Are You Self-Suficient ?

21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you have not obeyed my voice. (Jeremiah 22:21)

            Ever since the Garden of Eden, human beings have had an inclination to be totally self-reliant. When we are successful, we often lean even further into this attitude. We thing that the blessings we are enjoying are a direct result of our own abilities and resources. The Word of the Lord, however, asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Self-suficiency can be a destructive and deadly spiritual state.

            There are many other concerns that may hinder us from hearing the Lord’s voice. Even good and proper things – responsibilities of life – may press us for our time and cause us to neglect our fellowship with and dependence upon our Lord Jesus the Christ. Luke 10:38-42 gives us an account of Jesus’ visit with Mary and Martha’s house. Martha was diligent in preparing dinner for Jesus. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. Jesus told Martha that Mary made the better choice – spending time with Him. While the meal that Martha prepared would soon be eaten and forgotten, Mary would be changed forever by her close fellowship with Christ. Dependence upon Him and fellowship with Him should cornerstones of our lives.

            I hope you are truly aware of your dependence upon the Lord, whatever conditions you are facing in your life. We need Him for everything, even the air we breathe is a gift from God. I sincerely hope God grants you the blessing of dependence upon Him. I pray that you hear His voice and obey promptly the things He asks of you. 

Feeling Distant from God?

6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord. (Judges 6:6)

            Have you ever felt distant from God? The first question we should ask when we realize this feeling is why. Could it be from our own straying and disobedience? This is the picture we see of the people of Israel in Judges 6. They had not obeyed the voice of God (v.10). The Israelites had suffered for years at the hands of the neighboring nations. Through their own spiritual wondering and disobedience, the Lord had allowed it, yet they still continued to tolerate or worship pagan idols.

            Disobedience will always put a chasm between God and us. God is never the problem. If we are distant from Him, the problem lies within ourselves. James 4:8 reminds us that when we draw near to God, He draws near to us. If disobedience pushes us away from God, what will draw us back to Him? Repentance! Repentance is the desire to turn from sin. You are doing a 180 degree turn, an about face, and marching back toward God. It is not simply the desire to escape the pain and consequences of sin.

            The thing we must remember is that even through God’s discipline and chastisement is that we are His children. His true desire for us is that we be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Solomon wrote, “11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

            Some parent may be passive or permissive in their style of discipline, but our heavenly Father is neither. He does not allow us to do whatever our deprived nature pleases. Just as the Father said of His Son Jesus, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). He desires to say of us, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.” Our Father in heaven wants the best for His children. The best He can give us is the character of Jesus (sanctification). Obedience develops our character; disobedience destroys our character. Our Father will not sit idly by and watch us destroy ourselves. He wants what is best even if that means discipline.

You Can't Take It With You

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. (1 Timothy 6:7)

            We know this for a fact. I have either preached or attended a total of 8 funerals during in the relatively short time that I’ve been here.  It is definitely a sobering thought.

            A wealthy landowner was trying to buy some additional land near his estate. A neighbor observed that his only motive was to prevent someone else from buying it. So the neighbor asked, “Sir, do you want to only all of the land in the world?” “No,” the wealthy man replied, “just the land that joins mine.”

            Many people believe that contentment and true happiness comes from having enough money to do whatever they like whenever they want to do it. Other think it comes from have a good, close-knit family or having a life with no problems. That is why they constantly think that having a little more money or changing their relationships or improving their circumstances will bring this contentment.

            It’s just not so. This true happiness comes only from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We must believe that He will supply all of our needs. Contentment is not found in things, circumstances, or other people. It is truly found in knowing that our heavenly Father loves us and cares for us.

            The writer of Hebrews understood the true source of contentment when he wrote, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). To express it in another way, discontentment comes when we think that having money or the latest electronic gadget or newest fashion will make us happy. Scripture affirms that true happiness is obtainable only through Jesus. Knowing that He provides us with what we need when we need it produces stress-free living at its best. Be strong and courageous in this and do not be afraid. You are valuable to God.

Standing in the Gap

30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22:30)

            We look around and the problems we see in our society and maybe even in our own family or workplace see so enormous that we think a single individual could not make much of a difference. The opposite, however, is the truth. The best and momentous advances in our history occurred when one person stood up against the indifference of their time.

            In Ezekiel 22, God identifies four ways that the culture in Judah should have been faithful but were not. The people including priests, princes, and prophets were very dishonest and extremely corrupt. God finally said, “I sought for a man…” This one life, this one individual could have been a wall of protection for a city headed for doomsday. The Bible is replete with individuals who “stood in the gap” and changed the world around them. There are those today who still provide this type of godly influence to those around them.

            In the 1980s, the late David Wilkerson was walking through Times Square in New York City where prostitution, drugs, and crime ran rampant. The famous author and preacher was praying that God would raise up a witness in the city. He said he sensed the Lord saying, “You do it.” So Wilkerson started the Times Square Church. Now, a little over 30 years later, the church reaches several thousand each week in worship and ministry.

            In the beginning it looked like a nearly impossible dream, yet today it is a strong witness in a part of NYC not known for vibrant churches. Moreover, when Wilkerson started the church, he was 55 years old – not even in the ballpark of the average age for a church planter. Yet, one man with God is a majority against the tidal wave of sin and compromise that can destroy an entire culture. It is not too late for you to “stand in the gap,” interceding on behalf of your family, your workplace, and your nation. Go and be the one standing in the gap for the Lord.

Confession 7/23/17 Service

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

            Every true believer desires to be used by God in powerful, life-changing ways. We all have different abilities, talents, and spiritual gifts, but God will use anyone who is available to Him. Often it is not the size of the gift you have but the willingness in your to be used that makes a difference. He is not impressed with what we can do of our own volition. No lack of talent or physical handicap renders a child of God useless. The biggest thing that cause us to be put on the shelf or taken out of the game and made to sit on the sidelines is this: Sin! God is always using broken and messed up vessels for His purposes, but He rarely uses dirty ones.

            You can declare, “But we are all sinners!” And that is very true. The Bible even declares it for us, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are sinners by birth and later by our choices. When you are washed by the blood of the Lamb, He forgives you of all of the sins you’ve committed. He wrote your name in the Book of Life and set your feet on a righteous path toward heaven. But, if you are reading this, you and I are not there yet. We still have to live in this world and deal with all of its pain, suffering, and sin. But when we refuse to repent of our sins it hinders our usefulness to God. We are to be as iron sharpening iron.

            So how do we deal with our own sin? Our first task is to see it as God see it. He views it as unrighteousness and rebellion. He sees is as wrong! Our second task is to confess our sins. Confess means to agree with one another. We must not only see it as He see it but also agree with Him that it is wrong. We cannot hide it; we must bring it into the light and admit it is wrong. Third, we must ask Him in all earnestness to forgive us. When we honestly ask for forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive us, remove it as far as the east is from the west, and He cleanses our hearts. He purifies us and makes us useful again. Do your best to a useful vessel in the hands of our loving Heavenly Father!!