Do What?!

Right now a lot of people are experiencing big changes and facing huge challenges. Kids, young people, and young adults are starting a new year at school. Some are going to College for the first time. They are getting ready to tackle new subjects and learn new information. Some are seeking employment, while others are starting, or even restarting new jobs. I, for one, am going to take on secular employment while continuing to pastor in Edwardsville. This is the first time I have had to do this in over 25 years of full-time ministry.

I am thankful for a God who knows our limitations and is able to help us in all of life's trials and challenges. Even when the task seems as big as building an Ark that is bigger than a football field, and as tall as a 4 story building, God is able to see us through gloriously.

With all that I have been seeing and even experiencing, allow me to offer these few tidbits of advice - advice I am reminding myself of.

First, have faith in the Lord! (Matt 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.") Go forward believing that whatever is before you is not too big for the Lord to accomplish through you. Through faith in the Lord, the mountains in your life can be moved, or climbed over, or tunneled through! There is nothing that you are going through that God isn't already prepared to take you through.

Second, be positive, which comes with faith. (Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.") Ask the Lord to give you a good, optimistic and positive attitude towards life, the challenge you are facing, and the people around you. This really does make a difference. Negativity is usually due to exaggerated thoughts and unconstrained words that have been allow to dream up the worst possible outcome in the situation you are facing. Be warned, what you think and say can have a self-fulfilling way of becoming reality. Fortunately, things seldom turn out as bad as you first think. Being positive and optimistic really is more realistic, more often than not. Why get yourself all upset unnecessarily?

Third, determine to influence others with your faith in God and your positive attitude. (1 Thess 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.") Be a contagious person. Help those around you to have faith and be more positive and optimistic. Faith filled, optimistic, people are able to encourage others without hardly even trying. Be determined to build others up. Encourage them to trust the Lord. Shower them with warm smiles, and optimistic ways of seeing things. If you look carefully and with eyes of faith, you will see the good in things and in others. Then help others to see what you see, and what you have faith for. Remember Heb 11:1
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Situations can seem bigger than life. But God is WAY bigger, and nothing is impossible when God is with you. Have faith, be positive, and influence others.

Enjoy this humorous and fun video clip about Noah and his wife.

Mephone

We all need to ask this question: "What is important to me?" Think about it, longing for the things of the world is foolishness. It just doesn't make sense. The things of this world are all passing away. In other words, they fail, rust, fall apart, and are destroyed or stolen. And, they are all a part of a temporary world and a temporary life. Why not be much more concerned about eternal life and the things of life on the other side? Why not accumulate for yourself treasures in heaven where rust and moth do not destroy, and, where you will live forever to enjoy them? Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And don't think that you can have both. . . . The Bible says that you cannot serve both God and money, or God and the things of this world that money can buy. (Matthew 6:24) But if you make the right choice and pursue the things of God, God will bless you, even with the things of this world. The things of this world, like cars, houses, computers, etc, are not evil in and of themselves, it is the love of them that leads to selfishness and evil. Furthermore, if you have set your heart on things above rather than on things below, whatever God gives you is more than you expected and better than you thought.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 ? "But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Enjoy this humorous video. It is called, "Mephone."

Motives - Ten Shekels and a Shirt

This is a meatier word that has to do with our motives. In Judges 17 there is a story of a Levite (priest) which Micah paid for in order to attempt to win the favor of God. The Levite sold out, but God is not one who can be bought. Knowing and having God in our lives is much more a matter of the heart, and not works, money or religious observances. Remember, God told King Saul, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." And, Ps 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." God wants our trust and obedience to Him because we love Him and have faith in Him. God wants us to love Him and have faith in Him because He is worthy of it, not necessarily because we will benefit from it. God doesn't want to be used anymore than we do.

The good news is this: When we love Him and come to Him for the right reasons, or should I say, with the best and purest motives, God blessings flow to us. Being blessed by God is part of being near Him and being a part of Him. God wants to bless us and care for us. He calls Himself our Heavenly Father, and He loves us even more than an earthly father possibly can.

Maybe you came to Jesus because you wanted to be saved from sin and condemnation - I did! But, grow in Him and get to know Him. You will see that there is more, way more. There are purer and more honorable motives that last longer, motivate us stronger, and cause us to be more blessed, than bargaining with God will ever do.

Watch this video clip and chew on this for a while. Let God open your heart and understanding to the truth of what this preacher is saying. Love and serve God because He is God. You won't be sorry you did.

Handling Disappointment

It isn't very often that everything goes just as planned. In fact, these days you can count on things not going as planned and having to make constant adjustments as you go forward. So, how does one cope with disappointments, especially when they involve matters of faith and the Lord? What do we do when it seems like the Lord isn't coming through for us the way we thought that He would?

There is a great little book out called, "The Prisoner in the Third Cell" by Gene Edwards. It talks about John the Baptist. Even though John was a humble and totally committed servant of the Lord, surely he must have had ambitions and aspirations concerning what he was going to do for the Lord. But, once Jesus actually came on the scene and began His public ministry, John's ministry took a dive. First, he began losing his audience. Then his disciples started following another (Jesus). Soon after, he found himself in prison and lost his life. John's ministry was relatively short and it ended on a downward slope.

Along the way to the end, while John was in prison, he sent a messenger to Jesus to ask Him a question. Luke 7:18-19 "John's disciples told him (John) about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" John sent his disciples with this question after he baptized Jesus with water, after he heard the voice of the Father saying, "This is my son in whom I am well pleased" and he saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus as a dove. This was after John proclaimed to everyone that Jesus was the One, the Messiah, the One who was before Him and the One whom he was unworthy to untie his sandals. This was after John heard of all the miracles that Jesus was performing.

When we go through difficult times it can be very hard to see clearly or understand how things are working for good. In this case, John questioned his own faith and understanding of what was going on. Things just weren't going like John planned or thought they would.

Jesus' response to John's question ends with a very startling statement, Luke 7:21-23 "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

"Blessed is the man who does not fall on account of ME (Jesus)." In other words, blessed is the one who simply hangs on to the faith that saved them and don't give up or quite when God doesn't meet their expectations. It isn't uncommon for God to do things His way rather than ours, after all, He is omniscient and we aren't. Hebrews 12:2 says, "Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith," and not on the circumstance or situation. God is faithful and He will not fail us. His will is good, perfect, and pleasing, even if it is different than what we thought it was going to be. Never doubt what God is doing, and never forget that His will is good, perfect and pleasing. Keep pressing on, and NEVER GIVE UP!

Land of the Free?

We just finished celebrating the birth of our country. And, on this historic date, July 4th, the predominate characteristic attached is that of freedom. We are said to be the land of the Free. And, I suppose that if you compare us to many other nations, we would find this to be comparatively true. But, are we truly free? I declare to you today that no nation is truly free where their is no God. AND, there is no god but the God of the Bible. (I know that sounds narrow minded, but it is the truth none the less.) Unfortunately, secular America has been trying to kick the God of Christianity out of the mainstream of society for nearly 50 years now. And even worse, the American church, in general, is losing their passion for the faith that this nation was once built upon.

Freedom, as many seem to understand it, is becoming an indulgence in selfishness and self-centeredness. Furthermore, there is no true freedom where people have not mastered the control of their own lusts, selfish and evil desires, habits, and the strongholds of their mind. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Spirit lives in us, and God gives us the desires of our heart - right, good and godly desires. When we allow Christ to crucify our fleshly and worldly desires, He replaces them with good, godly and righteous desires. Consequently, we become truly free. When Christ is truly Lord of our heart, mind, and life, then there is no need for laws to control us, whether those laws are secular or religious. Furthermore, whether we live under a democratic government or a dictatorship, we are still free in the ways that really matter. People who are given freedom but don't have the Spirit of Christ and the Word of God to guide them are easily drawn into things that enslave them, such as lust, anger, alcoholism, self-centeredness, fear, covetousness, and the like.

If you truly want to be free, whether you live in America (as back-slidden as it is becoming) or in Iran, give your heart and life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In Him you will find the peace and freedom that truly makes you free. Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free." John 8:36 "He whom the Son (Jesus) sets free, is free indeed."

Food for Thought

One of the greatest challenges and the greatest joys is to truly discover what God's perfect will and plan for your life is. It is both general and specific. It is consistent and ever adjusting. But to know it can give you such a peace about life and living.

I believe that God is revealing to me a greater revelation of His plans and purposes for my life and ministry (which are one and the same - my life and ministry). Nearly 20 years ago I felt that God gave me some insight into what He was going to use me to do for the Kingdom of God. I believe that I am beginning to see it start to come into being. If so, I will be very excited about the future, even though right now we seem to be going through some sort of desert, or wilderness experience. By that, I mean that we are seeing God move and do some wonderful things, yet at the same time our provisions are drying up. We are awaiting for God's manna from heaven, or water from a rock kind of thing to start happening. Until then, I (or should I say we, because we are never alone in the Kingdom of God) need to avoid grumbling and complaining. We need to learn to be content with what God is doing, and allow our faith to be stretched and expanded because the land of milk and honey is not far away and the trials of the day are not too hard to endure.

Always remember, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And God is indeed for us, that I do not doubt.

The Times We are Living In

The times we are living in are distressing, to say the least. Natural disasters, man-made disasters, financial disasters, well - you already know. But the worst disaster is that Christians in America are giving in to the fear and stress. Rather than rising up, doing more, working harder, praying more, and fasting, church attendance and giving is going down in America. I am afraid that too many Americans have bought into the whole prosperity teachings of Christianity to one degree or another. Don't get me wrong, I believe in a good, generous, and loving God, but I also believe that He doesn't intend to spoil us or completely protect us from the trouble and difficulties that we face in this world. Like it or not, we grow and mature under pressure far more than when everything is perfect and good.

Let us not forget, the primary reason for being a Christian is so that we can be forgiven from our sins, saved from being condemned from those sins, and brought into a personal relationship with the God who made us and saved us. This is because of His great love, grace, and mercy. All the blessings we get are extras from God, and God is glad to give them to us when it is for our good. But, true Christians are willing to work, suffer, and sacrifice for God and His cause and purposes on the earth. True Christians will love and serve Him no matter what!

If we will trust in the Lord, and remain faithful to do His will, we are going to be fine. Things might get uncomfortable before they get better, but ultimately, by faith in Him, we WILL be able to give God the glory He is due.

Back in the Saddle Again.

Hey everyone! Kim and I are back from vacationing in Texas. Believe it or not, it was cooler in Texas than it was here. Go figure! We had a great time as we seemed to have successfully balanced rest and activity. We spent 1 week in Corpus Christi, and 1 week in San Antonio. Kassi went with us. No one got sick or injured. Basically, there were no problems. Just good times and good memories.

But, we are back and ready to get busy doing the work and will of the Lord through our wonderful church. Did everyone get to fill out the survey our Church Health Committee distributed while we were gone? I'm looking forward to reading your responses. We are totally interested in doing whatever is necessary for us to have a healthy, growing church. Your input and participation is important.

Also, have you become a fan of Liberty Worship Center on Facebook? Check it out and join the community.

PT

Release the Blessings of God in Your Life

God WANTS to bless us! His blessings are not locked up and hidden from us. Therefore, God has given us the keys, or principles, needed to be able to release His blessings into our lives. One reason why people have trouble releasing the blessings of God is because the don't know what God has said in order for us to release them, but, once we know what they are, we must practice, or do, the principles God has revealed to us. Sometimes it is as simple as asking God for some kind of blessing or for a need to be met. Other times it is more. For example: If you have financial needs, but you aren't giving to the Lord at least a tithe (10% of your income) and an offering (something more, above the tithe), then you are robbing God according to Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.
To expect something when you give nothing is also a violation of the law of the harvest. You reap what you sow, but, if you sow nothing into the harvest field, you can expect that you will also reap nothing. 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
This past Sunday I preached concerning the first and most important of all the Keys to releasing God's blessings into your life, and that is to give your heart and life to God through Jesus Christ. All good gifts come through Jesus Christ. In fact, He is the greatest gift of God that any of us could ever receive. Because Christ purchased our salvation, we not only have a relationship with God as sons and daughters, but we can also approach His throne of grace with confidence and make our requests known to Him.
Salvation through Jesus Christ is like having the key to the vault where all the safe deposit boxes are. Once we are in the vault, there are hundreds, even thousands, of blessings available to meet our every need. Future messages will reveal other keys needed to releasing the blessings of God. In one respect, these are the secrets of the kingdom, but, since they have been revealed to us in God's Word, the Bible, I (as well as others who are helping me) will only be revealing to you what God's Word says. Once you know them, do them, and you can expect to be blessed by God, one way or another.

May you be blessed, abundantly!

The Day of Pentecost

The Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 was one of the most important events to happen in the history of humanity. It was the day in which God fulfilled His promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, or, as many as will receive Him. It was the day in which God was able to do with His church what He wanted to do with Israel. God gave all believers the right and the ability to be a kingdom of priests and prophets for His glory. Among other things, this marks the day, or the event, where God inaugerated His church and began the greatest move to save humanity and establish His Kingdom on the earth. These are the last days, and this is thought by most Bible scholars to be the Latter Rain, or the days in which God is pouring out His Spirit liberally to prepare for His return.

And yet, as prophecied in the scriptures, these days have also been days where believers are falling away. The divide between good and evil is both being blurred and defined. The war between satan and Christians is growing more and more intense. In this country, we are moving away from God rather than towards Him. Even the church in America (in general) is growing luke warm. God! We need another Pentecost! We need one more outpouring of the Spirit of God. We need the revival fires to burn in America once again. Shake us Lord! Move us! Once more show us your glory and wake up your lazy, sleeping church.

Update - 05-11-10

Board Meeting tonight. Never a problem. Christians CAN work well together.
Did some visiting yesterday. Enjoyed it. Need to do more.
We need more discipleship and relationship building opportunities in our church.
We need to accept and like God's desire to stretch our faith and cause us to grow. Anyone know first hand what I'm talking about? Or, should I say, Is there anyone who doesn't know what I am talking about?

I'm Back, I think.

Wow, I haven't updated this since December. Shame on me. Now I am sure that I have no readers. This will be like starting all over again.