Triumphs and Tests:
Just the title of this week’s lessons says something to me. After completing the study, I think back across some of life’s triumphs and failures, and I must be honest, I can claim responsibility for none of my triumphs but yet I receive the credit for all of my failures.
I have often posed the questions, “Why do we have to learn for ourselves the hardships of life? Why can’t we trust the testimony of those who also learned the hard way?” Beth Moore makes the statement in this week’s lesson, “We have all defaulted to old patterns as well, under stress or sudden crisis, our first reactions at various points may be fleshly and selfish.” My immediate thought after reading that was old habits die hard.
I would love to respond to all of life’s opportunities just like Jesus would, but I have this huge problem; It’s called flesh, and as long as I am robed in it, I will deal with that which comes natural to the human—sin. However, I am not making excuses or justifying sinful behavior in the wake of trial and tribulation.
We should give much consideration to all that our lives could be for the Kingdom of God, if we did respond more like Christ to the issues of life. We could be such an encouragement to the less fortunate, the hurting and the broken. We could be such a testimony to the unbelievers of this world, if they only saw Christians act and respond like Christians should.
I know from personal experience the negative knee jerk reactions we give have far greater impact than the positive Christ-like reactions. Those reactions, whether they be words or actions can’t be taken back. Once they role off the tongue or motivate the hands, they are out there. Unfortunately, the world would rather see the Christian fail than succeed.
What’s the answer? How do we improve our responses before the world? First of all, we must remember that our response is first and foremost before the Lord. When we fail, we fail Him alone. Secondly, we must invest in God’s Word. You can’t expect Christ-likeness to come out if you’re not putting it in first. Like the old computer related saying, “Junk in, junk out.” Lastly, we must learn to trust God. God is faithful!
Let me close with a question for you to ponder: “Aren’t our knee jerk responses due to the fact that we don’t believe that God is going to handle it swiftly, correctly and in such a manner that best fits our needs?” When will we learn that God loves us? God is loyal to His children. God will never “leave nor forsake” us.
Pastor Barry
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Approaching and Approachable God:
Well let me ask you, have you made a home in your heart for Jesus? We closed this week’s lesson by
reading John 14:23, which says “Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him.”
We invest so much into trying to figure out the Christian life when Jesus gives us the key ingredient in this one simple verse. With the completion of two axioms of faith and trust in our daily walk, Jesus will move right in. The Lord Jesus said first to love Him and secondly to keep His word. Abraham, formerly Abram had to come to this crisis of belief: “I can trust God to do what He said He would do.” How much easier life would be, if we could get our head around that truth? I am reminded of Philippians 1:6, that we can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” This verse takes me back to the scene at Calvary where Christ hangs on a tree between two thieves. Remember what Arthur Pink said of the thief who would join Christ in paradise, “He could not walk in the paths of righteousness for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for there was a nail through either hand. He could not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.” But yet based on the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ that thief would join Jesus in paradise. That rings encouragement into my heart! No matter the failure, no matter the disappointment, no matter the struggles in life, no matter what, if my trust is in God and I know that there is nothing “too hard for the Lord,” I will be okay!
I want to challenge you this week to truly let God have control over life’s situations, He can do more with them than we can. Second to this, I want you to make more time for the two things that make a home for Jesus in our lives: 1. Find a special way to show your love for the Lord this week. 2. Make a special point to spend purposeful time in the Word.
I look forward to hearing how God is blessing the life you have surrendered to Him.
Pastor Barry
Well let me ask you, have you made a home in your heart for Jesus? We closed this week’s lesson by
reading John 14:23, which says “Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him.”
We invest so much into trying to figure out the Christian life when Jesus gives us the key ingredient in this one simple verse. With the completion of two axioms of faith and trust in our daily walk, Jesus will move right in. The Lord Jesus said first to love Him and secondly to keep His word. Abraham, formerly Abram had to come to this crisis of belief: “I can trust God to do what He said He would do.” How much easier life would be, if we could get our head around that truth? I am reminded of Philippians 1:6, that we can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” This verse takes me back to the scene at Calvary where Christ hangs on a tree between two thieves. Remember what Arthur Pink said of the thief who would join Christ in paradise, “He could not walk in the paths of righteousness for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for there was a nail through either hand. He could not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.” But yet based on the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ that thief would join Jesus in paradise. That rings encouragement into my heart! No matter the failure, no matter the disappointment, no matter the struggles in life, no matter what, if my trust is in God and I know that there is nothing “too hard for the Lord,” I will be okay!
I want to challenge you this week to truly let God have control over life’s situations, He can do more with them than we can. Second to this, I want you to make more time for the two things that make a home for Jesus in our lives: 1. Find a special way to show your love for the Lord this week. 2. Make a special point to spend purposeful time in the Word.
I look forward to hearing how God is blessing the life you have surrendered to Him.
Pastor Barry
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Truth For The Moment:
Leave Your Country:
This week we began a new series of lessons written by Beth Moore entitled The Patriarchs. I enjoyed the first week’s study and look forward to the next nine lessons.
Beth immediately grabbed my attention with her statement in the first paragraph on Day One’s lesson: “When you don’t have God, any god will do.” How many of us have spent seasons of our life serving other gods? Sure enough, the gods of the Old Testament patriarchs were idols and beings of worship put in place to fill the void in the hearts and lives of people. Today in America the type of god has changed from idols and beings to material possessions, self-gratification and feeling. Whatever the object of our worship may be, it stems from a longing to be fulfilled, loved and value. We must remember the same emptiness that stemmed from the worship of false gods in the days of Abram is the same results we receive from the god’s of our day. Just as Abram found out there is only one God worthy of our praise, worship and glory—the most High God! Our worship of God is “never aimless.” Our worship of God never turns down a narrow street with a sign posted on the shoulder which reads “Dead End.” Just as God moved Abram out for a purpose, God moves us out of our comfort, sinful and complacent zones with specific purpose in mind. Any failure on our part to navigate the valleys and mountains does not discount God and His sovereignty but rather enforces our depraved and sinful nature. It never voids or changes God’s initial call; it points to a self-inflicted detour. It points to pride and selfishness hidden in the GPS of our hearts. This truth was displayed in Abram’s life as he lied about his wife being his sister, detoured from God’s plotted course, found himself confronted by a plague and upset Pharaoh. As children of the most High God, we must constantly bring ourselves to trust the will of God over the will of man. God always knows what is best for His children.
Often times, following the will of God brings confrontation with those we love and care about. As we strive to serve the God we love, others will serve the god that pleases them. This was seen in the confrontation that arose in the life of Abram concerning the size of the flocks and the shortage of feed. We cannot miss the great truth of this passage. We must separate ourselves from the influences of all the ungodly. There comes a time and place in which separation becomes necessary. Concerning Abram and Lot’s separation, Abram was blessed for his direction, and Lot was disciplined for his.
Let me close this week’s post with a challenge. Whether it’s the influence of ungodly people or the draw of other gods, refuse to detour from the course that God has laid out for you. Stay the course! The words to an old familiar hymn come to mind: “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, what a joy He sheds on our way…trust and obey for there’s no other way.”
Pastor Barry
Leave Your Country:
This week we began a new series of lessons written by Beth Moore entitled The Patriarchs. I enjoyed the first week’s study and look forward to the next nine lessons.
Beth immediately grabbed my attention with her statement in the first paragraph on Day One’s lesson: “When you don’t have God, any god will do.” How many of us have spent seasons of our life serving other gods? Sure enough, the gods of the Old Testament patriarchs were idols and beings of worship put in place to fill the void in the hearts and lives of people. Today in America the type of god has changed from idols and beings to material possessions, self-gratification and feeling. Whatever the object of our worship may be, it stems from a longing to be fulfilled, loved and value. We must remember the same emptiness that stemmed from the worship of false gods in the days of Abram is the same results we receive from the god’s of our day. Just as Abram found out there is only one God worthy of our praise, worship and glory—the most High God! Our worship of God is “never aimless.” Our worship of God never turns down a narrow street with a sign posted on the shoulder which reads “Dead End.” Just as God moved Abram out for a purpose, God moves us out of our comfort, sinful and complacent zones with specific purpose in mind. Any failure on our part to navigate the valleys and mountains does not discount God and His sovereignty but rather enforces our depraved and sinful nature. It never voids or changes God’s initial call; it points to a self-inflicted detour. It points to pride and selfishness hidden in the GPS of our hearts. This truth was displayed in Abram’s life as he lied about his wife being his sister, detoured from God’s plotted course, found himself confronted by a plague and upset Pharaoh. As children of the most High God, we must constantly bring ourselves to trust the will of God over the will of man. God always knows what is best for His children.
Often times, following the will of God brings confrontation with those we love and care about. As we strive to serve the God we love, others will serve the god that pleases them. This was seen in the confrontation that arose in the life of Abram concerning the size of the flocks and the shortage of feed. We cannot miss the great truth of this passage. We must separate ourselves from the influences of all the ungodly. There comes a time and place in which separation becomes necessary. Concerning Abram and Lot’s separation, Abram was blessed for his direction, and Lot was disciplined for his.
Let me close this week’s post with a challenge. Whether it’s the influence of ungodly people or the draw of other gods, refuse to detour from the course that God has laid out for you. Stay the course! The words to an old familiar hymn come to mind: “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, what a joy He sheds on our way…trust and obey for there’s no other way.”
Pastor Barry
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