with both God and those they’ve offended.

I think sometimes we think that if we just cover it up, it won’t be a big deal. But as the song we looked at on Wednesday told us, when we’re Honest there is a much deeper level to be reached in our relationship with God and with those around us.

Comment below about a time that you screwed up and sought true forgiveness and had a relationship restored.

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Celebration—Week 11

This week, we celebrate the 70’s with two songs from that decade. The first is from the group called “The Imperials” with their song, Sail On.

The second song is from a group that was just making in big in the 70’s, Petra, with their song, Why Should the Father Bother?

Think about that today and God bless you!

They Will Know…

The other day, a young lady had called into a radio program that was discussing the pros and cons of Christian business owners serving certain segments of the population, namely the homosexual community. In her opinion, the Christian business owner should be able to service the need of people within the homosexual community based solely on the words of Christ from John 13:35, where He says, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Now, before I make my comments, I want to say that I agree with her on the point of Christian business people serving the needs of those within the homosexual community. For example, if I have a restaurant, I wouldn’t decline service to a homosexual, but I would serve them and try to make their dining experience the best that it could possibly be. I serve them, even though I don’t agree with their lifestyle. In context, what Jesus is saying to the disciples here is that they need to be servants to one another, because at the very beginning of the chapter, He has shown them just how to serve…by washing their feet.

Now I know that some of you are going to say, “How can you think that way?” Because I believe that we, as a Christian community, often speak loud and proud about what we disagree with instead of demonstrating our love to people. If we were to really love the homosexual, would they not see Jesus in us?

But here is where I disagree with this woman’s use of this particular verse in her argument. Jesus is not saying that the world will know we are Christians when we love homosexuals…not at all. He is saying that they will know we are Christians when we truly love EACH OTHER. That means, the world will see a difference in us because we are in unity, and our love for each other is demonstrated in how we serve each other. So remember that our love for the world around us isn’t the thing that will define us…the world loves the world. The defining attribute of love for the Christian is that love we show to each other.

What do you think? Leave a comment and tell me your understanding of the issue. We love to hear what you have to say!

Think about that today, and God bless you!

Ascent—Week 11

John 14:1-14

“Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know where I am going and how to get there.”

        “No, we don’t know, Lord” Thomas said. “We haven’t any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

        Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO one can come to the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him!”

        Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”

        Jesus replied, “Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see him? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of what you have seen me do.

        “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!”

Think about that today! And God bless you!

The Fear of Failing—Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about the fear of failure. Today I want to talk about it again, but in light of our purpose as Christians…namely, to reconcile the world to God.

In 2 Corinthians 5, we are told about the ministry of reconciliation, and what that entails. Basically what Paul is getting at is that people are spiritual beings, not just the flesh and blood that we see walking around. Every person is to be viewed from this spiritual standpoint. When we do that, we stop seeing people as flesh and blood that is here today and gone tomorrow, but as living souls that will live forever in one of two places…heaven or hell.

When we have this perspective, we begin to realize the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says that anyone who is in Christ has become something new. We long to see this renewal in the life of everyone we come into contact with. Now here’s the interesting part of all of this: as Christ’s ambassadors (vs. 20), we have been given the message and the ministry of reconciliation (vs. 18) to share with those who are dying without Christ.

That’s a pretty huge responsibility when you get right down to it. It’s enough to make anyone fear the prospect of failing at it. But here’s the wonderful thing about this message: all we are called to do is share it. We are not called to reconcile anyone, we are called to share the message and ministry of reconciliation. We are called to show people that they can be reconciled to God…not reconcile them ourselves. The fact of the matter is that God has already done the prerequisite work of reconciliation when He sent Christ to die on the cross. That’s why when people are now “in Christ” they are a “new creation.” God does it through the work Christ already did.

So what does that mean for us? It means that we don’t have to fear failure. Let me put that another way…we should fear failing our task of sharing this message, but we shouldn’t fear that people will reject it, because some of them will. But their receptiveness is not the issue. The issue is our obedience in sharing the message of the Gospel.

So, when you think about it those terms, there really is nothing to fear!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Share in the comments below how you seek to share this message of reconciliation with the world around you, and maybe even some of the results!

The Fear of Failing

Most of us, in the course of our lives, feel a great fear of failure. We want to be successful, right, thought well of. But the truth of the matter is that many times that fear of failure keeps us from even trying in the first place.

  

The fear of failure is something that can cripple a person. It can keep them from trying to do something they really wanted to try; like start a business, start a relationship, or even share the Gospel. The fear of failure can also take someone to opposite extreme of putting so much into these things that it then becomes an obsession and other parts of their lives begin to suffer. But fear of failure is just that…FEAR. And John tells us that “the one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Then how do we deal with fear? We rest in Jesus. We rest in His peace, and we fix our minds on Him. Philippians 4:6-7 tell us that we need to pray about those things we fear, and thank God for the things He has already done and will continue to do. Then we have been promised a peace that makes the world around us think we’re off our nut (gone crazy)…because it is “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding…” That means it seems crazy to you and to the rest of the world…it doesn’t make sense.

But here is the thing about this peace…it guards your heart (that part of you that no one else knows about…that part of you that is who you really are) AND your mind (that part of you that thinks, reasons, makes choices). So your life is protected by this peace, and your thoughts are protected by this peace. Meaning? It means that you will be okay…and that, given your circumstances of fear, won’t make any sense to anyone…not even you!

So when you find yourself on the cusp of a brand new adventure and you’re feeling a bit anxious, give prayer and thanksgiving a try. Who knows? You might find the peace you’ve always been looking for.

Tell us how you have found this peace to be real in your life in the comment section below. We always love to hear from you!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Celebration—Week 10

It’s the end of week 10 and so here we go with a great series of hymns for you to enjoy today!

Hymn #1—

Hymn #2—

Hymn #3—

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Danger, Will Robinson (or Anyone Else)

There is a new movie out that is based on a book that many of you may have read, called The Shack. Now my point is not to tell you whether or not you should go watch this movie, but I believe that as a pastor, and as someone who takes that responsibility seriously, I need to warn you of a few things regarding it.

First of all, this book/movie has been touted a Christian movie that helps people understand and relate to God. It is also a narrative that is said by the author to discuss “the nature of the character of God.”

Two resources I want you to read and listen to. First is today’s episode of Equipped with Chris Brooks, from Moody Radio. This episode, I think, is an honest and critical look at some of the claims of this book/movie and how we as Christians should respond.

Click here link to listen: Click here to listen to Equipped with Chris Brooks

The second resource is an article by Albert Mohler. Dr. Mohler is president of Southern Theological Seminary, a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, and has some more academic arguments against this movie/book. Please take the time to read that here.

The bottom line is this; we as Christians need to be vigilant about the things we allow ourselves to read, watch and listen to. We need to think critically about the things of this world, because error and even heresy try to disguise themselves in “sheep’s clothing” as Jesus told us in Matthew 7:15. So I offer these resources as a chance for you to think and to make wise choices regarding these things.

Please know that I’ll love you no matter what you choose to do, but I wouldn’t be the pastor God wants me to be if I didn’t warn you.

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Social Media and the Norm

So, I was trolling the blog sites I usually read and I found one that I just had to share with you. It’s about the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while and I think it exaggerates the point a bit. But the truth is found somewhere in there, and I want you to think about what it might be…so…enjoy!

Here is a link to the video!

Think about that today! And God bless you!

Ascent—Week 10

Luke 19:29-44

As they came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. “God into that village over there,” he told them, “and as you enter it, you will see a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying our colt?”

And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

Then the crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to cry, “I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you. They will crush you to the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you.”

Think about that today! And God bless you!