Wednesday, May 26, 2010

CHURCH
Can I help make my church more attractive to unbelievers?

Scriptures To Consider:
"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find."
Matthew 22:8-9

"Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. "
Acts 2:43

"Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Acts 2:46-47

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. "
Acts 4:13


Big T's Thought To Ponder:
When it comes to sharing our faith as Christians, many of us are unsure of how to witness to others. Evangelism, sharing our faith, are an essential parts of fellowship within the Church. As believers in Christ we are all familiar with the "Great Commission" given by Jesus in the book of Matthew.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. We, as the bride, have been left here to prepare for the wedding. Jesus related the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast in Matthew 22. He tells us in verses 8 & 9 what the king says.

We must be about the business God has placed before us - to invite others to the Wedding... to introduce others to the love of Christ. Therefore, we must learn effective ways of how to witness.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20

Yet, how many of us live this out in our everyday lives? Whether we call it witnessing, sharing our testimony or evangelism, to many of us it brings fear and nervousness to our heart. It seems to be an overwhelming task which we don't feel equipped to tackle.

In reality this isn't the case though. Jesus has given us a simple command: to share Him with others. Let's learn how to witness!

A friend once told me, "If your neighbor's house was on fire and he was in danger, wouldn't you tell him?" That's just the case here spiritually. Many of our family members, our neighbors, people we meet every day are living a life that will end in destruction unless someone shares the hope of Christ with them.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
1 Peter 3:15


God's Challenge:
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22

Be Bold and Excited, Stand Up for Christ, He is Counting on Us!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

BOLDNESS
When I stand boldly for God, what outcomes can I expect?

Scripture To Consider:
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13

Big T's Thoughts To Ponder:
God ask us to show boldness whether we are serving Him in the marketplace or we are serving Him within the church; whether we are at the golf course or at the gas station; whether we are sitting on an airplane or around the campfire; around our friends or around perfect strangers.
Wherever we are, that is where we are called to be the salt of the earth and to be ready to stand bold as ambassadors for our Lord and Savior.

Webster says boldness is:
  1. The trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger;
  2. Impudent aggressiveness;
  3. The quality of standing out strongly and distinctly

Christlike boldness is an important skill-set for all followers of Christ. It speaks to us about quiet confidence, soldout faithfulness, inner strength, and certainty in our lives. Christian believers are challenged daily, yet we are encouraged to engage God boldly and to find confidence in our Savior, Jesus Christ. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

Boldness does not mean that we are to be boisterous, loud, obnoxious or unruly. Rather, God intended boldness as a means of knowing that He is with each of us every day as we wake, at work, at school, at play and as we lay your head to rest. We will know boldness if we abide in Jesus for He abides within us.
John 15:1-8

What does God want us to do with our boldness? I believe that God’s plan is for us to use our boldness to tell others about His glory and goodness. He asks us to:

  1. Use our boldness to receive wisdom from our pastors, mentors and other spiritually gifted believers God puts in our path.
  2. Be confident and have certainty as we read the Word; as we study the Word and as we internalize the Word.
  3. Share your boldness about God with others, believers and non-believers alike.

What is the outcome of my boldness? I believe God expects your boldness and its message to be simple and automatic. Just be yourself and leave the consequences up to God - people will marvel, seeing Christ in you just as they did with Peter and John.

  • We should remain teachable; do our best always and seek obedience.
  • Model God’s goodness and grace in our lives under all circumstances.
  • Praise God daily and thank him for all our many blessings that have come from our boldness in service to Him.
  • The greatest outcome of our boldness are through the seeds sown and fruit which is yielded: saved souls!

Are you bold for God? Today, start a list of the ways that you are bold for God. If you have difficulty making the list, step away from it for a day and return later in the week to complete your list. Can’t do it? Pray and ask God to show you boldness -Ask, Seek and Knock!

Praise God for giving you the ability to think about boldness. Coming into boldness for God does not happen overnight. Boldness is nurtured in our faith, strengthened by goodness and mercy, then practiced with celebration and honor!

His Truths & Promises:
You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise you Father in Heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16

This work must continue until we are all joined together in the same faith and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like a mature person, growing until we become like Christ and have His perfection.
Ephesians 4:13

Anyone who speaks should speak words from God. Anyone who serves should serve with the strength God gives so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to Him forever and ever.
1 Peter 4:11
Be Bold For The Lord, For He Is Going To Do Great Things Through You!

Monday, May 24, 2010

TALKING ABOUT IT
Where can I get the confidence to talk to others about God?



Scriptures To Consider:
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

2 Timothy 1:8-9

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 1:8

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
Ephesians 3:20

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
The power, strength, courage and confidence to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ and the good things He has done in our lives doesn't come by our own strength, it comes from our Helper and Guide, the Holy Spirit.

I was recently asked to teach a bible study at my church and I had prepared a wonderful study that I saw Dr. Charles Stanley share on temptation. I had really invested quite a bit of time putting it together and adding my own life experiences to it. Again, I literally stayed up until 2am the night before, making sure everything was just right and that I was perfectly prepared to speak about temptation. It was polished and ready for delivery on Wednesday night!

You have to understand a couple other significant details; regardless of all the polishing and practising, I always seem to lack confidence to get up in front of a crowd and speak about God. Don't ask me way. I can get up in front of thirty senior engineers from NASA and talk about the damaging effects of static electricity, but for some reason I just get as nervous as can be when it comes to speaking about God in front of a crowd of any size.

Well, it was Wednesday night and sure enough I was just a ball of nerves. I had asked a brother from church to help me with the actual delivery of the message on temptation; he agreed to help me. It was just a couple hours before our class and I received a call from my brother letting me know that he won't be able to help me because he was called away on an emergency. Wonderful I thought to myself, now what?

Within a minute or two after the wonderful news that I was on my own, another brother in Christ had called and said that He would like to support me by attending the service, he is also a Pastor. I felt immediately relieved and at ease, asking if he would be willing to help me with my presentation... he agreed. Great!

I made sure that I arrived to the church in plenty of time and I spent the better part of an hour drafting my study outline onto a gigantic white board in our study hall. It was looking good and my confidence was growing moment by moment. My Pastor friend Dave called and ask if I had started, and I explained that the white board was complete and I was feeling pretty darn good about everything. "I'm on my way to the church", he replied!

When Dave arrived, he looked a this white board that had been perfectly crafted, every detail present and the stage was set. He said, "can I be honest with you?" I replied with hesitance, sure... He responded, "you didn't write this study did you?" No, it is a study from Dr. Charles Stanley, I replied... Dave said as he points to the white board, "that isn't you and it certainly doesn't illustrate the passion that you have for Jesus Christ, not the passion I read in your morning devotionals... I think you should scrap it and consider teaching on something else tonight". What? "I can't, I replied!!!" "This is all I have prepared, I just can't do it Dave"

Dave went on to share his reasoning why he thought I should be teaching about what I have passion for, and what I write about each morning in my daily devotionals of encouragement.

I let him know that his idea was wonderful, but he was about a week too late in his recommendation. "There is no possible way I am teaching on anything other than temptation", I replied with some doubt. He kept at me until the point I was wishing: 1). that I wouldn't have ask for his advise; 2). that he would just go away; 3). that a miracle of God would come and I wouldn't have to teach at all.

When my so called friend Pastor Dave began to quote the truths of God's Word, I began to well up inside and I knew at that moment in time I needed to share a different message that night. I also knew that at this juncture, any confidence that I had to teach about temptation was shot and out the window anyway!

It was 5 minutes until show time and Dave just erased my entire white board! My stomach dropped to my knees, satan was giving me every reason to doubt myself and be discouraged... Great, now what I replied? Dave said, "teach from your heart, teach about that book marker you have setting there". The book marker was entitled, "Who I am in Christ"... The group was starting to fill the room and I was a complete and utter mess! I told Dave that I had to take a quick walk outside.

I walked outside and considered jumping in my truck and going anywhere but back into that study hall! Instead I laid across the of hood of my truck and prayed and cried out for the strength, the courage and the words to teach something that would honor and glorify my Father. I remember saying, "God if you don't give me the words right now, I am going to get up there and I am going to be a babbling idiot!"

Let me tell you something. I spoke and taught from a book marker that night and really couldn't begin to exactly tell you what it was I said, but I can witness to the fact that God gave me His immediate strength, His courage; weird sense of peace and calmness! He gave me every single word that came from my mouth, they were surely given to me by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself!

It is my deepest wish that everyone reading this devotion could have a brother or sister in Christ like Dave, who out of pure love and God's goodness saw Christ in me, when I couldn't see the forest through the trees. We are to edify and encourage each other; to challenge and hold each other to a higher standard and to sharpen each other out of Love for the glory of Jesus Christ. Thanks Dave!

It was the most freeing and awesome experience of this journey and I had been blessed with what could only be explained as God's Divine Faithfulness. Paul describes my night perfectly in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, he says:

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

God's Promises:
All that the Father has is mine... I tell you the truth, my Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.
John 16:15, 23-24

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.
Philippians 4:6

I love the Lord, because He listens to my prayers for help. He paid attention to me, so I will call to Him for help as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

We Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Us!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

STANDING FOR GOD
Will God come to my rescue when I stand up for him?



Scriptures To Consider:
In some of my darkest and troubling moments during my journey, I have always held on to this scripture from Isaiah.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior...
Isaiah 43:2-3

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
I think that it is human nature to desire avoiding persecution at all costs; it goes completely against the grain of who we are as human beings to stand up against the crowd. It is just our nature to avoid being left out and shunned by the in-crowd, when we can take the path of least resistance and just go with the flow to avoid the pressures of not fitting in, or not being accepted.

Let's face it, we all desire acceptance, this is something that was build into our DNA and from the time we were born we had a need of acceptance. The reality is that we want to be accepted by our family, friends, peers, co-workers and any social grouping we may be involved.

We want to be liked! We hunger for the affection, respect and approval of others around us - at home, at church and at the workplace. Wherever we are, we require and have the desire for acceptance! No one enjoys being embarrassed, humiliated, ridiculed abandoned or persecuted by others, in fact we avoid this like the plague. Bottom line, we just want to go with the flow and fit in somewhere because we don't want to be alone or isolated from others.

Since Christ's ministry here on earth over two thousand years ago, human nature has remained unchanged. We have the same fears today as they had a couple thousand years ago, we have a natural fear of intimidation and persecution.

During the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth, people feared to speak about Jesus Christ openly for fear that they would not only be persecuted and considered an outcast, but could possibly be stoned and/or put to death. The Pharisees had threatened to take action against anyone speaking about Jesus Christ.

Probable the most well know examples of denying Jesus Christ was the disciple Peter. Peter had denied Jesus three times for fear of being exposed as an associate, a follower or a disciple of Jesus Christ. His fear of being ridiculed, persecuted, banished from the synagogues, or put to death for being found guilty by association.

True Christianity takes courage! In today's world things are so similar, we are still persecuted for being believers in Christ. In some countries today they are still slaying and putting people to death for being followers of Christ and living by His Word. Even through all the persecution and abandonment, His people, the Body of Christ are growing, standing united and strong in Him. I love the verse I stumbled upon this morning, it says: "We ought to obey God rather than men"!!!
Acts 5:29

Very important truths that should be considered:
(1). Our acceptance is found in Jesus Christ alone; not in the world and not through mankind. In the world we can find temporary acceptance if we can perform to mankind's fallen standards. In Jesus Christ we have eternal acceptance just for showing up and believing; we don't have to perform for our acceptance - we were created in His image and He considers us His Masterpieces!
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
(2). As believers, we don't have to be fearful of witnessing for Jesus Christ for we are not alone, we have been given the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Paul tells us "For God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind"
2 Timothy 1:7

As believers we need to understand that being indwelt by the Holy Spirit doesn't give us instantaneous courage, power and love. We grow in these Godly attributes by yielding to God through listening and abiding in Christ and following the instruction of our Guide and Helper, the Holy Spirit.

If we are going to fight the good fight we must be equipped with the most powerful weapon available to us, this is the Word of God! Knowing, understanding and internalizing the Scriptures allows us to be strong and courageous for Jesus Christ. There is nothing more powerful the the Truths and Promises of Jesus Christ and they prepare us for battle.

John tells us "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love". I am going to be praying for a greater understand and trying to get my head around this verse for a while! I guess John is trying to tell us that in some ways love and fear are enemies with each other and in total opposition. It would appear that Love's closest partner is confidence. When we are completely confident, we do not fear that we can do what is required of us. I guess my problem is that I have not perfected love, and so, I still have fear.
1 John 4:18

Our greatest instruction: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." I think when this actually takes place in us, then and only then can our Love be made perfect, perfect in Christ!
Deuteronomy 6:5

God's Truths:
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 (NAS)

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17

We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
John 9:31

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39 (NIV)

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.


Thursday, May 20, 2010

CHARACTER
What is one of the marks of a person of strong character?



Scriptures To Consider:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:26-27

Satan Attacks Job's Character: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and satan also came among them. And the LORD said to satan, “From where do you come?” So satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the LORD said to satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And the LORD said to satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:6-12

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:3-5

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:3-5

Character of the New Man: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:12-17

Big T's Thoughts To Ponder:
I just love this tread of scripture the Holy Spirit put on my heart this morning, there is nothing greater than the truths and simple instructions of Chirst. Starting in the beginning...

In the beginning God created each of us in His perfect image and likeness! This is amazing and could be a devotional all by itself. He could have given us perfected character right then and there; and He did! Adam and Eve had perfected God given character right from the get-go! The Word doesn't just say that we were created in the image of God, but also in the likeness of God!

Just as it happened in the garden when satan came to kill, steal and destroy Eve's identity, righteous, purity and life itself in it's perfect form, through his tempting lies and deception, he also robbed her of her perfect Godly character. This is a prime illustration of John 10:10 and just how he tried to do the same in the life of Job. But through every trial and repeated attacks from satan Job never compromised his trust and faith in God, he held onto the God given character marks he had been blessed with by our Abba Father.

When we begin to believe and understand scriptures like 2 Corinthians 5:3-5 as truth, we realize it is about being reconciled to God and yet, even more than that, it points us to an amazing privilege we have inherited, yet carrying a great responsibility. Paul indicates that as the members of Christ's church, we are also ambassadors for Him. What an amazing thought!

Paul tells us that anyone who has come to Christ... who has made the decision to trust... anyone who has been baptized into faith in Christ, we are new creations in Jesus Christ and have been reconciled in Christ! While we still live here in the fallen world physically, spiritually we have been adopted in the His new world ruled by the Holy Spirit -Wow! Galatians 2:20 tells us that we have been crucified in Christ and that it is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us.

So we were created in His image and likeness as believers, He has taken up residency in us. He has called us His Children... His Workmanship... and His Ambassadors. If all this is true and we know that it is the very essence of truth, we should also know that are character of Christ is being perfected in us with each day of His Divine transforming process.

This brings us to Colossians 3:12-17 and the examples of the character marks we are called to be; Kind, Patient, Meek , Joyful, Peaceful, Merciful, Humble, Forgiving and the greatest character mark of al is loving. When we are obedient to the Holy Spirit and walk in oneness, we are now representatives and ambassadors of Christ and He can use us to fulfill His Will through the gift(s) He has blessed us.

God's Truths:

Paul says in v. 21, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the
righteousness of God. So what is our big takeaway today?

  • We were given reconciliation, freedom and complete victory over satan's lies...
  • We have had the ministry of reconciliation committed to us...
  • We have become the righteousness of God...
  • We are ambassadors into this world of the most wonderful message ever delivered to mankind and He has entrusted us to share and carry in to all ends of the earth!
  • We are created in the image and likeness of Christ and share similar character marks...

We are called to be His ambassadors, walk in the character you have been given and share His wonder and amazing news with the world!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
How can I make a difference in the lives of those around me?

Scripture To Consider:
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 12:4-5

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
Romans 12:10

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
We talked about Love yesterday's devotional, this is a great start to making a difference in the lives around you; it's actually the foundation and cornerstone to every relationship we will ever have.

I believe that we are to connect with one another and to be intentional about lifting each other up spiritually and encouraging one another in Christ. Connectivity, with each other is the big take away today!

We are the "Body" of Christ, "individually members of one another" as Paul tells us in the scriptures above. Based on these verses in Romans, Paul would make it sound like we actually need each other!

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." Paul goes on the say in v.14,"For in fact the body is not one member but many." "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?"
I Corinthians 12:12; 12:14; 12:18

"Where would we be" Paul asks. We were created for each other, to love one another, to support one another, to encourage one another to edify and build upon each other in Christ Jesus. We actually Need each other and are to be United together as one in Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and it clearly says that we need each other and by His design we are being called to come together, to be there for each other as a family in time of need, to support each other spiritually, financially and generously giving of the gifts and talents we have been given. I love the culture my pastor is building with the simple instruction of sharing of our time, our talents, our treasures and our touch - this is what investing in others looks like!

I think this is one of the biggest reasons God wants us Christ-Centered and not Self-Centered. When we put self first there never seems to be room for others. I can speak from experience when I say, that I know what self-centered Independence looks like - it's a very lonely place!

I have a friend Larry that helped me with this, by sharing a simple acronym called JOY. He said that it should be considered my priority in how I live my life and the actual order in which I needed to live my life if I wanted to be a Christian that was intentional about Christ.
  • Jesus: always first in life; in all things said and done...
  • Others: put others next; start w/ your wife, then kids...
  • Yourself: put yourself last in all things; be first with Christ...

How can we make a difference in the lives of others around us? Take notice of others, invest in them, develop and grow an authentic relationship in Christ with each of them. By God's Divine design, he is counting on each of us to be intentional about the neighbors that he has put in our path.

God's Promises:
"My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love. The whole law is made complete in this one command: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
Galatians 5:13-14

"Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds".
Hebrews 10:24

"In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other. God is against the proud, but he gives to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

LOVE
How can I grow in my love for others?
Big T's Thought To Ponder:
To understand how to grow in love for others we must first understand what love is and where does it comes from. My first thought, what does love look like? One of the most beautiful verses in scripture tells us what love looks like and is described by Paul in I Corinthinans 13.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
I Corinthians 13:4-8
As I was internalizing this verse, I began to realize that the love being described by Paul wasn't only a beautiful description of what love is and what it is not, but Paul was actually describing someone to us. I started to plug one glorious Word into and throughout this verse and the Word came alive in my heart this morning - "Jesus"!
Jesus is patient; Jesus is kind; Jesus does not not envy; Jesus does not boast; Jesus is not prideful; Jesus is not rude, Jesus is not self-seeking, Jesus is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs; Jesus does not delight in evil, but Jesus rejoices with the truth. Jesus always projects, always, trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails...
Jesus is love!
God's Truths:
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
I John 4:8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
I John 4:7; 4:16
A Worldly Perspective:
How does the world define love? Webster says:
  • (1) : based on a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
  • (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers
  • (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
First, I don't recommend you trying a Google search on the word "love". Secondly, don't we have it all messed up! "Affection", "Desire", "Feeling", these are all emotional descriptors. Love isn't a feeling and it certainly isn't an emotion, it's relational! We have watered down the word love and perverted it to the point of no longer being able to truly understand what it means to truly love each other and/or to be loved as God intended.
Take note of the common treat in the definition of love from a worldly perspective: "based on". This implies that we love conditionally. In other words we love each other because we are attracted to one another, or because someone makes us feel accepted, or because they fulfill a desire, need or condition we have. The sinful nature of the nature man is to find our acceptance apart from God - This is not love.
We are all guilty of it. How many times have we said or indicated through out actions, "I love you because your beautiful"; "I love you because I enjoy spending time with you"; "I love you because your funny"; "I love you because you complete me", because, because, because... Our love is not only conditional, it is also erratic and build upon sinking sand. We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next, and do!
It makes perfect sense, look at the divorce rate in the world today, it's through the roof because we stop loving each other, we "fall out of love". We only fall out of love because we never understood love as God intended us to understand it. It is difficult for us to fully comprehend unconditional love, "till death do us part". In the world this typically means, we can part from each other when the flame goes out; when there's a little adversity in our relationship, or when there's some uncomfortable unpleasantries in life. "Till death do us part" means until which time God brings us home - marriage is a relationship and an eternal covenant with God, it is His love (Jesus Christ), that hold it all together!
Can any of us really comprehend "unconditional" love? God's definition and one of the most wonderful truths found in scripture is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
So God helps us understand love through the act of giving. This wasn't just a thoughtful gesture, a gift or present... God sacrificed His only Son so that whoever would put their faith in Jesus Christ the Son of His love, wouldn't have to spend eternity apart from their Creator. Now this is amazing love!
God Is Love:
While we made the choice to be separated from God through our sinful nature, God loved us so much that He sent Love as a intense personal sacrifice so that we could understand love -unconditional, unmerited, Agape Love for eternity! Another awesome truth that illustrates God's unconditional love is found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
In both of God's truths above, you'll notice that there are no conditions placed on God's love for us. Nowhere does He say, if you do this... and if you'll act like that... as soon as you get your act together I'll love you. He never said, "I will sacrifice my Son, but you have to promise to love Me in return." Romans 5:8 and John 3:16 are both quite to the contrary - believe and trust!
God's greatest desire is that we understand that His love for us is unconditional; and even when we are unlovable lost souls to this world, He still sent Love, His son Jesus Christ, so that we could have and understand love through His perfect sacrifice. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.
God's Promise:
It's Unconditional! God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God's love is forever and completely unconditional with no string attached - It's not based on feelings or emotions! He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because He need us or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son to restore that relationship.
Love never fails! And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Friday, May 14, 2010

TESTIMONY
What are the ways in which my life can be a testimony for Jesus?

God's Response:
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13

Those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
1 John 2:5-6

Our Takeaway:
Knowing that Peter and John were ordinary men, the council was amazed at what being with Jesus had done for them. No longer were they backward, fearful disciples. Now, through the Holy Spirit, they were courageous and able to boldly share the truth of Jesus with others.

A changed life convinces people of Christ's power. One of your clearest testimonies is the difference others see in your life and attitudes since you believed in Christ.

God's Challenge:
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior and they will give honor to God when He judges the world.
1 Peter 2:12

Big T's Thought to Ponder:
I have mentioned this before in past devotions and I was reminded of it again this morning. I have never understood why people refer to it as "our testimony". Shouldn't it be called "His Testimony" and our witness or life account of all the wonderful things Jesus Christ is doing in our lives; as He molds us and grows us up, as He transforms our minds and shapes our hearts, and as He pours His understanding and love into each one of our lives, revealing Himself and who He is in each one of us and who we are in Him.
John 15:1-11

Jesus had just performed a miracle in this guys life, a guy that satan had a hold of and Mark tells us that Jesus told him to, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He had mercy on you". I believe "your family" in this context meant, everybody that the man would came in contact with. Shout it to the ends of the earth!
Mark 5:19

This is His testimony for my life.
1 Peter 3:15

For the better part of forty-six years, like the demon possessed man Jesus healed in Mark 5:19, I too allowed satan to control and rule my life. I truly experienced every lustful and perverted pleasure this fallen world had to offer. I was a self-made, self-indulgent, prideful and arrogant entrepreneur; a shell of a man that didn't even have God on the radar screen, yet I had been blessed from head-to-toe. I was as lost and as far away from God as anyone could possibly imagine, never realizing that Jesus was right there all along just waiting and protecting!
Romans 5:8

Even in the midst of the cocaine parties, booze cruises, and the hedonism getaways in far and distant lands, the Lord always had some sort of hedge of protection around me. I tell you the truth, it's truly only by the Grace of God that I am here this morning to witness to any of this.
Ezekiel 33:11; 1 Timothy 1:15-16

I was captured by and in complete bondage to a thirty-six year drug addiction, serious alcoholic binging, and living completely over the edge in what seemed to be an endless pleasure paradox and quest for happiness and fullness of life. I had been blessed by God with a wife that was a saint in comparison; given two beautiful little daughters who rarely saw their daddy and a much older son heading in the wrong direction, never realizing that the little footsteps of a child are sure to follow.
Romans 8:20-21

Consumed and controlled by the all mighty dollar, which there was no shortage of in my life due to a ten-year-old global reach business that God groomed me into. It grew into my personal resource center for all the capital required to live this "successful life style" in which I was consumed by.
1 Timothy 6:10

Consumed to consume, the desire to acquire... This resource center allowed me to live in fancy houses, to drive the flashy cars, drip with gold and diamonds, eat and play at the finest restaurants and country clubs. It allowed me to afford the world travel and frequent Las Vegas getaways disguised as a businessman's busyness.
1 John 2:15-16

By all the standards and values taught and accepted by the fallen world in which we live: work-hard-play-harder mindset, I had truly reached the pinnacle of life, living the American dream! When I had reached the very peak of world success, God finally opened my eyes! It was barren, it was a dead ended road, and it wreaked of death and darkness! This was the night I was rushed to the emergency room, with what I thought was a heart attack.
2 Corinthians 1:4

As I sat in my living room, I felt overtaken and consumed by something I can't fully explain in words, but can only be described as a feeling and sense that life here was over and that I was getting ready to depart from this place. I feared for my life! I screamed for my wife, I huddled down on the floor with my wife and kids- the ones I realized, at that moment, that I truly loved more than life itself. I cried out to God not to take my life and to take care of my family because I knew I wasn't going to make it!

God delivered me to the hospital and I had four days to consider where I was in life and how in the world did I get to such a dark and desperate place. Although there was never any medical explanation of what happened on that dark and fearful night of March 13, 2008, God opened my eyes to reality, gave me hope, stopped the madness and a whole lot more! The only way to describe in words what happened in that hospital over those few days was that God flipped some sort of "Off Switch" inside of me.

From there, God basically laid out a series of events in my life that I can only explain as supernatural and the Divine Plan of Jesus Christ for my life. God had a cure for every disease in my life. When I say disease, I refer to the addictions that are too lengthy to mention; the broken relationships -with my marriage, with my kids and family; my business and the poison I had bred into it and endless other things that I can't begin to list. I want to share a few of His miracles in some sort of chronological order as He began His Divine house cleaning in my life:
  • "His Off Switch": I was a 3-pack a day smoker, daily pot smoker, cocaine abusing, binge drinker. After March 13, 2008, I never had the slightest desire to do any of these things again; He had set me free and broken the chains of bondage I had been captured by, all for His greater purpose and glory.
  • Philippians 4:13
  • "His House Cleaning": Several days after getting out of the hospital, I was sitting at work, and the Holy Spirit called me home to clean house. I went home and cleansed my house of all the worlds temptations. I flushed the contents of my so-called fun box and poured out an entire private stock of gallons upon gallons of satan's assorted pleasures and poisons.
  • Joshua 24:15b
  • "Success that Mattered To God": My wife had signed me up for, "Man in the Mirror - Success that matters"- a men's conference, months prior to March 13th. I had no intention of ever going and actually already had an exit strategy orchestrated. The Holy Spirit planted me there that Saturday morning and as I listened to one of the speakers life account of his own out of control and messed up life, I thought to myself, "surely there can't be two of us in this world that have lived this kind of life?" When there was a calling to pray that prayer, I made a second decision for Christ, praying a similar prayer to the prayer I cried out back in March, just to be certain that God heard me.
  • 1 John 5:14-15
  • "Honesty Is God's Best Policy": After (16) years of marriage, my wife finally popped the question, the one that terrified me! "Have you ever cheated on me?" At that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and basically said, "Tony, you have one shot at this- you have lied to everyone in your life for forty-six years; I can clear the slate today and allow the healing to begin, if you'll just be honest for the first time in your life... right now tell her EVERYTHING!" "Everything?" Everything! I knew at that precise moment that I was not only about to lose my wife, I was also going to lose my children. I had some weird kind of peace and decided to just trust God! I cleaned out the closest and shared every dirty little secret of my life that morning- the prostitutes, pornography, mistresses, drug addictions, everything! I didn't hold one thing back and in the process of all my realness, I ripped out my wifes heart. She had no idea of the man she had been married to for the last 16 years, but God knew that she was spiritually strong enough to hear the truth, the truth that would begin to set us both free from the grips and lies of satan.
  • Colossians 3:5-10
  • "Weekend to Remember God": Again, in Gods Divine plan, my wife had signed us up for some Christian couples getaway thing at church and again, I had an exit strategy already prepared. Still feeling the wake from the closet cleaning experience just a week prior, the roles were reversed for this weekend outing. I didn't need an exit strategy, I needed a miracle sent from God to convince my wife to go with me to this 'Weekend to Remember' Christian couples getaway! My wife loved the new man that God had been transforming since March 13th , but she hated the old sinful man she thought she once knew. I simply asked her if she would join the new man for a weekend of healing and renewing - leaving all the consequences up to God for a favorable outcome! God truly gave us this weekend- the love letters, the date night on the premier weekend of the movie Fireproof, and a special anonymous book called the "The Love Dare". It was too perfect to be anything other than God's sovereign hand upon us. Our marriage was supernaturally brought into oneness with Christ and it was restored to the eternal covenant we had committed to 16 years prior, but never experienced.
  • Ephesians 5:25-33; Ephesians 4:16-24; Colossians 3:9-11; Romans 6:6-14
  • My Resource Center?: God had been completely transforming my life- it was overwhelming to me! There were still so many uncertainties, so many things standing between me and my Savior. God was revealing to me all the poison and corruption that I had built into my company- the resource center that helped fund all the things the old man once desired and the same thing the new man despised! And again, my wonderful wife who was always looking after her husbands best interests, had signed us up for another one of these Christan conferences! It was some Financial Peace gig and a guy named Dave Ramsey. I went just because the guy was a Christian and I remember as I watched Dave on stage, talking about managing the resources that God has entrusted us. He kept giving biblical account to how we are called to be good stewards of the green stuff and that it ALL belonged to God. I was blown away by his teaching about handling personal finances and his sensible action plan for living a debt-free life. At the end of the show, Dave called business owners to the stage and he shared with us his one-week, intensive business seminar in Mexico- one which he would be sharing similar biblical values, but applying them to our business, verses our personal finances in FPU. It was called "EntreLeadership". My wife and I attended the event in Cancun that November and the personal one-on-one time my wife and I had the opportunity to spend with Dave, his wife Sharron, their kids, and his team was beyond awesome; it was a God-given opportunity to be mentored by this man! Dave Ramsey gave me the ingredients and a fundamental launching platform to build a Christian foundation for Ground Zero Electrostatics; to see the commonalities between a static control business and the Kingdom of God. It all sounded pretty weird, but something felt so right.
  • 1 Chronicles 31:11; Isaiah 45:7; Romans 8:28
  • His Ministry: Dave Ramsey and the EntreLeadership program gave us the cement and rebar to pour a Christian foundation, which has beared much fruit for the Kingdom. He was beginning to reveal to me how Static Control and God fit together and what that looked like. So we had a solid foundation coming together, but we had no framework and not enough intentional Christians call-to-action. That's when a group called C-12 came into my life. It was a complete God thing, with multiple people all non-related to one another, telling me about this C-12 thing. "What is it?" I asked one business consultant from Chicago. "It's a Christan organization made up of local Christian CEO's, presidents and business owners. A group of peer-to-peer accountability partners that meet once a month and act as a board of directors and/or advisors." After about the fourth time God put C-12 in my path, I finally wised up, submitted and joined the group one week later. God had blessed us with the Christian, biblically-based foundation and C-12 was the actual framework- the Christian call-to-action, the wise council, and the conduit that God knew I needed to weather the eminent storms ahead. C-12 was the voice of God's wisdom that helped me realize that Ground Zero wasn't my comany at all- it's God's company! It's the ministry and platform He blessed me with, the one He intended me to use for His glory and Divine purpose for my life! Today anyway...
  • Psalm 24:1; Haggai 2:8; 1 Chronicles 29:14
  • Waiting Through The Storms: By allowing God to guide me- through the practicing of His presence and by following and implementing the wise council shared by my brothers in Christ at C-12, He was preparing me for the uncharted waters ahead. Times that would bring the rockiest and most barren terrain imaginable, and rough seas that would make the perfect storm look like child's play. If someone could have given me a glance of my future, I couldn't have conceptually imagined the series of trials and tests that God was about to allow to enter my life.
  • Isaiah 43:1-3; Romans 12:12; James 1:2; Deuteronomy 31:6
  • From Hero's to Zero'$: As a company we literally went from Hero's, knocking down $500,000 dollar months to Zero's- clawing to muster up a $30,000 dollar month. This happened overnight and the business was drying up and evaporating before my very eyes. The harder I tried, the worse things became! I had lost 80% of our workforce and our bank reserves had plummeted to the point we couldn't even afford to pay attention. There were many weeks where we couldn't make payroll, even when we could, it was always paid in order of priority from staff to owners. I didn't get it- God had completely consumed me for the past 12 months and I felt like I was walking on clouds; now I was asking myself, "Where did God go and who flipped the off switch on my business?" There laid the problem, "my business". I was still putting the business before God; holding on way too tight and trying way too hard. This process took me from a prideful business owner, to a humble servant, to Kingdom building.
  • Psalm 57:1; 2 Corinthians 12:9
  • God's Yoke Revealed: Humility wasn't the only treasure in these trials. At this point in my journey, I plugged myself into every possible bible study and men's group I could find. It wasn't until my redneck cousin Skipper, had shared with me during one of our 4am Bible studies about the "Yoke of Jesus" and trusting verses trying. I hadn't a clue at first, but God laid it on my heart to have a deeper understanding of what this yoke stuff looked like. It wasn't an egg! Once I understood what a yoke was, God revealed His yoke to me. I must say that it felt weird the first day I took the yoke of Christ around my neck. I felt guilty because I was no longer driving the bus, I was just a passenger on the bus! It seemed too easy, I wasn't working nearly hard enough, it just seemed to free me of my burdens. His revolution came to me during quiet time one morning... I was no longer in charge of my life or responsible for finding a solutions to our financial dilemma... He was! I was to just wait patiently on God and trust that He is in control. Trusting vs. trying, now there was a concept that would lead to growing my faith by leaps and bounds. His business, not mine? God's in control, not me? He is my provider and I am His child? Wow! Could it really be all about God? Him guiding and me believing and trusting on God for EVERYTHING? This was and is exactly what it all meant.
  • Matthew 11:27-28
  • Trial By Fire: I resigned as CEO and signed on as Servant Leader. I was broke and broken. He had stripped me and His company of everything and then He began to turn up the heat at the office! With lawsuits coming in about one a week, and with collection calls verses sales opportunities at a ratio of 3:1, we were beaten down and feeling hopeless. Paychecks were scarce at best. Commissions were non-exsistant and we were in survival mode and had been for months. Personally, my wife and I had never been happier in this new relationship with Christ. Then He turned up the heat on the homefront! It started with the A.T.M. machine spitting out a white piece of paper verses the green one I had grown accustomed to... "N.S.F.!, what in the world is wrong with this silly machine"? I rushed to work to confirm with my bank that this was just a bad case of fraud or a stolen identity thing. Sure enough, it wasn't the A.T.M. at all, it was another three letter acronym, the I.R.S.! And they had just cleaned us out of our entire savings, my retirement, and every penny in our personal checking account! Things seem to be going from bad to worse and we were being tested to the gills!
  • 1 Peter 5:10; James 1:2; John 16:33; 1 Peter 1:7
  • Backup Plan: Our corporate attorney called and insisted on a meeting in his office to discuss a strategy to deal with the all-pending lawsuits that required our responses. Our plan was a common secular approach in business when people are under the pressure of the world and don't know where their security comes from - Bankruptcy! Just walk away! What in the world are you waiting for, file already? Our attorney's plan was brilliant and I agreed to the conception of a new corporation in my wife's name, hanging all our creditors out to dry in order to regain control of my life and my business. I should have felt great about this, right? Wrong! I had a pit in my stomach and an uncertain uneasiness, as I thought to myself, "We just crafted a wonderful and well thought out business plan -just be happy in it." I knew that I would feel better if I would go to that downtown Bible study I had been invited to months prior and it was right around the corner. I walked in, introduced myself and they began to show a video about Faith. The story line was Abraham walking with God and God assuring him that He would be blessed with a son and that he would have as many descendants as the stars above. Abraham and Sarah weren't getting any younger and decided to develop their own backup plan with Hagar just in case God's promise didn't work out. I immediately knew at that moment what I had just done and why I had that pit in my stomach. When I left the study, I called my attorney with the news that we were not going to be filing bankruptcy and that we were going to just wait on God to show up and deliver us or move on to other things. I think my attorney wanted to recommend a good psychiatrist to me!
  • Hebrews 11:1; 1 John 5:4; Psalm 118:6-9
  • Jesus In-Box: God kept reminding me of George Mueller's contagious statement of faith - "I will always have all I need to do all You have asked of me." Our finance manager and I were sitting in our typical Wednesday morning finance meeting, which never seemed to take much of our time back then. As we finished up in prayer that morning, we were both in tears over the abundance of financial trauma we were experiencing. Then, God put it on my heart to create and add Him to the series of incoming correspondence boxes that I had for all the employees. Since He was our new CEO and there was an empty box at the top, we were obedient to His request. In place of the tears caused by all the financial threats that were pouring into the company on a daily basis, we would simply place any financial threats and/or issues that were impossible for us to wrap our finite minds around, into "the Jesus In-Box" - it was jammed packed! This was about a year ago and today the box is completely empty. The debt is still out there but is being paid back at an accelerated rate as God wills. God has poured His Grace upon all the threats and His Company is getting healthier by the hour.
  • Matthew 19:26; Proverbs 3:5-6; Mark 11:22-23
  • Blind Bankers: I can only describe the following as God's Divine plan and another miracle from our Savior. Back in April '08 the bank that holds our max'ed out line-of-credit, called me into the bank for an ambush, I mean a meeting. The meeting wasn't exactly with my banker, it was actually a loan committee and they wanted answers! Their biggest question was, "Do you know why we have asked you here today?", "How in the world are you going to pay us the money you owe us?" , "Anthony, what are you doing to stop the bleeding?" I replied with a bold and excited, "We're praying!" As they all stared at me and then at each other, as if I was from Mars or some other planet, the regional VP replied, "Seriously Anthony." I rebutted, "I am being serious. We pray to begin our day and at the closing of our day. We pray with our customers and vendors alike. We even have bible studies at work." "We have elected God to step in as active CEO and I have backed down as servant leader. We are also working on right-sizing the business. I assured them that we were still the 5 million dollar a year company we were just two years prior and that we would be again. I told them that we were keeping our hands and feet busy for Christ and that I felt confident that we would have a profitable June '09. The regional VP said He was curious to see if my story would carry any weight, despite the fact that they didn't think we would make it the remainder of the month and that we were insolvent. He said he would allow us two months but would pull the plug if there wasn't significant change.
  • John 15:18-20; Romans 8:35-39; Psalm 27:1
  • God's Companies Are Resilient: We did end up having a profitable June '09 and by God's good grace, Ground Zero Electrostatics has been profitable every month since. I praise Him that we haven't missed payroll since early Q-1 2009 and at the current rate the Lord is pouring His abundance upon us, we will be a debt free company in Q-4 of 2012. These things can only be explained by the Holy Power of Jesus Christ Almighty. The last word from our banker and I quote, "I wanted to tell you guys how happy I am to see this has all turned around for you. Keep up the effort and keep talking to the man in the sky!!! He seems to have a great impact on all of us!" Our banker has inquired about our Thursday Bible Study on more than one occasion. Praise the Lord for the things He has done and all that He is doing!
  • Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 6:33
  • God's In The ESD Business: We have made the decision that once our debt is paid in full, and we are no longer slave to the lender, His company profits will be utilized for Kingdom building opportunities that God puts in our path. He has been doing amazing things through a generosity culture that was adopted in November 2009 and we are watching for every opportunity and the good works in which He has prepared for us beforehand. The old "resource center" that was once used for my personal, worldly pleasures has now been transformed into a profit center for the work of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!
  • Philippians 4:19; John 19:35 (NIV)

I could have literally rambled on and on for hours longer, sharing endless accounts to all the things Jesus has done in my life over the past twenty-four months. This journey has been amazing in how He has used me and His testimony to lead others to Christ and encourage the hopeless. We serve a star breathing, heart transforming, mind restoring faithful God that is our endless supply of acceptance, love, joy, peace, strength, courage, kindness, goodness, and every attribute that is desirable.

With complete victory and freedom in Christ, and by claiming the inheritance that I have in Jesus through trusting and believing, there is no longer anything I desire in this world in which we live except for the relationships He will develop through me while sharing His good news with the world. I Love You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Almighty Spirit!

To God be the glory for the things He has done!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

NEIGHBORS
How am I to love my neighbors?

God's Response:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:39

"The Samaritan soothed [the man's] wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. 'If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.'

"Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits? Jesus asked. The man replied. "The one who showed him mercy." "Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."
Luke 10:34-37

Our Takeaway:
Why did Jesus say to love your neighbor as yourself? Because He knows that our first instinct is to take care of ourselves. If we can just train ourselves to care for others the way we care for ourselves, then we have truly made our neighbors a priority. And caring for others is what love is all about. Every time you show love to your neighbors, God is touching hearts - theirs and yours.

Gods Challenge:
It is good when you obey the royal law as found in Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself"
James 2:8

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
I think that our "neighbors" may be one of the single most important blessings that Gods give us, really... Think about all the relationships God has given you... All your relationships! We are to give every person that God allows into our path the same amount of love as we do for ourselves - WOW, what does that look like?

My initial thought is, if everyone would just follow this basic instruction from God, this world would be a completely different place, there would be a "Extreme Makeover - Global Edition". It would be as close to heaven as we could ever imagine. We would have no war, we would have no crime, we would have no arguments, no division in the church, there would be no rich verses the poor, good verses evil... everyone would have everything they need or want, we would rally around each other In Christ. Complete oneness and global unity in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.... Awesome!

The author did make a comment that didn't set well with me and I believe it to be one of the reasons we have been unable to accomplish and carry out this simple instruction from our Savior, Jesus Christ. He said that "if we can just train ourselves", here inlays the very core of our problem - We Can't! We have been down this road, we have already tried to train ourselves, this has been our biggest stumbling block, road block, and it is exactly what has gotten us in the mess we have in the world today.

We need to quit trying and start trusting! I'll say it again, we need to quit trying to train ourselves up and to start trusting in Christ Jesus to do the training us up. Why would we ever even consider training or trusting in ourselves after reading the "basic instructions before leaving earth" manual in which has been provided to us. Our Holy Bible clearly states and tells us in John 15, to Abide in yourselves and everything will be wonderful? NO!!! It says to abide in Me... remain in Me... spend time with me... I am the Way, the Truth and the Life... trust in Me... be evenly yoked with Me, my burden is light... you can do all things In Me...

Get off the trying treadmill and get into the trusting in Christ hammock; rest in the finished work of our glorious Savior. We just need to trust and abide in His Word and let Him guide us... shape us... transform us... and love the people that God allows in our path. That means EVERYONE God allows in our path! That means we may be called to love someone today that is unlovable - just allow the love of Christ living in you to get it done - He can and He will do it!

God is love! - God indwells me! - He is a living water, a spring bubbling up in us! Let the love of of Christ Jesus flow through you today and soak all the neighbors put in your path!
THE BODY OF CHRIST
Does my church really need me?

God's Response:
Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. . . People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri. . . The Fish Gate was build b the sons of Hassenaah. . . Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana.
Nehemiah 3:1-4


All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27

Our Takeaway:
All the citizens of Jerusalem did their part in rebuilding the city wall (see Nehemiah 3). Similarly, the work of the church requires every member's effort in order for the body of Christ to function effectively. The body needs you! Find a place to serve God, and start contributing whatever resources God has given you. Are you doing your part?


God's Challenge:
If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:7-8

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
Does the church really need us? Not nearly as much as we need the church! The Lord has really been opening my eyes this past week about our spiritual gifts and how important they really are. The Holy Spirit has many functions if I can phrase it like that. One of those functions is to establish in each Christian at least one spiritual gift and for some they are given several gifts. All of us have been blessed with a God given talent of some kind, something we enjoy and excel at.

The reason we hear our pastors preaching about relationships so much is because they are so critically important to the big picture; they are eternal and they are something that we can take with us when we leave here. They support and are the foundation of what joins us all together. Did you know that God wants us all joined united together? He does, He wants us United in Christ as one, we make up the His the Body of Christ, His ambassadors called for a greater purpose.
Colossians 3:16

We are His hands, His feet and His mouth piece or megaphone if you will. Together as we deepen our relationship with Christ, he begins to grow and strengthen all our relationships - our marriage, our relationships with our children, our moms and dads, our neighbors, our co-workers, and and especially the people you go to church with - they are our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ!

If we are called by God to come together as a Body of Believers, the Body of Christ, and we are; and if we all makeup each member of the Body individually, and we do. Then it only stands to reason that it is critical that we are intentional about church; that we are intentional about our relationships, and that we recognize our spiritual gifts and step out in faith to utilize what God has equipped us with. You may be the right hand or the left leg of your of your church and if you're not there, you could be disabling the Body of Christ!

God is counting on each one of us! He wants us to come together as one and united in Him. Does your church need you? They are crippled without you! Don't ignore the gifts that God is counting on you to use for His glory in His Body!

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken"
Ecclesiastes 4:12

Monday, May 10, 2010

VISION
When God shows me an opportunity for His work in the world, how can I get others to catch the vision?

God's Response:
I said to them, "You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!" Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversations with the King.
Nehemiah 2:17-18

Our Takeaway:
Spiritual revival often begins with one person's vision. Nehemiah had a vision for rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. He shared it with enthusiasm and inspired Jerusalem's leaders to join him.

It's easy to underestimate people and not challenge them with your dreams for God's work in the world. But when God plants and idea in your mind to accomplish something for Him, share that idea with others and trust the Holy Spirit to impress them with similar thoughts. Don't regard yourself as the only one through whom God is working. Often God uses one person to express the vision and others to turn it into reality.

God's Promise:
It's not important who does the planting , or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.
1 Corinthians 3:7-8

Big T's Thought To Ponder:
When God shows us an opportunity for His work in the world, we get others to to catch the vision by walking faithfully and obediently in the good works our Father has prepared before hand. We don't initially concern ourselves with others seeing or not seeing the vision, we first need to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and stay evenly yoked with Him.

It is for God to open the eyes of those around us, He will allow His light to be brightened through us and He will put the neighbors in our path whom need to be involved. Others will see the vision that Christ has sent us by the fruit that He produces when we are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and as we walk in the light of the well lit path that He has provided us.
Proverb 3:5-6

I love the underlying message that this devotion carries. Be obedient to the Holy Spirit by acknowledging and sharing the good things that God is doing in your life, (Mark 5:19). Be intentional about the gift(s) He has blessed you with; use them by sharing and sharpening each other and by being vocal about how He is speaking to each of us specifically, hence, allowing God to gather and hand select the team He is going to use to put this portion of His Divine plan into action and fulfill His finished work in all our lives - Fellowship and Kingdom building!
Philippians 2:1-30

I'm reminded of a new small group study I am going to be sharing at my church called, Divine Design-Extreme Makeovers by the Master Craftsman. Basically it is about the extreme makeover that God does in our lives by utilizing the spiritual gift(s) that each of us have been blessed. The study teaches that each believer has been created independently and is a unique type of tool or brush used to paint or mold His masterpiece; He has equipped some of us to be His smaller detail brushes and for some, His trimming and cutting-in brushes. Some are called for His broader or wider brush strokes and yet others, for laying out His special patterns, designs and/ or textures - all types of unique brushes and different tools working together, complimenting each other and creating the common vision or masterpiece for Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:10

When we encourage and inspire others, we put teamwork into action to accomplish the common goals we share in our Savior - Jesus Christ! (Proverbs 27:17)