Bishop Bright's Blog

2011-06-01T15:02:00.001-05:00

This is soooooooooo funny!! http://ping.fm/x1mz7

2011-05-31T20:52:00.001-05:00

Today my son turned 15!! Wow how time flies!!!

2011-05-31T20:50:00.001-05:00

Today my son turned 15!! Wow how time flies!!!

2011-05-22T17:30:00.001-05:00

With all this foolishness about the world ending, my thoughts are and!!!!!! I'm ready are you?

2011-05-20T17:14:00.001-05:00

REPOST: For the BEAUTIFUL SINGLE, UNMARRIED, UNSPOKEN FOR LADIES: While waiting on your Boaz, don't settle for any of his relatives ...Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyingaz, Cheatingaz, Dumbaz, Downlowaz, Fakingaz, Cryingaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornuthingaz, or Lazyaz, Ignantaz, and especially Beatyoaz...Wait on…… BOAZ... I'm not cussing.....Ijs

2011-05-17T10:33:00.001-05:00

What makes a good person a good person? What do you look for to see the God in people?

2011-05-17T00:08:00.001-05:00

What makes a good person a good person? What do you look for to see the God in people?

2011-05-03T14:42:00.001-05:00

This is a REPOST from another's FB page: IS IT RIGHT FOR CHRISTIANS TO WISH THAT BEN LADEN ROT IN HELL?

I am very troubled by the reaction from some Christians. One forwarded to me said, " So long bin Laden. Let me know how that 72 virgins thing works out. Praise Yahweh!" We've all seem similar kinds of post. Is it right to allow vengeance to pollute our hearts? Aren't we suppose to pray for our enemies? Isn't our light suppose to shine so brightly that we separate ourselves from the masses who represent the lynch-mob mentality? Are Americans much different? Didn't we just direct a missile into our enemies families house because of Black Gold?

Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. NKJ

2011-05-02T05:12:00.001-05:00

He may not come when you want Him to, but He is always on time!!!!!

2011-04-28T20:21:00.001-05:00

What is on your bucket list?

2011-04-27T12:16:00.001-05:00

QUESTION: What are the greatest strengths you bring to the body of Christ?

2011-04-22T15:09:00.001-05:00

Question: What if Jesus died yesterday? Is it possible we got math wrong and He died on Thursday? Just asking!!

2011-04-22T15:05:00.001-05:00

Question: What if Jesus died yesterday instead of today? Is it possible we are celebrating on the wrong day? Just asking!

2011-04-18T19:23:00.001-05:00

Repost: When I was a kid I didn't have an XBox, or Wii. I had a bike and a curfew (the street lights). Mom didn't call my cell, she yelled outside, "time to come in". I played outside with friends, not Online. If I didn't eat what my mom made me then I didn't eat. Hand sanitizer didn't exist, but you COULD get your mouth washed out with soap. Re-post this if you drank water out of a hose...and survived!!

2011-04-12T02:38:00.001-05:00

What is one of the funniest church experiences you have ever experienced or witnessed?

2011-04-08T13:00:00.001-05:00

If you could personally talk to any 1 person from the Bible (except Jesus), who would it be and why?

2011-03-12T22:57:00.001-06:00

Sitting here just thinking about how wonderful God is to me. I decided to listen again to Wes Morgan I Choose to Worship. Join me: http://ping.fm/QaAqg

2011-02-23T13:26:00.001-06:00

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

2011-02-19T23:36:00.001-06:00

Happiness comes from happenings. Joy comes from God. Don't let people are things dictate for you!

2011-02-14T11:34:00.001-06:00

Happy V-DAY to all!!!!!!

2011-02-10T17:09:00.001-06:00

Thank you all for your B-Day wishes!! I am blessed to have another year!

2011-02-02T03:03:00.001-06:00

The word "fear" comes from the Greek word where we get phobia. Fear is a concept of the mind. Many people can't enjoy the Promised Land, because they fear what the giants think of them. My advice - Get your mind right!!

2011-01-19T15:21:00.001-06:00

Happy!!

2011-01-09T00:29:00.001-06:00

Today is my baby girl's 9th B-day!! Nine years this fast? WOW!!!

2011-01-08T22:07:00.001-06:00

You know what???? Some people are truly amazing; NOT IN A GOOD WAY!!!!!

2011-01-06T19:51:00.001-06:00

Be DETERMINED!! Don't let life just happen - MAKE IT HAPPEN!

2011-01-03T14:21:00.001-06:00

Situations show you who people really are!! When that happens; when people show you who they are, BELIEVE THEM!! Thank God He delivers you from things and people!

2011-01-01T17:57:00.001-06:00

Don't be alarmed if people walk away from you in your new season. It just means they are not meant to go with you. Some roads on the way to your destiny must be walked alone!

2011-01-01T00:23:00.001-06:00

Happy New Years!!! God has not begun to show you how much He has in store for you. Don't leave here without getting it!!!!

2011-01-01T00:22:00.001-06:00

Happy New Years!!! God has not began to show you how much He has in store for you. Don't leave here without getting it!!!!

2010-12-29T00:35:00.001-06:00

Your chance to start again is now!!!!!

2010-12-22T02:34:00.001-06:00

Don't let the "season" of X-Mas make your forget about the "reason" for Christmas.... Did you see the X?

2010-12-15T16:53:00.001-06:00

All I know is......It could have been me - but it's not!

2010-12-08T14:50:00.001-06:00

I ask myself this question often, so I will ask you now: Are you where God wants you?

2010-12-05T18:07:00.001-06:00

Too many Christians are "framing God". Blaming Him for stuff you caused. Take responsibility for yourself and own actions.

2010-12-03T15:14:00.001-06:00

Question: How satisfied are you with where you are?

2010-11-28T00:30:00.001-06:00

What has the Lord being saying to you?? What do you hear in the Spirit?

2010-11-19T01:26:00.001-06:00

It's never too late to start over again. Don't keep going down the same road that clearly is leading you NO where!

2010-11-05T01:44:00.001-05:00

If you found a money bag with $50K plus a completed deposit slip inside, would you return it or keep it?

2010-10-28T15:55:00.001-05:00

Weird question: What is your favorite food????

2010-10-26T04:07:00.001-05:00

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved!

2010-10-21T17:45:00.001-05:00

How much would you pay to attend a relationship seminar/workshop?

2010-10-20T21:29:00.001-05:00

No one can decide how you respond to their actions. That is fully in your control. Own how you respond!!!

2010-10-18T00:38:00.001-05:00

How was your weekend worship service?

2010-10-18T00:36:00.001-05:00

How was your weekend worship service?

2010-10-18T00:26:00.001-05:00

How was your weekend worship service?

2010-10-04T23:20:00.001-05:00

God consistently shows us how GREAT He is!! What wonderful things has God done for you?????

2010-09-23T14:59:00.001-05:00

This show will deal with how Christian people should respond in the face of challenging situations. There is a saying that you can choose your action but you can not choose your consequence. As well as you can't control what others do, but you can choose what you do. Handing difficulty will be the biggest opportunity for you. You can call in live to (347) 205-9369 or listen live at www.blogtalkradio.com/bishoprb

2010-09-13T14:48:00.001-05:00

Questions: I had 3 questions proposed to me, what are your thoughts:

IF God is ALL knowing. Why would HE allowed men to fail, knowing that end could be
eternal damnation?

IF God is ALL Loving. Why Allow HIS son to die?

IF God is ALL Merciful. Why allow men to die
and God Hell?

2010-09-08T16:30:00.001-05:00

Does the government have the obligation to set the standard for what is moral and what is not? Why?

2010-09-01T17:45:00.001-05:00

Submit your questions for tomorrow's "Answer this Bishop" radio show. Send your questions to questions@roybright.com and then listen live to the show for the response.

2010-08-24T05:30:00.001-05:00

How can a man help his wife become what God intends for her? How can a woman help her husband become what God intends for him?

2010-08-16T17:14:00.001-05:00

What are your thoughts on speaking in tongues? Is it real? Is it appropriate to do in church? Can they really be interpreted? Sound off!!

2010-08-16T03:15:00.001-05:00

What are your thoughts on speaking in tongues? Is it real? Is it appropriate to do in church? Can they really be interpreted? Sound off!!

2010-08-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

Are you honest with yourself about where you are in life and why?

2010-08-05T00:40:00.001-05:00

Join Bishop Bright and others as we talk from the subject, "I'm mad a God, my life is HIS fault!". We will deal with practical ways to understand how God works in the life of people. You can listen live by calling (347) 205-9369 or you can listen live by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/bishoprb.

2010-08-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

Faithful is our God!! I'm reaping the harvest God promised me. I've taken back what the devil stole from me and I rejoice today that I have recovered all!!

2010-07-31T21:09:00.001-05:00

Tonight's message: Inception: The enemy essentially started off by stealing CONCEPTION, and then through planting INCEPTION, he kills your imagination through DECEPTION and thereby destroyed your PERCEPTION.

2010-07-28T03:27:00.001-05:00

Consider this: Have you lived a life worth living?

2010-07-26T22:08:00.001-05:00

Check out www.covenantseminary.info for a great bible education!

2010-07-20T04:20:00.001-05:00

Question for the week: Why is sin still apart of the Christian walk?

2010-07-19T17:52:00.001-05:00

You never know the influence you have on a person, so be careful NOT to send the wrong message!

2010-07-13T01:33:00.001-05:00

Never forget where you came from because you'll need it where you are going!!

2010-07-02T02:21:00.001-05:00

Beyond good solid teaching and preaching at your church, what else do you want? What is your ideal/dream church experience weekly? What doesn't your church have that you want it to have?

2010-07-02T02:19:00.001-05:00

Beyond good solid teaching and preaching at your church, what is it that you really want out of your church? What is your ideal/dream church experience weekly?

2010-06-30T21:19:00.001-05:00

Question: Is playing the lottery or going to Vegas for the casinos wrong?

2010-06-29T14:57:00.001-05:00

What is your dream vacation? - Where and with whom?

2010-06-24T15:33:00.001-05:00

On today's Real Talk Radio Show, Bishop Bright and guests will discuss the Sovereignty of God in light of man's free will. This show will delve into the biblical exploration of the subjects. You might be surprised at what you hear!! Tune in today at 5:30 CST by visiting www.blogtakradio.com/bishoprb or by calling into the show at(347) 205-9369. We would love to hear from you on this topic!!

2010-06-20T01:16:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all Fathers!!!!

2010-06-17T23:15:00.001-05:00

Will you follow a pastor who has a criminal record from many years ago, but has since made a change in their lives?

2010-06-17T17:42:00.001-05:00

The answer to this week's question is happening live on the radio show now!!! Call into
(347) 205-9369 or listen to the show at www.blogtalkradio.com/bishoprb

2010-06-16T09:51:00.001-05:00

Answer this for me......Is a person's first ministry to their church or to their family?

2010-06-01T16:12:00.001-05:00

Join Bishop Bright and Bishop Foreman on Being the Blacksheep of the Family on Taking Over Radio. It will air 07/01. http://ping.fm/H9r0G BlogTalkRadio

2010-05-24T02:23:00.001-05:00

Expect a miracle!!!

2010-05-21T01:44:00.001-05:00

As bad as it looks now, what's in front of you promises to be far better for the Word of God says, "It does not yet appear...." So whatever you are going through, give God some praise!!!!

2010-05-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

Decide to have the right attitude. Go to bed tonight with the right attitude, and you will wake up tomorrow with the right attitude. You DECIDE. Never let anyone else determine how you exist!

2009-11-02T22:16:00.001-06:00

Great Ministry Opportunity

• Are you being left spiritually empty?
• Do you feel like you are meant for more than what you are doing right now?
• Would you like an opportunity to be a leader?
• Would you like to get in on the ground floor of a unique ministry opportunity?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to keep reading!! Next Dimension Christian Fellowship is looking for people interested in building a ministry from the ground up. The opportunity to do something great and exciting for the Kingdom of God is here. WE NEED YOU!! Your input, suggestions, are efforts will be greatly appreciated. Get in on the ground floor!! Next Dimension has a call to be a national ministry.

We are charged with changing the world and you can be a part of it. If being a part of this is for you, please contact us.

Visit the website at: Next Dimension Christian Fellowship or e-mail us at: administrator@mychurchinaustin.com

Accept the challenge to soar to the Next Dimension!!!

Into The Next Dimension

2009-06-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

Into The Next Dimension
Isaiah 11: 1-10

There is an old story about a man with raggedy clothes who has had a rough time of it in the world and was looking for a place that cared. He didn’t belong to a church but had heard that a church was where God loved people and taught people to love each other. So when he saw a bunch of people filing into a nearby church he decided to check it out. The sign outside said, ‘All are welcome.’ So he went inside. He found a seat. Everyone was very dressed up. But no one acknowledged him. He sat through the service, which talked about salvation. He sang. But when the service ended, he noticed that everyone filed out of the pew away from him. No one spoke to him and when he got to the minister he received some gentle advice: ‘friend, I can see that you are looking for a church – and I’m glad – but I want you to go home and ask God, in your prayers, if this is really the right church for you.” The man left and returned the following week. This time he did his best to dress a little nicer, but he could not dress nearly as nice as others. The same thing happened. The minister, seeing him, had one of his deacons greet him this time and suggest, again, that he should ask God if this was really the right church for him. After several more trips, played out in the same predictable fashion, the minister finally walked up to the man after the service and asked him forthrightly, “Friend, I thought you were going to ask God if this was really the right church for you.” And the man said, “I did, pastor. But the funny thing is, God said he couldn’t tell me. He said he’s never been inside your church before.”

The punch line is this: churches almost always talk a good game, but too often fail to deliver. Churches talk a lot about having open hearts and open doors and promise to help people establish a relationship with a loving God – but never fulfill that promise because either they have no relationship with God, or the people have lost their quest to reach the next dimension in their relationship with God. Every human should aspire to get to the next dimension in everything we do and the next dimension is only a decision away.

Several years ago, a movie came out called "The gods must be crazy." The story is about a village man living with others like him somewhere in an isolated, remote area just living life and minding his own business. Then, one day a bottle drops from the sky.

Not knowing how that happened, he leaves his village on a mission. He has to go to what he knows as the edge of the world so he can return this "thing" to the crazy gods who dropped it. As he travels to what he thinks is the edge of the world where the gods reside, he meets some interesting but strange people along the way. He tries with sincerity and frustration to explain to them what he needs to do. But, of course, they don't understand the urgency of returning this bottle to the crazy gods who dropped it.

The point is that we all have our own definitions of reality. We usually assume our view is "reality," without remembering that our reality is based upon the way our ethnic, economic, political, or "tribal" background has rendered our peculiar way of seeing reality. In other words, we all think about the world from "our" point of view.

If you lived when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, your view of the world would have been deeply affected by the events of that time. The view of the world, for all of us, since September 11 has been changed. Even more so for the people who lived in New York and witnessed the tragedies themselves.

After hurricane Katrina, there was a different level of understanding of about the frailty of life. Imagine the sadness of those who could no longer recognize their schools and homes, and churches.

Who we are, our cognition, our thinking and our behavior are determined by where we have been and what we have seen.

We meet the prophet Isaiah who calls people to return to a way to see the world as God would want us to see it. This prophecy of Isaiah was composed at a time in which the dynasty of King David, the son of Jesse, has been reduced to a mere stump. The people of Israel are cowering in fear of the Assyrians, who are as cruel to God's people as the Egyptians had been. In the middle of the frightening and violent time, God promises to launch a new political initiative.

Isaiah ecstatically speaks of a time when a shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse, as he prophesies a new beginning for Israel. Out of an old, dead stump, new life sprouts. Metaphor is piled on top of metaphor as the prophet struggles to bring to speech the newness that breaks forth. "The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them."

We hear Isaiah's vivid description of God's new world and we say, flatly, it is not real. Everyone knows that in the real world, a lamb in a wolf's lair is lunch. Reason and reality assure us that a little child cannot lead a wolf or a lion by a leash without being a dead child.

So, we listen and we want to hear these words but we want to be reasonable. We want to live in the real world and face facts. We listen but what reality do we hear?

That is part of the reason why we keep getting what we have always had. What we have to wrap our minds around is that unless our thoughts transcend what we currently see, we can never appreciate what God wants for us.

The time that we have been living in is about physical existence. What I mean by that is how we operate is a function of 3 properties. Up/down, left/right, and front/back. Moving down is the same as moving up a negative amount. If we were to assign a name to this dimension, classical physics would call it the 3rd dimension.

Because we are familiar with how to operate in the 3rd dimension, most people have difficulty in making an adjustment to a new way. What Isaiah is dealing with is a shifting in his mind to another dimension. That dimension is called the 4th dimension. This dimension, rather than being fractural, is linear. Whereas the 3rd dimension deals with matter (what is), the 4th dimension deals with movement (what will be).

The 4th dimension is about time! Isaiah had to be crazy! Crazy because what he is talking about does not make sense. How could a wolf live with the lamb? How could a leopard live with the goat? Not possible. Right? We understand that this prophecy of Isaiah was a prediction, a fore telling of the deliverance of the Church by Jesus Christ through salvation. Deeper than that for us, is the idea that what it looks like now to us is not how God sees it. Essentially, Isaiah makes what we all need to make is a dimensional shift for matter to movement.

Once you make the mind, then you will be able to live in the fruit of it. Remember, your reality is painted by how you see things. Isaiah’s declaration was the difference between truth and fact.

2009-06-26T17:12:00.001-05:00

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song? Why?

2009-06-22T20:44:00.001-05:00

I wish you all a wonderful and prosperous week!! Be blessed in Jesus' name!

Why God Became Man - PART 1

2009-06-20T21:04:00.002-05:00

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ
Philippians 2:5-11

The word incarnation does not appear in the Bible. It is derived from the Latin in and caro (flesh), meaning clothed in flesh, the act of assuming flesh. Its only use in theology is in reference to that gracious, voluntary act of the Son of God in which He assumed a human body. In Christian doctrine the Incarnation, briefly stated, is that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man. It is one of the greatest events to occur in the history of the universe. It is without parallel.

The Apostle Paul wrote, ''And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh . . . " (I Timothy 3:16). Confessedly, by common consent the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is outside the range of human natural comprehension and apprehension. It can be made known only by Divine revelation in the Holy Scriptures, and to those only who are illumined by the Holy Spirit. It is a truth of the greatest magnitude that God in the Person of His Son should identify Himself completely with the human race. And yet He did, for reasons He set forth clearly in His Word.

Before we examine those reasons, we need to distinguish between the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth of our Lord, two truths sometimes confused by students of Scripture. The Incarnation of the Son of God is the fact of God becoming Man; the Virgin Birth is the method by which God the Son became Man.
These two truths, while distinct and different, are closely related to each other and stand in support of each other. If Jesus Christ was not virgin born, then He was not God in the flesh and was therefore only a man possessing the same sinful nature that every fallen child of Adam possesses. The fact of the Incarnation lies in the ever-existing One putting aside His eternal glory to become a man. The method of the Incarnation is the manner by which He chose to come, namely, the miraculous conception in the womb of a virgin.

A noteworthy passage pertinent to the Divine purpose in the Incarnation is recorded in the Gospel according to John-- ''And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory. the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth'' (John 1 :14).

John 1:14 cannot be fully appreciated apart from verse one: ''In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh." He who was one with the Father from all eternity became Man, taking upon Him a human body. He ''was with God'' (vs. 1); He ''became flesh" (vs. 14). He “was with God”' (vs. 1); He ''dwelt among us'' (vs. 14). What happened was God went from the infinite position of eternal Godhood to the finite limitations of manhood!

Paul gives another significant passage on the Incarnation in his Galatian Epistle: ''But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons'' (Galatians 4:4, 5). In these verses Paul establishes the fact of the Incarnation-- " God sent forth His Son, made of a woman."

God sending His Son presupposes that God had a Son. Christ was the Son in His eternal relationship with the Father, not because He was born of Mary. Since a son shares the nature of his father, so our Lord shares the Godhead coequally with His Father. Yes, "God sent forth His Son," from His throne on high, from His position of heavenly glory. God did not send one forth who, in His birth, became His Son, but He sent One who, through all eternity, was His Son. Centuries before Christ was born, the Prophet Isaiah wrote of Him, ''For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . '' (Isaiah 9:6). The Son was given in eternity past before we knew Him. His human birth was merely the method of coming to us.

Again, Paul records the following noteworthy statement in the Epistle to the Philippians: ''Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also bath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father'' (Philippians 2:5-1 1).

Before His Incarnation Jesus Christ was ''in the form of God'' (vs. 6). From the beginning He had the nature of God, He existed (or subsisted) as God, and that essential Deity which He once was could never cease to be. If He seems Divine, it is only because He is Divine. He is God.

He ''thought it not robbery to be equal with God'' (vs. 6). The eternal Son did not consider it a thing to be seized unlawfully to be equal with the Father. Equality with God was not something He retained by force or by farce. He possessed it in eternity past and no power could take it from Him. But in the Incarnation He laid aside, not His possession of Deity, but His position in and expression of the heavenly glory.

One of the purposes of the Philippian epistle was to check the rising tide of dissension and strife growing out of Christians thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think. Being a general letter, it exposes no false doctrines but does enunciate our Lord Jesus Christ as the believer's pattern in humiliation, self-denial, and loving service for others. This is evident in the seven downward steps of the Saviour's renunciation of Himself.

(1) ''He made Himself of no reputation." God emptied Himself! He did not lose His Deity when He became Man, for God is immutable and therefore cannot cease to be God. He always was God the Son; He continued to be God the Son in His earthly sojourn as Man; He is God the Son in heaven today as He will remain throughout eternity. He is ''Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

(2) ''He took upon Him the form of a servant.'' His was a voluntary act of amazing grace, the almighty Sovereign stooping to become earth's lowly Servant. Instead of expressing Himself as one deserving to be served, He revealed Himself as one desiring to serve others. He did not boast His eternal glory and right to be ministered to, but instead evinced His humility and desire to minister. ''The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many'' (Matthew 20:28).

(3) "He was made in the likeness of men." This phrase expresses the full reality of His humanity. He participated in the same flesh and blood as man (Hebrews 2:14). Although He entered into a new state of being, His becoming Man did not exclude His possession of Deity, for He was and is today a Person who is both God and Man, Divine and human, perfect in His Deity and perfect in His humanity.

(4) ''And being found in fashion as a man." When He came into the world, Christ associated with His contemporaries and did not hold Himself aloof. Thus He manifested to all that He was a real Man. One obvious distinction marked our Lord's humanity; His perfection and sinlessness. As a Man He was made under the law, yet He never violated the law. As a Man He was tempted in all three points in which we are tempted (I John 2:16), yet His temptation was apart from any thought, word, or act of sin.

(5) "He humbled Himself." The world has never witnessed a more genuine act of self-humbling. So completely did our Lord humble Himself that He surrendered His will to the will of His Father in heaven. His desire was to do the will of the Father, therefore He could testify, "I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:29). It was humiliation for the eternal Son of God to become flesh in a stable, and then to dwell in a humble home in subjection to a human parent. God was ''sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin'' (Romans 8:30). Only eternity will reveal the depth of meaning for Him and for us found in those words, " He humbled Himself."

(6) "He became obedient unto death." Remarkable indeed! Here the God-man dies. Did He die as God, or did He die as Man? He died as the God-Man. The first Adam's obedience would have been unto life, but because he disobeyed unto death, the last Adam must now obey unto death in order that He might deliver the first Adam's posterity ''out of death into life'' (John 5:24 R.V.). ''For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). To subject Himself to the cruel death of a criminal on the cross was a necessary part of God's plan of salvation for men, and to such a death our Lord voluntarily submitted. Implicit obedience!

(7) '' . . . even the death of the cross." Our Lord died as no other person died or ever will die. Other men had died on crosses, but this Man, the eternal Son of God, voluntarily and willingly died the kind of death meted out to criminals, even the death upon a cross. His own countrymen considered crucifixion the worst kind of disgrace. In their law it was written, "For he that is hanged is accursed of God'' (Deuteronomy 21:23; cf. Galatians 3:13). Not only did our Lord die, but He died bearing the burden of the worst of criminals and the guiltiest of sinners. Down He came from heaven's glory to earth's sin and shame through His Incarnation.

Focused Faith

2009-06-14T21:35:00.001-05:00

Focused Faith
Luke 1:18-20 and Isaiah 43:18-20

Unbelief has proven to be the most damaging strike against the people of God. We talk a lot about breakthrough, new beginnings, destiny, and getting into our promised land or promised place. And when we fall short, we even talk about how to increase our faith to get it to the point where we can acquire what it is we want, need, and expect from God. When the truth seems to be that it’s not our need for more faith, but it is the need for our faith to mature. That maturity gives us the ability to focus our faith. The concept of focused faith is similar to the effectiveness of a laser beam. It’s narrow, precise, and specific.

There are 2 significant things that hinder our faith.

First - Past Pains

It is our past pain that keeps us from believing what God promises us today.

Second – Past Successes

Because God has done so much for us before, we fill un-entitled to more.

The problem with these 2 things is that unbelief cannot enter your thoughts without impairing you joy.

Our text in Luke provides for us the story of the prophetic announcement of the birth of John the Baptist. Further scrutiny of the text reveals that the holder of this immature faith is Zachariah. According to Luke, Zachariah was:

• A priest (v.5) (learned man, fully versed in scripture)
• A believer (v.6)
• A pray-er (v.13)

What we see is a classic example of a person who ought to know better than to doubt God. This man was married to Abraham’s niece. He has the benefit of a great source of knowledge about what God had done in the past. Not just from his own requirement to know the truths, commandments, and oracles of God, but because he is a part of the family to whom the bible calls the Father of faith! Yet this man struggles with believing God.

– V13-

*If you are going to pray and NOT believe, why pray?
• The "scar of the old wounds" of infertility, created this inclination to disbelieve.
• The disciples on the road to Emmaus couldn't believe the resurrection because it was too good to be true.
• Sometimes we prefer the safety of doubt over the risk of disappointment.
Unbelief will cause you to pass off God’s answer to your prayer as coincidence as opposed to promise. I heard a story of a church that had a man (Bob) who had cancer come up to the altar for prayer for healing. The church prayed, the man was healed, and a year later the church members were telling talking about the time when they thought Bob had cancer.
• Zachariah was unable to celebrate because he was too caught up in the impossibility of the promise.

Unbelief cannot enter your thoughts without impairing you joy.

His fault was that he looked at the difficulty. "I am an old man, and my wife is well stricken in years." And while he looked at the difficulty he offered a suggestion /a remedy; he wanted a sign. "Whereby shall I know this?" It was not enough for him that God had said so; he wanted some collateral evidence to guarantee the truth of the word of the Lord.

You having problems, you having shortcomings, you having any of those things do not disqualify you from God’s promises in your life but there are consequences.

Zachariah‘s chastisement did not invalidate the promise. The Lord did not say, "Well, Zacharias, because you don't believe it, your wife, Elizabeth, won’t have a son."

Luke’s text shows us the past pain, but the Isaiah text deals with the past successes.

We have a hunger for nostalgia. It is demonstrated by the popularity of "oldies" music, collectors of coins, etc. And while nostalgia can be a great thing sometimes those memories rob us of the opportunity for current success.
• There is danger in a faith that stops expecting anything from God, and remembers only what he did in the past.
• Illustration: Andre Crouch's song, "Take Me Back," expresses a longing for how things used to be in our spiritual lives.
What we need to remembers is that:
• God's new blessings will transcend the past.
• God's new thing is unexpected and unprecedented.
• God promises water in the desert, but the desert remains.
When we have a proper perspective, it's easier to live our faith.

FINISHING WELL

2009-05-31T22:39:00.002-05:00

FINISHING WELL
Hebrews 12:12-17

• Why do people leave jobs unfinished?
• Why is it a poor testimony when Christians leave jobs unfinished?
• Read the passage below and tell us what it says about finishing well.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. [25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. [26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: [27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

• Tell us about someone you have seen finish their Christian life well.

After describing the Christian life as a race in Hebrews 12:1-4, we find the author again encouraging us to be faithful until we reach the “finish line”.

1. DETERMINATION – Vs. 12

Hebrews 12:1-12 tells us that there is a race to be won and discipline to endure. Therefore, we as Christians need to be determined to finish the race and to accept discipline graciously.

What is discouraging about the race we call the Christian life?
What is discouraging about discipline?
What are drooping arms, flopping hands, and wobbly knees an indication of?
What can we do to strengthen our drooping arms and hands?
What can we do to strengthen our wobbly knees?
What do we need from God more than anything else in order to obey this command?

Hebrews 12:28, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 3:18

How is finishing the race a team sport?

Isaiah 35:3-4 - Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. [4] Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

How can we strengthen the weak hands and wobbly knees of others?

2. DIRECTION – Vss. 13-14

Vs. 13 - When we run in a race why do we need straight paths? What happens when we get out of our running lanes?

Proverbs 4:25-27 - Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. [26] Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. [27] Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
The word “path” refers to a track made by a wagon or chariot wheel. It is something someone else can follow. Who are some of the people who will follow in our paths and how can we help? 1 Timothy 4:12

How do Christians cause other Christians to stumble?
How will a straight and level path help and even start to heal someone who is lame?
Vs. 14 – Christians have natural enemies. Who are they?
John 15:18-19 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

How can we follow peace with people who are opposed to us? Romans 12:18-21
Who sometimes become the Christians’ unnatural enemies? Why does this grieve our Lord? How can we follow peace with them? John 13:34-25, Ephesians 4:32
Peace and holiness go together.
Matthew 5:8-9 - Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

What is holiness?
How will holiness bring about peace?
How do I make peace and holiness a priority in my life?

3. DILIGENCE – Vss. 15-17

Vs. 15 - How can a person fail or “fall short” of the grace of God?

How can that hurt the body of Christ as a bitter root?
How do bitter Christians hurt the cause of Christ?
How can you tell if you are bitter?
How can Christians heal bitterness?
Vs. 16 – Why is sexual promiscuity something to avoid at all costs?
Esau was an unholy or Godless person. How did selling his birthright for a cheap meal indicate this?

Is it possible to believe in God and be Godless?

Vs. 7 - How was Esau rejected from inheriting the blessing? Why could he not change things even though he wanted to?

Fast Week

2009-05-23T22:26:00.000-05:00

Fast Week

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6

This is fast week. Last week you wrote down a list of things you wanted God to do for you. This is when you need to take 1 -2 days of this week to actually attach a fast to your prayers. You historically find in scriptures that fasting and praying go together. The scripture listed above indicates that fasting will loose the bands of the wicked and undo the heavy burdens. It also lets the oppressed go free and breaks every yoke.

Make no doubt that there are some things that only come by fasting and praying.

Faith Confession: Father I fast, not to be seen but to unleash the power of your words on my prayers. I will have all the promises because I forsake myself for you.

Assignment for the week: Choose 1 or 2 days to fast this week.

Submitting to Spiritual Authority

2009-05-20T17:10:00.002-05:00

My Substitute

2009-05-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

My Substitute

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
John 3:16-17

If you want a picture of what the heart of God looks like, then you look no further than the Cross. Do you realize that God loves you and me so much that even if you and I were the only people on the face of the earth he still would have sent Jesus to die for our sins that we might have life in all its fullness?

One of the early church fathers, Iranaeus, said it was by a tree that Adam sinned, and it was also by a tree that Jesus died on to save us from the penalty of sin and grant us the forgiveness of our sins. One tree represents our rebellion and sin. One tree represents our forgiveness from God. Somebody died that you and I might have the forgiveness of sins.

On one tree we see the gravity of our sin; on the other tree we see the majesty of God.

In Stroudsburg, Pa., there is a tomb to an unknown Union soldier who died fighting in the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln heard of it, he had the tomb inscribed "Abraham Lincoln's Substitute. He died that I might live."

The cross of Jesus Christ today represents our substitute. Jesus died in our place. It is that simple. Christ died for us because God loved us!

Faith Confession: Lord, thank you for being my substitute.

Assignment for the week: Write down 10 things you are grateful to God for.

I will not be tempted

2009-05-03T00:54:00.001-05:00

I will not be tempted

Every word of God is pure:he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Genesis 3:1

The Tempter in the Garden of Eden was a serpent. From the first pages of the Bible we are introduced to the way sin comes into our lives. It slips in and grabs a quiet foothold before we are aware of it. Temptation slips up on us before we recognize the seriousness of what's happening.

Someone has put it this way: "Who's there," I cried, "A little lonely sin." "Enter," I said, "Then all hell broke lose."

There is something about the very nature of temptation that not only makes it initially attractive, but keeps us coming back for more. Even when the initial thrill is gone we find ourselves mired in the muck of our own worst instincts. It's sort of like a incident some time ago on the Enterprise ride at the Minnesota State Fair. Riders boarded their little cars on the Enterprise to be spun around at high speed for about four minutes. Being dizzy and scared is apparently something for which people will pay money.

The ride, however, ceased to operate properly and could not be stopped for about 20 minutes. When people were finally rescued from their thrill, all were sick and some were taken to the hospital.

There is something exciting about certain areas that the Bible tells us to avoid, but the excitement is an emotion we feel when we get on the ride, not when we get off.

Faith Confession: Father, I am strong, I am an overcomer, and I will not fail to live a life that you are pleased with.

Assignment for the week: Be an overcomer.

Prayer Week

2009-04-26T01:03:00.000-05:00

Prayer Week

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;.
Luke 18:1

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:36

This is prayer week. During this time, you need to focus and set your mind clear. It is important that you make a list of the things you want God to accomplish for you and in your life over the next week. Specifically writing it down is a way to chart the progress.

Faith Confession: Father thank you for hearing my prayer. I believe your word and I know that what I ask is mine.

Assignment for the week: Write down the specific things you want God to do over the next week.

On the Lord’s Side

2009-04-19T01:01:00.001-05:00

On the Lord’s Side

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 22:21

The Pharisees were again plotting against Jesus. They had a question for him. They were trying to trap him into saying something that would discredit him. The Pharisees wanted to silence him and make him look bad in front of the crowd. Being the hypocrites that they were they baited their trap with a compliment. "Teacher, we know that you are sincere," one of them said, "and teach the way of God in accordance with truth." Say, what? They did not believe that for a minute, but they wanted the people listening to think they were giving Jesus a fair chance.

Then they asked him a loaded question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?" If Jesus says it's all right to pay taxes to the Roman government, then he will lose face with most of his audience. For the Jewish community it was offensive to pay taxes to the hated Romans. Paying taxes was simply a way of supporting the Roman's detestable occupation. On the other hand if Jesus says it's wrong to pay taxes, then he will be in trouble with the Romans. It was a no win situation.

Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to trap him. Fortunately he was wiser than they. He asks, "Show me the coin used for the tax." Jesus is using a subtle strategy here. One Pharisees produced a Roman coin from his pocket. Little did the Pharisee realize that in even possessing a Roman coin he already was well on the way to losing the argument. The Jewish people found the inscription on the Roman coins offensive, "Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus, Pontifex Maximus." To the Jewish people the inscription on the Roman coin was a deliberate break with the Ten Commandments that prohibit "graven images." For these and other reasons the Jewish people did not use Roman coins. They had their own temple currency. In producing a Roman coin the Pharisee showed which side he was really on.

Where we spend our resources says which side we are really on too.

Faith Confession: Father, I am yours for the using.

Assignment for the week: How has God used you recently?

God’s Word is True

2009-04-12T02:02:00.001-05:00

God’s Word is True

Every word of God is pure:he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30:5

Inerrancy is a term that conveys the belief that the original writings of Scripture are wholly true in everything they teach-- whether doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, or any other discipline or knowledge. It also applies to accurate copies of those original writings. Inerrancy is an unpopular concept with some people because they believe it isn't really important. But consider the implications. No Christian would deny that our relationship to Jesus Christ is of utmost importance. How can we know Him except as He is presented in the Bible? He is our Lord and we must obey His commandments. How can we know what He commands if we doubt His Word?

Others reject inerrancy because they think it's divisive. But inerrancy should be a rallying point for evangelicals, not a dividing point. What unifying factor do we have if we can't agree on the truth of divine revelation? Still others withhold judgment on the issue, thinking it's a technical matter that is best decided by biblical scholars. On the contrary, it is the most basic of all matters. It's nothing less than asking, "Is there a sure Word from God?" Inerrancy isn't simply a matter of theological debate. It's a matter of God's character. God cannot lie; therefore His Word is true. Jeremiah 10:10 says that the Lord is the true God or the God of truth. The apostle John said, "God is true". And Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the only true God. Christ came so we might "know him that is true . . . the true God and eternal life". Don't be shaken by those who attack the integrity of Scripture. As you have opportunity, study any problem passages so you'll know first-hand what the issues and proposed solutions are. And remember, Scripture was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. He cannot err.

Faith Confession: Father, I believe your word is true! Help me live the truth of your word.

Assignment for the week: Live like the word of God is true.

I will proclaim

2009-04-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

I will proclaim

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:17

In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. For a boy, born a slave to a plantation cook in Virginia, who had no idea who his white father was, this was a huge step. He decided that he would enter the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. With nothing more than a small satchel of clothing, he started walking from Malden, West Virginia, 500 miles away. Eventually he made it to Richmond, about eighty miles from his destination. He worked there for a few days unloading pig iron off a ship, spending his nights on the ground under an elevated board sidewalk. He continued his journey and finally reached Hampton Institute. He asked the "head teacher" for admission. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student."

The teacher delayed a decision about Booker while she admitted other students, and he waited anxiously. Finally, she said to him, "The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it." "It occurred to me at once that here was my chance," he wrote. "Never did I receive an order with more delight. I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times." He cleaned the walls and closets. "I had the feeling," he continued, "that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this institution.'
"I was one of the happiest souls on earth. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed."

Booker T. Washington not only passed that examination, but he kept a job as a janitor to help pay his expenses. In June 1875, he graduated, on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers. Booker T. Washington was a dreamer who backed up his dreams with action.

Faith Confession: Father, I am a dreamer. My dreams will come true because of you.

Assignment for the week: What are our dreams? What dreams does God want us to fulfill? Will we back those dreams up with action for God's glory?

My Gifts are Yours!

2009-03-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
Matthew 25:18

What we do with the gifts we have is what God is concerned about. The servant with one talent had the same opportunity as the one with five talents, but this worker chose to bury his talent in the ground. That is the worst thing we can do with any gift God has given us.

I remember reading a story of a woman named Nancy who was confined to a wheelchair who developed a unique ministry to people who are lonely and hurting. Nancy ran ads in the personals section of the newspaper that read: "If you are lonely or have a problem call me. I am in a wheelchair and seldom get out. We can share our problems with each other. Just call. I'd love to talk."

From that simple ad the results were truly amazing. Nancy claims that she receives at least thirty calls each week from people who need someone to talk to and listen to their pain. Nancy spends most of her day comforting and counseling people. She has become someone for hundreds of people with problems to lean on.

Nancy was asked how she became disabled. Nancy's answer was a surprise. "By trying to commit suicide," she said. Nancy went on to explain, "I was living alone. I had no friends. I hated my job, and I was constantly depressed. "Nancy decided to jump from the window of her apartment--to end it all. But instead of being killed, she ended up in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. While she was in the hospital, Nancy said, "Jesus appeared to me and told me that I'd had a healthy body and a crippled soul but from then on I would have a crippled body and a healthy soul. I gave my life to Christ right there and then," she said. "When I got out of the hospital, I tried to think of how a woman like me could do some good, and I came up with the idea of putting the ad in the newspaper."

Faith Confession: Father I will use my gifts to serve you.

Assignment for the week: Write down 5 things you have done to serve God by serving others.

Stop blaming the devil!

2009-03-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

Stop blaming the devil!

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalms 19:14

I remember a story about a little girl who got mad at her younger brother. She pushed him down, called him a name, and then spat on him. Her father yelled her and said, "Honey, I think the devil made you do that." The little girl answered, "The devil might have made me push him down and call him names, but I thought of spitting on him all by myself!"

With some of our actions, we wonder why we did them. Paul even struggled with this problem. He said, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." Then there are the things we know why we did them. We thought them up all by ourselves. As the Psalmist says, "See how they conceive evil, and are pregnant with mischief, and bring forth lies."

This is why Jesus came to be our redeemer. "He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds".

Faith Confession: Father, I will take responsibility for my own actions for I am in control of my destiny and my actions.

Assignment for the week: Examine what you think are failures in your life. Find the ones that you specifically attribute to the “devil” as the culprit for its failure.

God will take care of you

2009-03-15T04:18:00.000-05:00

God will take care of you

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

John 10:27-29

A new kind of modern airplane was on an experimental flight. It was full of reporters and journalists. A few minutes after the takeoff the captain's voice was heard from the loudspeakers: "I'm delighted to be your pilot, and the captain of this airplane on its first historical flight. I can tell you that the flight is going well. Nevertheless, I still have to tell you about a minor inconvenience that has occurred. The passengers that are sitting on the right side can, if they look through the window, see that the closest engine is slightly vibrating. That shouldn't worry you, because there are four engines, so you can feel perfectly safe. And, we are at the unbelievable altitude of 62,000 feet, flying at a speed of 1,050 mph as planned . . . But, if you're looking at that engine, maybe you can notice that the second engine is glowing, or more precisely one could say that it's burning. That shouldn't worry you either, since there are two more engines on the left side, and the altitude and speed are still as planned.

"Those of you that are sitting on the left side shouldn't worry if you notice that one engine that is supposed to be on the left side has been missing for about ten minutes. But, I must ask for your attention of one thing that seems to be a little more serious. Along the aisle, all the way through the plane, a crack has appeared. Some of you are, I suppose, looking through the crack and seeing the waves of the Atlantic. Those of you that have very good eyes can notice a small life boat on those waves that has been thrown out of the plane. Well, ladies and gentlemen, your captain is speaking from that life boat."

There are some situations, I suppose, about which we shouldn't even joke. And yet when I first heard that little piece of humor, I couldn't help thinking how descriptive it is of so many people's lives. Their plane is falling apart and they fear their captain is as remote as the one on that raft in the Atlantic 62,000 feet below.

If that is your situation, I suggest you reread Jesus' words in our scripture reading today, because God is greater.

Faith Confession: Dear God, thank you once again for taking care of me.

Assignment for the week: Write down how God has taken care of you.

Victory verses Defeat

2009-03-08T03:38:00.000-05:00

Victory verses Defeat

The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
Deuteronomy 28:7

The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
Deuteronomy 28:25

As the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, God set before them a choice: Heed His voice, obey His commandments, and experience continued victory. Or turn from God, disobey His word, and experience repeated and resounding defeat. It was a simple choice. The choice they made would be evident by the results on the battlefield.

The assurance of victory did not mean that the Israelites would not have to strap on their armor and go to battle. It did not assure them of effortless victory. At times their enemies fought fiercely, and the battles raged back and forth. Nevertheless, as the Israelites walked closely with God, they knew that their efforts would always result in victory.

God gives us the same choice He gave the Israelites. If we walk with Him, obedient to His word, He will stand with us and ensure victory over our challenges. We must face the battle, but God promises us victory if we remain in His will. However, if we choose to disassociate from God, we surely will be overtaken by difficulties. As with the Israelites, our decision will be evident by the outcome. If you are continually being defeated by everything you face, your heart has departed from God.

If you have been experiencing defeat in the challenges you face, examine your heart. When you are buffeted by the crises of life, your heart may have shifted away from God. Choose to listen to God. Then obey what He tells you, no matter what you face, and you will experience victory.

Faith Confession: Father I thank you that I am a son/daughter and not a bastard who disobeys your will.

Assignment for the week: Write down where you have been disobedient and how you intend to change.

Don’t invite God the wrong way

2009-03-01T01:30:00.000-06:00

Don’t invite God the wrong way

Paul Harvey tells a story about an attractive airline stewardess who was being hounded by two flirts – one at the front of the plane, the other at the back. She was obviously very put-off by the very forward advances being made by the two men, but she kept right on doing her job. Near the end of the flight one of the men became particularly bold and as the plane was about to land he handed her a key to his apartment and the address and said, "See you tonight." So she took them, then she walked to the back of the plane, handed them to the other flirt, winked and said, "Don’t be late." Later on that evening I bet there were two very disappointed men in some apartment somewhere.

Have you ever been disappointed when someone you were looking for didn’t show up? Maybe it was the way they were invited. That’s one reason God doesn’t show up. Sometimes God doesn’t come because He doesn’t appreciate the way He is invited. God isn’t going to show up as long as we want to Him to come so that we can use Him rather than serve Him.

Faith Confession: Father I never want you to not come. I will always be mindful what if I just worship you, my problems, situations, and concerns will automatically be addressed.

Assignment for the week: Invite God the correct way every day.

Move from where you are

2009-02-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mark 9:5

Peter had a bright idea: "Let us stay here and build." It is a common reaction. One can think of a number of areas in which Peter's idea has captured us. I think it is a tragedy when people stop and build upon one period in their religious thinking. There are those whose understanding of God has never progressed beyond the "now I lay me down to sleep" stage.

Conversely, there are those who have rejected religion because of some unfortunate experience with a religious figure or church member. They put the freeze on their own personal spiritual history at that moment. Their minds are closed to the possibility of a genuine faith.

There are those whose understanding of the Bible has never grown beyond the notion that is something like a fortune cookie, a magic talisman which can be cracked open anywhere to reveal God's word for the day. In our culture, we are all guilty sometimes. We like things "the way they were," not realizing that God may be calling us upward and outward toward something newer and better. "Let's stop and stay here awhile," we say. However, that is not the way of Jesus Christ.

Faith Confession: Father, I will own my responsibility to grow beyond the basics into who God really is.

Assignment for the week: How have you increased your knowledge of God? Write down 8 things you newly learned as a result of your efforts to expand your knowledge of God.

Great Expectations

2009-02-15T01:34:00.001-06:00

When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Luke7:9

The centurion in our scripture reading today was a man of faith. He didn't feel worthy of Jesus' presence so he sends a message to Jesus, "Do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. “Did you get that?” Just say the word, Lord, and my servant will be healed." When Jesus heard this, Luke tells us, he marveled at him, and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the centurion's house, they found the slave well.

A good man or woman of God will have faith in Jesus Christ. I remember a story of the new husband who looked at the results of his bride's first attempt at cooking breakfast and said glumly, "It isn't like Mom used to make." Disappointed, she tried all the harder the next morning, producing a nicely cooked, attractive breakfast. He looked at it and muttered, "It just isn't like Mom used to make." This went on for a number of mornings in succession. She would go to great lengths, sure she had created a tasty, well-prepared breakfast, only to be greeted with "It isn't like Mom used to make."

Finally she became so exasperated with his cruel comments that she decided to rebel. She deliberately fried the eggs until they were hard rubber, virtually cremated the bacon, and burned the toast black and overcooked the coffee until it was almost unfit to drink. Her husband sat down at the table, looked at the food, and beamed, "Hey! Just like Mom used to make!"

People will always have different expectations of us who follow Jesus Christ, but just like the centurion, we must have faith in the one who has the greatest of all expectations.

Faith Confession: Father, I will accomplish everything which you have commanded me and will not be tangled up with what others expect from me.

Assignment for the week: Write down what God expects from you. Make a second list of what others expect from you. Make sure you are fulfilling God’s expectations and not man’s.

Walking in Victory

2009-02-07T20:07:00.001-06:00

Walking in Victory

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory

1 Peter 1:8

I know some of this is review, but I would like to share some new nuggets that will help you on your journey. All of our lives we are taught the importance of sight. For with our sight we are able to navigate the terrains of life. Almost more than any other disability, not having the ability to see provides great challenges. For if you are deaf, you can still drive and get along on your own. You can read a book, get on the internet, and various other things. But to be blind almost leaves you at the mercy of others. And yet, God’s word teaches us that some kinds of sight are simply not that important.

So in reading the text, analyzing it, and having to draw some conclusion, my thoughts were arrested by the Holy Spirit as He proclaimed to me that the problem with sight is that YOU CAN NEVER DO THE IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL YOU CAN SEE THE INIVISIBLE. Because WHEN YOU ONLY SEE THE PHYSICAL YOU LIVE A LIMITED LIFE. Listen; in all of the teachings in the scriptures we see lessons that ask us to use several different functions of our body. We are told to think like God, we are told to be like Jesus, we are even instructed to hear, but we have never been asked to look. In fact, in John 20:29 Jesus almost condemns Thomas for only believing because he sees.

What could provoke a man who had walked with Jesus all those years, seen Him do wonders, ate with Him, and traveled everywhere He went doubt who He was? The answer is clear and in it you will find a great nugget. FEAR. Thomas’ doubt was routed in fear. That’s a trick of Satan because he knows that AS LONG AS YOU FEAR FOR THE PHYSICAL, FAITH FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE IS HENDERED. EVERYTIME YOU RECEIVE FEAR, YOU REFUSE FAITH. See fear and faith are polar opposites. Here is another nugget; IF FAITH CAN COME BY HEARING, SO CAN FEAR.

Faith Confession: Lord Jesus, thank you for not giving me the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Assignment for the week: Write down what has paralyzed you. Pray against it.

Handling Change

2009-02-01T00:51:00.001-06:00

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1st Corinthians 15:58

As we go through life we will encounter change. Our family situations change. Our work situations change. Our church and social situations change. Our own health and the health of those we love often changes.

This verse is a good verse to help us handle change. This verse concludes "The Resurrection Chapter" of the Bible. The resurrection is a sure thing, therefore we can stand firm no matter what changes we face in our lives. We should stand firm on:

OUR POSITION - "be ye steadfast, unmovable..."

Because of the hope of resurrection we should be steadfast and unmovable in at least three ways:

• In doctrine - We should hold on to the doctrine or teachings of the Word of God.
• In devotion - We should be steadfast in our commitment to Christ.
• Against The Devil - We should resist the devil at all times.

OUR PROGRAM - "always abounding in the work of the Lord..."

The work of the Lord is summed up in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20.
We are to bring people to Christ, baptize them, and continually teach them to obey the teachings of Christ.

OUR PROMISE - "...forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Our labor in the Lord is not in vain because His word never returns to him void and his reward for us comes at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Faith Confession: I can handle anything that comes my way. I am strong! I am favored!

Assignment for the week: Use your gifts freely this weekly and write down how you used them.