Looking Ahead

It is the night BEFORE New Year's Eve, and we are all anticipating a brand new beginning when the calendar changes to January 1. Many of us will make New Year's Resolutions (i.e., lose weight, go to the gym, start a new business, etc.) But why is it that our resolutions don't last too long? Do we get bored? Lose interest? Give up too easily? 

Human nature merits that we get excited about New Things. But when those New Things grow Old, we lose interest. We lose excitement.  This sadly happens not only in things but in people.  New relationships suddenly become boring, unsatisfactory, stale, outdated, and soon we are on the prowl for someone else. 

God has better plans for all of us.  But we do not have to wait until 2016, because we can make it up in our minds tonight to change direction. 

We can experience new things everyday! God is all about recreating, renewing, and transforming the useless into the useful.

Consider these passages of Scripture:

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” - Isaiah 42:9

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

Amazing Grace

I am truly amazed at the Grace of Almighty God. The Bible tells us of a man named Saul from Tarsus who was a religious leader known as a Pharisee. Saul hated Christians, and he wanted to do everything in his power to eliminate them from the earth. 

In various texts of Scripture, we see that Saul was a very violent man, who dragged off Christians to prison, beat them up physically, and separated their families. He was also described as a blasphemer (someone who speaks evil of the divine name). In that case he would have been speaking evil of Jesus Christ. And yet even after all of these evils perpetrated against God's people, the Lord had mercy upon Saul, appeared to him from heaven, and told him that he needed to go into the city to see a man name Ananias. From that point forward, the rest is history. 

Saul converted to Christ and he become an apostle of Jesus. He then went on to write half of the New Testament. Look at what God did in this man's life! And if God can show that kind of mercy upon someone who did all of that evil, surely we who profess to follow The Lord should be willing to share mercy to those who have wronged us. 

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

I Timothy 1:12-14

Let us marinate on the story of Saul of Tarsus, and the great things that God can do in the life of someone who has really blown it and whom everybody else would have written off and thrown away. God can use anyone He wants to, so we should remember that about ourselves and about other people. 

Remember ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!

What Are You Willing To Exchange For a Bowl of Soup?

About 4,000 years ago in the Middle East, there were two sons named Jacob and Esau. They were twins. Of the two twins, Esau was the first born son.  Issac was their father, and Rebekah was their mother.  Isaac favored Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob. Esau was a rugged, red-haired boy, who in today's terms might be considered a "man's man." He liked the outdoors, and was a hunter. Jacob, on the other hand, might be considered a "mamma's boy" because he liked to stay at home.

In the ancient world, the first born son got all of the perks.  He received the father's blessing, which meant he would assume the rights of spiritual leader of the family, and would receive all of the financial rewards along with that important title. This meant that Esau was destined to rule and to be rich.  One day, after Esau was exhausted from being outdoors, he was famished.  Jacob was cooking some lentil stew.  Esau asked his brother if he could have some of the lentil stew.  But Jacob said that he would only give his brother the stew if Esau agreed to sell his "birthright" to Jacob.  Well, Esau agreed to surrender his birthright to Jacob, and then he ate the stew and left (Genesis 25:34).

Seems harmless, right? However, at that moment, the Bible says that Esau "despised his birthright." Esau traded in something very valuable for a temporary relief of his hunger.  What are you hungry for? An inappropriate relationship? A great paying job where you have to compromise your values? Popularity? Acceptance? Whatever it is, it isn't worth trading in something valuable that God has already given you.  What is valuable? Our integrity.  Our sexual purity.  Our word. Our family.  Our marriage.  Satan wants for all of us to trade in these valuables for temporary pleasures that ultimately lead to eternal death.  He's the master deceiver, and he'll stop at nothing to lure us into doing something that we'll surely regret later in life.

The Bible warns and encourages to be careful about sin and temptation:

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 
1 Corinthians 10:13

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" - Hebrews 2:18

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7


REMEMBER ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!! 

So What About Forgiveness? - Part 2

As we continue this mini-series on forgiveness, I want to address the issue of what forgiveness LOOKS like.  You may have heard someone tell you, "I forgive you" or "I have already forgiven you," but then you see something in-congruent with their words.  Their actions do not support their words.  How can you know? If a person whom you have offended says that they have forgiven you, but yet continues to berate you, ignore you, disrespect you, gossip about you, mock you, or even look at you differently, then chances are that they haven't forgiven you.

Yesterday I watched Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith of ESPN"s First Take, and they discussed the recent signing of Michael Vick by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  There is a petition that some Steelers fans are circulating who want to get Vick kicked off of the team for his role in dog fighting several years ago.  Michael Vick was convicted of a felony for his vicious treatment and killing of dogs.  He served his time in a federal penitentiary. Since his release from jail, Michael Vick has been a model citizen.  He has advocated for animal rights, has played on a few different NFL teams, and has "kept his nose clean," as best we know.  But YET, there are still many people who REFUSE to forgive Michael.  They are demonstrating their lack of forgiveness toward Michael by the way they treat him. They call him names, protest his presence on a football team, and try to rally others to join them in their disdain toward him. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25281382/petition-to-get-michael-vick-off-the-steelers-already-has-15k-signatures

My question is: what does Forgiveness LOOK like?? It's easy for us to say the words, "I forgive you," but it is much more difficult to put those words into action. Forgiveness should lead to reconciliation, in which there can be exchanges of handshaking, hugs, smiles, tears, and an enunciation of positive words from both sides.  The only time that reconciliation might not be possible, is if there is concrete evidence for which a person fears for their existence or personal safety.

A great biblical example of this concerns Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul. Saul was a Jewish Pharisee and a strict observer of Torah.  He believed Jesus' followers were dangerous to Judaism, and so he set out to persecute these early disciples of Jesus. Saul dragged off Christian men and women to prison, he beat them up, he tried to force them to speak against the Lord Jesus, and he gave approval to their deaths.  Nobody in the Christian community trusted Saul.  When Saul was converted to Christ, he began Preaching Jesus to his fellow Jewish countrymen.  In Jerusalem, however, none of the Christians wanted to befriend Saul because they feared him.  Barnabas reached out to Saul, and brought him to the apostles. The point is, Barnabas had to go beyond words, and move to action by accepting Saul into the community -  Acts 8:3, 9:26-27, 22:19, 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9, 1 Timothy 1:13

Thank God that when He forgives us, He no longer holds our sins against us - Psalm 32:1-2, 103:9-12; Hebrews 8:12

Let's pray that we can Show our Forgiveness to those who have offended us.

REMEMBER ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

So What About Forgiveness? - Part 1

Forgiveness is both a wonderful and a complex topic to discuss. What does forgiveness mean? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do we know we have received forgiveness? How do we know that we have given forgiveness to someone else? These are all important questions to ask, and that is why I have decided to write a multi-part blog series on this issue.

One of the central themes that runs throughout the Holy Bible is that God is a forgiving God.  The One who holds all power in the universe and beyond is repeatedly described as a loving, compassionate, merciful, and forgiving God. This should make every human heart sing, rejoice, and want to experience a personal relationship with this God!

The world we live in is often cold, heartless, judgmental, and very unforgiving.  People often think that they are punishing the offender by not forgiving them, when in actuality, the person who chooses NOT to forgive is the one who is held in captivity.  I want to first address the forgiveness that God extends toward us.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the God of Israel forgave His covenant Jewish people over and over again when they failed to keep all of His commandments.  Many times God would place His people into foreign captivity in order to discipline them for their disobedience to His word.  This was certainly true in 586 B.C. when God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army to enter into Jerusalem to destroy the city and the Holy Temple. The Babylonians carried off the surviving Jews and placed them into slavery for the next 70 years.  God allowed this to happen because He loved His people and wanted them to understand the seriousness of their sins. But God forgave His people, restored them, and brought them back to the Land of Israel.

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. - Micah 7:18

Throughout the Scriptures, even though God punishes His people for their sins, He also forgives them.  When God forgave Israel, it was an invitation for reconciliation. That simply means that God wanted a renewed relationship with His people.  What about you? Do you want God to forgive you of your sins? Would you like to become a more forgiving person? Would you like to experience the FREEDOM that comes from forgiveness? Check back later in future blogs to find out how you can experience the POWER of God through Forgiveness.  Till then ... Remember:

GOD WANTS YOU!!!! 

God is Still Good Even When Things are Bad!

In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered a devastating attack on the Holy City of Jerusalem.  The Babylonians sacked the city, burned down Solomon's Temple, killed many Jews, and took the rest of them as slaves.  The aftermath of the attacked proved even more egregious because of the starvation of the remaining inhabitants.  It got so bad in Jerusalem that "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children: they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people." -Lamentations 4:10

The writer (eye witness of Jerusalem's destruction) of Lamentations describes the bodies, the tears, the mayhem, and the sorrow that filled the streets of God's city.  The great temple that once stood could have easily been considered one of the ancient wonders of the world (the best) was now plundered! Instead of large stones, there was ash and rubble from the destruction. 

And yet, having witnessed all of this catastrophic destruction brought upon by the Babylonians,  the writer of Lamentations found his praise to offer up to the Lord God of heaven.  

He writes: 

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is thy faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

What about you? What are you going through today? Have you witnessed devastation somewhere? Have you seen trouble in your own life or in the life of loved ones that makes you wonder whether praising God is a good thing or not? We all will witness some form of destruction in our lives sooner or later.  Either we will see that destruction because of our own poor decisions or the poor decisions of others.  Whatever the case, however, we must find our praise to God.  He is Still Good Even When Things are Bad! 

GOD LOVES YOU AND GOD WANTS YOU!!!!! 

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time when we as Americans pause to remember and reflect upon the selfless, sacrificial service of our men and women in uniform.  Beyond that, we especially give honor to those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country with their own blood.  These people (past and present) are true heroes.  They put others before themselves, carried out their duties, and fought to protect the freedoms that we as Americans so richly enjoy!

When we see a veteran or someone actively serving in our Armed Forces, it behooves us to pull them aside to THANK them for their service! They and their families risk so much for all of us.  There is no greater honor than when we sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others.

Jesus said it best when He spoke these words, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" - John 15:13 (NKJV)

A HUGE Salute to our American Servicemen and women!

An EVEN BIGGER Salute to the LORD JESUS CHRIST who gave His life for each one of us on the cross in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago! Blessed be His Name!

GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!

Why Praise God in the Storm?

Life is filled with challenges.  At some point in our brief journey on this planet, we as human beings are going to face challenges, difficulties, and obstacles. Sometimes we refer to these problems as "storms".  If that is the case, let us examine a few realities about storms:

1. Storms can be very scary 
2. Storms can be life threatening 
3. Storms do not last forever
4. After a storm, there is calm
5. Eventually, the sun shines again after a storm

When we decide to praise God in the storm, our praise to Him becomes more authentic.  Think about it: isn't it easier to praise God when there's money in our bank accounts, food in our bellies, roofs over our heads, job security, great health and great respect from our loved ones? But what happens when we lose some or all of those things?  That was what happened to Job. Job was a righteous man who feared God and shunned evil.

According to God, there was not another man like Job on the earth.  Satan tried to argue the case that the only reason that Job feared God was because God put a hedge around Job.  In other words, Satan basically tried to say that Job's praise to God wasn't real because God was protecting Job from all of life's problems.  Satan suggested that if Job lost all of his blessings and protection from God, then he would surely curse God to his face. God allowed Satan to tempt Job, therefore, to prove the point that no matter what, Job would hold on to his integrity and not curse God.

Satan went out from the presences of the LORD and inflicted every area of Job's life. Job lost his children, his job, his wealth, and his health.  Even his wife told him to curse God and die. But after losing all of what God had originally given him, Job fell down in worship to God.  Could you or I do that immediately after losing everything (including the lives of our children)?  Job struggled in his faith for some time after the disaster hit him, but at the end of the day, he sought after God with questions, concerns, and ultimately heard directly from God.  When God showed Job that he had overstepped some boundaries by indicting God the way that he had, Job repented of his sin. God blessed Job with twice as much as he had in the beginning - cf Job 1, 2, 42

While you and I are not Job, we are in a sense.  Our faith will be tested at some point to determine whether or not it is authentic. I will be the first to tell you that I don't like trials, tests, evaluations or challenges.  I wish everything could be smooth sailing in life, but it is surely not.  And like Job, we will be tested.  We might not handle the situation perfectly, but if we can hold on to our faith, we will make it!

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

REMEMBER ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Time To STOP the Bleeding!

One day Jesus encountered a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She was a woman whom the Bible says had visited several doctors hoping to find a cure.  Instead of getting better, however, she grew worse.  And to top it all off, she spent all of her money hoping to find a cure that never came.  She was Desperate to find help.  Haven't you ever been there before?Feeling desperate often lead to disastrous results.  When we are desperate, we generally do not make good decisions. We try any and everything hoping to find a remedy for the problem.  And like the bleeding woman, we get worse.

But all hope was not lost for this woman.  She heard reports about Jesus.  Upon hearing reports about Jesus, she was Determined to touch Him because she knew that He could bring her the healing that those doctors could not give her.  Her determination to get better was based upon her trust in Jesus that He could do for her what no one else could.  He could actually STOP the Bleeding! When we are determined to do the right thing, determined to help others, and determined to succeed in life, there is very little that can stop us.  Determination arouses our adrenaline, and fuels us forward in the pursuit of something better.

The woman's trust in Jesus was so great, that she thought to herself, if I just touch His garments, I will be healed! Because she acted upon her trust in Jesus, she touched His garments! Upon touching Jesus' garments, the bleeding woman was Delivered from her twelve year ailment - Mark 5:25-34.

Today, you and I may be facing a variety of challenges and trials in our lives.  We may not be bleeding, but we may be facing relationship problems of all kinds, employment issues, health crisis, financial ruin, or some massive decision that we must make that could have serious ramifications in our lives.  Jesus is still the same Lord who healed and delivered the bleeding woman from her disease.  He has the same power and the same love for each one of us. We must have the trust in Him that will lead us to touch His garments.

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!!!

Failure Can Be a Good Thing

Sometimes the best medicine we need to cure us from the illness of complacency, arrogance, stagnation, and routine is failure.  That's right ... failure.  Why? When we fail at something we have pursued, worked at rigorously, and invested a lot of time, energy, resources and effort, it stuns us to know that we fell short of achieving our goal.

But here are three reasons why failure can be a good thing:

1. Failure keeps us humble. If we are always ranked #1 in our own minds or in the minds of others, that produces arrogance. No one wants to be around an arrogant person.  
2. Failure keeps us hungry. It's like a professional boxer who gets punched in the mouth and drops to the ground.  He gets angry about that, gets up, and aggressively goes after the one who knocked him down.  
3. Failure helps us focus.  When we realize that we can't always win, there's a reality check that we experience.   It puts things into proper perspective.  There's always going to be someone faster, stronger, smarter, bigger, more handsome, more beautiful, younger, more experienced, more talented and more liked than us.  That's the reality, folks! The sooner we accept these truths, the better off we become. 

Consider these famous quotes from highly successful people in their own right ...

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure." - Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder and Philanthropist)

"Winning is great, sure, but if you are going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose.  Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday." - Wilma Rudolph (Olympic Champion) 

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas A. Edison (Inventor of Light Bulb) 

The Bible reminds us that none of us does the right thing all of the time - Romans 3:23.  What does that mean? It means that we have all failed God spiritually at some point in our lives by sinning against Him.  We have missed the mark or standard that He set for us. What can be more debilitating than digesting that reality? The Good News, however, is that God has compensated for our failure by sending His Son Jesus Christ to make all of us ETERNAL WINNERS!!! Through the BLOOD of Jesus Christ, we have access to God the Father and a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe! 

GOD WANTS YOU!!! 

When Life Makes No Sense

Sometimes life makes no sense.  This can happen when it seems that everyone is against us, when we've lost a job, or our health is in jeopardy, when we experience relationship problems, or maybe our friends abandoned us during difficult times.  When these series of negative events happen, it seems like life makes no sense. 

The Good News is that God doesn't abandon us! 

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." - Psalm 46:1 (NLT). 

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. God doesn't back down from a challenge or crisis! He embraces hardship, suffering, obstacles and difficulties because He knows that He has the power, resources, ability and wisdom to overcome anything that confronts Him.  This is why it is important for us to always be aligned with God, in both good times and bad times.  We need to anchor our lives upon the One who can lead us into triumph and victory!

GOD WANTS YOU!!!