The Savior of the World Has Come!

We celebrate the birth of Christ today with people from every nation, tongue, people and tribe. Christ came to save the world from sin and the judgment that will come to all who do not receive him. Christ came to earth to give his life as a ransom, to pay the debt he did not owe that you and I might receive forgiveness and eternal life. His birth came in fulfillment of the prophecies given in the Old Testament. God is his love sent his Son in human flesh to live among men and become the sacrifice for our sin. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us in order that the punishment for sin would be paid for through his blood. Today we celebrate the unfathomable love of God given in the gift of His Son, the Savior of all of mankind.
Do you know Him and all He has done for you because of His great love? He longs to be your Savior but you are the one who will decide to accept Him or reject Him. His love for you will never change, receive His love today and let Him transform your life into what He originally designed it to be.

Transforming a Nation

Tonight I want to share about our outreach to Haiti as well as some principle in transforming a nation. Haiti is considered one of the poorest nations in the world and the earthquake of January 12, 2010 has devastated the country and little has been done to rebuild the nation. The extent of the damage was greater than I had imagined. In Port a Prince, the capital, almost every city block had one or more buildings destroyed. We took a tour of the city and saw the extent of the damage in several areas. One of the most memorable areas was the National Palace which to me symbolizes the state of the nation. It is broken and needs to be fixed yet nothing has been done other than keep people away from it. Over a million people are living in tent cities in tents donated by many different nations. We did not go into any of the tent cities in Port a Prince but we were able to do some ministry in a tent city near the mission house we stayed at our last 4 weeks. All of the people living in the tents have lost their homes and at this point do not have a place to go until their property if they own it can be cleared of the rubble. Many people prior to the earthquake were squatters and had no title to the property where they built their homes. This presents a huge problem for the people trying to get financial help to rebuild a home on property that they do not own. Since the government did give out deeds there have been many parties laying claim to pieces of property which will have to be settled in court. This will bring even greater delay to the reconstruction process of homes, schools and hospitals. 90 percent of the land is legally unclaimed and people are making claim to the land, fighting over it and making rebuilding even harder. Habitat for Humanity is committed to build 40,000 houses in PAP in the next few years. They cannot build the homes because of the claims against the property they want to build the homes.

We saw very little being done to clear the rubble. The heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble has been donated by many countries but it is sitting in the port because the government will not release it. The missionary that we worked with the final four weeks had a vehicle shipped from the USA and when he went to pick it up he saw many heavy equipment vehicles in the same area of his truck that had been donated by governments and relief organizations. Many nations have pledged to help but very little of the money has been given due to the corruption in the government and lack of accountability. 10 billion dollars has been pledged by over 50 countries but only 700 million has been received. The government of Haiti has failed its own people and many officials have stolen money from the people for their own personal greed. The current Haiti government will not allow outside organizations to monitor how the money that is pledged will be spent. The greatest problem facing the nation of Haiti is not the economic problem but the moral problem that have devastated the nation. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov. 14.34

Its greatest need is a transformation of the heart of the people which can only come through the preaching of the gospel and faithfully living it out in every aspect of life.

Haiti has more missionaries per capita than any nation of the world. There are over 9,943 mission agencies in Haiti which means there are thousands of missionaries working in the country. You would think that with that many missionaries there would be more progress on bringing change to the nation. I know God is at work through his people and I know it is His desire to see this nation transformed. It seems like a daunting task yet it is not impossible. Many people are greatly discouraged and even some missionaries are losing hope as they continue to see conditions not getting better.

Charles Kraft is a well-known author and missionary who has worked in countries like Haiti that are controlled by animism and voodoo. In his experience working in these cultures he found that there needs to be three encounters to bring transformation to the people.

The first is a Truth Encounter. At the core of the worldview of the people is their beliefs about what is real and true. Many people have never had the Truth of the gospel presented to them and they live with a worldview that is based on a false understanding of God. They fear their gods because their gods have power to curse or bless. In order to appease their gods and receive what they need, they must practice certain rituals and rites that are very detailed and must be done exactly as told or they will not receive what they need. They do not know of a God of love who desires to give them good things and loves them unconditionally. The truth of the Bible needs to be clearly presented to them to free them from the bondage of the false beliefs they have accepted. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. It is the truth of God’s word that will transform individuals, families, communities, cities and nations. The preaching of the gospel is our number one mandate because transformation as God has planned cannot take place apart from the truth of His word.

Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)

We have the model-Jesus “As the father has sent me so send I you.” John 17. 18

We have the motive-love “For God so loved the world…”John 3:16

We have the mandate: Go and make disciples

We have the method: preach

We have the message: the gospel

We have the magnitude: the whole world

The enemy, satan, has blinded them to the truth and he is holding them in bondage. Food, medicine, hospitals, homes, orphanages, schools and other humanitarian aid are needed but they in themselves do not meet the greatest need of the people which is the truth of God’s word. All of these can be vehicles in which the gospel can be shared and must be shared. God cares about the whole person but the greatest need is to have an encounter with truth.

One of the disheartening things we experienced in Haiti was an attitude of “Give me” among some of the people. They were not interested in hearing the gospel and were focused only on receiving something material from us. We saw this in young children and in adults. But we also met people who were seeking for the truth and when the gospel was presented they received it and gave their lives to Christ.

God in His wisdom has chosen the foolishness of preaching to communicate His truth. We must never back down from this mandate and seek for creative ways to communicate the message so that the people will understand. We used the Jesus film children’s version frequently on our outreach. Whenever we showed it we drew large crowds and always had people come to Christ. It was a method that was very effective along with the dramas and testimonies we gave.

The second encounter needed is a Commitment Encounter. Once people have heard the gospel and believe it to be true they must make a commitment to abandon all other beliefs and hold exclusively to the truth of the word. All too often in animistic cultures they people are accustomed to seeing change or answers quickly and when they do not receive answers quickly through their prayers they revert to the spiritists for help. When a person comes to Christ there must be repentance, complete turning away from every belief and practice that is in opposition to the truth. There cannot be a syncretistic mixture that was seen in the Catholic church in Haiti that allowed a mixture of Christianity and voodoo. Christ calls us to a complete and exclusive commitment to follow Him. He challenged those who wanted to be his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. If He is the Truth then He must be followed, there can be no compromise or half-hearted commitment. Believing in Him is not a mental assent. The word belief has as its true meaning “by your life”. There has to be a commitment to live your life by the truth of God’s word which means there must be teaching given to them so they understand the Word. One of the things we observed was churches that did not interpret the Scriptures accurately and rejected people who did not conform to their beliefs. We met a couple of ladies who were rejected by a church and not allowed to enter because they wore pants and had tattoos. Not all churches have this warped doctrine but it was sad for us to meet people who wanted to be a part of a church but did not meet the standards to be accepted. We actually helped to start a church in the neighborhood of these ladies who seemed to have a real hunger for the truth.

Several times when we were out sharing the gospel we were confronted by Christian people who seemed to really focus on the issue of women wearing pants. They would get very passionate about their belief that women should not be allowed to wear pants. One time we were witnessing to a group of young ladies when another group of people passing by stopped to listen and then they began a discussion with our interpreter who was a pastor about the issue of wearing pants. The focus of the conversation changed from sharing the gospel to debating about pants. The girls we were witnessing to left the conversation and walked down to talk with Marianne. The pants debate finally ended and we again shared the gospel with the young ladies and two of them received Christ. It is a sad day when the primary focus of some believers is on outward things and not the condition of the heart.

Another thing we encountered was people thought they needed to change before they could really commit their lives to Christ. They felt that they would not be accepted unless they made changes or got themselves to be good enough for Christ to accept them. They did not understand that true change can only happen when Christ comes to rule their lives as they make a commitment to Him. We had to encourage the people with this attitude that Christ would bring the changes as the progressed in their knowledge of the truth. Sanctification is a process that is continually a part of our Christian life. When we make a commitment to Christ to become a follower he takes us “As is.”

The final encounter is a Power Encounter. People who live in animistic cultures have witnessed the power of satan. They have seen demonic power at work and fear it. For these people to convert to Christ they must experience Christ’s power as a greater power than satan. Philip Steyne in his book, “Gods of Power” stated the following:

“Throughout the history of the Church, she has been engaged in power encounters against the forces of evil. Therefore, to presume that a person can come out of the domain of darkness into God’s Kingdom without a power showdown, assumes that Satan will allow transfer of membership without a battle. The Bible doesn’t support this notion.” P. 210

Christ has given us power over the enemy. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are powerful. 2 Cor. 10:3-5

3 Indeed, we live as human beings,but we do not wage war according to human standards;4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Demonic powers must submit to Christ. As believers, “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn 4.4

Christ did not leave us clueless or powerless regarding the enemy. We have been given authority through Christ to exercise power over the forces of darkness. The unsaved must see this and experience this especially those who have been involved in the dark side of the spirit world.

While in Haiti we saw Voodoo temples and talked with people who practiced voodoo. Several times after presenting the gospel the people would say no to the invitation. When asked what held them back they would state they were not ready. One man was 92 years old and said he was not ready. His days were definitely numbered yet he did not want to give his life to Christ. We learned that the rejection was often because they were practicing voodoo but did not want to admit it. One lady we shared the gospel with said she could not make a decision to accept Christ without her husband’s approval. Even though we told her that she would stand alone before the judgment seat and be accountable for her decision she was not persuaded. Her husband came home while we were talking with her so she went to ask him to come to talk with us but he refused. Another lady who was with her told us after we left them that the couple was practicing voodoo.

When these three encounters: truth encounter, commitment encounter and power encounter; are experienced individuals will be transformed and the culture can be changed as the truth of God’s word is put into practice in every area of life.

The nation of Haiti is in desperate need of transformation. The beliefs and attitudes that rule the country need to be replaced with the truth of God’s word. The gospel must be proclaimed through committed believers who know the power of God. The church must rise up and begin to exert influence in every area of life to establish the Kingdom of God in the country. It is easy to be discouraged by the corruption and devastation but God is not calling his church to sit back and wait for help. He is calling his church to be on the frontlines setting an example to people who have accepted a counterfeit system of beliefs. We saw very few people actually working to clean up the rubble and garbage that was thrown everywhere. We did see on a couple of occasions a group of people wearing shirts that said “Working for food or money.” I am not sure why people are not doing much to clean up their country and begin the rebuilding process. It is a completely different attitude than what was demonstrated by the people of Germany after WWII when many of their cities were completely destroyed. The German people used their hands and hand tools and wheelbarrows to clear the rubble. In Berlin there remains a large pile of rubble where the people brought it after clearing their property. It remains today as a memorial to the hard work of the people to restore their nation. I pray that this attitude will become part of the transformation of the Haitian culture. Haiti needs a leader or leaders like Nehemiah who had a passion to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem and in doing so reestablished the true identity of the people of Israel who were in captivity. He encouraged the people to “rise and build” and the people responded and accomplished the task in only 52 days because they had a “mind to work.” I believe that God wants to establish a new identity for the people of Haiti which will only happen as they allow God to bring transformation to their nation.

We were blessed to be able to work with a church called, “The Body of Christ.” They were actively involved in relocating people on their property in Babancourt that served as a refugee camp for 1500 people. Most of the refugees have returned to Porta Prince but there are still families living at the site. The church is constructing homes on their property and has a long-term goal of making it a community with a hospital and community center to serve the needs of the people.

Haiti is in the process of electing a new president and representatives in their government. While we were there the first election took place but the results have been disputed and riots have erupted in the capital. Many of the people are angry and are demanding another election. It is perhaps a defining point in the history of this nation and we must continue to pray that whoever becomes the next group of leaders in Haiti will take a stand for truth and justice and work for the good will of people. But above all we must pray for the truth of God’s word to be the foundation of the country and that the values that are taught and principles taught in the Scriptures will become the standards of the nation.

Pray for the missionaries and mission organizations that are working in Haiti. It is not an easy country to live and the spiritual environment is challenging. Pray that more teams will go to Haiti to help bring the transformation that is needed. Pray for encouragement among the missionaries who are giving so much of themselves to help the people. Pray for the church in Haiti to take action and set a good example to the people.

Banana Church

Sunday,we ministered in a new church that is located in a field of banana plants. It is surrounded by channels of water that carry the waste water to a river so the odor at times can be pungent. A group of about 40 believers gathered to worship in the simple structure in a plot of land the pastor purchased and gave to the church after his other church was destroyed by the earthquake on January 12 in Haiti. His desire is to build a structure and purchase more land to expand the church. It was a privilege for us to be a part of what God is doing here amidst people who have suffered greatly yet are willing to sacrifice to see his Kingdom advance in their nation.

Outreach to Haiti

We were able to finally show the entire Jesus film, children's version on Thursday night to a crowd of 300! We simply hung a bed sheet on the wall of a business and used the PA system to announce it. We were delayed about an hour due to some technical problems but the people patiently waited and the longer we waited, more people came. At the end of the film we wanted to give an invitation but as soon as we started speaking the generator used to power our system rain out of fuel. It got real dark fast and the people scattered but at least they saw the entire film which is a very powerful took in presenting the life of Christ. We pray that hearts were ministered to by the message of the film and that the Holy Spirit completed the work of bringing conviction of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come.

Haiti Outreach

We are continuing to share the gospel by going to homes in the area. The people are open to hearing the message and many are responding to receive salvation. We have also been hosting a Bible study for some people who we have met and shared Christ. They have been rejected by some of the churches because they do not wear the right clothes and some have tatoos. Not all the churches are legalistic as these but the ones that are have a very negative impact on people who really want to know the Lord. We will be showing the movie on Jesus to the people tonight. It is the shorter version for children but it has been very effective in reaching all ages and it is in the language of the people. We are working with a Pastor to help start a church with the people who are coming to Christ through the ministry we are doing. Please continue to pray for us as we labor together in the harvest field God has placed us for the next 2 weeks.

Haiti Outreach

I am currently in Haiti with our DTS students for the next 5 weeks. We arrived on October 17 and spent our first week ministering in Port au Prince. I was overwhelmed by the extent of the damage from the earthquake of January 12, 2010. There are countless buildings and homes that are damaged and some reduced to rubble. I saw very little work being done to clear the rubble as there seems to be few machines available to deal with the problem. It will take years to clear and rebuild everything that has been damaged at the rate of progress that is currently happening. One of the most telling signs was the condition of the National Palace that is totally damaged and nothing has been done to remove it and rebuild. It is a symbol of the state of the government here, broken and in need of major repair. We came along side of a church called "The Body of Christ" and ministered in 3 different churches as well as several school. We also visited an orphanage that is in great need of funds to fix what has been damaged and finish the construction of the building. It cares for 47 children who have been orphaned. It is a very simple facility and the children have very little. The food was being cooked over a fire because they did not have gas in the propane tank. The children sang the National Anthem of the USA to us and they really enjoyed the ministry the student conducted for them.
Our second week was spent north of Port au Prince in Babancourt. We stayed in a camp that was set up to house the people whose homes were damaged after the earthquake. There were about 1500 people originally living in tents in this camp but many have left or return to their homes. We worked with the church on the grounds and also conducted ministry in several public and private schools. We had around 30 receive Christ as Lord. It has been very hot in Haiti and it has taken our team a bit of time to adjust to it. Electricity was scarce in our first home we stayed in and in the camp we only had electricity when the generator was started at night. The church treated us well and we did not mind living in tents for the week, it was actually cooler than staying in the home the first week. While we were at the camp there was an outbreak of cholera in communities around us. We know of 2 people who died near us.
We are now at our 3rd ministry site in Fonds Parisiens for the next week. We will be doing a lot of evangelism in the community.
God has used our students in a marvelous way and even though the conditions are harsh at times they have stayed strong and focused on the mission. Please continue to pray for them.

Identity Crises

Identity Crises, Confusion
We are living in a day in which personal and gender identity is in a state of crises and confusion for many people. Gender identity is now much more than just male and female. We have an organization called the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual) that defends the rights of people to express themselves any way they desire.
In New York it was proposed that young students would not have to declare their gender until they were sure of who they were and if they wanted to change their identity they could do it at any time. We are seeing an increase in the number of people who are living with a different identity than what they were born.
Guatemala and El Salvador have serious problems with gangs. In El Salvador a law was passed recently that would allow the police to arrest anyone who was in gang and put them in jail. Many who join the gangs are looking for a new identity and a sense of belonging to a group of people. They cover their bodies with tattoos that are identification marks of being part of their gang or they wear certain clothing in a specific way that identifies them as one of the gang members. Being identified with the gang is very important to them as it gives them a place to belong and a purpose for living even though it is not at all what God created them to be and do. There is a new movie called “Reparacion” about the gangs in the prison in Guatemala.
The identity of these gang members has been the result of growing up in a home without a father who did not help them identify who they are and unfortunately many churches were guilty of not reaching out to help them realize their true identity in Christ. Your identity determines your purpose in life.
The enemy has been very successful in creating massive confusion regarding man’s true identity. You can choose who you want to be regardless if it is against God’s original design for mankind. We are expected to be tolerant of others choices and not try to force a moral standard upon them. Let them be who they want to be is the mantra of our day. There is increased acceptance and pressure to give approval to the identity that a person chooses for himself or herself. The ultimate goal is to get everyone to believe that it is natural and choice is not involved.
The Bible is very clear about our identity and our purpose in life. We have been created in the likeness and image of God and our purpose in living is to know God and enjoy a personal relationship with Him that is based on love. God created us with a free will to choose to love Him. As we read the Bible we see what has happened to man when he has lost his identity and lives outside of the boundaries God has established. When Adam and Eve sinned against God a major change happened immediately. They lost the glory that clothed them and the innocence in which they lived after they ate of the fruit. They alsol lost the intimacy they had with God. Immediately they were filled with fear, hid from God and tried to cover up their nakedness. They knew they had violated God’s command and their reaction of hiding and covering themselves because a change had taken place. They were no longer innocent people but were people who were ashamed. They had a new identity that was not what God had originally intended for them. Man quickly degenerated as this new identity was passed on to succeeding generations. Man became so wicked in this new identity that God had to wipe out the human race and start over again with Noah and his small family. God chose Noah and then Abram to be the people whom He would reveal Himself and reestablish the identity of God’s people. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a nation of people were created who would understand their true identity through the revelation God gave them through the laws and the prophets. The nation of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests who represented God to man and interceded between man and God (Ex. 19:5,6). Through the nation of Israel God would send the Messiah who would make possible the restoration of man to God. The intent was that the nations would come to know God through His chosen people and understand their true identity through their relationship with God. Israel did not do a very good job at being the nation that followed God. They identified themselves with the gods of the other nations and abandoned their true identity and purpose. Eventually they were taken captive by the Assyrians and Babylonians as punishment for their abandonment of God. When the captors destroyed their cities and took them into their lands they immediately split the people up and dispersed them throughout the land to destroy their identity as a nation. Separation and isolation were great tactics to destroy the identity of the people. Yet in spite of their efforts to disperse them and destroy their identity, God maintained a remnant of people who would not lose their identity. The story of Daniel and the 3 Hebrew young men is a great example of how the conquering nation tried to change their identity. First they were removed from their homeland, separated from their families and everything that was familiar to them. Then they were given new names that were names to honor the gods of their captors and give them a new identity. (Daniel 1:6,7)
Their names carried meaning. Daniel meant God is judge, or my judge. Hananiah’s name could be translated, Jehovah is gracious. Mishael’s name, as Daniel’s, contained the shortened form for God (el) and meant who is like God. Azariah’s name asserted that Jehovah helps. These godly names were changed into compounds of the names of the Babylonian gods.
To make them forget the God of their fathers, the guide of their youth, they give them names that savour of the Chaldean idolatry. Belteshazzar signifies the keeper of the hidden treasures of Bel; Shadrach—The inspiration of the sun, which the Chaldeans worshipped; Meshach—Of the goddess Shach, under which name Venus was worshipped; Abed-nego, The servant of the shining fire, which they worshipped also. (Matthew Henry Commentary)
Next they were reeducated in the knowledge of their captors. Finally they were asked to adopt the customs of the Chaldeans and forsake the laws God had established. This was the point where they would not give in. They would not bow to the gods of their captors and identify themselves with them. They knew their God and they were determined to not compromise their true identity as children of the One True God.
Our enemy tries to do the same thing with each of us to get us to lose our true identity. He tries to separate us from other believers by creating divisions or he tries to exploit us when we are in a situation in which there are few believers. He wants to isolate us so we feel alone and then are more susceptible to his temptations to adopt new gods and standards for living. Unfortunately many Christian college students fall away from the faith because of the isolation they feel as believers in a godless campus that is filled with many opportunities to be engrossed in sin and be accepted.
One of the reasons we have the Monday night worship service in English is to counter this tactic of the enemy to isolate and separate believers who come to Antigua. It is easy to fall away from the faith in Antigua, the temptations are there and being away from home where no one knows you makes it even easier to give in to temptation and change your identity. When I came to Antigua in 1999 the Lord put in my heart the desire to start these meetings because I saw and felt the need for fellowship among the English speaking people who were here. These meeting have been going on since January 2000 and I am glad you have come to be a part of it. It is a great way to meet people, get connected and be encouraged in your faith.
Beside separation and isolation the enemy will do his best to expose us to a new way of thinking about life. He will try to destroy our Christian world view and replace it with the current philosophies that the world embraces. If you are not solidly grounded in your faith or a Christian worldview of life, you will be unprepared to recognize and refute other world views and begin to adopt them as part of your life. Someone once said, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.”
One of the greatest examples of the power of wrong values and philosophies of life was witnessed in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power. I recently read the biography of Dietrich Bonheoffer and learned many things about what was going on in Germany when Hitler’s philosophy of life ruled the nation. He viewed the Jews, the disabled and the elderly as expendable. He sanctioned the death of millions of Jews and used them for medical experiments that were unconscionable. He saw no value in disabled children and ordered them put to death. Much of this happened without the knowledge of many of the people in Germany and when people found out they were appalled that these things were happening. Unfortunately the church did not make a united stand against him for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons was the people were afraid they would lose their identity when they would eventually be defeated. Those who were opposed to Hitler tried hard to convince Britain that they were serious about overthrowing Hitler and they did not want the whole world to think that everyone was in agreement with his philosophies. A few Christians tried to overthrow Hitler and kill him but were unsuccessful. Hitler’s worldview influenced an entire nation and led to the death of millions of innocent people. Ideas have consequences and we must be vigilant to expose false philosophies that undermine God’s values. When you lose your true identity, you expose yourself to many ideas and philosophies that can be very destructive and your purpose in living becomes something God never intended.
When you call yourself a follower of Christ you will be put to the test. It may be in a small thing or something that could have devastating consequences. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel were all faced with decisions to conform to the ways of their captors or stand faithful to their beliefs. They were asked to eat food that was against their beliefs but they refused to do it. They were asked to bow down to the idol and refused to do it. The consequences were not good, a fiery furnace waited for them. God honored their stand for righteousness and protected them. Daniel refused to stop praying against the order of the King and was thrown into the lion’s den. He stood for his beliefs and God stood with him. These men refused to change their identity and their beliefs. They knew who they were and whose they were.
What you believe will be tested, the enemy will make sure you go through the fire to see what you are made of and what is your true identity. I knew some Christian people who bought a roundtrip plane ticket with the intention of having one person fly on the first part of the trip and a different person fly back using the same ticket. In their mind it was a way to save money as a one way ticket is always more expensive. So in order to do this they had to created a false identity card so when they presented it at the check in counter it would match the name on the ticket. They were able to do it and they did not get caught. But in retrospect they were willing to expose themselves to a damaged reputation and possibly a fine for the sake of saving a few dollars. How valuable is your reputation? What is your price? I heard another example of a youth pastor who when attending college used the identity of someone else to play basketball in a health club so he would not have to pay the nonmember club fee. When asked his name at the desk, he gave the name of a friend who was a member of the club and then stated that he had forgot his membership card that had a photo i.d. He got in and began to play basketball when the attendant at the desk came to the gym with the person who he had stated he was!! He had been caught and now established a reputation with the attendant that he was a liar, deceiver and willing to sell his reputation for a small amount of money.
Some of you may have read the news of the past week in which a pastor of a megachurch in Atlanta has been accused of sexual abuse of 4 teenage boys in his church. He has denied the charges and time will tell whether he is truly innocent. He is going to go through one of the greatest testings in his life and I pray that he truly is found innocent of all charges.
None of are exempt from having our identity tested and we all must be careful to keep ourselves in the love of God and always respond with love toward God whenever we are tested.
God has made you in His image and likeness, He has chosen you, He has called you, He has made you a new creation in Christ, you are His, He has you in the palm of His hand, you are precious and of great value to him. Your identity is found in Him. Your purpose is found in Him. Your values, beliefs and behaviors are to reflect who you are in Him. Paul stated, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” His new identity was found in Christ and that is the beauty of Christianity. We remain unique in our personality, gifting and abilities yet we share the same values of Christ. Christ is forming his character in us, conforming us to his nature yet expressing it through our uniqueness.
Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago told the story of one of his daughters who invited a friend over to their house to play when she was only 4-5 years old. Her friend was not acting right, she was doing a lot of bad things that bothered Erwin’s daughter. Finally his daughter asked her friend, “Do you have Jesus living in your heart?” Her friend replied that she did and Erwin’s daughter responded, “I think you have a bunch of other people living in there as well.”
When Christ comes to dwell in us, we have a new identity. We no longer have to try to be someone we are not. We can be free to be the person God created us to be.
We are going to watch a drama performed by our DTS students called “King of Hearts”. It is a powerful drama about how we try to hide behind a false identity.
We need to establish our identity in Christ. We can be free in Christ to be who we have been created to be. We do not need to try to be something we are not to hide our fears or present a false image to other people.
In Christ we discover our true identity and our purpose. Celebrate your uniqueness and enjoy the great variety of personalities in the Body of Christ. Be secure in your identity in Christ. Don’t be a copycat, be who God created you to be.

The Road Less Traveled...September 2010

Responding to Problems

Recently in the Guatemala news there was a report of a man who was shot to death near the Immigration office in Guatemala City. I was just there a couple of weeks ago and never thought that someone would be shot in this location because of all the people who are there. The news reported that the man who was killed had been working outside the Immigration office for many years helping people with their paperwork. They speculated that someone did not like his work and decided to hire assassins to take him out. A permanent solution to one problem but it also created a series of other problems.
Problems are a part of life. Someone once said there are no problems just people. Almost all of our problems are a result of relationship issues. How we confront our problems and deal with them will determine how we will grow as believers.
At times we wish we could just push a button and have our problems disappear. I watched an episode of Bonanza, an old television show our family watched every Sunday night that presented a very unique way to deal with problems. Here is one episode in which the Cartwright family and their hired hands went to San Francisco to celebrate. Unknown to them was a ship that needed workers and they worked in cooperation with a local drinking establishment to get people in a very unique way that was also used to solve problems people caused in the bar. In the scene we will watch one of the Cartwrights, Hos who was looking for their hired men as well as his father who had disappeared after going to the bar. He came searching for answers created a stir in the bar trying to solve the missing persons problem.
A very unique way to solve a problem at least for a short period of time. But life is not that easy, problems come to us and often require a lot of thought and energy to resolve them. We are always faced with choices in how we will resolve situations and problems we encounter. I want to look at three responses to problems tonight.
Denial
The easiest thing for many people is simply deny that there is a problem. It is easy for us to deny something that in our mind does not exist. At times we have blind spots in certain areas of our life. It may be a habit or attitude that we have that has become part of our behavior and we do it unconsciously and are really unaware of its effects on other people. We are unaware of our issues until someone brings them to our attention. Once we are made aware we have a decision to make and often we choose to deny we have a problem.
A friend of mine related how his dad would come home every day, sit in his chair and read the paper and no one could interrupt him or say anything to him. His dad did not realize how his behavior was shutting out his children and building a wall of separation between them. This went on for years and it was not until recently that when he was confronted with his past behaviors. His immediate reaction was to deny that he had done anything wrong. Awhile later he realized what he had been doing and he asked his children to forgive him. For years he was blinded to what he was really doing and I am sure he wishes he could relive those days. It took years for his children to get up enough courage to confront him with many of the behaviors that had driven them away from him. He was not a very approachable person and I am sure they thought it was not worth the effort to try to talk about something he would deny being a problem. Denial is often our first reaction when we are confronted by someone who points out a fault that we have. Denial is never a solution. It only serves to alienate people from you who perhaps love you and are trying to help you. For most of us this is our usual response when someone confronts us with an issue. Our pride keeps us from really listening and accepting what the other person is telling us. It is easy for us to deny what they are saying and discredit them stating that they do not know what they are talking about. We get offended perhaps by the way it was spoken to us or by the words they spoke and we become defensive. We quickly shut these people out. When we are confronted we need to be aware of the response of our heart. We may say the right words to the person confronting us but our heart is not in agreement with them. We placate them with words yet remain in denial of what they have said. Pay attention to what is really happening in your heart. The Holy Spirit is very good at bringing an uneasy feeling when we are in denial. There will be heaviness in our spirit that we must acknowledge.

Delay
A second reaction when confronted with a problem is to delay doing anything about it. We accept the fact that there is a problem but we do not want to do anything to confront it and do what needs to be done. Sometimes we think that given enough time it will go away or if we move away the problem will not follow us. Last year there was a young man around 30 years old who lived in Antigua and came to our coffee house when we had it in operation. He came to some of our meetings and seemed to want to get his life in order. We never really knew all of his past but one day he was in Central Park in Antigua when agents from Interpol arrested him in the park and brought him back to the USA to face charges for crimes he had committed. Rather than face his problems and taking care of cleaning up his record he decided to flee to Guatemala thinking it was a safe place and he would go unnoticed. Yet I am sure that in the back of his mind, he knew that he was delaying the inevitable. He eventually went to court and was convicted and given a 5 year sentence in jail. He was in the end relieved that he finally came to terms with his past even though it meant going to jail for awhile. The Bible is pretty clear when it states, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32.23). The longer we delay the greater the level of anxiety builds in our heart. King David tried this tactic of delay. He thought he had his sin covered when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and she became pregnant. His secret did not remain a secret because God would not let him get away with what he had done. It was tearing David apart and God in his mercy sent Nathan the prophet to uncover the secret and help David get the healing he needed. Psalms 32 addresses the issue David had with his own sin and how it tormented him.

Psalms 32: 3-4
3While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

The longer we delay the more misery we bring to our lives. It affects us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. There really is no benefit in delaying our confession. God waited patiently for David to come to him and admit his sin but David delayed and suffered for it.

Deal Truthfully
The final option is to deal truthfully with our problem by admitting it is a problem and seeking the forgiveness and help we need to get back on track. When Nathan confronted David, David knew he had to deal with his problem, admit his sin and receive God’s forgiveness.
Psalms 51
3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

. Unconfessed sin is really a huge ball and chain that is attached to us. It hinders us from progressing and causes great pain. When we finally deal honestly and truthfully with our problem we set in motion the healing process. The healing begins with our relationship with God because all sin is an affront to God, David acknowledge that he had sinned against God first and foremost. Once this relationship is restored the next step is to rebuild the other relationships that have been damaged by our actions and attitudes. This can be a very difficult thing to do because you have to humble yourself and go to ask forgiveness and bring restitution to the people you have offended. We put ourselves at risk of being rejected, reviled and renounced when we do this. We cannot control the reaction or response of the offended person and we have to be prepared to receive this. It will be painful and it may be costly but it can also be the first steps in restoring a relationship built on honesty and transparency. When Christ talked to Zacchaeus the tax collector, who were known for taking more money than they should have from the people, his response was pretty amazing because he offered to repay anyone he had taken money from, four times as much as he had stolen.

8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Luke 19:8.
Restitution and restoration must always be at our own expense and it may be costly but relationships and a clean conscience are more valuable than money. The word restoration means to set a broken bone back in place. This can be painful but when the bone heals it is stronger than when it was before it was broken.
When it comes to restoring a relationship we have to be willing to do what the other person asks of us. We really are in no position to demand anything from them. As long as what they ask of us is not excessive we have to be willing to submit ourselves to do what is necessary.
If we are willing to go through confession and restitution we can be used of God to teach other’s His ways.
Once David understood what God was trying to establish truth his life through dealing with his sin he submitted himself to God to receive the forgiveness, healing and restoration he needed.

6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you
When he completed the restoration process, we will
Have a heart that seeks to be taught God’s wisdom
Have a heart that is clean before the Lord
Experience joy and gladness
Receive a clean heart and a right spirit
Enjoy intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit
Have a spirit that is willing to submit to God

When this is our experience then we can like David teach other sinners the ways of God so they could return to Him.
When we have been restored, God can take our failures and use them as teaching tools for others who are in the same situation or are on the verge of making the same errors we committed. Our testimony of restoration can be used to offer hope to others who are not walking in the freedom God wants them to experience.

God’s goal in revealing and dealing with sin is not punishment but restoration of our lives and our relationships. We can choose to deny the problem, delay our response or we can deal honestly and truthfully with what has been shown to us and begin the restoration process.
Let God have his way in your life when you encounter problems. Allow him access to your pain and he will bring more freedom than you could have imagined.

Knowing Christ

Knowing Christ
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:7-10
Paul wrote these words while he was imprisoned in Rome. He had no regrets regarding his life of service to the Lord. In the previous verses Paul recounted what his life was like as a religious zealout, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, the cream of the crop regarding what he thought it meant to be a True Jew. Paul understood that everything he tried to accomplish for God was truly a work of the flesh, it was his own efforts to be a righteous person according to the Law. Paul thought he had the perfect pedigree that is until he truly met Christ. When he understood who Christ was and what he had done for him, Paul changed his thoughts about his past life. Those things that were of value to him and others he counted them as a loss. They did not add value to his life but rather robbed him of having the true knowledge of Christ. The righteousness he thought he had gained through the works of his flesh did not accomplish the righteousness that can only be found through faith in Christ.
Righteousness means to be in right standing with God. When you are in right standing with God you are accepted by him. The only way we can be acceptable before him is to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. When Paul discovered this truth it set him free. That is why he called it the excellence of knowing Christ. He found the key to being righteous before God and it was through the work Christ did on the cross. Paul could now declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” This truth completely set him free from trying to fulfill the demands of the law. Paul lost everything he regarded in his past life as important. He lost his status among the Jewish leaders. He lost his position and all the entitlements that came with him. Muslims experience this same loss when they come to Christ. Many are completely rejected by the family and it is as though they have died and no longer exist. For some they may be killed because they have left Islam and their killing is justified in the Coran. Paul lost everything and was persecuted severely for following Christ. All the prestige he once felt was now counted as nothing because he found the knowledge of Christ. What Paul gained in knowing Christ far exceeded anything he had ever been given or ever would be given living as he had previously without Christ.
For Paul and for us as believers the greatest knowledge we can ever have is the knowledge of Christ. Everything else in life is secondary to knowing Christ. Our passion must be the same as Paul’s, to gain the knowledge of Christ and continue learning about him for all of our lives. Paul wrote in Colossians 2: 3 that in Christ “…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge..” The more we seek to know Christ, the more knowledge and wisdom we will gain. It requires effort on our part to seek after Christ, to study the Scriptures and apply ourselves to the understanding we gain.
We live in a world that is full of information but what the world needs is a revelation of Christ because in Him is found all wisdom and knowledge. The enemy has been very successful in sidetracking people from knowing Christ through philosophies and other religions. Over ½ of the world is lost, separated from God and pursuing other gods. Many have made up their own religion based on good works or other ideas that will not make them righteous before God. Only Christ can make us righteous before God, acceptable to Him. If you are trusting in anything else you will be disappointed, you will not be accepted into the Kingdom of heaven.
The cry of Paul’s heart was “that I may know him.” I like how the Amplified Bible states it, “that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of his person] more strongly and clearly.” Knowing Christ comes progressively, we don’t understand all there is to know about him. He reveals new things to us about his Person as we continue to passionately pursue gaining knowledge of Him. Christ wants greater depth of our understanding of Him and greater intimacy as we gain more knowledge of Him. The more you know the better it gets and in Christ there is no end. We will never reach the point where we will know it all, we will constantly be exploring the wonders of Christ throughout eternity.
We have just begun our DTS and our goal is “To know Him (Christ) and make Him known.” The students have set aside these next 5 months of their lives to pursue this knowledge of Christ and take that knowledge and share it with a lost world.
I pray that this is the goal for each of us, to know Christ as he really is and for who he is. ..I pray that each of us will never settle for only partial knowledge of Christ, to be content where we are at and miss out on all the Christ has for us. Are you hungry for the knowledge of Christ? Are you passionately pursuing to know Him intimately and in greater depth? How is your spiritual appetite for the wisdom and knowledge that comes through Christ? There is no greater study to pursue than the study of God and Christ. All the other pursuits of knowledge in any area of life as exciting as they may be can never compare with knowing Christ. The earthly knowledge we gain will all pass away but the knowledge of Christ is eternal.
Paul not only wanted to know Christ but he also want to know, understand and experience the power of Christ displayed in his resurrection. Christ through his resurrection defeated the greatest power on earth, the power of death. Death brought finality to life and many people live in fear of death. Many people believe that once you die, it is over. There is nothing after physical death. Other religions teach that you will be reincarnated into another life form based on the life you lived on earth. Christ demonstrated to the world that the power of death was defeated when he rose from the grave. The resurrection power changes everything. If we are raised from the dead then this life on earth is temporal, death in the physical is only a transition to the eternal. The resurrection power of Christ is available to the believer today. There is nothing more powerful than the power to transform a life. We can see the power of God being demonstrated in the earth today through the signs, wonders and miracles that are happening. These miracles defy the laws of nature and are inexplicable. Healings are being reported where metal parts placed in the body are disappearing or the person is able to do things they never were nor should be able to do with the metal part in their body. These amazing miracles are nothing to be compared with the resurrection power that will one day transform this human body into a new heavenly body that will never get sick, never experience pain or suffering and will become an eternal body. This is real power and we get to experience it.
Paul also wanted to understand and participate in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. Paul already had experienced a great deal of suffering, physically, mentally and spiritually. He was not asking for a life of pleasure and ease but desired to live in conformity to the death of Christ. The servant is not above his master and if Christ was willing to suffer in the flesh, Paul was also willing to do the same for the sake of Christ. This is not a message that is popular among many believers today who want to experience just the blessings of the Christian life. To think about suffering for Christ is not on the radar screen, it is to be avoided. This attitude to me reflects that the person does not really understand the surpassing value of knowing Christ or the excellency of knowing Christ. Whatever suffering or persecution may come from following Christ is worth it if it will bring others to Christ and allow us to be a witness unto him. The thought of suffering or inconvenience or living at a lower standard of living to have the opportunity to share Christ with others is difficult for many believers to embrace yet desire. Paul was willing to go through many forms of suffering, knowing that Christ had suffered greatly for him. Christ's sufferings continued when Paul admittedly persecuted the church and for this Paul was very repentant. During WWII when decisions were made to invade enemy territory, one of the factors that was always given consideration is how many lives would be lost in the battle. It was inevitable; people were going to die from enemy fire or friendly fire. It was always a difficult decision for those in authority yet the prize they were trying to gain, the freedom of the people, was worth the expenditure of human life. Thousands of soldiers gave their lives for the freedom of people they did not know. We have something more valuable than earthly freedom. We must be willing to experience suffering and persecution so that others will come to know Christ.
The final frontier for missions is going to require people who are willing to suffer for Christ. The nations that are most resistant and militantly opposed to the Gospel will require people who are willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. It will require people like Paul who want to share in the sufferings of Christ. It will not be easy but it will be very rewarding because you will be one who has the privilege of bringing Christ to people who have never heard of him or have been given wrong information about him. Those who are willing to go, to be afflicted and suffer for the sake of Christ will experience him at a deeper level of intimacy and comfort. I read this poem that I think reflects the life of many believers who want a comfortable life.
Comfort me, Lord, and... pay my bills
Comfort me, Lord, and... cure my ills
Comfort me, Lord, and... remove my fears
Comfort me, Lord, and... dry my tears
Comfort me, Lord, and... increase my wealth
Comfort me, Lord, and... preserve my health
Comfort me, Lord, and... plead my case
Comfort me, Lord, and... enlarge my place
Comfort me, Lord, and... tell me "why?"
Comfort me, Lord, and... set me on high
Comfort me, Lord, and... do what I say
Comfort me, Lord, and... do it today
The Spirit listened as I uttered my mind
He said not a word as I pleaded and pined
And then He spoke in the language of conviction
Saying, "Comfort isn't comfort in the absence of affliction."

Are we really willing to go through affliction for Christ or do we just want to be comforted from the seemingly minor things in life that have consumed us?
Paul’s attitude and desire was to be conformed to Christ’s death. It was not that he had a death wish but rather that he was willing to pay whatever price that was required of him.
Paul was a seeker of the intimate and deep knowledge of Christ, not head knowledge but experiential knowledge of Christ. He was also sought to understand and experience the resurrection power of Christ and finally he was willing to share in the sufferings of Christ for the privilege of bringing the Gospel message to the lost.
Paul challenged the believers to follow him as he followed Christ. He pursued Christ with passion to know Him and serve Him. May the same be said of our lives.

Honor all people

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
The words Peter wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit have been stirring in my heart. Especially the first words, “Honor all people.”
When Peter wrote these words the Christians in that day were being persecuted and were under fire. They were going through trials of their faith, much of which was being caused by people who hated and despised them. So when Peter wrote that the believers should honor all people, he was including those who were their enemies and persecutors as well as the governing authorities. All people means all people not just the ones we like, agree with or agree with us.
To honor someone means we give them value, we elevate them and esteem them. We can give honor to someone based on their position or office. If the President of Guatemala came into the room we would give honor to him because of his position of authority. We may have fear of the person because they have power over us to make our life miserable or more difficult. The authority may be benevolent and our motivation of honoring him is perhaps to get their approval for something we want or need. Our self preservation may kick in and influence our behavior. If a police officer pulls you over for speeding or some other infraction you will do whatever you can to show honor and respect for him or her because they have power over you. It is like a survival mechanism kicks in and you do what you need to do to escape what may happen to you. You will respond in a way to protect yourself and speak in a way that you hope will lessen the fine or get you off the hook. Our motive may be purely for self preservation and have nothing to do with truly honoring the police officer with a sincere heart. We put on our best behavior, our nicest voice, using terms of respect etc. to try to impress the officer and keep us from more trouble. And as soon as we are away from them we revert to our normal attitude toward them which may be good or bad. In this sense we are giving honor more to the position the person is in and the power he has over us rather than the personal worth or value of the person. Honoring the position of the person is not a bad thing but there is a deeper motivation for honor that I believe God wants us to practice in every relationship all the time.
Honoring people has to be base not on what they do or their behaviors but rather on who they are as persons created in the image of God. Because they are valued by God and are eternal souls created in God’s image and likeness, we are to give them honor. If we base honor on position and power we will give greater honor to a select group and overlook those who are less powerful or are considered marginal by society. James wrote about this problem in the church where people of wealth were given seats of honor while the poor were dishonored and made to sit down by the footstool, a lowly place. (James 2:1-6) Dishonoring the poor is practiced in many nations today. India has a caste system that is supposedly disbanded and not recognized by the government but in actuality it still exists among the people. There are still outcasts and untouchables who have little value other than doing all the dirty work the other classes will not do.
I visited the Potter’s House ministry at the dump in Guatemala City recently. They work with the children and parents who live and work in the dump. Both children and adults, 10,500 each day, are rummaging through the dump seeking for anything they can sell or recycle. Many people call them Scavengers but the Potter’s House calls them God’s treasures because they see the people through God’s eyes and not man’s. These people are every bit as valuable to God as anyone else. By calling them God’s Treasures, they are giving them the honor and respect that they deserve. It is so easy for us to use derogatory terms toward people we don’t like or who have some fatal flaws. He is a drunk. She is worthless. He is a mooch. She is a moron. We can all add words that we have used to label people based on their behavior. We may not have said these words to their face but nonetheless we have either thought them or spoken them to others. All these words and labels demean the other person and dishonor them for what God has made them.
We honor God’s creation also by recognizing the destiny God has for each person. We may look at a person’s past or their present situation and find it difficult to want to express honor. But if we look at that person based on the potential God has placed in them we can honor them for what they can become in Christ. I can honor them by supporting the design and purpose God has for their lives. We need to speak to that destiny, call it out, confirm it in the lives of people who are confused, lost and may not even be aware of what God has destined for them.
We can look at several stories in the Bible that bring out the importance of honor. One of the first displays of dishonor and honor involved Noah and his sons. Genesis 9:20-27
After the flood, Noah imbibed in a little too much wine and basically passed out in his tent. He had taken off all his clothes and was lying on the ground. Ham dishonored his father by looking on his nakedness while his brothers Shem and Japheth did the honorable thing and covered up their father without looking at him. Ham was quick to take advantage of his father who was in a state where he was not aware of what he had done. His disrespect for his father brought on a curse while the respect and honor shown by Shem and Japheth was rewarded with prosperity. They honored their father in spite of his condition while Ham exploited the situation. When people are at their weakest or displaying bad behavior do we show them honor or dishonor them by taking advantage of them or speaking evil against them? When we show honor to people at their weakest point we honor God and will be blessed.
Another incident of showing honor involved David when he was fleeing from Saul (1 Sam. 24:1-15). David had the opportunity to sneak up on Saul and put him to death while he was in the same cave as Saul. Saul was unaware of David’s presence while he relieved himself in the cave. David rejected the advice of his men to take advantage of the situation and kill Saul but instead he only cut off part of his garment. David did not want to kill Saul but he wanted him to know that he had spared his life and the piece of his garment would be a constant reminder to him. In this situation David had power over Saul and he could have used this power for his own benefit but he refused. We may look at David’s actions as justified, after all Saul had attempted to kill him on a couple of occasions and even then was in hot pursuit of David to put him to death. If anyone was justified in seeking revenge or relieving himself from all the trouble Saul brought it was David. Yet after David cut the garment he was convicted of his actions because he did not show honor to the man God had anointed as king of Israel. How many times have we felt justified in our actions of dishonoring another person because of what they have done to us? When we are offended, taken advantage of, had things stolen or destroyed by others, falsely accused or cursed by someone we can quickly justify a retaliatory response and feel like we have not done anything wrong because they deserved it! We have to guard our heart from acting or reacting with a spirit of revenge or justification and seek to demonstrate honor to those who have wronged us.
We are commanded by God to honor our parents.(Ex. 20:12) It comes with a reward of a long and good life. We honor our parents because they have given us life and brought us into the world. They created our lives and through them we have the opportunity to receive eternal life. Even if they were horrible, abusive, and negligent and perhaps rejected us or abandoned us, they were still used of God to bring us into existence. Our birth was part of God’s plan and our parents were instruments God used to bring us into existence. Through our physical birth, we have been given the privilege of knowing God and becoming one of His children who will dwell with Him for eternity. Your parents have given you an awesome, invaluable gift in spite of what they did or did not do for you. They should be honored because they gave you life. For many people this is a huge step to take because of the abuse that has happened and the pain that they carry in their hearts. I believe the healing process can begin when we take this first step of honoring our parents in spite of their failures.
In my life as a teenager I struggled with truly honoring my dad. He was a good provider for our family but he had some flaws that really affected me. I joined the US Army when I as 18 in part to get away from a home situation that was very hard on me. As difficult as Basic Training was, I was glad to be away from home and not have to deal with the things that were there. While in the military, I rededicated my life to Christ and began to really understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with Him. Through many people God placed in my life I began to see how I had not honored my dad as well as other people. God changed my heart toward my dad and when I returned home, I began to treat him with more honor and respect. There were still times of difficulty but I strived to always honor my dad and our relationship changed for the better. The last month of my dad’s life I was able to help care for him. We talked about things I had never addressed and I learned a lot about my dad. On the night he died in our home, I knelt down beside him as he lay dead on the bathroom floor and held his head in my lap and thanked God for the life of my dad and for the life he had given me. I regret that I had not shared those same words with my dad while he was alive and I encourage each of you to not wait to show honor to your parents and thank them for giving you life.
The Bible also commands us to show double honor to those who have ruled well and have given themselves to share the Word of God.
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 1 Thes 5:17
And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem [honor] them very highly in love for their work’s sake. 1 Thes. 5:12, 13

It is an awesome privilege and responsibility to share the Word of God with others. It cannot be taken lightly thus the preparation time and constant study of the Word is imperative for the healthy growth of the church. Those who labor in this regard are to be given double honor because of the value and importance it plays in the life of the believer.

We are also to give honor to one another by giving preference to each other.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; Rom. 12:10

We show honor to others by giving preference to them. We prefer them over ourselves, we step aside and let them go first. I used to teach in a Christian school and when it was time to leave the class to go somewhere the students would line up at the door. It was always a race to see who would be first and often there was pushing and shoving to be the head of the line. Many times I would have the children do an about face which then made the last person in line the first as a way to teach them to not continue this behavior as it worked against them and did not show preference to others. We give preference to others when we allow them to go first to get what they need or when we allow them to do what they think is best instead of demanding our way. Some issues are worth fighting for but I think many things really have little significance in the grand scheme of life and by giving preference to the other person we promote unity among us. Some people have the “my way or the highway” mentality. They are so self centered that it is difficult or next to impossible for them to let others have their say or their way. These people get offended when their way is not followed. They have not learned how to give preference to others and they will constantly face opposition and create ill will until they make changes. Some people because of their personality may be shy and find it hard to vocalize their needs or desires. They need to be drawn out, invited to share and listened to or they will feel slighted or overlooked and may think they are being treated as second class citizens. When we give preference to them we honor them and acknowledge their ideas and contributions as being valuable.
We give preference to others by knowing what it is they like. As we get to know people, their likes and dislikes, we can give them the things that will bring joy and satisfaction. If I do not take time to get to know the other person I will not know what things they prefer. Sometimes it is not always possible to give people their preferences but when we can we need to make an effort to do so. It goes a long way in promoting good relationships and makes people feel that they are valued and honored for who they are. I remember going on a mission trip to Mexico with about 50 people. Feeding a group like that took a lot of planning and we could not cater to everyone’s preference. One lady who was on her first trip came through the line to get her food and when she was handed her piece of buttered bread, she commented, “I prefer to have my bread buttered on all four corners.” This was not a preference that we could accommodate at that moment and to be honest it torqed the cook who had been laboring for quite awhile to make a great meal for us. She did not say anything but you could have cooked an egg on her head. You can take a request like this and think that this person should just be grateful to have a nice hot meal and blow it off. Or the next time you butter the bread you could put it on all four corners as she preferred and show honor to her. It is a small thing but meaningful at least to that person.
Paul in writing to the church in Rome emphasized the need to honor every part of the body of Christ. Each part is important and the parts that seem to be weaker or less honorable need to be given more honor. The hidden people or the small people as BP has termed them need to be given more honor than those who get the most attention. We must recognize publicly the contributions of the people who are in the background who really are instrumental in making things happen. When I was in India I was treated with great honor. I was not used to this type of treatment and it was a little hard for me to receive it. Yet I knew that if I did not accept it I would offend the people who were honoring and preferring me. Everything that happened was made possible through the people who worked behind the scenes to organize the meetings and crusades. These are the people who need to be given special honor and recognition and the evangelist I went with made it a point to acknowledge them as well as all the people who had been praying for the crusade.
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, Rom 12:20-23

Special honor is to be given to those who have endured hard times because of their faith in Christ.

Indeed we count them blessed [give great honor]who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:11
I had the honor of meeting Richard Wurmbrand who was known for all the torture he went through when he as a pastor in communist Russia. I read the book about his life called, “Tortured for his faith” and it has made a lasting impression on me. When he came to speak at my church, there was a great sense of honor for this man who endured unbelievable punishment. He has gone on to be with the Lord by the organization he founded called “Voice of the Martyrs” continues to bring awareness of the persecution of Christians that is happening throughout the world.

Another important area in which honor needs to be shown is the institution of marriage. The writer of Hebrews stressed “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” Heb 13:4
. It is not to be cheapened and dishonored through pre or extra marital sexual relations. It is a sacred and holy union between two people who have taken vows to honor and cherish each other for life. Marriage is under attack today, it is not being held in honor as a covenant between a man and a woman. Marriage is being redefined and has been extended to include same sex couples. Last week the news reported that same sex marriage has now been legalized in Argentina, the first Latin American country to do this. The marriage bed is being defiled and God will judge those who have robbed it of its sanctity.

Coupled with this is the admonition to husbands to give honor to the wife. Failure to honor her will hinder prayers being answered. God takes it seriously enough to not respond to the prayers of husbands who do not honor their wives. Someone once said you show honor to your wife by knowing what makes them tick and what ticks them off. Dwell with your wife with understanding. This is not mission impossible! It if was not possible it would not have been written in the Scriptures. Someone has said that it takes 20 years to learn how to love your wife and when you love your wife you understand how to honor her.
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Pt. 3:7

The final area of honor that Paul writes to the Corinthian church is to honor our body and spirit which are God’s property.
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify [honor] God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Cor. 6:20

The city of Corinth was filled with prostitution. Men thought nothing of going to the temple prostitutes and having sex with them. In the Roman culture a wife was used to bear children and a prostitute was used to fulfill man’s sexual desires. Paul’s admonition to them was that this physical union was more than just a physical thing but it was the uniting of spirits. Our bodies and our spirit belong to God and we must take care of it and use it to bring honor to God. We can extend the meaning of this to also include how we take care of our bodies in what we eat, the rest we give it, and the physical exercise we do to keep it functioning properly. We make this part of our DTS because our bodies are an instrument that God uses for ministry and if we do not care for it properly we will be limited in our ministry.

God is a God of honor and it is evident in the relationship between the members of the Trinity. They each honor and glorify each other. Honor is an important part in the life of the believer and it must be given to all. We are to be a culture of honor to a world that seems to value dishonor. The challenge of showing honor comes to each one of us every day in our interactions with others and the thoughts we express in words or keep to ourselves. Seek ways you can demonstrate honor to all. Learn to give preference to others and value them for who they are and the divine destiny God has for them. Give special honor to your parents, to those who have suffered for their faith and to those who bring God’s word to you. Honor the institution of marriage as a sacred trust between a man and woman; don’t let anything or anyone strip it of its value. Husbands seek ways to show honor to your wife and value her as God does. Finally, honor God with your body and spirit by treating it with respect and care because it truly belongs to God

Communication with God

Apple has just introduced the new 4G I phone. I do not know much about these phones as I do not own one but my friends have them and they are pretty amazing. You can spend a lot of time playing with all the gadgets and applications available. However shortly after the new phone was introduced people noticed that the phone itself did not work properly, receptivity dropped dramatically when the phone was held a certain way which was the way most people hold the phone when making or receiving a call. If you placed your hand on the edges of the phone you were interfering with the antennae and consequently hindering the reception and communication ability. Some have called this the “death grip.” I thought about this in terms of our relationship with God and how we can be hindering communication with him by things we do. I think all of us want to have clear communication with God. We want to be heard and hear Him when He speaks to us but often we do things that will hinder two-way communication.
The Scriptures are very clear that God does communicate in a personal way and he wants to communicate with each of his children. He is a relational God and relationships that lack communication are not very satisfying. You can track through the Old and New Testament and find numerous verses that verify that God does speak to his people.
God spoke directly to Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen 2,3)
God spoke to Abram and called him to leave his homeland (Gen 12)
God spoke to Moses face to face (Numbers 12)
God spoke to young Samuel (1 Sam. 3)
In the life of Jesus, he spoke to his Father and only did what his Father told him to do (John 6)
God’s desire as a Father is to establish regular and meaningful communication with his children. This is normal in human relationship unless there has been something that has gone wrong in the relationship. Floyd McClung wrote about a young man he met in Afghanistan that grew up in a very dysfunctional and hostile home environment.
I'll never forget the time Steve asked me if I wanted to know the happiest day of his life. Little did I realize the shock awaiting me as I expressed my eagerness to know more about this young man who until that time had remained closed, and unwilling to talk about himself or engage in normal conversation. The locked-in pain and hostility seemed to explode in a torrent of anger: 'I'll tell you the happiest day of my life,' said Steve with a strange smile on his face. 'It was my eleventh birthday and both my parents were killed in a car accident!'
I could hardly believe what I was hearing as Steve rushed on. 'They told me every day of my life that they hated me and didn't want me. My father resented me, and my mother continually reminded me that I was an accident. They didn't plan on me coming along, and didn't want me either. I'm glad they're dead!' (The Father heart of God)
Someone like Steve would find it difficult to believe in a father who loved him and wanted to establish a relationship with him that involved healthy communication. For many people the first step in establishing communication with God is just believing that he truly loves them and wants to talk with them.
As I have been studying more about Islam one of the main differences between Christianity and Islam is the view of God as a relational God. This is lacking in Islam and to many people it becomes just a series of rules to follow to make sure you are doing the right things to please Allah. The disciplines and ritual along with all the rules and regulations that you are to follow replace any personal intimate relationship with God. You are told what to do and how to do it and to many people this is a lot simpler than establishing a relationship that has real communication with God.
If you have any doubts about God’s desire to establish a relationship with you based in his love for you and desire to communicate with you individually, you need to deal with this as it will always be a hindrance to you.
A second barrier to communication is disobedience to the Lord. I think of Saul when he was King of Israel and how he was hindered in his communication with God through his willful disobedience. His disobedience caused God’s prophet and main spokesperson, Samuel to abandon him. Saul who did not listen and obey the voice of God’s prophet was now left on his own which is how he was conducting himself anyway. God gave him what he wanted. In Saul’s situation it led to disaster and ultimately he was so desperate to receive advice that he sought a medium who contacted the spirit world and was able to communicate with the spirit of the deceased Samuel. Using mediums was forbidden by God and explicitly stated in the commandments God gave to Moses. But it did not matter to Saul. He was so desperate that he resorted to this form of guidance.
1Sa 28:3-18 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at En-dor." So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you." The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?" But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me." When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do." And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
God does not want us to consult with mediums for advice; he wants to communicate directly with us through his Holy Spirit and through his Word. When people seek to use other means such as mediums, fortune tellers, tarot card readers, palm readers, psychics and other forms of communication they expose themselves to the demonic realm and cut themselves off from receiving communication from God.
Our disobedience to what God has made clear to us to do or not do, is a major hindrance to receiving further communication from God. When we willfully reject what he has asked of us, we take ourselves out of the communication link with God.
Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; Isa 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
If you feel confused or feel like God is not communicating with you, one of the first things you need to do is check your heart and your daily walk with the Lord to see if you are living in disobedience. David felt a heaviness and separation from God after his sin with Bathsheba.
Psa 32:2-4 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Our sin will hinder our communication with God just as it hinders our communication with people. All of us have experienced this when we have sinned against another person. Our communication is hindered until we get our relationship right with the person we have offended. Restoration will occur when we humble ourselves and have a contrite heart to ask for forgiveness. Once we are forgiven the communication link is restored. We also need to forgive others who have offended us. If we harbor unforgiveness we are putting up a barrier because it is another form of sin. Forgiveness is releasing a person from the punishment they deserve but it also releases us from carrying the burden of our pain and hurt they caused. When we truly forgive we are set free and the communication link to God is restored.
Our communication can also be hindered by outside and inside interference. Even though the signal may be clear if there are outside noises competing with your attention, you will not hear properly. I have a slight hearing loss and certain tones are very difficult for me to hear and this becomes even a more pronounced problem when there are other noises in the background. It is hard for me to hear what is being said and I often have to get closer to the person or get away from the noise in order to hear what they are saying. In our communication with God we face the same issue. We are hindered from hearing God’s voice when we allow other voices to compete with him or distract us from focusing on hearing his voice. We have to be able to shut off the voices within our head as well as the voices and noise from the outside to accurately hear what God is saying to us. When Jesus wanted to hear from his father he got alone, away from the disciples and crowd so he could focus his attention on his father. We live in a day when there are so many distractions that it is hard to focus. You can be receiving so much information at one time that it is hard to focus unless you shut off the source of input. Quiet your heart and mind so you can focus on hearing and remove all the things that can be a distraction when you want to communicate with God. Get alone, get in a quiet place and enjoy uninterrupted communication with God. All of us need to do this on a daily basis and if you are not spending time alone with God you are hindering receiving the communication he wants to have with you. God can and does speak to us outside of this time but we still need to get alone daily with him. When we spend time alone with God our spiritual reception will be fine tuned and we will recognize how God speaks to us and when we are in those times of busyness and distractions we will be better able to recognize when God is speaking to our spirit.
Another hindrance to hearing God’s voice can be physical problems and sickness.
Ill health and physical wellbeing affect our ability to hear God clearly. Tiredness, anxiety, headaches, chronic fatigue and depression cause a dullness or fogginess so that God's voice cannot easily be heard clearly. Some illnesses include the hearing of voices so that it is hard for people to hear God's voice at times.
Joy Dawson has been a teacher with YWAM for many years and I recommend reading any material she has written. She is one woman who hears from God because she takes time to wait upon the Lord. She suggests some very practical principles for hearing God’s voice and these are principles YWAM uses during intercessory prayer.
First, expect God to speak to you and thank him in advance. Communicate with God with an expectation that God is going to speak to you. Thank God in advance for what he is going to do to communicate with you.
Secondly, Take authority over the voice of the enemy and his demonic forces. We can command him to be silent and not interrupt our time with the Lord. God has given us authority and we must exercise it so the enemy cannot have entrance. The enemy will try to put wrong thoughts into our minds. He will bring up things that have no bearing on what we are doing in order to distract us. He is often forceful and impatient and there is no peace when he speaks but rather we feel agitated.
The third thing is to silence our own human voice, our own desires of what we want to hear or see done. We can come to God with our agenda of things we want to tell him but we must be willing to lay these down so we can hear what God wants to speak to us. We simply state that we are dying to our desires, emptying ourselves of our thoughts and demands on God so we can have free and clear communication with him.
The fourth area is one we have already mentioned and that is to make sure we have no unconfessed sin that will hinder our communication.
Fifthly, After we have done these things, we can expect God to speak to us as we wait upon him.
God can speak to us in a variety of ways such as:
Bringing to mind a particular Bible verse or simply giving us a reference to look up.
Giving us a mental picture or an image.
We may have a vision presented to us.
Speaking a word or phrase to our mind.
Giving us an impression in our mind, a thought that comes to us that we may or may not understand.
A physical sensation. You may have pain in a certain area of your body or a cold or hot feeling.
Learning to hear and recognize God’s voice takes time to develop. Don’t be discouraged if you are not hearing like you think you should. I am constantly asking God to help me hear clearly.
How can we test what we hear to be sure that it is really God?
Here are some tests that will help us evaluate what we are hearing.
Does it correspond with what you read in the Bible?
Is it consistent with the character of Jesus?
Will its application bring peace and encouragement, or will it produce strife?
Does it sit well on my spirit?
Do other people or circumstances confirm what you are hearing?
Does it lead to life or death - in the widest sense of these terms?
Does it cause me to feel the "anointing" of the Spirit (a very subjective test, but useful with experience)?
God has communicated very clearly to us through his Word and he has given us the Holy Spirit who is commissioned to teach us and lead us into all truth. We can be confident that God will communicate clearly to us because it is his desire to do so. As we eliminate the hindrances and understand how God speaks to us we will begin to enjoy a deeper and more intimate relationship with him.