Getting Our Priorities in Order!

How often do we truly put GOD first? How much time do we commit to the LORD in the morning, praying not my will but Yours be done this day? Chances are in our very hurried, hectic lifestyles necessary to maintain in our society, little if any time is truly devoted to handing it all over to the LORD. Yet, the Scripture very clearly tells us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:33).

Our hurried lifestyles have pushed out the most necessary part of our every day. We neglect to seek the LORD and His righteousness but continue desiring and expecting the provisions He has promised throughout the day. When He fails to provide, we become upset because He has failed us in this regard. Problem is, we have failed Him. We have failed to fulfill our role of seeking after Him and His righteousness. We have become a people of want, want, want, without being a people who seek, seek, seek. We pray, O LORD, meet my every need without first praying LORD make me the person You want me to be—purify my heart, my thoughts, my actions that I may bring glory unto You at all times!

God’s love is unconditional, He loves the entire world as we read in John 3:16, but His blessings throughout the Bible are contingent upon our obedience to His Word. Obedience is the ultimate form of praise and the fruit of faith. It proves that you believe enough to take action on it. Consider these Biblical examples: Elijah told the widow, “first make me a little cake and afterward make something for yourself” (1 Kings 17:13). God said, “bring all the tithes into the storehouse and then I will bless you” (Mal 3:10). Jesus said, “Give (first) and it will be given to you (later)” (Luke 6:38). There is a precedent to receiving and that is to first give. Faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:26).

Over the past years, our ears have been filled with the prosperity preachers telling us GOD’s desire is for us to have everything we could ever want—just speak it into being…. We have those writing books filling our minds with the idea that GOD wants to bless and bless and bless us, we simply need to receive. Many of those preachers have built huge sanctuaries to draw in more and more people with their false gospel. And like sheep without a shepherd, people have flocked to them. Problem is, only those preachers gain anything from their false teachings.

Jesus desires first place in our lives—in all areas—our relationships, our finances, our decisions. When we learn to first focus upon the Lord Jesus, everything else will fall into its proper perspective and place. When we all begin to put God first in our lives, we will discover unity in our spirits and the things that have long divided us will no longer matter. Denominational barriers will gradually melt away because we all love God, and we recognize we truly need each other.

In all areas of our life, God wants to be first and when you do He will bless you beyond what you think is possible. God is always looking for ways to bless us, but it often requires a step of faith on our part to get it started. Give the Lord first place in all areas of your life. The greatest blessing awaits those willing to step out on the water.

No Compromise!

We live in a world that encourages compromise. Every day we are called upon to just let it be—it’ll be okay. What am I talking about? I’m talking about our values, our morals, our beliefs, our stand. Society calls upon us to fudge on these things and simply accept the change that is inevitable.

Certainly in this lost world we are in, change comes. Fact is, it has sped up. Change is happening so rapidly around us, our heads and lives are spinning trying to get some kind of grip on what is going on around us.

I am reminded of a society about 2500 years ago that was going through rapid change. The government of the time was demanding all the people worship the established gods of the leadership. Failure to do so invited immediate death.

Three Hebrew teens recognized the Word of the LORD was to worship no one but Almighty GOD. When instructed to bend their beliefs, be a little flexible—it won’t hurt anything to bow down to the idol—you don’t have to bow down in heart only bend a knee—they understood the GOD’s Word to tell them they were to worship no other gods so they absolutely refused to bend or bow.

When the king found out about their refusal, he even offered them another opportunity to bend a knee rather than face the fiery furnace. What they said to him expresses their true dedication to GOD Almighty: “If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up” (Daniel 3:17-18).

Their faith and trust in GOD regardless of the physical outcome is to be highly regarded. If GOD wanted to save them, He certainly could, but even if He chose not to, He would still receive all glory no matter the outcome. They recognized the value of taking a stand. They recognized that this physical body is not our home and destroying the physical body simply meant it was time to go home. As we know from the rest of the story, GOD delivered them in a miraculous way and His name became highly regarded across the kingdom.

Today, tomorrow and the rest of our earthly lives, we are going to be challenged to be politically correct. We are going to be challenged to fudge our beliefs, our morals and our values. We must determine that we are here to stand for GOD and His Word. We must refuse to take the easy way out and just go along with whatever. Church, we must join together and stand against anything that stands against the Word of Almighty GOD in Whom we serve.

HALLOWEEN…It’s Not Really That Bad?

YES! I’m gonna go there…because we are living in a society where truth is being stomped into the ground, truth must be proclaimed and lived. Where there is no truth, everyone lives a lie!

As you read the quote of Anton LaVey on the attached graphic, please prayerfully consider what he said. Certainly, many will laugh off his quote as silly rubbish with no meaning; however, I have carefully watched this man’s evil path for many years and I can tell you that nothing but evil comes from him and when he speaks, he speaks exactly what his evil heart believes.

Certainly, we can easily “blow off” Halloween as just another day, just another event…no harm for the kiddos to get dressed up, go out in the neighborhoods and just have fun. Problem is simple, we are allowing our kiddos to “just have fun” at their expense. I am in no wise judging anyone for the decision they make about Halloween, I am simply laying the truth out on the table. What each of us does with the truth is certainly our decision but understand that one day GOD will hold us accountable for every decision we’ve made.

Paul gave the church a charge in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22. He tells the church: “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” His charge is not wordy, not difficult to interpret or understand, just difficult for us to adhere to. He instructs us to test everything, check it out against the Scriptures, determine how it lines up with the teachings of GOD’s Word. He then instructs us to grab onto what is good, to cling to those things that line up with the Word. Finally, he tells us to “avoid every kind of evil.” That phrase has been translated as to “flee the very appearance of evil.” Notice he doesn’t simply say flee from those things that are evil; he says flee from those things which even appear evil.

I will certainly have individuals up in arms over this stand but truth has a tendency to do that to people who are determined to live their lives according to their own set standards rather than GOD’s. I can already hear people saying, GOD wants my kids to have fun! This is just a time of the year for them to go out and have fun. Certainly, I don’t need to go into all the Satanic rituals and happenings that will occur world-wide that same evening because those who have their minds made up will not listen. However, as I said before, Judgement Day will come where we will all give an accounting to Almighty GOD for the decisions we have made.

If you have made it this far, your interest is no doubt piqued. I have chosen to abide by the following for the sake of abiding by the Word of GOD and what it says and I pray you will do so as well.

I will not celebrate or participate in Halloween because:

– I don’t want to underestimate the devil
– I don’t want to open up to demonic influence
– I don’t want to stumble into an area of the occult unaware
– I want everyone to know that I take the Bible literally
– I want to prefer the light of the Gospel to the darkness of the occult
– I want everyone to know that it is OK to stand apart from the world on these issues
– I want everyone to recognize easily what is evil and stand against it in the name of Jesus

You Just Gotta Let It Go!

As I look back over my years, I can see times when I allowed what others said or did to me to have a negative impact upon my life and attitude.  I know a time when I truly suffered through a hurtful time in ministry when I felt all alone and so betrayed. During that time, I allowed myself to become bitter and I develop a hatred in my heart toward some people. It took me several years to get over it. Looking back, I realize the only one who suffered during that time was me. Those who hurt me went on with their lives.

What I allowed to happen, should never have happened. I should have turned it all over to GOD, left it with Him, and went on with my life. Things sure would’ve been better for me during that time. Although I may be a bit slow at learning things, I came to realize that GOD can even work through those hurtful times to fulfill His plan and purpose in one’s life.

As I sit thinking about all this, I am reminded of Joseph. His brothers sold him into slavery. He was betrayed by his owner’s wife. He was sent to prison. Yet, through all this, he remained faithful to GOD. He continued using the gifts GOD had given him for GOD’s glory. Certainly, he could have become very bitter and remorseful for all the bad things done to him and towards GOD for allowing such things to happen to him. But he didn’t. He simply trusted GOD in and through it all. Let’s pick up where he revealed himself to his brothers, found in Genesis 45: “Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still living?’ But his brothers were too terrified to answer him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please, come near me,’ and they came near. ‘I am Joseph, your brother,’ he said, ‘the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.'” (Genesis 45:3-5).

Now he certainly could have gotten even. He could’ve had them all imprisoned or killed. But he didn’t. He pardoned them and let them go because he knew GOD was in control of his life as he said: “God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.”

As children of GOD, we are commissioned with preserving life through our testimony and witness of the saving power of Jesus Christ. When we allow bitterness or attitudes or laziness or anything else to get in the way of our mission in life, we become ineffective and others whose lives we were intended to impact suffer because of it. Through the hurt, through the pain, you just gotta let it go, and let GOD deal with it!

Lighting Up the Darkness!

John MacKenzie, a 19th century missionary, prayed: “O Lord, send me to the darkest spot on earth!” and as so many others of his time, he was led to the nation of Africa where he ministered GOD’s Word faithfully. It wasn’t that long ago, that missionary organizations across America were sending out masses of missionaries to other nations. But, things have changed drastically. As we take a look at America, as the world looks at America, we all readily see America has somehow become one of the greatest mission fields on the planet.

Somehow America has traded in her brilliant Light for utter darkness. Somehow the nation that evangelized most every people group in the world, provided Bibles to these people groups in their own language, impacted every people group in the world with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ now stands deeply in need of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke about this condition we find ourselves in today when He said: “The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). America has chosen the evil of darkness over the beauty of the Light.

So, is there any hope for America today? I would say that as long as there is an America there is an opportunity for hope but how much longer can America survive? Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus continues to offer us the Light of life so we do not have to continue to walk around in the darkness. Each of us must recognize our individual responsibility to receive the Light of Christ into our lives and then we have an obligation to spread that Light to others.

Paul encourages the church to fulfill their mission with these words: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). So as we recognize the tremendous work done on our behalf through the cross of Christ, we must take that Light of life and spread it freely everywhere we go.

JESUS IS SUPREME!

Today’s world is filled with a plethora of religions and philosphies which supposedly grant some form of entry into the afterlife. True, they are doors to the afterlife, but to what afterlife? What can they promise? What truth do they hold? Upon what are they conceived or constructed that gives them any credance, value or reality? Do they really offer any hope or do they simply offer a means whose end is eternal death?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No many comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6). You say, well that is all good and well for you, but it seems a bit narrow-minded, seems very inclusional. What right does Jesus have to say He is the only way? His right was made real by His bodily resurrection which was witnessed by hundreds of people and then His physical ascension back to heaven.

Watch Out for the Gutter!

I can so well remember years back when I was in high school how my life went south. I was a regular Sunday morning church attender and somehow felt that would keep me in an alright place with GOD. You see, what happened was I began to spend more and more time with other teens who, although they weren’t necessarily all that bad, they simply were not Christians. Initially, I went into the friendships believing somehow my shallow Christian behavior would offer a positive influence upon them; at least I had myself convinced of that, I think.

However, it wasn’t long before their negative influence had overcome my positive influence. Before long, I was doing the same stuff they were doing. Somehow, their ungodly influence had won out over the shallow Christian beliefs I had and I was wallowing in the same gutter they were in. It took me several years of doing that before I began to wake up one day. I began to look back at what I had been and then looked forward at what I had become and I have to admit I was really shocked by what I saw. Seems difficult to see a gutter-life when you are living in the gutter but when you begin to come to your senses things brighten up quickly.

I was reminded of the story of the prodigal son. He took off with a handful of money to a distant land. He lived it up. He did all the bad things his parents had warned him about. But before too long, life turned south for him. He ran out of money and right after that, he ran out of friends. He soon found himself in the gutter, living with pigs. Certainly, he had been living in the gutter for some time but it wasn’t until things got rough that he began to wake up to the fact.

It’s incredible how easy it is to fall into the gutter and get stuck there. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul warned us that bad company corrupts good character. Unfortunately for some of us, that warning went unheeded. And its nuggets of truth proved to be so true. So, how do we go about maintaining our Christian walk in a sea of lies and deception? How do we keep from walking the edge of the gutter until we finally tumble in without even realizing it?

The Psalmist gave us a simple solution: “How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3). 

In other words, refrain from making non-Christians your best friends and confidants. Delight in and meditate upon GOD’s Word continually. And your life will be blessed abundantly by GOD. Whatever that individual does will prosper. Get in the WORD to protect yourself from becoming vulnerable to becoming a gutter-dweller.

Hear the Lord Speaking!

As I look back on my life and I carefully consider the way certain things have happened and the people that GOD has brought along to speak into my life, t becomes easy for me to see that GOD definitely speaks to His children. We may not necessarily be listening, as I can well attest to, but there is no doubt that GOD speaks clearly to us, we just simply neglect to receive it as His voice to us. Recently, a lady approached me and simply said, “GOD told me to tell you to ‘Take the Plunge!'”

Now I had been considering numerous ministry opportunities at the time and my mind swirled as I tried to understand which plunge He wanted me to take. I figured, well, I will just keep moving forward and GOD will toss away those He doesn’t want me to carry on with and He will continue to open doors to new adventures as I faithfully move forward. Certainly things are changing and I am recognizing GOD working to lead me to the place He desires for me to be. But I also have feelings of unworthiness and unpreparedness to fully engage in all GOD would call me to do.

As I carefully contemplate these things, I’m reminded of a fellow in the Bible who also felt unworthy and unprepared to carry out GOD’s divine plans for his life. That man’s name was Gideon. The Angel of the LORD came to him in his place of hiding from the enemy and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Now remember he was “hiding” from the enemy at the time. Far from being a mighty warrior and he said as much in his response back to the LORD. But, GOD didn’t see the little weakling Gideon saw rather He saw a mighty warrior. And as you continue reading the Scripture, you recognize quickly that by submitting to GOD, Gideon definitely proved to be just what GOD called him.

Today, you may look at yourself and see an individual that has no ability to move the kingdom of GOD forward. All you can see is your weakness and your inabilities but GOD is seeing a mighty warrior capable of shaking things up and making an impact upon the world GOD has placed you in and called you to service is. Today, He is speaking to you through your experiences, through His still small voice and through words He gives to others to speak His truth into your life.

Gideon could have easily turned a deaf ear to the call of GOD and never fulfilled GOD’s desires for His life. But, he didn’t. He listened and he responded. Are you listening today? Are you hearing what GOD is leading you to do. There are no unnecessary people in the family of GOD. Everyone is important and everyone has a job to do. Step up and fulfill GOD’s plan for your life today!

Fetching the Lost One!

As I move among churches and talk to their people and leadership, I am saddened by hte great numbers of people that “just don’t come to church anymore.” I wonder how many of them have joined another church and how many have simply quit going altogether. I wonder how many of those have been hurt by something another person said or did to them and the one causing the hurt wan’t even aware. So many things go through my mind as I prayerfully consider these lost ones.

Church, Jesus is concerned about the lost ones. Fact is, He is usually much more concerned than we are. As the church, we often show very little, if any, concern for the wandering. Consider what Jesus said about these lost ones as recorded in Luke 15:4-7: “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it. When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.”

As we look at these verses and carefully consider the Great Shepherd’s concern for the lost one, we recognize very quickly the importance He puts on that one. Sadly, churches are often content that they still have the 99 and show little, if any, concern for that one. They figure that lost one isn’t worth the effort required to go searching after them. Why waste time trying to bring that one back into the fold when I need to be putting my effort into the 99 who haven’t strayed? That is a poor excuse! In fact, that is a wrong excuse—one for which many in the church will have to give an accounting for on judgement day.

Perhaps what bothers me even more today and I’m certain it breaks GOD’s heart is the total lack of concern by many of the church’s shepherds today. So many have placed their personal concerns, desires and daily activities far above their sheep. All they think about and talk about is their hobbies and sports and other activities that tend to take up their daily routine. I see those who talk all about what is going on in their personal world yet never mention the wonderful people in their church and how awesome GOD is working within their church. Many who do mention their church tend to be heaping all the glory upon themselves rather than the Great Shepherd and what He is doing.

CHURCH, as you gather, consider those who used to be there and aren’t anymore. Consider how important they are to GOD and then go look for them as JESUS spoke of in Luke 15. He went out determined to find and bring back that lost one, so should we! 

Be Ever Watchful of the Deceptions of Our World!

It is interesting to me how quickly people jump from one thing to another. I know there was a time in my life where I had trouble maintaining one train of thought and had a tendancy to jump from one idea to another. This was especially so when it came to dealing with Biblical and doctrinal issues. But, I found the more grounded I became in the Word, the easier it became for me to differentiate between Scriptural and tradition. It is really sad to see the number of people in the local church who have little or no Biblical foundation, trusting simply in what they are told and taught. Of course the enemy loves to keep GOD’s people blinded to GOD’s truth because he recognizes their ineffectiveness as such.

As I think about this, I begin to see how easy it is for believers to fall into the trap of worshipping false gods and false ideas. The lure of sugar-coated teaching and preaching draws the unknowing into the trap of deception and before long the idea of the object of worship becomes entangled in a web of deceit.

Consider for a moment, the Israelites. If you read the Old Testament, it is easy to see how readily they accepted the deception of the gods of the foreigners. It almost seems like they would find GOD, begin to follow after Him and worship Him and then it wasn’t anytime at all, they were back to worshipping the god’s of the nations surrounding them. Consider for a moment what GOD said to His people through His prophet, Hosea:“The LORD said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.’ So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, ‘You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you.'” (Hosea 3:1-3).

Its easy to see from GOD’s viewpoint that any doctrine, any belief, any train of thought, any deceptive practice that is un-Scriptural or in any way outside of Biblical teaching is considered the same as prostituting ourselves to other gods. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? But, GOD takes following completely after Him as very serious. Because He knows how easily entrapped we can become. Before long, we fall prey to the deception of prosperity teaching. We soon accept and begin to live the idea that GOD is a genie in a bottle that wants me to be nothing but happy no matter how I get to that point. Before long we are chasing after the doctrines of demons, the lies of the enemy, and before too long, we have lost sight of what being a true believer in JEASUS CHRIST is even about any longer.

If you have fallen prey to these lies, turn back to GOD while you still can. Reach out, repent and confess your faults and failures to GOD and return to a right relationship with Him.