The Heart Test

"But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart."
~ Jesus ~

One of the great feats of the human mind is the ability to reason inductively. **Induction or inductive reasoning, sometimes called inductive logic, is reasoning which takes us "beyond the confines of our current evidence or knowledge to conclusions about the unknown."

**The Duck Test
"The duck test is a humorous term for a form of inductive reasoning. It can be explained this way and I am sure you know the saying quite well:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

The test implies that a person can figure out the true nature of an unknown subject by observing this subject's readily identifiable traits. It is sometimes used to counter abstruse arguments that something is not what it appears to be.

The Heart Test
Jesus had His version of "The Duck Test." I call it "The Heart Test." In Matthew 15. 10-11, 18-19, Jesus says, "Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up...But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That's what pollutes."

Our actions and our words reveal what is in our heart...What are we producing? What is coming out of our mouths? What are people 'inductively reasoning' about us from the way we live our lives? It comes down to deeds and intentions...

The smallest deed is greater than the grandest of intentions. We can mean one thing and say another, but the final product is what comes from our heart. There is no faking it...We can say we are Christians all day long, we can say we are dedicated and committed to our families all day long...we can say we do all things to Glorify God, but Our actions speak louder than our words and our intentions...are the ingredients of our hearts producing a nutritious meal of life?

Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. ~ Psalm 139:23 ~

**Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_test

Walk, Work, and Watch

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

~ Jesus ~

Going On Rounds
My God-Ordained passion and dream is to become an M.D. ...I envision the day that I have the fortunate opportunity to go on rounds and learn from some of the brightest doctors who have knowledge and expertise in healing and treating human form. I want to become the best Doctor God has called me to become, but it will not happen if I am around those that do not have a patient-first mentality or those who slack off and take short cuts.

It's the same way in life and being the best person God has called us to become. We must spend time with those who have qualities we desire to obtain. And when it comes to the Ultimate Example, those of us who claim to follow Jesus Christ should aspire to be like Him. 1 John 2.6 says, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (emphasis added)

Walk, Work, and Watch
Walking as Jesus did is analogous to going on rounds with Jesus. In Matthew 11.28, Jesus gives us the Three W's (Walk, Work, and Watch) of how we are to be the 'resident' as we follow Him, the Attending Physician. He states the following:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
(emphasis added)

Contrasting Conclusions
Who are we walking with? Who are we working with? Who do we watch? The answer to those questions have huge implications...In fact, they have contrasting conclusions according to Scripture. Take a look at two translation of 1 Corinthians 15.33 and then compare them back to Matthew 11.28:

Stop being deceived: "Wicked friends lead to evil ends."
~ 1 Corinthians 15.33 (ISV) ~

Don't let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people.

~ 1 Corinthians 15:33 (GWT) ~

And then to the contrary Jesus says, "Come to me...and you'll recover your life."
~ Matthew 11.28 (MSG) ~

*See "Jesus, MD," by Dr David Stevens and Gregg Lewis for An intriguingly fresh glimpse of Jesus from the unique perspective of a contemporary doctor examining and learning from the Great Physician.

Enhancing Attention

Mental exercises on Enhancing Attention help us to focus on what we read as well as what we observe. Take the following test and see how you do? Then, let's see how it applies to Reading Scripture.

Take a few seconds, normal reading speed, and read the following:***

PARIS
IN THE
THE SPRING

ONCE
IN A
A LIFETIME

BIRD
IN THE
THE HAND

In each phrase, an article is repeated. If you saw it, Great. If you did not see it, it is because you are reading on automatic. You saw the phrases and felt familiar with them, skipping over the obvious.

Attention On Scripture
How do we read Scripture? Are we only reading on automatic? Are we only reading what we want to read or seeing only what we want to see? Take for example the following two verses:

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37.4)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
(John 15.7)

How do we read those two verses? Did we go on automatic and blow right past the first parts (see blue text) and only see the second parts (see red text)?

So many times, at least in my experience, our focus is only on the "desires of our heart" and "it will be given you" and we don't even see that our focus should be with our relationship to The Lord.

Jesus enhanced His attention for us, His Focus was on us as He hung on The Cross. I Pray my focus and attention are on Him...if they are, everything else will fall into place!


*** The above test comes compliments from Dr. Barry Gordon, M.D., Ph.D, and Lisa Berger, from their amazing book, "Intelligent Memory."

Worship

Worship: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

When it comes to Worship, it's not that God needs to hear us tell Him how awesome He is, it's that we need to do it in order to remind ourselves of how Awesome He is!

Worship is a cause and effect relationship. What we believe in determines our behavior and our behavior leads to our actions. So if we Worship God, then our belief in Him is strengthened, our behavior is sanctified, and our actions will be blessed.

We want His Blessings, but do we Worship Him? The Book of Psalms is very clear on this point:

What a stack of blessing you have piled up
for those who worship you. Psalm 31:19-22 (emphasis added)

Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness. Psalm 34:9 (emphasis added)

We need to Worship God, constantly having Him on the front of our minds and thoughts so that our actions are driven by what He wants. And why is understanding what He wants so important? Because if we want to live our lives according to His Will, We need to learn more about how He works.

From Colossians 1.9-12 we are told this:

As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

Who or what do we Worship?

Fear: Which One?

Fear...we all have it. The question is, which one drives you. Take the test below.

1. Fear of missed opportunities
2. Fear of making a mistake

I would rather make a mistake than miss an opportunity. I would rather play offense than play defense. I would rather be proactive than reactive. Circumstances and Opportunities are all around us, we must take advantage of them. From Psalm 105.1-6, we see the following:

Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence.

It's all about Holy Anticipation, Holy Expectation. Psalm 5.3 says, Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

But when we do see the opportunity, we must act. James 2.20 says, You foolish person! Must you be shown that faith that does nothing is worth nothing?

Faith not in use is worthless. Jesus laid down His Life so that we could live. I want to live my life for Him the way He fought for me.

His death was not passive. My life will not be passive.

Set Free From People Pleasing!

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! ~ Galatians 6:14 ~

Are We Pleasing God or people? Do we care more about what God thinks and less about what people think? Who or What is our standard?

Solomon Survey: Obedience Part Two

Following up on Part one of Obedience, we see how Jesus obeyed God The Father and because of this obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever...Philippians 2.5-11

Immunity
I think we as Christians have become immune to this word obedience or perhaps even legalistic...we have lost the true meaning of it.

Here is how serious The Lord views our obedience:

Obey the Lord's teachings
and you will live--
disobey and you will die. ~ Proverbs 19:16 ~

Hello! ...Are we obeying God or do we have some other treasure that consumes us...Look at Proverbs 7.2:

Obey me, and you will live!
Let my instructions be
your greatest treasure

Here's the problem: Our greatest treasures are not The Lord's instructions. Our greatest treasures have become television, material goods, and horoscopes. We learn about life through the media instead of Scripture, we have to rent out storage facilities because we have so much "treasure," and we seek horoscopes/culture instead of God's instructions.

God of Grace & Truth
Listen, God is not out to "get us." To the contrary, He loves us so much that He sent His One and only Son for us. But He is The God of Grace and Truth...All throughout The Old Testament we see how the Israelites were kept from entering The Promise Land because of disobedience and whining...but then Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter because of their powerful Faith...And then ultimately we see in The New Testament, how Jesus, because of His obedience, was lifted high and honored far beyond anyone or anything by God His Father."

You and I have a choice today...obey or not...promoted or lost? What will we do?

Solomon Survey: Obedience Part One

Obedience
Being obedient is talked about all through out Scripture, but I can not think of one better than Philippians 2.5-11 which tells us that Jesus "lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death," and "Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything..."


Take Every Thought Captive
What do we need to have "die" off in our lives? Sin, selfishness, complaining, lack of faith, worry, insecurity, criticism, cussing, addictions? We need to crucify it and move forward in obeying God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10.5)

God's Promotion
1 Peter 5 tells us that God will promote us at the right time, but we must keep a cool head and stay alert, because the devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch us napping. We must keep our guard up, because once we let it down, disobedience will reign.

Check out part two of obedience in the next post!

Solomon Survey:Righteousness & Perception

I want to close the Solomon Survey by focusing in on 4 stumbling blocks that could be causing our Prayers to go unanswered. These areas are important to look at because these are the verses no one wants to talk about, but if we are living a life of unanswered Prayers, it is imperative that we become like Sherlock Holmes and investigate what it is that God wants us to know during "dry" seasons of our lives...


So today I want to bring up two topics: Righteousness and Perception

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

~ James 5.16 ~ (emphasis added).

Righteousness & Perception, How Do I Know?

Being righteous simply means being right with God. We all know areas of unrighteousness like lying, stealing, being unethical etc. But I want to hit these 2 areas that are hardly ever discussed. So If our prayers are going unanswered, we must ask ourselves a few questions.

1. Are we confessing our sins?
Proverb 28.13-14 tells us we will be failures if we do not confess our sins.

2. Are we cruel and cutting people down that we see in public or on tv?
Proverb 28.13-14 also tells us that if we are cruel, then we will end up in trouble.

Now, here is The good news. This same passage, Proverb 28.13-14 , also shows us that God is merciful and will bless us IF we confess and are afraid to do evil...

3. Do We have a Perception Problem?
Perception is so important to answered Prayer...As Steven Furtick says,"We receive what we perceive." And what is it that we want from answered Prayers? We want to receive an answer! Wow, that's deep!

Anyway, I can not get out of my mind that we may not be receiving answered Prayers because of how we perceive ourselves and how we perceive others. Have you ever asked the following question, "God, why are you turning your back on me?"

Well, the problem could be that God is asking you and me, "Why are you speaking evil words to those I have created?"...You see if we perceive the worst in people and constantly criticize them while we are watching the tube or out in public, even if it is under our breath, than God will turn His back on us...don't take my word for it...read what God has to say about it:

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. ~ 1 Peter 3.8-12 ~

God's Step-by-Step Manual
We say we always want God to speak to us, to answer our Prayers. 1 Peter 3.8-12 could not be any clearer. It's like a step-by-step instruction manual straight from The Mouth of God...

* "Whoever Wants"..."Here's what you do"...."say"...."snub"..."cultivate"...."run"...it tells us what God approves of, how He listens, how He REPSONDS TO WHAT HE IS ASKED...But because God is a God of both Grace and Truth, we see that yes, He will turn His back on those who do evil things...and He clearly tells us that saying "evil or hurtful" things are evil.

Warm and Fuzzy
Now don't get me wrong...this is not some warm and fuzzy post on accepting everybody and let's all get along so that no one is offended in our politcally correct society. NO! I despise politcal correctness with my heart and soul!!! But what I despise worse are Christians (myself included) who look at the The Carpenter of Creation's Craftmanship and say evil and hurtful things for no apparent reason other than to make themselves feel better about their own faults and weaknesses.

Practical Atheism
If we claim to be Christian but then do not live the Righteous life God calls us to, if we criticize instead of praise, if we say we believe in God but live as though He does not exist, then we are what Craig Groeschel calls, "Practical Atheist"...

Revelation 3.16 tells us we can not be lukewarm Christians...we are either in or we are out...

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—

I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Bottom Line
Look, we must perceive ourselves and others as God perceives us. If we perceive others in a hateful way, it is probably because we are uncomfortable in our own skin. It is time to grow up and get rid of our insecurities. Our insecurities are selfish because we are trying to gain our security-in-ourselves in stead of being Secure-In-God...

Unanswered Prayer...are we righteous? do we have a perception problem?

Let's stop blaming God and start investigating ourselves....

Solomon Survey:Listening

It is the province of knowledge to speak,

and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

Oliver Wendell is on to something with this brilliant quote. And you know, a book written over 2000 years ago, called The Holy Bible, tells us all about how listening is the wise thing to do...

If our Prayers are not being answered it could be that we are not listening to what God has to say. In Proverbs 4, there is an outline on why this is so important, and when you think about it,
Athletes listen to their coach, employees listen to their boss, students listen to their teachers...so when it comes time for us to live the lives God calls us to do, we need to listen to God...

1. Listening: My child, listen carefully to everything I say (Prov 4.1,10,20)
2. Meditate: "If you follow my teachings and keep them in mind, you will live. (Prov 4.4)
3. Think: Don't forget a single word, but think about it all. (Prov 4.21)
4. Knowing: Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you. (Prov 4.22)

Trusting and Listening...Everywhere!
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track (From Proverbs 3.5-12 MSG). Emphasis added.

God Listens To Us
Each morning you listen to my prayer,
as I bring my requests [b] to you and wait for your reply. (Psalm 5.3 CEV)

I don't know about you, but it blows me away to know that The Carpenter of Creation listens to our Prayers!!!

God Screams
If you say that God does not speak I might actually agree with you...here is why...God does not speak, HE SCREAMS!!!

Think of all the "Burning Bushes" we have today. Scripture, Prayer, Church, Family, Friends, Technology through podcasts, internet Church Services, & television ministry, music, life and experiences, you name it...

The problem is that we spend more time listening to the tv and the news and other sources of junk instead of listening to God. Seriously, how much time do we spend Praying, Scripture Meditating, and counsel seeking when compared to watching tv and reading the daily newspaper?

The question is not, "Does God speak?" The question is, "Are we listening?"

So in the hard times of the economy, etc, we should be asking ourselves, "What is God saying to me during these times...I will listen and obey."

Solomon Survey: Salt

Here are some amazing thoughts from one of Christian's powerful, world-rocking, trailblazing Sermons that I just got done reading, thought I would apply them to the Solomon
Survey:

Salt speaks of goodness (Mark 9:50)

Are the words you speaking "salty?" Are they offering up encouragement or tearing down in criticism? Mark Twain said that he could live for a whole month on one good compliment!

Have you heard of the Proverbs 31 woman? She is the "textbook" definition of the perfect woman. Why is she so perfect? Why so Noble? Perhaps it could be from the "salt" she received from her children and her husband:

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” (could that be her secret to nobility?)

An unbelieving world is listening to the words we say to the people we are around. If your Prayers are going unanswered, it could be due to your lack of saltiness.

It has been said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. What you can do, however, is salt his oats and make him thirsty!”

Solomon Survey: Stumbling Blocks Part 4

I will make this short and sweet...Christian sent me this verse and it blows me away...meditate on it...ask yourself if you live it...

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, 

      And those who love it will eat its fruit.  

~ Proverbs 18:21 (New King James Version) ~

What did we say today? What will we say tomorrow? Death and life hang in the balance...the way I look at it is this: I want to reserve what I say by Praising God and Encouraging others. I Pray I do not condemn with the same tongue I Praise God with...let's speak of life and life only!

Solomon Survey: Stumbling Blocks part 3

Welcome back to The Solomon Survey!...I want to hit on some more stumbling blocks to see if perhaps certain things in our lives are keeping God from entrusting us with certain Blessings, but some quick info first...

Mark Batterson has a great post on "Broken Windows," the theory of how small things can create huge disasters...it talks about how we must strive for excellence in all areas of our lives. That is what this survey and these questions of stumbling blocks are all about...where are some broken windows in our lives?...we must find them and repair them in order to be set apart for God's Purposes!

So off to the questions we go. Today's subject is on Sowing and Reaping. This verse says it all...

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

~ Galatians 6:7-8 (MSG) ~

1. What are we "planting?"

You harvest what you plant,
whether good or bad.

~ Proverbs 14:14 (CEV) ~

What we plant can come through how we treat those we are around and what we say to them. Are we criticizing, complaing, or condemning? Do you make fun of people on television, around town, or in person? Take a look around...do people enjoy being around you? What about other areas.... Are you in shape? How are your finances? What about our strategies in life, business, creativity, etc? Maybe we need to do a 're-plant' in order to receive all that God has for us.

2. How do we plant new seeds?

The Book of James tells us this:

But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. When peacemakers plant seeds of peace,

they will harvest justice.

~ James 3:17-18 (CEV) ~

Do you see how it comes back down to what we are "planting?"

3. Do we help those who are less fortunate?

Caring for the poor is lending to the LORD,
and you will be well repaid.

~ Proverbs 19:17 (CEV) ~

Most of the time we are always wanting more and we wonder why we have less than someone else. But have you ever ask the opposite question: "Why do I have so much?" Who can you and I help this week, this year?

The Lord says we will be repaid as lending to the poor is lending to The Lord....here is a link to a great organization called Compassion International....completely legit...tons of Churches and individuals are involved...you can sponsor a child through Prayer, Letters, Finances, Art work, you name it...great way to get involved with people all over the world...

4. Are you living out The Golden Rule?

The Book of Matthew tells us an amazing way to sow seeds of righteousness and reap what we sow....

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.

Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

~ Matthew 7:12 (MSG) ~

I am not saying there is some formula for God's Blessings, but I don't think are any "accidents" either...If there is an area in our lives that is not how we want it, then there is probably a "broken window" that needs replacing.

If we want to be in The Presence of God, then we must aim for excellence. Just as oil and water don't mix, God and sin don't mix either. So if we want God and The Blessings of God in our lives, then we must plant great seeds...we must sanctify/consecrate ourselves so that God will do His Miracel Wonders and Amazing things through us:

Then Joshua addressed the people:

"Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you."

~ Joshua 3.5 (MSG) ~

Solomon Survey:Stumbling Block Questions Part 2

Welcome Back to Solomon Survey, today we will hit on Stumbling Block questions, part 2 and see if any of these areas are blocking our Prayers to God. Click the following to review part 1: Solomon Survey:Stumbling Block Questions Part 1

The following questions focus on our respect to God, our thoughts, and our words. Emphasis is added to all to all the following Scriptures where certain words are in bold.

#1. How do you treat the poor?
If you mistreat the poor, you insult your Creator; if you are kind to them, you show him respect.
~ Proverbs 14:31 ~

#2. What thoughts are you thinking? What words do you use around others?
The LORD hates evil thoughts, but kind words please him.
~ Proverbs 15.26~

Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.
~ Proverbs 4.23 ~

#3. How do you treat God? How do you treat people?
These two issues are directly related...Are you always in a hurry, never listening to people? Do you make time for them? Do you invest your life with your family, being intentional about how your relationship is with them, or are you always in a hurry only concerned with your own agendas?

It comes down to respect. If we respect God, He will respect our prayers. If we respect the people in our lives, they will respect us. Take a look around. Do people naturally gravitate towards you? Do they want to spend time with you? I am a firm believer that in relationships, there are no accidents. You will have friends if you are a friend. You will have trusted business contacts, classmates, and teammates, if they find you trustworthy. Sure, people may not always get along, but if you always make it all about you and do not respect the other person's point of view, then you probably do not respect God's point of view either.

Ask yourself, "How are my relationships with other people?" and I bet you will find that you have a similar relationship with God. Because if you don't take the time to listen to other people, then I can imagine you do not take the time to listen to God....and if you are always criticizing people or judging them on what kind of clothes they wear, if their hair is messed up, or how big their nose is, then I can almost guarantee you criticize God more than you Praise Him.

Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of knowledge. ^[a] Only a fool rejects wisdom and good advice.
~ Proverbs 1.7 ~

If we truly love God, our sins will be forgiven; if we show him respect, we will keep away from sin. ~ Proverbs 16:6 ~

This will lead us to part 3 next time, where we will converse about 2 HUGE areas that deal with our Prayers being answered:
1. Sowing and Reaping
2. Fruits of The Spirit and what exactly are we filling our minds with and meditating on?

God save you and grant you success! Psalm 118.25

Solomon Survey:Stumbling Block Questions Part 1

Your frustrated...you feel as though God is silent and you want Him to stop "working behind the scenes" and start answering your Prayers now...not tomorrow, but now....so why is it that sometimes our Prayers go unanswered or that we feel as if God is silent in our lives?

Their are many answers to this question, but the one I want to focus on for this post has to do with 'stumbling blocks.' I like to think of stumbling blocks as "sin block." Sort of like when you go to the beach and you put on a "sun block." The purpose is to keep the light out...to keep you the sun's radiation from getting to your epidermis. That's what a "sin block" does. It keeps the light out of your life and hampers your Prayer life...

I will divide these blocks up over the next one or two posts...this post will focus on three types of blocks.

So take a look at the next few questions and see if you can identify any of these areas in your life. You and I must be honest in these areas...analyzing ourselves is extremely difficult, no one likes to point out "sin blocks" in their lives, and maybe you need a trusted person to help point them out to you, but you must identify these areas and correct them if you want to understand what God is teaching you through these times of unanswered Prayer or lack of direction for your life so that you can open yourself up to all of His Blessings!

1. Confession and Repentance
Are you going to God and confessing your sin? Are you repenting? You may not know what sins your are committing...so ask God to reveal any dark areas in your life so that you can become aware of them. Good starting points are Psalm 51 and Psalm 32.

2. Husbands, Honor Your Wife...Wives, Respect Your Husband
I am not married but man does this verse slap me in the face!!! So men, if you are married, wow, you need to meditate on the following verse:

If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor, because she isn't as strong as you are, and she shares with you in the gift of life.
Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.
1 Peter 3:7 (CEV) (emphasis added)

And for the ladies out there, Ephesians 5.33 says....

".... and the wife must respect her husband." (emphasis added)

3. The Three C's and Relationships
In his amazing book, "How To Win Friends & Influence People," Dale Carnegie writes a MEGA important principle about the fundamentals in handling people and Scripture shows how these fundamentals can become problems in our relationship with God. In the very first chapter, Mr. Carnegie says, "Don't criticize, condemn, or complain."

So the question is, are you criticizing, condemning, or complaining? Their is a difference between criticizing and critiquing. A critique is an observation meant to build up or improve. Criticism is negative and usually reflects back on the insecure person who makes the criticism.

Every time you and I make fun of someone's nose or ridicule someone we see on T.V. for their hair, etc, what we are really doing is saying that God is not a good artist...and in turn we are condemning ourselves. (See Romans 2 reference below). Being critical of others and making fun of them is a hallmark sign of INSECURITY. We are not comfortable in our own skin and so we deflect this reality by criticizing other people...what do you think God would have to say to us when we are making fun of someone that He created??

Many verses in The Holy Scriptures point us to these "sin blocks" in our lives that deal with the three C's. They are very important to meditate on because they may not just reflect our view of people we never speak to, but they bleed into how we treat our family members, our co-workers, our teammates, and people in our community.

Here are some amazing references that we can check ourselves on:

Do you really love life? Do you want to be happy?

Then stop saying cruel things and quit telling lies.

1 Peter 3.10

Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself.
Romans 2 (emphasis added)

Kindness is rewarded--but if you are cruel, you hurt yourself.
Meanness gets you nowhere, but goodness is rewarded.
Try hard to do right, and you will win friends;
go looking for trouble, and you will find it.
Prov 11.17-18, 27 (emphasis added)

Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say. Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins. Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.
Ephesians 4.29-32

Are we making God's spirit sad? When it comes to having our Prayers answered, it may not be that God is quiet, it may be that our criticizing is loud.

It comes down to relationships and viewing others through the lens of Christ. By meditating on The Scriptures, it looks as if the way we are Treating our spouses, our family, our friends has a direct effect on our Relationship with God. We need to Confess and Repent and then be radically changed...

But all who do right will be rewarded with glory, honor, and peace,
whether they are Jews or Gentiles. God doesn't have any favorites!
Romans 2.10-11 (CEV)

The Solomon Survey - Questions 1&2

Welcome to the first part of the "Solomon Survey" where the questions begin and the self-analysis digs deep!

In the last post, I mentioned how we were going to begin the conversation with the fact that we are not accidents....I want to retract that (we will still cover this topic) and instead begin with how we start our Prayer life, when do we pray and how are our prayers structured?

First Things First
#1. When do you Pray?

Jesus Prayed bright and early in the morning. Of course He prayed at all times and without ceasing, but Scripture is very clear that He went to God first thing in the morning. Doing this helps to frame our mind and prepare us for the day ahead! I know the sports section is tempting, but dig in to Prayer and Scripture first!

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house
and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35-39

Structure Of Prayer - Out Of The Blocks!
#2 Do you begin Prayers with Praise or do you just jump in thinking it's all about you?

We need to start out our Prayers with Praises To God! Our Prayers are not based on religion, they are based on a relationship. Prayer is not something you get done with and check off of your to-do list. Prayer is conversation with God, through Jesus, led by The Holy Spirit.

Solomon's Example
Remember the story about Solomon from First Kings? Solomon is having a conversation with God, he's not just going through some monotonous ritual that he needs to hurry up and get over with. Notice that even when God asks Solomon what he wants, see 1 Kings 7-8, he still begins the conversation by praising God...saying that God is loyal, reminding himself that it is God who gives, and understanding that he is God's Servant. Then in verse 9, Solomon makes his request understanding that it is impossible to live God's Will for his life without God's help.

Self Reminder

Don't get me wrong, there is not a formula for Prayer...all Prayers should be led by The Holy Spirit. However, we must Praise God first and foremost. It's not that God needs to hear us brag on Him, it's that we need to remind ourselves that He is The Almighty who can do anything and everything, and that nothing will block His plans. Take a look at the 'model' Prayer that Jesus teaches us to Pray and notice how it starts with Praise:

"This, then, is how you should pray:” 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

Matthew 6:9-10

So Instead of starting out with the typical Prayers of, "Lord, Bless me, bless me, bless me," begin with Praise. For Example, Start with Ps 145 to remind your self how AMAZING God is...verse 18 says: God's there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. Come to God in Praise and mean it!

Nothing Wrong With It

There is nothing wrong with asking God to Bless you, you will see Prayers for Blessings through out Scripture...we are even told in Matthew 7.7, and Thanks Be To God, to Ask, Seek, and Knock. In fact, God wants to Bless us and that is why Praise is so important. Take a look at the first book in The Bible, Gen 28.13-18 tells us how God wants to Bless our families and that He will be with us wherever we go..He already knows what we are going to Pray for anyway, so what Praise does is remind us how much He wants to Bless us and allows us to Pray with Confidence and Boldness!

Relationship Parallel

Can you imagine talking to your spouse, your boss, your team, etc and all you do is say, "Me, Me, Me, it's all about me...here is what I want you to do for me...." That would not be a very good relationship....So next time in Prayer, Start with Praises to God...you will be amazed at how much Peace will flood your soul as you are reminded how powerful God is and how awesome it is when Christ is at the center of your life!

Stumbling Blocks
Please tune in to the next post of "The Solomon Survey" and see what may be causing a stumbling block in your Prayer Life. How do you treat others? The Bible tells us that we "reap what we sow." Are you sowing good seeds? Are you criticizing? Romans 2 is very clear about criticism. If you criticize, you are saying that God is not a good artist....so tune in and see if you need to hold your self accountable and remove any stumbling blocks so that God will be able to prepare you with Blessings that He can trust you with!

Solomon Survey Part II

Welcome back to the "Solomon Survey!" It's time to do a series of post based on a survey that will help us align our lives with God's Will. If you would like to read the first installment of this series, please click here: The Solomon Survey - Introduction

Many times we ask the question, "Where is God and why is He silent?" I have written some thoughts below that have helped me come to get a grip on what is really going on during times like these...

Still Gotta Eat

I know it may sound like a broken record or an inspirational bumper sticker that reads, "God is shaping you through times of struggle," or that "God is working behind the scenes"...I know it's frustrating because during these times of struggle and character development we still have to eat and pay for gas...but it is MEGA important to analyze and dissect the fact that God really is up to something in your life. God is never still. He is always working. In fact, John 5.17 says this:

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

Back To The Basics
So here is the deal. It is time to get back to the basics and understand our core principles of what and who we really believe. Ask your self these two fundamental questions:

A. Does God exists?

B. Does God care?

Because we can answer yes to both of these questions, we must continue the process of increasing our relationship with God so that He will prepare us and then use us for His Glory.

So the first thing I need to understand and I pray you will understand is this: We are not accidents. God not only exists, but He also cares enough for us that He sent His Son to bleed and die for us.

The next postings on "Solomon's Survery" are going to be sets of questions from different aspects of our lives, such as relational, vocational, listening, accountability, etc in order to find the way to properly align ourselves with God's plan for us. The first survey coming from the understanding that we are not accidents!

The Solomon Survey - Introduction

You feel as though you have faith, you have read Scripture, and you have prayed Prayers. So you ask, "Where is God and why is He not answering me?"

I have found when I am at these points in my life, the problem is not with God, it is with me. So I have developed what I call "The Solomon Survey" in order for me to hold myself accountable instead of always blaming or questioning God.

God's Playbook, Our Obedience
Think of it like a "playbook." A football player may know his plays back and forth, the coach could be setting him up for glory, but then the player does not execute. There is nothing wrong with "God's Playbook" (i.e. The Bible), sometimes it's our obedience, or shall I say, our lack of obedience, of following His commands and Textbook on life that is causing us to have a stumbling block to our Prayers.

The Solomon Survey
In (1 Kings 3.5-15), we come across an amazing piece of Scripture. God straight up comes to Solomon and asks him what he wants. Solomon's answer is to obtain Wisdom in order for him to lead his people. Notice how his request was not only for personal gain, but so that he could make those around him better! God was so pumped up about Solomon's request, that He not only gave Solomon wisdom, but He also granted him so much more...God being the Amazing God He is, also granted Solomon....Riches•Respect•Greatness•Long Life!!!

Put Yourself In "God's Shoes"
I don't think God is playing a game with us, but we must seek Him in the correct ways and ask Him for the right blessings. In other words, we must check our motivation. Is what we are asking of God pleasing to God? Do our requests pump Him up? And are we allowing God to trust us with our request? Again, I don't think God is playing games with us, but if you are a parent an employer, or a coach, a leader of any kind, then I think you can relate to God in this context...In other words, put yourself in "God's Shoes" for a moment...You give to those whom you know you can trust with what you give....

Are you allowing God to trust you with what you are asking of Him? See the next post for the survey and please ask yourself the questions. Be honest with the answers because I know the hardest thing for us to do is admit we are in the wrong, but again, we must hold ourselves accountable and make sure we are doing our part, because I know God is always doing His!

So "turn the page" and tune in to the next blog post to answer "The Solomon Survey" and see if there is something you need to do in order for God to not only grant you Wisdom, but to also hear The Carpenter Of Creation say to you, "As a bonus, I will also give you.....!" (Author's Translation)

Quick Survey: Psalm 119.41-48

Here are some questions I asked myself this morning as I meditated on Psalm 119.41-48 (MSG)...This survey will start with a passage of Scripture and then be followed by a question. Please ask yourself the same questions. I Pray you Enjoy and Apply it to your life!

#1. Let your love, God, shape my life
with salvation, exactly as you promised;
Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery
because I trusted your Word.

Q. Do I Trust His Word?
_______________________________

#2. Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever—
your commandments are what I depend on.

Q. Do I really depend on His Commandments, or am I depending on what my friends and what culture commands?
______________________________

#3. Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me,
guard it now, guard it ever;

Q. God reveals Himself and His Will to us. Do I really guard His Revelation with my life or do I just see God and Jesus as a good luck charm?
______________________________

#4. And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces
as I look for your truth and your wisdom;

Q. Am I active in Seeking God? If you want to become friends with someone or learn a new subject, do you obtain your goal by sitting around and do nothing? Nope. You and I need to Be active in our pursuit of God.
_____________________________

#5. Then I'll tell the world what I find,
speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed

Q. Am I bold in my faith in Jesus Christ? You don't have to run down the street with a megaphone and yell REPENT or shout out that you are a Christian, but you must stand up and stand tall in a culture that is lost without Jesus Christ.
_____________________________

#6. I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—
relishing every fragment of your counsel.

Q. Do I cherish The Word of God? Do I love them or do I love what culture has to say? Do I relish God's counsel or am I seeking out culture for the answers to life?