Monday, March 24, 2008
Apply It!
John 17.4 (MSG) - The Words of Jesus before His Crucifixion
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do (emphasis added)
Will it be easy to answer God's Call in your life?.......nope, you must persevere and stand the test, but if you do, God has something for you!
James 1:12 (New International Version)
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (emphasis added)
Do you answer His call and persevere on your own? nope, you must Trust in God and your confidence for life must be rooted in The Carpenter of Creation.....
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New International Version)
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him. (emphasis added)
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
Do what He has called you to do, persevere and stand, Trust and root your confidence in God.....now, go apply this to your life, your specific circumstances, if you don't know where to start, ask God, don't ask the world. God created you, the world does not define you...God wants you to know His will for your life more than you want to know it!
To see how Jesus Prayed a "Dangerous Prayer" and applied these principles to His life, read the blog entry Blessed Is The Man
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Blessed Is The Man
Persevering and Standing The Test
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”- James 1:12 (Emphasis Added)
Jesus persevered for us and Blessed is Jesus for standing the test, He has certainly received the crown of life that God promised Him and because He has stood the test, we are Blessed! Listen, through the Resurrection Power of Jesus Christ, you can persevere through any trial you are facing right now. What challenge are you facing, what hurdle must you overcome? Jesus is saying to you right now and has given His life to you in one of the most brutal ways of dying, so that you would stand the test and receive your crown! Friend, stand the test of your trials, you will be Blessed beyond measure and God will give you the crown through your love for Him!
Trust and Confidence
Perseverance and standing the test. You have probably heard that before. The thing is you may not have known how to persevere nor to stand. Here is your outline....
I. How To Persevere and Stand The Test
A. Trust In The Lord
B. Have Confidence In The Lord
C. Blessed is the man who follows letter A and letter B above
Take a look at this word from God Almighty through the prophet Jeremiah...
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him. (Emphasis Added)
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit. - Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New International Version)
How awesome is that! We are blessed through our trust and confidence in The Lord. We then are like trees sending out roots by the stream, we can over come fear, our leaves are always green, we can defeat worry, and we will always bear fruit because our foundation is through Trust and Confidence in The Lord!
Jesus, He Trusted, He Had Confidence
Jesus persevered and stood the test, but He did not do so without intense Prayer and conversation with The Father. The night before The Crucifixion, Jesus prayed that the 'cup' that He was about to drink from would pass, that if possible, He would avoid having to go through the excruciating events that were to come the next day. When Jesus Prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42 NIV), He was praying with trusts and confidence in the Lord. Maybe we don't pray as we should because deep down inside, we don't trust God. We think we are in control or we think God does not exist...or if He does exist, then He is not listening because He does not care. Friends, that thinking is way off base and it is exactly the lie that satan wants for you to believe.
Jesus believed in The Father, He trusted Him, He had confidence in Him, that is why Jesus was able to Pray the "dangerous" Prayer, "Father...... not my will, but yours be done."
Do you really want to be a Blessed Man? Do you have the courage to Pray "Father...... not my will, but yours be done?
Do you have the courage to apply this Prayer to your family, to your career, to your school, to your decision making? I am willing to give you a guarantee. If you have trust and confidence in The Lord God Almighty, The One who gave you a mind to think, a heart that beats, and lungs that breathe, then you will get to the point where you will Pray that Prayer.
Jesus had the courage to Pray a "Dangerous Prayer"...it allowed Him to persevere and stand the test. It allowed Him to receive the crown of life that God promised Him through His love for The Father. It allowed him to be a Blessed Man. We have received the fruits of His labor because He Trusted God and because of His Confidence in God. We are Blessed because He gave His life for us! Now, what are you going to do with being a Blessed Man/Woman?
He wants you to LIVE here and now on earth as well as in Heaven for Eternity. Live the life that He has called you to live. Persevere. Stand The Test. Trust The Lord and Become a Blessed Man.
Happy Easter!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Worshiping God: What a waste of time!
Law No. 153/190, Article 1-D, forbids Rumanian citizens from “coming together to play cards, drink alcohol, or waste time.”
By the widest stretch of the imagination, one finds it difficult to conceive of such a law having any effect upon Christian believers. And yet, it does! Under it, numbers are being arrested, fined, and even imprisoned. The charge: “wasting time.” For Rumanians to assemble for worship or prayer or Christian fellowship is, by atheistic Communist standards, “a waste of time.”
It is not hard to understand why such a law must be resorted to in Rumania, because there, as in other Communist-dominated countries, the national constitution guarantees “religious freedom.”
[1]
[1]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Complaining: How To Quiet Your Mind
From Verses 7-9
He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.
The next time you think about complaining, think upon this verse. Let this Verse sink in.....meditate upon it.....Live It!
I must confess that I have caught myself in a season of complaining and I do not like it. I am beginning to despise complaining more than the things I have been complaining about. Thanks to God, He rocked my world as I read through and Meditated upon Isaiah 53 and Luke 22.
Complaining in perspective
If anyone ever had the right to complain it would have been Jesus. Jesus was the only perfect person to have ever set flesh to the soil of planet Earth. He was the only person who inhaled oxygen through His lungs yet never allowed sin to enter His Soul...Being Perfect, Jesus died for the imperfect. Being imperfect, we as humans have fallen short of His Glory and yet as sinners, He died for us. We need to meditate upon that instead of meditating on complaining. We need to think about how we act and respond to life and then to what we say as a result.
What do you say?
What are some of your sayings that you yell out when you complain? "Oh man!" (saying this with a high pitch sound that you did not know you had!)....What about, "You have got to be kidding, not again!" What about, "*%&#$%^%^&&, I am not believing this *(&^D!@##$!!!" Well, I hope you have at least gotten control of the last example :)
But seriously, take a look at what Jesus' responses were and were not in relation to opportunities of complaining.....
What Jesus Said
"Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?"
Jesus obviously had every right to complain about going to The Cross, He was about to die when He had done nothing wrong...His body was even in a state of stress as He dropped sweats of blood.....At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face. (From Luke 22:41-44 MSG)
Jesus knew God's Will for His life, He knew the torture that was ahead; but Jesus was strong enough to say, "not what I want. What do you want?"
What Jesus Did Not Say
From Isaiah Verses 7-9
He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.
Now, if I was being beaten and tortured I would not only say a few words, I would open up the jar on anything and everything I could think of and then I would fight like there was no tomorrow...but Jesus was not just randomly being beaten and tortured. In fact as we read in Luke 22, He knew this was coming....He knew it was God's Will for Him to go to The Cross...so let me assure you that Jesus was not being a wuss and just taking a beating because he was too afraid to fight...to the contrary, Jesus was such a Warrior that He took responsibility for what He was called to do...take a look at this Warrior Passage from Scripture...
...he looked death in the face and didn't flinch (From Isaiah 53.11-12 MSG)...
Friends, that is not being a wuss and taking a beating, that is being a Warrior and taking a stand. That is knowing what you are called to do and being a Warrior while doing it!
Core of ComplainingDo you know what one of the key components of answering His call of being a Warrior was? Jesus had the strength to go through such pain and torture because He was doing it for you. He was doing it for your family, for me, my family, and the entire world. In a nutshell: He was unselfish....take a look...
He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people (From Isaiah 53.7-9 MSG)Listen, when you know who you live for, and you do something amazing for them, you do not complain. When you think of your self all day and throw pity parties, I promise you that complaining will be as natural as breathing.
So can you see what is at the core of complaining? I can answer that question with confidence and say that after reading and Praying through Isaiah 53 and Luke 22 that the answer is selfishness. Now it may not always be the case, sometimes we just complain for the sake of complaining, maybe we are tired from a long hard day of work, but that still is rooted in selfishness because you are thinking of how hard your day was without thinking if anyone else had a bad day or not. Then you create a sense of entitlement instead of an attitude of thanksgiving, but this is a whole other topic, and it will be discussed in-depth in one of my chapters in my new book that The Lord is writing through me!
Jesus was unselfish and He answered God's call. Verse 53.11-12 tells us how God rewards Him extravagantly with the highest honors. So how will you look back on your life? Will you be rewarded by answering God's call? Will you spend your energy on Praising God instead of complaining? Through the rest of this Lent Season, make it a commitment that you will not only fast from complaining but that every time you think about doing so, use it as a reminder to Praise The Carpenter of Creation for His Son Jesus Christ who stared death in the face for you yet never flinched. Praise God for The One who took on his own shoulders the sin of the many so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God's plan will deeply prosper through him. From Isaiah 53.10-12 MSG.
I will close with the Isaiah 53.11-12. Thank your for reading and may God give you Victory through The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV)11-12 Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins.Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors—Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
To the Cross!

"Restore to me the JOY of Your SALVATION..." (Psalm 51:12;NIV)
God just rocked my world. Praise Trinity! Tonight, we celebrated Ash Wednesday at my church. I've been looking forward to Ash Wednesday. Justin and I have covenanted together to walk "to the Cross" with Jesus for the days of Lent. We want to make it to the Cross of Christ and end all sin that we struggle with on Good Friday and resurrect anew on Easter Sunday!
Lent is a time of confession and repentance. So let me confess my sin that I've been struggling with: the sin of lethargy, complaining, and self-pity. I have not had joy in my life. Why? I am way too busy...so busy that I have lost joy for church, for ministry, for people. This is not the heart of Christ nor the mind of Christ. I have repented. But listen, I have been really down.
Tonight, we walked forward in our Ash Wednesday gathering. The minister put the sign of the Cross on my forehead and said, "The Spirit calls you to repent and believe the Gospel." I had my bible in hand, ready to approach God at the altar and read Psalm 51, John 1, and Mark 1:34-35. God rocked my world with Psalm 51:12. I've read and prayed through this Psalm many times...but man, verse 12 cut my heart. It says, "Restore to me the JOY of YOUR SALVATION and grant me a willing spirit within me." The Master Communicator knows exactly how to speak to us.
Are you like me...so busy that you've lost the JOY of God's Salvation? The only way I know to regain the JOY of God's Salvation, is to pray Psalm 51:12 every single day of Lent until God's Spirit restores this joy in me. Pray until you get it. That's what I'm going to do. I'm in seminary...full time ministry...full time family...my busyness is here to stay. Jesus destroyed sin on Good Friday. He Resurrected on Sunday! My sin is destroyed and my joy will be be resurrected! I am going to follow Jesus "to the Cross" this Lent season. God's Joy will be mine! It can be yours. Will you walk with me "to the Cross?"
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Be A Lion Chaser!
Read it. Live it.
Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
Chase the lion.
An Excerpt by Mark Batterson, author of "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars"
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thoughts Lead To Actions
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
What are you thinking right now? That is a very important question to ask yourself. It's a way to hold yourself accountable. We need to think about what we are thinking about! Here is why....God made one of His Commandments to call attention to our thought life!
Take a look at all the other Commandments...Other people will know if you break them, but no one but God and you will know if you break this one listed in Exodus 20:17....so why is this such an important Commandment?
It is so important, because just like all the other Commandments, God is wanting to give us freedom! These are not rules and laws to restrict or contain us, they are written in order to free us, to call attention to where we are falling short of The Glory of God!
What normally comes before lying, cheating, stealing? What normally comes before dishonoring your parents or misusing The Name of God? Your thoughts do! So God is saying don't covet or think about or lust over what does not belong to you...do not think about sin, because if you do, you will problably fall into sin, and then guess what? You are no longer free!
So, instead of coveting what is not yours or lusting over sinful thoughts, meditate on God's Word, chew on Scripture Day and Night
Take a look at Psalm 1:2 in the NIV and the MSG respectively....
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.
Follow God. Listen to God. Walk in His steps. He created you and He knows best!
Like Christian says, all we need to know is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, Everything you ever need to know... everything else falls into place!