Money: The second knockout punch
Last week we looked at the problem we are facing in the area of sex and pornography and how it can destroy the life of a believer. It is probably the strongest punch the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring as we fight the fight of faith. Tonight I want to look at the second punch he uses and that is money.
During the past week the USA experienced one of its most critical financial crises since the Great Depression. The very foundations of our financial system have been shaken and the government had to intervene to prevent another depression from occurring.
NBC news reported that 10,000 families have lost the mortgage on their home every day.
Part of the cause of the fall of three large companies came as a result of giving out loans that people were not qualified to receive and eventually were unable to pay. Once the company’s finances were scrutinized several things came to light. One issue many have questioned is the practice of paying executives of these companies enormous wages and bonuses that leave them multimillionaires when the company goes bankrupt. Nicholas Kristof wrote about an executive with Lehman Brothers in an editorial in the NY Times on September 18,
Last year, Mr. Fuld earned about $45 million, according to the calculations of Equilar, an executive pay research company. That amounts to roughly $17,000 an hour to obliterate a firm.
Mr. Fuld when he was an executive with Tyco billed the company $6000 for a shower curtain!
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.[1]
The Bible states that the love of many is a root of all kinds of evil. We see the destructiveness that comes when people become greedy to gain money at all costs or make it one of the highest priorities of their life. A survey of college freshmen revealed that 75% of those surveyed felt that making a lot of money was a high priority. Having a large amount of money is appealing to them because it represents the ability to do whatever they want to do. It represents security and power along with prestige. It seems that a spirit of greed is sweeping over many people lives and is driving behavior that leads to great problems. A person who is motivated by greed is blind to the needs of others as they are focused primarily on themselves, making their life comfortable. Greed is like an incurable cancer that does not stop growing. It continues to grow until it totally consumes and destroys the person. Greedy people do not know when to say they have enough. Enough to them is always just a little bit more.
Solomon was one of the richest men of his day and he understood very clearly what happens to people who seek after wealth and become greedy. In Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.[2]
The writer of this book points out several important things about greed.
First greedy people never have enough. John Rockefeller one of the richest men ever was asked how much money was enough and he said a little bit more. When he made his first million he was asked how much more he need and he replied another million. It almost becomes a game to them to see how much they can accumulate and it drives them to seek for more each day. We live in a day of excess and the media does everything they can through their advertizing to convince us we need more stuff.
The second thing about greedy people is that once you have money others will be attracted to you to get it out of you. People who win the lottery are prime examples of how bothersome wealth can be. Everyone becomes your friend and everyone wants a piece of the pie. You attract people who are really parasites who want to live off of the wealth you have obtained. It is difficult to have genuine relationships with people because you are always wondering what they are after.
The third thing about greedy people is they find it hard to not be anxious about their money. It becomes the consuming thought of their lives is how to get more and how to manage and protect what they have. Wealth can be taken away very quickly and those who have placed their confidence in their wealth will always have anxiety and worry about losing it. Many do not experience a good night of sleep and do not have true peace in their lives.
The fourth thing about greedy people is they have a false sense of security. Wealth can be lost quickly in a bad investment or stolen by a con artist. In the end they have nothing but their birthday suit. Placing one’s trust in the temporary riches of the world is a false security. During the recent rise in oil prices many speculators were driven by greed as they saw no end to the rise in the price of oil. Those who bought oil at $150 a barrel have lost their investment as the prices have plummeted. Our faith must be in God who is our security. He will never leave us or abandon us. He promised to take care of all who seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness.
The final aspect of greedy people is that they are not joyful. True joy comes from being in right relationship with God and other people. When one’s focus is on materialism, people become objects or obstacles to one’s desire to obtain more. Everything is centered on money and it becomes the controlling factor of their emotional health. The recent hurricane that swept through Texas gives evidence to what really matters in life. Those who placed their happiness in their possessions were greatly saddened when it was all stripped away while those who valued life and relationships saw beyond the set back and expressed gratitude for the families and friends that surrounded them.
The opposite value of greed is contentment. A person who is content is not dependent upon their financial situation to determine if they are happy. Contentment is learning to appreciate all that you have and being able to be fully satisfied with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5,6
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
6 That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[3]
It is not wrong to desire to have certain things, we all have dreams that keep us motivated to improve and be successful. The problem lies with whether or not we can truly enjoy and be content with what we have now. We have to be able to say, “yes it would be nice to have that but I am happy with what I have right now and if the Lord wants me to have something else I will wait until I have the money to purchase it and will ask the Lord at that time if it is something I really need.” We all have to examine our motivations regarding why we want certain things. If we want something based on greed we have wrong motivations. I heard it said that “we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” Being ruled by greed will do this to you. It is a never ending battle in which you are guaranteed to be the loser.
We can be confident that God will never fail us in regard to our needs. We can place all of our trust in his promises to never leave us in a desperate situation. Our confidence is that God will show up to help. He is our ever present help in time of need.
Another money issue or attitude that also leads to trouble is mismanagement of finances. All of us are subject to temptation in areas of greed and mismanagement and the enemy has used them both to destroy many Christian’s witness and ministry. Currently in the USA there is an on-going investigation of several ministries that are being accused of misusing money given to them. They are being asked to give account for the money they have received and how they have spent it. Some do not feel it is the legal right of the government to meddle with their finances with the exception of the IRS that has the right to reject non-profit status if there are violations. Regardless of the legality of these inquiries the real issue for the believer has to do with stewardship of the resources God has given us. Someone described stewardship as “Everything that happens to a person after they give their lives to Christ.” Stewardship involves every aspect of our life not just our finances. The concept is that God is the one who gives us everything we have and it is still under his control after we receive it. We are not free to use what he has blessed us with in whatever way we choose. The ministries that are being questioned have used donations to purchase homes, cars, jets, vacations etc. that to many people seem quite extravagant and an unjustified use of the money. Are these ministries being wise stewards of God’s resources or have they mismanaged the money given by others who in good faith gave money to be used to further the gospel? It is not just ministries that need to be open to examination of their finances but individual believers must come under the same scrutiny. Each of us must hold ourselves accountable first to God but also to each other. We must first go to God and ask him how we are to use the resources he has given us. We need to ask him first if what we plan to do with the money is what he wants us to do. I think we fail to ask because we are afraid he will say no. We have a warped attitude about God and forget that he is the giver of all good gifts. If we feel a check in our spirit or know that we are violating scriptural principles then we need to stop pursuing whatever we are doing. We also have to be willing to submit our decisions to the scrutiny of other believers. If we are uncomfortable allowing others to question our financial decisions or see our financial records then one has to question if there is some impropriety involved. We need to be transparent and open to the counsel of other believers who have our best interest in mind. This becomes very critical in the marriage relationship as disagreement regarding finances is one of the leading factors of stress and divorce in marriages. I know of husbands who buy things behind their wives backs because they are afraid that they will be denied if they should ask. They hope that forgiveness will prevail. This is a recipe for failure, mistrust and revenge that is rationalized as justifiable. It is often expressed in these terms, “You bought this so I am buying this.” This does not promote harmony in the home but rather competition. One of the best courses you can ever take is one on money management from a Christian perspective. I have seen many young people with desires to go to the mission field thwarted because they have not learned to manage their money and have accumulated great debt which will take time to pay back. Keep track of how you spend your money and you be in control of where it goes rather than at the end of the month when you come up short wonder where it went. Many financial advisors give a simple plan of 80-10-10. Use 80% of your money to meet your needs; give 10% to God as your tithe and save the other10%. Learn how to be a wise steward of the resources God has given you. If you will prove to be faithful in little God will be able to entrust you with more.
Another temptation we often face is stinginess. We hoard things for ourselves and do not freely give when legitimate needs are presented. Sometimes we may give a token offering to satisfy our conscience but we miss out on the blessing because we have not given generously with a cheerful heart. The Bible says if we see a brother in need and are able to meet the need but fail to do so we lack the love of God. Love by its nature always wants to give.
1 John 3:17
17 But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?[4]
God told Abram that he would be blessed to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1-3) When we are blessed by the Lord we are to use those blessing to help other people and not spend it all on ourselves. When we are aware of needs and we have the resources available, we need to respond with generosity and cheerfulness knowing that we are blessing the person who is receiving. Generosity is the mark of a believer who has placed his trust in God to be his provider. When we give we know that God has promised to give back,
Luke 6:38
38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.”[5]“
Our motive in giving is not to get back but to be a blessing to other people. God will reward our obedience in a variety of ways but the true joy in giving is knowing we are helping another person.
I listened to the life story of John Lake and was impressed with a couple of things. One was his obedience to God and the other was the obedience of people who gave to help him fulfill the mission God called him to. Dr. Lake was called by the Lord to go to South Africa. He had no contacts in South Africa and had no money to take his family of seven there. Yet he knew that God had clearly spoken to in a vision for him to go and he knew that God would be his provider.
Lake invited a friend and his family to go with him and they had no money either. They prayed about the money and the Lord spoke to Lake’s friend and said they had the money to go. Within a few days they received $2000 in the mail and they had all the money they needed to buy their train and ship fare to get to S. Africa.
On the train ride to get to the port, they met a lady who needed to buy a ticket to get on another train. They took the lady to buy her ticket even though they had no money. While in line a man came up and gave him $10 in obedience to the Lord and this was just what the lady needed to buy her ticket.
While on the boat they had very little money to spend and had only $.25 when they arrived in England. They had to wait a couple of days to transfer to a different boat that would take them to S. Africa and they needed to do their laundry but they did not have enough money to do it. They decided to send their clothing in to be washed and trusted the Lord to provide for the payment. After a couple of days they needed to pick up their laundry but they still had no money to pay for the service. Lake went on a walk and prayed about the need and while walking a man came up to him and gave him enough money to pay for his laundry and have a little extra.
When they got to S. Africa, the immigration office told him he needed $125 to be able to enter the country. Lake got in line to see the immigration officer even though he had no money. A man who was behind him in line asked if he could talk with him in private so they stepped out of line. The man gave him $200 out of obedience to God speaking to him.
Lake still had no contacts once they passed through immigration. They saw a lady from America standing outside of immigration. His friend Tom was in front of him and the lady walked up to him and asked him how many were in his family, he replied 4 and she said you are not the one I am supposed to meet. She proceeded to talk to Dr. Lake and asked the same question. He replied 9 and she said you are the one. God spoke to her the night before that she was to go to immigration where she would meet a missionary family of 9 from America and give them a home to stay in while in S. Africa.
Talk about a faith builder not only for Lake and the other family but also for the people who God strategically put in their pathway who responded in obedience to meet needs that some did not even know existed. They gave willingly and generously to a person they did not even know. John Lake went on to have a tremendous ministry in S. Africa but without the help of the people who gave in obedience to the Lord it may not have happened or may have been delayed.
We need to be led of the Lord with our finances. When God speaks to us to give we need to respond because he has a definite purpose in asking us to give. We can cooperate with him and be a blessing to others or we can hang on to what we have, give sparingly and cautiously according to our own plan. When you feel the prompting of the Spirit to give, don’t delay because you may miss out on an opportunity to bless someone in ways that are beyond your understanding. God wants us to be a channel of blessing he can freely flow through not a safe vault that is only accessible to you.
Money can be a root of all kinds of evil if it is used to meet selfish and greedy desires or it can be a tremendous blessing if it is used according to God’s purposes and principles.
I believe we are entering a time when our finances will be shaken. Nations as well as individuals will undergo a great shaking but God will show himself faithful to those who have surrendered their lives to him and are living according to his purposes.
Hebrews 12:26,27
26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.[6]
The Bible says that in the last days everything will be shaken that can be shaken and I believe this includes our finances. Only those who have their foundation in the truth of God’s word will be able to stand.
The enemy has used money to distract many people from seeking after God and unfortunately many believers have lost perspective on how they should view money. They are spending more time seeking after wealth than they are seeking after God. They are working extra jobs so they can buy things that will need to be replaced or repaired and are neglecting the most important aspect of their lives, their relationship with God and the family they are a part of. Treasure the time you have with your family and especially your children who all too quickly grow up and move on with their lives. If you have not built a solid relationship with them because you have neglected them it is very unlikely that they will want to have much of a relationship with you after they leave home. The bad choices you make regarding the pursuit of wealth above relationships have consequences that you may live to regret for a long time.
We can have an attitude of greediness, recklessness or stinginess regarding the financial resources God gives us or we can have an attitude of contentment, wise stewardship, and generosity. One attitude will bring calamity and the other will bring great blessings. Purpose in your heart tonight that you will use the resources God has blessed you with to advance the Kingdom of God and be a blessing to others.
An audio version of this message is available at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=137066558.wma
[1]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[2]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[3]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[4]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[5]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[6]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Coming Events
YWAM Antigua will be hosting several special events in October and November.
Saturday, October 25 we will be conducting an Evangelism Seminar at Higher Grounds Coffee House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, October 31 at 7 p.m. we will be hosting "Come to your funeral"
Thursday, November 27 at 4 p.m. we will be serving an American Thanksgiving meal with all the typical foods.
All events are open to the public.
Saturday, October 25 we will be conducting an Evangelism Seminar at Higher Grounds Coffee House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, October 31 at 7 p.m. we will be hosting "Come to your funeral"
Thursday, November 27 at 4 p.m. we will be serving an American Thanksgiving meal with all the typical foods.
All events are open to the public.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Please Pray!
Please pray for Paul Bathurst from England who is residing in Antigua and has suffered a broken hip after falling off his bicycle on Tuesday. He is currently in a local hospital that is not able to perform the surgery he needs. Paul is not a young man and his situation is very difficult. He does not have insurance to pay for the operation nor does he have the finances necessary. If he can return to England he can receive the care he needs but getting him there in his present condition would be a challenge. Please pray for healing for Paul. He is a wonderful brother in the Lord and has a huge heart for the children of Guatemala. He has no family in England that I am aware of who could help him at this time so several of us are doing what we can to get him the help he needs. Your prayers for him are needed.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fight the Good Fight
Fight the good fight of faith
The year was 1964 and a large part of the world was focused on a heavyweight championship fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay who shortly afterward changed his name to Mohammed Ali.
Liston was an ex-con who had ties with organized crime and was feared by other boxers and their managers. One manager, Jim Wicks, made this statement. "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street."[1]
Cassius Clay had just turned 22 years old before the fight. He was full of confidence in his ability and spoke openly and often about it. He was the underdog in the fight with 7 to 1 odds against him becoming the champion.
During training, Clay took to driving his entourage in a bus over to the site where Liston was training, and repeatedly called Liston the "big, ugly bear".[2] Liston grew increasingly irritated as the motor mouthed Clay continued hurling insults ("After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him... if Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest, and catch the next jet out of the country."). Clay insisted to a skeptical press that he would knock out Liston in eight rounds.
Clay was declared the winner of the fight after Liston did not answer the bell at the start of the 7th round due to an injured shoulder. Clay proceeded to make claims that are still remember today and recorded. I want to show you a short clip of him that was taken after the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaDbVbQTrM
Our spiritual lives have been compared to a boxing match. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of a boxer as well as the analogy of the believer being in a fight against spiritual forces of darkness. He gave instruction to Timothy to “Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The fight between Liston and Clay had several analogies that we can draw from and apply to the spiritual battle we are facing each day. Both fighters were well prepared and confident in their ability. Both gave their all in the fight and were constantly looking for the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow and be declared the winner. Accusations and intimidation were used even before the fight as psychological warfare to bring fear or anger which would serve as a distraction and possibly hinder the concentration of the opponent.
As we look at life as a believer we have to be prepared for the spiritual warfare that we face on a daily basis. We are in a fight daily whether we realize it or not. The bell to start the fight rings every morning when we awake and we have to be prepared.
We have an enemy who goes about like a roaring lion seeking to deliver a knockout blow and devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Lions roar when they are hungry and we have an enemy that has an insatiable desire to consume believers. The enemy of our soul, the devil or satan is constantly on the attack, looking for his next victim he can devour. He is not all powerful, neither is he omniscient or everywhere present. He has limitation because he is a fallen angel and though he is a powerful enemy he is not able to overpower a believer who is operating in the wisdom, authority and power Christ has given. He is skilled in his tactics and if we are not alert and attentive, he can do serious damage to us. Just as a skilled boxer waits patiently for his opponent to drop his guard or make a mistake so he can deliver the knockout blow so too the enemy we face operates with the same strategy. His goal is the knockout punch that will put us out of commission, take us out of the ring, incapacitate us and damage our reputation and walk with God.
The Bible says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.[1]
The first step in waging successful warfare against the enemy is to submit ourselves completely to God. To submit means that we place ourselves under God’s rule and dominion. We intentionally subject ourselves to him because he is God and he knows what is best for our lives. God has not been silent regarding these areas of temptation. His Word is profitable for instruction in righteousness or right living. If we fail to submit ourselves to the revealed truth of God’s Word we set ourselves up for attack. If we submit ourselves to God and follow his advice we will be able to stand against the attack of the enemy using the truth that God has revealed to us. We cannot be ignorant of God’s Word and God’s ways. We have to arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. There has to be a hunger in our soul for this truth. Jesus said “My words are spirit and they are life.” If we want to enjoy life to its fullest we must know the Word and live by it. If we remain ignorant or naïve we have exposed ourselves to the enemy and he will take advantage of us. If your spiritual appetite for the Word of God is in the dieting mode be careful because you are not as strong as you need to be. Someone has said, “Sin will keep you from the Word and the Word will keep you from sin.” I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing and obeying the revealed truth of the Scriptures. When we submit ourselves completely to God we are in essence submitting ourselves to the teaching of his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
In boxing there are 3 punches that are used to knockout the opponent. A left hook that goes around the side of the head, a right cross that smacks the temple area and an upper cut that goes under the chin and renders the opponent unconscious. In our spiritual lives I believe the devil uses three punches to knock us out and they are sex, money and power. I think the greatest area of attack today is the area of sex. The world uses this area in so many ways to lure us into things that lead to sin. We see it all the time in the newspapers, advertizing, web sites, billboards, and the list goes on.
We must do all we can to resist the devil in this area. We have to understand what he is doing and how he is attacking us on a daily basis. In the area of sexual temptation I do not think there is a more powerful influence today that that of internet pornography.
Because of the advances in technology and especially the internet the proliferation of pornography has become the greatest tool of the enemy to bring destruction. Here are some statistics taken from a message entitled, “Love gone astray” given by Carol Kaminsky at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
Every second 28,000 users are viewing porn
$ 3,000 spent on porn every second
Every 39 minutes a new porn video is being produce in USA.
In 2004, 420 million pages of porn were produced
In August 2005 71.9 million people visited adult site in one month
In 2006 there were 4.2 million porn web sites
Every day there are 68 million porn site search engine requests
Annual revenue from pornography in the USA alone is 13 billion dollars. This is more than the combined total of ABC, NBC and CBS combined.
China receives highest revenue worldwide from porn. South Korea, Japan, USA and Australia follow in that order.
Pornography generates more revenue than the combined revenue of the top technology companies Microsoft Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined.
Average age of first internet exposure is 8 years old.
Largest group of internet pornography users is the 12-17 years olds
Pornography has invaded the church just as it has the world. It has destroyed many lives and relationships. It is one of the strongest if not the strongest attack the enemy uses to bring destruction of individuals and families. It has touched the Christian community as well as the world. A recent study from Focus on the Family stated that 29 percent of Christian men have looked at pornography on the internet. A study by Christianity Today in 2001, found that 51 % of those surveyed had viewed pornography. A survey by Promise Keepers found that 53 percent of the men had visited porn sites the previous week.
It is not only men who are being influence but women as well and the numbers continue to increase each year. The availability and easy access to pornography have made the temptation that much stronger and the pornography industry uses deceptive techniques to lure people into websites. Here are some of the tactics they are using to lure and trap people.
Unwanted and unsolicited email with sexual content is constantly sent out. There are 2.5 billion porn emails daily of which 34% are unwanted and unsolicited.
Traps like the following are used and include: disguising names, porn mapping in which sites purchase expired well know names so when you click on the site it leads to porn site.
They use a well know site name but misspell it intentionally so that when you make a mistake typing the name of the known site it automatically leads you to a porn site.
Cyber Squatting: Using similar wording of a well known name as part of the site name so when you use a search engine a porn site will come up.
Door way scam. First page is okay but leads to porn site
Mouse trapping: 25% of porn sites have it, click on it and once in you cannot leave, mouse is useless
These are all strategies the devil uses to draw us into sexual sin, perversion and addiction. We cannot be ignorant of his devices and we have to take steps to guard our eyes, our mind and our feet from walking into the traps he has set. The devil always wants to take something God made as good and pervert it into something evil.
Once we understand how he operates we have to take action to not give him access to us. It is like in the movies when someone is trying to hack into a computer and the message is stated on the screen “Access Denied.” The Scriptures state that we must not leave any foothold or opportunity for the enemy to access our lives. We cannot allow him access so he can trip us and cause us to fall. We have to set standards and discipline ourselves as well as hold ourselves accountable to another person to maintain these standards. We must establish boundaries ahead of time so that we are prepared when the attack or temptation comes our way. We cannot afford to be naïve and unprepared.
Since the internet is a huge source of temptation it is wise to set limits on how much time you spend on it and what sites you access. Filters are available that will impose limitations on your ability to access sites known for sinful content. Covenant Eyes, http://www.covenanteyes.com/ is one program that is very helpful. It costs $2.50 per month. It tracks all your website history and sends a report to the person you have designated as your accountability partner. There are also other free programs available and are listed below.
http://www.x3watch.com/ (Free); http://www.integrity.com/ (free);http://www.accountable2you.com/ (free).
Another step that can be taken is to shut off the internet in the evening. Studies have shown that most men access internet porn sites after 10 p.m. Shutting down your computer after this hour or before will help you to a degree. It is also important if you are struggling with porn to not view your computer in a private area. Someone should be able to see what you are doing. Children should not be allowed to have internet access in their rooms. On a recent broadcast of Focus on the Family, one the counselors reported that she had received a call from a mother who had a 9 year old son who was exposed to pornography by a 9 year old neighbor boy. The neighbor boy had consequently sexually molested her 7 year old son after viewing porn on the internet.
Another area that we must deny the enemy access is in our relationships between same sex and opposite sex. The enemy is having great success in this area and we daily read of men and women who have abandoned God’s standards and fallen into sin. God’s standard for sexual relations has always been for a man and woman. Anything else is a perversion and is not to be practiced. The enemy’s goal is to normalize all relationships that God has specifically stated in his Word are wrong. Even gender identity has come into question in several states. Children can choose their sexual identity and are encouraged to be what they feel they are in spite of what their DNA tests say. Satan wants us to explore ways to experience sex outside of the boundaries God has established. He wants us to believe that we are missing out by being obedient to God. He tries to get us to rationalize our decisions to enable us to justify our deviation from God’s standards.
Just this past week Ray Boltz who is a Christian singer who is well known for several of his songs, publicly declared that he has been living a homosexual lifestyle. He has been married for 33 years and has several children. It is hard to understand his decisions and actions but one thing that we have to acknowledge is the power of the enemy to influence our choices when we fail to believe the Word of God and submit to its teachings.
As believers we must set standards in the area of relationships between the opposite sex. Some churches have policies that no single woman or married woman can ride in the same car alone with a married man who is in leadership in the church. It is a safeguard against the enemy bringing attack and accusation that something sinful is going on between the two people. Counseling with a member of the opposite sex is also an area that must have strong boundaries and limitations. Some churches do not allow opposite sexes to counsel each other and if they do they require another person to be present in the room or an open door with another person present in an adjacent room.
Boundaries must be established on where we will meet with other people, especially if you are single and in a dating relationship. The devil loves it when we try to hide away in secrecy where no one can see us. It is not wise to conduct your relationship with the opposite sex in this manner as it leaves you open to sexual temptation and false accusation. It is not wrong to want to be alone with another person but you can be alone and still be in a public area where others will be around you.
Standards must also be set on physical contact with the opposite sex in a dating relationship. The enemy always wants you to rush into the physical aspect of the relationship. Set high standards for each other so that you will not take advantage of each other and damage the other person. Don’t make yourself cheap, it is a reputation that you do not want to have. Concentrate on the other aspects of your relationship and let the physical aspect be low on the priority list.
A final area that we must set strong standards to deny the enemy access is in the movies we watch. The images from movies make lasting impressions on your mind and especially the parts that have sexual content. It is especially important that children up to the age of 14 not be allowed to view movies with sexual content and violence. The brain is still being mapped during this time and the introduction of sex and violence can bring permanent damage to the formation of thought in these areas. Movies are also an area that the enemy can and will use to cause bring sexual temptation. As believers and followers of Christ we too have to set standards and take precautions before renting or viewing a movie. I have been using a website of the Catholic Church to get an overview of a movie I may have an interest in viewing. The website address is: http://www.usccb.org/
There is also a link on Focus on the Family’s website http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/
Take the time to review a movie before you find out it is not worthy of your time, money and most importantly is contrary to your spiritual values.
One test we can always give is to ask if I would be able to stand in front of the church and feel comfortable talking the them about the content of the movie.
The scriptures teach us that we are to stay far away from anything that will bring offense and destruction to our relationship with the Lord as well the people he has placed in our lives. We are instructed to hide ourselves from these things and not give place to them. Prudent people see the danger they cause and they stay away from them. Naïve people or people who have not set boundaries and restraints fall prey to the enemy and reap destruction in their lives. We have to carefully consider our ways and not go down the path that leads to death.
Our enemy is a predator and we are his prey. We must take action to not give him access in these areas of our life. One of the ways you can help guard your way is through an accountability partner. During “The Call” on August 2, Mike Bickell mentioned that they have a Purity agreement available at their website, http://www.thecall.com/ . It lists 7 Practical Commitments that you need to make with another person or persons. I have copies of this available for anyone who wants one.
The scriptures clearly point out that there are 2 voices calling out to us each day. One is the voice of wisdom and the other is the voice of folly.
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
1 She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.[2]
We can choose to seek out wisdom and walk in the knowledge of the truth in submission to God or we can choose to follow after folly.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.[3]
Both wisdom and folly are calling out to us each day. One lead to life and true enjoyment while the other leads to death. I pray tonight that you will make the choice to follow after the wisdom of God in the area of sexual purity. We have to fight the fight of faith with all the weapons God has given us and with the wisdom we gain through his Word. We are living in a day of great temptation and I believe it is only going to increase and the list of Christian casualties is going to grow unless we take action to come against the strategies of the enemy and establish standards and boundaries that will help not fall prey to his attacks.
If you have fallen in these areas we have talked about tonight there is healing and forgiveness available. You have not committed the unpardonable sin even though the enemy would like you to believe it. God will forgive and cleanse you through the blood of Christ. He wants to set you free and keep you free but you will have to make that decision and take the appropriate action to continue to walk in freedom and purity. Don’t let another day go by in which the enemy gains victory over you in this area. Seek help from other trusted believers and draw upon their strength as you set your feet on the pathway of liberty. We have the promise of God’s Word that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, the devil will flee. We can experience victory over the enemy if we will put into practice the principles of God’s Word each day.
Click on the following link to listen to an audio version of this message: http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=706574231.wma
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[3]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
The year was 1964 and a large part of the world was focused on a heavyweight championship fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay who shortly afterward changed his name to Mohammed Ali.
Liston was an ex-con who had ties with organized crime and was feared by other boxers and their managers. One manager, Jim Wicks, made this statement. "We don't even want to meet Liston walking down the same street."[1]
Cassius Clay had just turned 22 years old before the fight. He was full of confidence in his ability and spoke openly and often about it. He was the underdog in the fight with 7 to 1 odds against him becoming the champion.
During training, Clay took to driving his entourage in a bus over to the site where Liston was training, and repeatedly called Liston the "big, ugly bear".[2] Liston grew increasingly irritated as the motor mouthed Clay continued hurling insults ("After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him... if Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest, and catch the next jet out of the country."). Clay insisted to a skeptical press that he would knock out Liston in eight rounds.
Clay was declared the winner of the fight after Liston did not answer the bell at the start of the 7th round due to an injured shoulder. Clay proceeded to make claims that are still remember today and recorded. I want to show you a short clip of him that was taken after the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaDbVbQTrM
Our spiritual lives have been compared to a boxing match. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of a boxer as well as the analogy of the believer being in a fight against spiritual forces of darkness. He gave instruction to Timothy to “Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
The fight between Liston and Clay had several analogies that we can draw from and apply to the spiritual battle we are facing each day. Both fighters were well prepared and confident in their ability. Both gave their all in the fight and were constantly looking for the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow and be declared the winner. Accusations and intimidation were used even before the fight as psychological warfare to bring fear or anger which would serve as a distraction and possibly hinder the concentration of the opponent.
As we look at life as a believer we have to be prepared for the spiritual warfare that we face on a daily basis. We are in a fight daily whether we realize it or not. The bell to start the fight rings every morning when we awake and we have to be prepared.
We have an enemy who goes about like a roaring lion seeking to deliver a knockout blow and devour us (1 Peter 5:8). Lions roar when they are hungry and we have an enemy that has an insatiable desire to consume believers. The enemy of our soul, the devil or satan is constantly on the attack, looking for his next victim he can devour. He is not all powerful, neither is he omniscient or everywhere present. He has limitation because he is a fallen angel and though he is a powerful enemy he is not able to overpower a believer who is operating in the wisdom, authority and power Christ has given. He is skilled in his tactics and if we are not alert and attentive, he can do serious damage to us. Just as a skilled boxer waits patiently for his opponent to drop his guard or make a mistake so he can deliver the knockout blow so too the enemy we face operates with the same strategy. His goal is the knockout punch that will put us out of commission, take us out of the ring, incapacitate us and damage our reputation and walk with God.
The Bible says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.[1]
The first step in waging successful warfare against the enemy is to submit ourselves completely to God. To submit means that we place ourselves under God’s rule and dominion. We intentionally subject ourselves to him because he is God and he knows what is best for our lives. God has not been silent regarding these areas of temptation. His Word is profitable for instruction in righteousness or right living. If we fail to submit ourselves to the revealed truth of God’s Word we set ourselves up for attack. If we submit ourselves to God and follow his advice we will be able to stand against the attack of the enemy using the truth that God has revealed to us. We cannot be ignorant of God’s Word and God’s ways. We have to arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. There has to be a hunger in our soul for this truth. Jesus said “My words are spirit and they are life.” If we want to enjoy life to its fullest we must know the Word and live by it. If we remain ignorant or naïve we have exposed ourselves to the enemy and he will take advantage of us. If your spiritual appetite for the Word of God is in the dieting mode be careful because you are not as strong as you need to be. Someone has said, “Sin will keep you from the Word and the Word will keep you from sin.” I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing and obeying the revealed truth of the Scriptures. When we submit ourselves completely to God we are in essence submitting ourselves to the teaching of his Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
In boxing there are 3 punches that are used to knockout the opponent. A left hook that goes around the side of the head, a right cross that smacks the temple area and an upper cut that goes under the chin and renders the opponent unconscious. In our spiritual lives I believe the devil uses three punches to knock us out and they are sex, money and power. I think the greatest area of attack today is the area of sex. The world uses this area in so many ways to lure us into things that lead to sin. We see it all the time in the newspapers, advertizing, web sites, billboards, and the list goes on.
We must do all we can to resist the devil in this area. We have to understand what he is doing and how he is attacking us on a daily basis. In the area of sexual temptation I do not think there is a more powerful influence today that that of internet pornography.
Because of the advances in technology and especially the internet the proliferation of pornography has become the greatest tool of the enemy to bring destruction. Here are some statistics taken from a message entitled, “Love gone astray” given by Carol Kaminsky at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
Every second 28,000 users are viewing porn
$ 3,000 spent on porn every second
Every 39 minutes a new porn video is being produce in USA.
In 2004, 420 million pages of porn were produced
In August 2005 71.9 million people visited adult site in one month
In 2006 there were 4.2 million porn web sites
Every day there are 68 million porn site search engine requests
Annual revenue from pornography in the USA alone is 13 billion dollars. This is more than the combined total of ABC, NBC and CBS combined.
China receives highest revenue worldwide from porn. South Korea, Japan, USA and Australia follow in that order.
Pornography generates more revenue than the combined revenue of the top technology companies Microsoft Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined.
Average age of first internet exposure is 8 years old.
Largest group of internet pornography users is the 12-17 years olds
Pornography has invaded the church just as it has the world. It has destroyed many lives and relationships. It is one of the strongest if not the strongest attack the enemy uses to bring destruction of individuals and families. It has touched the Christian community as well as the world. A recent study from Focus on the Family stated that 29 percent of Christian men have looked at pornography on the internet. A study by Christianity Today in 2001, found that 51 % of those surveyed had viewed pornography. A survey by Promise Keepers found that 53 percent of the men had visited porn sites the previous week.
It is not only men who are being influence but women as well and the numbers continue to increase each year. The availability and easy access to pornography have made the temptation that much stronger and the pornography industry uses deceptive techniques to lure people into websites. Here are some of the tactics they are using to lure and trap people.
Unwanted and unsolicited email with sexual content is constantly sent out. There are 2.5 billion porn emails daily of which 34% are unwanted and unsolicited.
Traps like the following are used and include: disguising names, porn mapping in which sites purchase expired well know names so when you click on the site it leads to porn site.
They use a well know site name but misspell it intentionally so that when you make a mistake typing the name of the known site it automatically leads you to a porn site.
Cyber Squatting: Using similar wording of a well known name as part of the site name so when you use a search engine a porn site will come up.
Door way scam. First page is okay but leads to porn site
Mouse trapping: 25% of porn sites have it, click on it and once in you cannot leave, mouse is useless
These are all strategies the devil uses to draw us into sexual sin, perversion and addiction. We cannot be ignorant of his devices and we have to take steps to guard our eyes, our mind and our feet from walking into the traps he has set. The devil always wants to take something God made as good and pervert it into something evil.
Once we understand how he operates we have to take action to not give him access to us. It is like in the movies when someone is trying to hack into a computer and the message is stated on the screen “Access Denied.” The Scriptures state that we must not leave any foothold or opportunity for the enemy to access our lives. We cannot allow him access so he can trip us and cause us to fall. We have to set standards and discipline ourselves as well as hold ourselves accountable to another person to maintain these standards. We must establish boundaries ahead of time so that we are prepared when the attack or temptation comes our way. We cannot afford to be naïve and unprepared.
Since the internet is a huge source of temptation it is wise to set limits on how much time you spend on it and what sites you access. Filters are available that will impose limitations on your ability to access sites known for sinful content. Covenant Eyes, http://www.covenanteyes.com/ is one program that is very helpful. It costs $2.50 per month. It tracks all your website history and sends a report to the person you have designated as your accountability partner. There are also other free programs available and are listed below.
http://www.x3watch.com/ (Free); http://www.integrity.com/ (free);http://www.accountable2you.com/ (free).
Another step that can be taken is to shut off the internet in the evening. Studies have shown that most men access internet porn sites after 10 p.m. Shutting down your computer after this hour or before will help you to a degree. It is also important if you are struggling with porn to not view your computer in a private area. Someone should be able to see what you are doing. Children should not be allowed to have internet access in their rooms. On a recent broadcast of Focus on the Family, one the counselors reported that she had received a call from a mother who had a 9 year old son who was exposed to pornography by a 9 year old neighbor boy. The neighbor boy had consequently sexually molested her 7 year old son after viewing porn on the internet.
Another area that we must deny the enemy access is in our relationships between same sex and opposite sex. The enemy is having great success in this area and we daily read of men and women who have abandoned God’s standards and fallen into sin. God’s standard for sexual relations has always been for a man and woman. Anything else is a perversion and is not to be practiced. The enemy’s goal is to normalize all relationships that God has specifically stated in his Word are wrong. Even gender identity has come into question in several states. Children can choose their sexual identity and are encouraged to be what they feel they are in spite of what their DNA tests say. Satan wants us to explore ways to experience sex outside of the boundaries God has established. He wants us to believe that we are missing out by being obedient to God. He tries to get us to rationalize our decisions to enable us to justify our deviation from God’s standards.
Just this past week Ray Boltz who is a Christian singer who is well known for several of his songs, publicly declared that he has been living a homosexual lifestyle. He has been married for 33 years and has several children. It is hard to understand his decisions and actions but one thing that we have to acknowledge is the power of the enemy to influence our choices when we fail to believe the Word of God and submit to its teachings.
As believers we must set standards in the area of relationships between the opposite sex. Some churches have policies that no single woman or married woman can ride in the same car alone with a married man who is in leadership in the church. It is a safeguard against the enemy bringing attack and accusation that something sinful is going on between the two people. Counseling with a member of the opposite sex is also an area that must have strong boundaries and limitations. Some churches do not allow opposite sexes to counsel each other and if they do they require another person to be present in the room or an open door with another person present in an adjacent room.
Boundaries must be established on where we will meet with other people, especially if you are single and in a dating relationship. The devil loves it when we try to hide away in secrecy where no one can see us. It is not wise to conduct your relationship with the opposite sex in this manner as it leaves you open to sexual temptation and false accusation. It is not wrong to want to be alone with another person but you can be alone and still be in a public area where others will be around you.
Standards must also be set on physical contact with the opposite sex in a dating relationship. The enemy always wants you to rush into the physical aspect of the relationship. Set high standards for each other so that you will not take advantage of each other and damage the other person. Don’t make yourself cheap, it is a reputation that you do not want to have. Concentrate on the other aspects of your relationship and let the physical aspect be low on the priority list.
A final area that we must set strong standards to deny the enemy access is in the movies we watch. The images from movies make lasting impressions on your mind and especially the parts that have sexual content. It is especially important that children up to the age of 14 not be allowed to view movies with sexual content and violence. The brain is still being mapped during this time and the introduction of sex and violence can bring permanent damage to the formation of thought in these areas. Movies are also an area that the enemy can and will use to cause bring sexual temptation. As believers and followers of Christ we too have to set standards and take precautions before renting or viewing a movie. I have been using a website of the Catholic Church to get an overview of a movie I may have an interest in viewing. The website address is: http://www.usccb.org/
There is also a link on Focus on the Family’s website http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/
Take the time to review a movie before you find out it is not worthy of your time, money and most importantly is contrary to your spiritual values.
One test we can always give is to ask if I would be able to stand in front of the church and feel comfortable talking the them about the content of the movie.
The scriptures teach us that we are to stay far away from anything that will bring offense and destruction to our relationship with the Lord as well the people he has placed in our lives. We are instructed to hide ourselves from these things and not give place to them. Prudent people see the danger they cause and they stay away from them. Naïve people or people who have not set boundaries and restraints fall prey to the enemy and reap destruction in their lives. We have to carefully consider our ways and not go down the path that leads to death.
Our enemy is a predator and we are his prey. We must take action to not give him access in these areas of our life. One of the ways you can help guard your way is through an accountability partner. During “The Call” on August 2, Mike Bickell mentioned that they have a Purity agreement available at their website, http://www.thecall.com/ . It lists 7 Practical Commitments that you need to make with another person or persons. I have copies of this available for anyone who wants one.
The scriptures clearly point out that there are 2 voices calling out to us each day. One is the voice of wisdom and the other is the voice of folly.
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
1 She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.[2]
We can choose to seek out wisdom and walk in the knowledge of the truth in submission to God or we can choose to follow after folly.
Proverbs 9:13-18
13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.[3]
Both wisdom and folly are calling out to us each day. One lead to life and true enjoyment while the other leads to death. I pray tonight that you will make the choice to follow after the wisdom of God in the area of sexual purity. We have to fight the fight of faith with all the weapons God has given us and with the wisdom we gain through his Word. We are living in a day of great temptation and I believe it is only going to increase and the list of Christian casualties is going to grow unless we take action to come against the strategies of the enemy and establish standards and boundaries that will help not fall prey to his attacks.
If you have fallen in these areas we have talked about tonight there is healing and forgiveness available. You have not committed the unpardonable sin even though the enemy would like you to believe it. God will forgive and cleanse you through the blood of Christ. He wants to set you free and keep you free but you will have to make that decision and take the appropriate action to continue to walk in freedom and purity. Don’t let another day go by in which the enemy gains victory over you in this area. Seek help from other trusted believers and draw upon their strength as you set your feet on the pathway of liberty. We have the promise of God’s Word that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, the devil will flee. We can experience victory over the enemy if we will put into practice the principles of God’s Word each day.
Click on the following link to listen to an audio version of this message: http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=706574231.wma
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[3]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Apostle of Faith
Last night at our Sunday evening Bible study which was attended by 14 people, we watched a video about the life and ministry of Smith Wigglesworth who was known a the Apostle of Faith. The video is part of a series of videos called, "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. Wigglesworth was an unusual man whom God used powerfully to touch several nations. Some of his methods where pretty much out of the box but he had results that no one could deny. His life is an inspiration and a demonstration of what God can do through someone who dedicates themselves to the call God has placed on their life. Wigglesworth was a man of prayer, a man who constantly read the Bible and lived by it and a man who was filled with faith to believe God for the miraculous. I encourage you to read his life story or watch this video. You will be moved and challenged!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
God works in, we work out
God works in, we work out
Philippians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul wrote these words to the church in Philippi while he was in prison in Rome, awaiting trial and the only way to communicate with them was through a letter. In his letter he expresses concern for them and provides sound advice for them as they live out their faith. Tonight I want to focus on these verses and draw out principles that will also aid us in our walk of faith.
Paul clearly was regarded as the spiritual authority in the church at Philippi. Spiritual authority is not based on title, position, ministry, or status one may have in the Christian community. “The basis of spiritual authority is obedience to the revealed truth and promptings of the Holy Spirit.” (Joy Dawson) Other types of authority in our lives are based simply on a title and the power that is given to that office. A policeman has delegated authority in his title because he represents the enforcement of laws. His personal life and conduct have nothing to do with the authority he has been given. If a policeman stops you for running through a stop sign, he has the ability to enforce the law regardless of any personal behavior that may reflect poorly on him. He could be carrying a bag of marijuana when he gives you the ticket but that will not hinder his ability to give you a ticket for violating the law. Spiritual authority is based on our relationship with God. Paul had the right to speak into the lives of the Philippians because he was hearing and obeying God. This is an important thing to keep in mind as we interact with other believers. If we are placed in spiritual authority we have to be seeking God and listening to Him before we give any advice to others. If we use our position, role, status etc. and do not seek God for his advice then we are most likely responding in our own abilities or knowledge and we may miss out completely what God wants us to share with this person. If we are not listening to the revealed truth of God’s Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit and not walking in obedience to God we really have no right to exhibit spiritual authority over someone else. Paul had earned that right through his intimacy and friendship with God to be able to speak into the lives of the Philippians. The words he spoke to them were not words off the top of his head but came from spending time listening to God. His words to the church were to be heeded and I am sure that the people had great respect for the instructions he gave them.
1. The importance of encouragement.
Paul was an encourager. In all of his letters he always brought out the positive things he saw in the people He encouraged them by acknowledging their obedience to the Lord. They had proven themselves to be obedient while he was with them and now in his absence he wanted them to continue even more to walk in obedience. One of the greatest ways we can encourage others is by complimenting them on their obedience to the Lord. Parents know that children need positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior that is what they want. Parents want their children to do what is right in every situation they encounter whether they are with them or not. Every parent or every person who has responsibility for the well being of other people is concerned about what will happen when they are absent. Think back on the times when your parents left you with a baby sitter or a family member for a time and remember the instruction that were given by them before they left. They wanted to make sure that you behaved yourself properly and did not do anything that would bring a bad report. Some of you have been or are parents and you can relate to giving last minute advice to your children when you left them with someone. Sometimes we fear they will say or do something that will embarrass us or chase the baby sitter away so that they will never return again.
When I grew up there was a TV program called House Party with Art Linkletter. One of the best parts of the show was at the end when he conducted interviews with children. I am sure every parent whose child was going to be interviewed had some level of concern regarding what their child would say. In one interview Art asked a young boy what story in the Bible was his favorite. He replie, "Adam and Eve". Art asked him to explain what happened to them and the boy recounted how Adam and Eve ate the apple, got sick and threw up. Art asked him how God punished them for eating the apple. The boy reply, "He made Adam write the Bible and he made Eve a housewife."
As a spiritual parent Paul was concerned for his children in Philippi. He wanted them to continue walking in obedience to the truth that had been imparted to them.
Another way that Paul encouraged them was in how he addressed them. He called them “Beloved” which is a very tender term of endearment. Paul truly cared for the spiritual condition and growth of the church. He gave himself to that end and poured himself into the church. He writes these instructions out of a heart of love for the people and that has to be our driving force in dealing with people. We have to respond in love which always desires the highest good for them and not for us. How often we want people to do things because it makes it easier on us rather than makes them more Christ like. How often we have ulterior motives that really are selfish yet we posit them as for “their good.” How often we want to “control” other people and force them to be like us. When we know we are loved by the person speaking to us and that they have no personal agenda in what they want to say to us then it is much easier to receive it and respond in obedience.
Paul also encouraged them by acknowledging that God was at work in them. It is God who begins the work of salvation, it is God who gives us the ability to live out our salvation and it is God who will receive us into eternity. In spite of what they may not have been doing correctly, Paul was able to see that God was a work in them. As a leader this is critical that you are able to see change in the lives of others and be able to encourage them by verbalizing this to them. Sometimes we may wonder if God really is a work in our lives because we seem to continue struggling with the same issues and we feel discouraged with our progress of spiritual development. It is encouraging when someone who is in spiritual authority over you confirms that God is committed to our growth and that they can truthfully say that they see God at work in you. They are seeing changes in character, attitude, work ethic, fruit of the Spirit etc. Paul encouraged the believers regarding their obedience which is a foundational block in our spiritual growth. We need to call out the good things we see that God is doing in each other. As a teacher I remember hearing speakers talk about catching the children doing something good and bringing it to their attention as well as the attention of their classmates. It is always easier to focus and what is not right or what is not being done well and we can quickly develop a negative mind set which will quickly be detected by the other person. We all need constructive criticism but it has to be mixed with encouragement as well. Paul demonstrated both here.
2. The importance of purpose.
God was at work in each person to both will and to work for his good pleasure. We must always remember that our lives are not our own. God has saved us for a purpose and we serve at and for His pleasure.
When a President appoints someone to his staff, this person serves at the pleasure of the President. They are placed in their position to serve his or her needs and desires and they can be asked to leave if they are not meeting these expectations. In our relationship with God we serve at his pleasure. We are not independent agents or contractors who can do our own thing in the way we desire. We are here to serve at the pleasure of God and what a privilege it is for us to be able to say that we have been asked to serve the Living God, who is all wise, all knowing, and sovereign over all the universe. We serve Him according to His will for our lives. He is at work in us to conform us to His will which is pleasing to him. God delights in our obedience to him because that is the response he is seeking from us. He knows what is best and asks us to trust Him even when we do not understand what is happening or why. We know he is love and that he is always working things for his good pleasure. His pleasure is not sadistic or cruel, it is always good. Our responsibility is to always do those things that are pleasing to God and we can know those things through the revealed truth God has given to us. Our focus must always be on God and not ourselves and what we want.
Are you serving God to bring him pleasure or are you serving God to bring yourself pleasure? Is your will under the direction of God’s will and purposes for your life? Why are you doing what you are doing? This is one of the most important questions we have to ask of ourselves. I am here because it is God’s will or am I here because it is my will? Did I decide to be here or did I come in obedience to what God revealed to me to be his will?
3. The importance of reverence
Paul exhorts the church in light of the fact that God is at work in them to will and do of his pleasure that they need to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. This is a foreign idea to some people because they have an image of God that he is a god of love that would never want to instill fear or cause anyone to tremble. Our relationship with God has to have both love and fear. John Bevere in the video series, “Driven by Eternity” brought out an important concept regarding love and fear. He said if we only see God as a god of love we can fall into the error of lawlessness. We will think we can do anything because God is love and he will overlook what we are doing. If we focus on fear it can lead to legalism. We can fall into the error of setting up rules for everything because we do not want to offend God through disobedience. We need both a love for God and a fear of God to have a balanced walk.
To work out our salvation with fear and trembling means that we do not take lightly what God has done to save our souls. When we realize what God has saved us from and what God is saving us to we will be sober minded and ready to do whatever it takes to see His salvation worked out in our lives. The fear and trembling Paul speaks about “…comes from a sense of our own creatureliness, our own weakness, our own inadequacy, our own powerlessness to deal with life and temptation…It is a fear and trembling that drives us to seek God and brings us ever closer to God, in the certainty that without His help we cannot effectively faced life at all..” (William Barclay) Fear and reverence toward God also comes when we totally desire and dedicate our lives to carry out his will and we do not want to do anything to disappoint Him. We desire above all things to be obedient to him and the thought of walking away from him should bring fear and trembling not because we are going to be punished by him but because we will not be bringing him the pleasure that he deserves. I believe Paul is admonishing the church to never forget that our lives are to be completely dedicated to God and that we need to be working out with great reverence toward God the process of salvation.
4. The Importance of Unity
Paul continues his discourse by giving practical examples of ways that we can work out our salvation, to live it out in view of the world. One of the problems that was evident in the church was a lack of unity which was seen in the disputes and grumblings of the people. When there is a lack of unity there will always be disputes and people who will murmur and complain. The Greek word Paul uses for murmuring is “goggusmos” which is pronounced “Gongusomos”. When you say the word you are making the same sounds that a person who is murmuring makes. Disputes and grumbling usually are the result of someone not getting his or her way. . The example of Christ set forth in the verses previous to this give us the solution to the problem of disputes and grumbling. Christ humbled himself and took on the form of a servant to minister to us. If we had a humble attitude and a willingness to serve others there would be less opportunity to bring contention and disputes in the church. Unity is achieved when we have corporate humility. Disputes and grumblings are signs that there is a lack of unity and a lack of corporate humility. When churches are known for disputes and unrest it is a horrible witness to the community.
5. The Importance of Purity
When we are walking in purity we are blameless and harmless and without rebuke. We should be blameless toward the world. They should not be able to find fault in what we do. The world may not understand why we do what we do but they should not be able to say that we are doing anything in violation of what we believe and teach.
We also demonstrate purity by being harmless. This word literally means “unmixed, unadulterated”. It is used of wine or milk that is not mixed with water or metal that does not have any alloy in it. We are not a mixture of good and evil motives in our actions. There is a genuiness and sincerity in all that we do.
The final aspect of purity is that we are without rebuke.
Without rebuke—amoµmeµta. Momus was a carping deity among the Greeks, mentioned by Hesiod and Lucian, who did nothing himself, and found fault with every body and every thing. From him all carpers at other men, and rigid censurers of their works, were called Momi. The sense of the expression is, "Walk so circumspectly that Momus himself may have no occasion to cavil at you, that the severest censurer may find no fault with you.’[1]
When we walk in purity we will be a light in a dark perverse world. The picture is that of a procession at night, in a crooked and distorted age, in which torchbearers are going and holding high the blazing torches, so that those following can see how to walk in this sin-darkened world.[2]
Our lives must reflect the light of God and we must also send forth this light, his Word into the world by sharing the gospel message with those walking in darkness. Paul poured out his life to this end. He labored with great intensity to fulfill his calling to share the gospel with the lost and he wanted the church in Philippi to do the same. He was not concerned with making his life comfortable or just looking out for himself.
James D. Berkley writes in a book called “Leadership Meditations” the following.
“We all like things our way, to our convenience and our taste. How easy it is to make church nice and comfortable-for us. Yet the church isn’t meant to be comfortable. No pioneering, radical, countercultural organization has the leisure of being comfortable. A country club can be comfortable. A golfing foursome can be comfortable. A family gather can be comfortable. But a church-that is culture-shaking, eternity-changing band Jesus commissioned to turn the world upside down-doesn’t have the charter to be comfortable. It’s commissioned as an activist for the Kingdom of God! My pleasure, my ease, my way-such things are really not important. God’s glory, God’s tasks, others’ benefit-those are the reasons for the church’s existence…The church is not my personal vending machine…Instead it is a lifesaving station for reaching out to those in peril needing to be made safe.”
We must always remember that we are the light and we must be the light. We represent Christ wherever we go and we must make it our ambition to share the gospel message of love with everyone we can. The world is groping in darkness and Christ is their only hope.
Paul closes by expressing his heart to them that he did not want to be disappointed on the day of Christ’s return when all of our works will be judged for their quality. Paul did not want to look back at all of the hard labor he put into the ministry God had called him to and see that those he labored for had not worked out their salvation and that all of his labor with them was for nothing. Paul knew that he was responsible to pour himself out as a drink offering, to give of himself to the church regardless of the final outcome. He was hoping and praying for the best but the reality is that sometimes people whom we have invested our lives walk away from the faith. Paul lived his life in obedience to what God had asked of him and he left the results up to the Lord.
God is working until he completes his work in us and we are responsible to work out our salvation. As we work out our salvation individually and corporately we will accomplish it if we put into practice:
1. The importance of encouragement
2. The importance of purpose
3. The importance of reverence
4. The importance of unity
5. The importance of purity
You can listen to part of this message by clicking on the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=142851063.wma
[1]Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.
[2]Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
Philippians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul wrote these words to the church in Philippi while he was in prison in Rome, awaiting trial and the only way to communicate with them was through a letter. In his letter he expresses concern for them and provides sound advice for them as they live out their faith. Tonight I want to focus on these verses and draw out principles that will also aid us in our walk of faith.
Paul clearly was regarded as the spiritual authority in the church at Philippi. Spiritual authority is not based on title, position, ministry, or status one may have in the Christian community. “The basis of spiritual authority is obedience to the revealed truth and promptings of the Holy Spirit.” (Joy Dawson) Other types of authority in our lives are based simply on a title and the power that is given to that office. A policeman has delegated authority in his title because he represents the enforcement of laws. His personal life and conduct have nothing to do with the authority he has been given. If a policeman stops you for running through a stop sign, he has the ability to enforce the law regardless of any personal behavior that may reflect poorly on him. He could be carrying a bag of marijuana when he gives you the ticket but that will not hinder his ability to give you a ticket for violating the law. Spiritual authority is based on our relationship with God. Paul had the right to speak into the lives of the Philippians because he was hearing and obeying God. This is an important thing to keep in mind as we interact with other believers. If we are placed in spiritual authority we have to be seeking God and listening to Him before we give any advice to others. If we use our position, role, status etc. and do not seek God for his advice then we are most likely responding in our own abilities or knowledge and we may miss out completely what God wants us to share with this person. If we are not listening to the revealed truth of God’s Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit and not walking in obedience to God we really have no right to exhibit spiritual authority over someone else. Paul had earned that right through his intimacy and friendship with God to be able to speak into the lives of the Philippians. The words he spoke to them were not words off the top of his head but came from spending time listening to God. His words to the church were to be heeded and I am sure that the people had great respect for the instructions he gave them.
1. The importance of encouragement.
Paul was an encourager. In all of his letters he always brought out the positive things he saw in the people He encouraged them by acknowledging their obedience to the Lord. They had proven themselves to be obedient while he was with them and now in his absence he wanted them to continue even more to walk in obedience. One of the greatest ways we can encourage others is by complimenting them on their obedience to the Lord. Parents know that children need positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior that is what they want. Parents want their children to do what is right in every situation they encounter whether they are with them or not. Every parent or every person who has responsibility for the well being of other people is concerned about what will happen when they are absent. Think back on the times when your parents left you with a baby sitter or a family member for a time and remember the instruction that were given by them before they left. They wanted to make sure that you behaved yourself properly and did not do anything that would bring a bad report. Some of you have been or are parents and you can relate to giving last minute advice to your children when you left them with someone. Sometimes we fear they will say or do something that will embarrass us or chase the baby sitter away so that they will never return again.
When I grew up there was a TV program called House Party with Art Linkletter. One of the best parts of the show was at the end when he conducted interviews with children. I am sure every parent whose child was going to be interviewed had some level of concern regarding what their child would say. In one interview Art asked a young boy what story in the Bible was his favorite. He replie, "Adam and Eve". Art asked him to explain what happened to them and the boy recounted how Adam and Eve ate the apple, got sick and threw up. Art asked him how God punished them for eating the apple. The boy reply, "He made Adam write the Bible and he made Eve a housewife."
As a spiritual parent Paul was concerned for his children in Philippi. He wanted them to continue walking in obedience to the truth that had been imparted to them.
Another way that Paul encouraged them was in how he addressed them. He called them “Beloved” which is a very tender term of endearment. Paul truly cared for the spiritual condition and growth of the church. He gave himself to that end and poured himself into the church. He writes these instructions out of a heart of love for the people and that has to be our driving force in dealing with people. We have to respond in love which always desires the highest good for them and not for us. How often we want people to do things because it makes it easier on us rather than makes them more Christ like. How often we have ulterior motives that really are selfish yet we posit them as for “their good.” How often we want to “control” other people and force them to be like us. When we know we are loved by the person speaking to us and that they have no personal agenda in what they want to say to us then it is much easier to receive it and respond in obedience.
Paul also encouraged them by acknowledging that God was at work in them. It is God who begins the work of salvation, it is God who gives us the ability to live out our salvation and it is God who will receive us into eternity. In spite of what they may not have been doing correctly, Paul was able to see that God was a work in them. As a leader this is critical that you are able to see change in the lives of others and be able to encourage them by verbalizing this to them. Sometimes we may wonder if God really is a work in our lives because we seem to continue struggling with the same issues and we feel discouraged with our progress of spiritual development. It is encouraging when someone who is in spiritual authority over you confirms that God is committed to our growth and that they can truthfully say that they see God at work in you. They are seeing changes in character, attitude, work ethic, fruit of the Spirit etc. Paul encouraged the believers regarding their obedience which is a foundational block in our spiritual growth. We need to call out the good things we see that God is doing in each other. As a teacher I remember hearing speakers talk about catching the children doing something good and bringing it to their attention as well as the attention of their classmates. It is always easier to focus and what is not right or what is not being done well and we can quickly develop a negative mind set which will quickly be detected by the other person. We all need constructive criticism but it has to be mixed with encouragement as well. Paul demonstrated both here.
2. The importance of purpose.
God was at work in each person to both will and to work for his good pleasure. We must always remember that our lives are not our own. God has saved us for a purpose and we serve at and for His pleasure.
When a President appoints someone to his staff, this person serves at the pleasure of the President. They are placed in their position to serve his or her needs and desires and they can be asked to leave if they are not meeting these expectations. In our relationship with God we serve at his pleasure. We are not independent agents or contractors who can do our own thing in the way we desire. We are here to serve at the pleasure of God and what a privilege it is for us to be able to say that we have been asked to serve the Living God, who is all wise, all knowing, and sovereign over all the universe. We serve Him according to His will for our lives. He is at work in us to conform us to His will which is pleasing to him. God delights in our obedience to him because that is the response he is seeking from us. He knows what is best and asks us to trust Him even when we do not understand what is happening or why. We know he is love and that he is always working things for his good pleasure. His pleasure is not sadistic or cruel, it is always good. Our responsibility is to always do those things that are pleasing to God and we can know those things through the revealed truth God has given to us. Our focus must always be on God and not ourselves and what we want.
Are you serving God to bring him pleasure or are you serving God to bring yourself pleasure? Is your will under the direction of God’s will and purposes for your life? Why are you doing what you are doing? This is one of the most important questions we have to ask of ourselves. I am here because it is God’s will or am I here because it is my will? Did I decide to be here or did I come in obedience to what God revealed to me to be his will?
3. The importance of reverence
Paul exhorts the church in light of the fact that God is at work in them to will and do of his pleasure that they need to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. This is a foreign idea to some people because they have an image of God that he is a god of love that would never want to instill fear or cause anyone to tremble. Our relationship with God has to have both love and fear. John Bevere in the video series, “Driven by Eternity” brought out an important concept regarding love and fear. He said if we only see God as a god of love we can fall into the error of lawlessness. We will think we can do anything because God is love and he will overlook what we are doing. If we focus on fear it can lead to legalism. We can fall into the error of setting up rules for everything because we do not want to offend God through disobedience. We need both a love for God and a fear of God to have a balanced walk.
To work out our salvation with fear and trembling means that we do not take lightly what God has done to save our souls. When we realize what God has saved us from and what God is saving us to we will be sober minded and ready to do whatever it takes to see His salvation worked out in our lives. The fear and trembling Paul speaks about “…comes from a sense of our own creatureliness, our own weakness, our own inadequacy, our own powerlessness to deal with life and temptation…It is a fear and trembling that drives us to seek God and brings us ever closer to God, in the certainty that without His help we cannot effectively faced life at all..” (William Barclay) Fear and reverence toward God also comes when we totally desire and dedicate our lives to carry out his will and we do not want to do anything to disappoint Him. We desire above all things to be obedient to him and the thought of walking away from him should bring fear and trembling not because we are going to be punished by him but because we will not be bringing him the pleasure that he deserves. I believe Paul is admonishing the church to never forget that our lives are to be completely dedicated to God and that we need to be working out with great reverence toward God the process of salvation.
4. The Importance of Unity
Paul continues his discourse by giving practical examples of ways that we can work out our salvation, to live it out in view of the world. One of the problems that was evident in the church was a lack of unity which was seen in the disputes and grumblings of the people. When there is a lack of unity there will always be disputes and people who will murmur and complain. The Greek word Paul uses for murmuring is “goggusmos” which is pronounced “Gongusomos”. When you say the word you are making the same sounds that a person who is murmuring makes. Disputes and grumbling usually are the result of someone not getting his or her way. . The example of Christ set forth in the verses previous to this give us the solution to the problem of disputes and grumbling. Christ humbled himself and took on the form of a servant to minister to us. If we had a humble attitude and a willingness to serve others there would be less opportunity to bring contention and disputes in the church. Unity is achieved when we have corporate humility. Disputes and grumblings are signs that there is a lack of unity and a lack of corporate humility. When churches are known for disputes and unrest it is a horrible witness to the community.
5. The Importance of Purity
When we are walking in purity we are blameless and harmless and without rebuke. We should be blameless toward the world. They should not be able to find fault in what we do. The world may not understand why we do what we do but they should not be able to say that we are doing anything in violation of what we believe and teach.
We also demonstrate purity by being harmless. This word literally means “unmixed, unadulterated”. It is used of wine or milk that is not mixed with water or metal that does not have any alloy in it. We are not a mixture of good and evil motives in our actions. There is a genuiness and sincerity in all that we do.
The final aspect of purity is that we are without rebuke.
Without rebuke—amoµmeµta. Momus was a carping deity among the Greeks, mentioned by Hesiod and Lucian, who did nothing himself, and found fault with every body and every thing. From him all carpers at other men, and rigid censurers of their works, were called Momi. The sense of the expression is, "Walk so circumspectly that Momus himself may have no occasion to cavil at you, that the severest censurer may find no fault with you.’[1]
When we walk in purity we will be a light in a dark perverse world. The picture is that of a procession at night, in a crooked and distorted age, in which torchbearers are going and holding high the blazing torches, so that those following can see how to walk in this sin-darkened world.[2]
Our lives must reflect the light of God and we must also send forth this light, his Word into the world by sharing the gospel message with those walking in darkness. Paul poured out his life to this end. He labored with great intensity to fulfill his calling to share the gospel with the lost and he wanted the church in Philippi to do the same. He was not concerned with making his life comfortable or just looking out for himself.
James D. Berkley writes in a book called “Leadership Meditations” the following.
“We all like things our way, to our convenience and our taste. How easy it is to make church nice and comfortable-for us. Yet the church isn’t meant to be comfortable. No pioneering, radical, countercultural organization has the leisure of being comfortable. A country club can be comfortable. A golfing foursome can be comfortable. A family gather can be comfortable. But a church-that is culture-shaking, eternity-changing band Jesus commissioned to turn the world upside down-doesn’t have the charter to be comfortable. It’s commissioned as an activist for the Kingdom of God! My pleasure, my ease, my way-such things are really not important. God’s glory, God’s tasks, others’ benefit-those are the reasons for the church’s existence…The church is not my personal vending machine…Instead it is a lifesaving station for reaching out to those in peril needing to be made safe.”
We must always remember that we are the light and we must be the light. We represent Christ wherever we go and we must make it our ambition to share the gospel message of love with everyone we can. The world is groping in darkness and Christ is their only hope.
Paul closes by expressing his heart to them that he did not want to be disappointed on the day of Christ’s return when all of our works will be judged for their quality. Paul did not want to look back at all of the hard labor he put into the ministry God had called him to and see that those he labored for had not worked out their salvation and that all of his labor with them was for nothing. Paul knew that he was responsible to pour himself out as a drink offering, to give of himself to the church regardless of the final outcome. He was hoping and praying for the best but the reality is that sometimes people whom we have invested our lives walk away from the faith. Paul lived his life in obedience to what God had asked of him and he left the results up to the Lord.
God is working until he completes his work in us and we are responsible to work out our salvation. As we work out our salvation individually and corporately we will accomplish it if we put into practice:
1. The importance of encouragement
2. The importance of purpose
3. The importance of reverence
4. The importance of unity
5. The importance of purity
You can listen to part of this message by clicking on the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=142851063.wma
[1]Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.
[2]Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
Friday, September 12, 2008
India Outreach
Please pray with me about a potential opportunity to go to India with Oasis Ministry. The dates of the outreach are October 25-November 12. These outreaches have had tremendous results in the past as they minister to the people by digging a well for clean water and hosting evangelistic meeting each evening along with teaching sessions for the pastors. I have never been to India and would love the opportunity if the Lord makes it clear and makes a way to go.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Road Less Traveled...September 2008
The summer rush has ended with our final group visiting 2 weeks ago. It has been a blessing for us to be able to work with so many groups during the past few months and facilitate ministry and housing for them. We will have a break with the groups until November which will allow us to focus our attention on several areas. The DTS we had scheduled and were making plans to conduct had to be cancelled due to insufficient number of students. We had lots of interested students but only a few were able to make the decision to come in September. The students who had registered were able to enroll in another DTS. We now have time available to focus on some other areas. There is plenty of ministry opportunities to be involved in and we will be busy with Kid's ministry at the base, offering seminars at the coffee house, construction projects, ministry in the schools, ESL classes, expanding our hours of operation at the coffee house just to name a few things. There is never a shortage of things to do to advance the Kingdom of God. I will be organizing a week of construction in San Pablo La Laguna for the last week of January 2009. One of the projects I would like to assist is Pastor Efrain's health clinic. There is still work to do to finish it and I would like to see it completed so it can be used in the community. There are also a couple of families that are in need of homes and I would like to help them as well. If you are interested in coming as an individual to help or bring a group of people to help with the project please let me know and I will get in touch with you to provide details. For those of you in the cold northland, January is a beautiful time of year in Guatemala. It will be warm, sunny and no rain (or snow) in the forecast! You will also have an opportunity to be a tremendous blessing to the people you will serve and it will be a great time of fellowship among all who will be participating. We have had some changes at the coffee house and have a new staff member,Dayna and her daughter Sierra, from the YWAM Chico base joining us for the next 3 months. We will be expanding our menu at the shop to try to bring in more people and revenue to help us during the next couple of months that have traditionally been very slow months because of the decrease in tourism. We will be opening a prayer room in our meeting area in the coffee house. We have construced some moveable walls and will be decorating the area to make it a place where anyone can stop by for a time of reflection and prayer. There are several people interested in establishing a prayer room that will be open 24/7 and we would like to be a part of it as the Lord leads and provides the facility and staff to make it a reality.It has been almost a year since I applied for temporary residency in Guatemala and I am still waiting for the process to be completed. The wheels of government turn very slowly and with the change in administration it seems to move even more slowly. After I receive residency status we will be making application with the government to be recognized as an organization in Guatemala. There are many benefits to obtaining this status and I would appreciate your prayers that the process for both things will be completed soon. I have created a blog and will be updating it on a regular basis with news of the ministry in Guatemala. The blog will also be linked to our website: www.ywamantigua.orgIt will contain photos, stories, messages, links to audio and other items of interest. If you want to access it click on the link below.
http://guatemalaministry.blogspot.com/
Thank you for your prayers and support of the work in Guatemala. This past month has been very challenging for me personally with times of great encouragement as well as times of being very discouraged. Through it all God is faithful and he renews our strength and helps us view things from His perspective and motivates us to press on to finish the race. It is comforting to know that I do not run alone but have a group of faithful supporters who partner with me in the work of the ministry. For Him,Bruce
Correspondence Address:Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Chico17850 Richardson Springs Road
Chico, CA 95973
(Please attach a note to designate your donation)
http://guatemalaministry.blogspot.com/
Thank you for your prayers and support of the work in Guatemala. This past month has been very challenging for me personally with times of great encouragement as well as times of being very discouraged. Through it all God is faithful and he renews our strength and helps us view things from His perspective and motivates us to press on to finish the race. It is comforting to know that I do not run alone but have a group of faithful supporters who partner with me in the work of the ministry. For Him,Bruce
Correspondence Address:Bruce Ahlberg
6ta Avenida Norte #33
Antigua, Guatemala
Contribution address:
YWAM Chico17850 Richardson Springs Road
Chico, CA 95973
(Please attach a note to designate your donation)
Friday, September 5, 2008
"Mind Your Head!"
Mind Your Head!
When I was in Fiji I saw many signs that said “Mind Your Head.” In the USA we use a warning sign “Watch Your Head” to alert people to situations where they will knock their head on something and possible injure it. Tonight I want to talk about minding our head in the sense they we are admonished in the Scriptures to take care of our minds because it is the control center of the decisions we make and the actions we take.
The other day I was driving through Ciudad Vieja and had to stop because of traffic. I did not understand why everyone was stopping until I saw 3 men carrying another man who was so drunk that he could not walk. His body was completely limp almost as though he was dead. It was a pitiful sight and I felt badly for this man who for whatever reason decided to fill himself with alcohol until his mind was totally under the control of the alcohol and he passed out. The men loaded him into a bus and drove off. I don’t know where they were going but hopefully they were going to find help for this man or keep him in a safe place until he regained consciousness and became sober.
As I reflect on this situation I think about how easy it is to allow things to progressively take control of our minds until we find ourselves addicted and powerless over them. In the news now there is an actor who has admitted himself to a program for sexual addiction. He was spending a lot of time in chat rooms on the internet that were feeding his addiction. His mind became addicted to sex and he was no longer in control. He realized he needed help and is pursuing it.
The scriptures admonish us to be sober minded and alert to the ways of the enemy. Our enemy is very subtle and he lures us into things that he knows have the potential to completely destroy our lives. He is working diligently in this hour to change people’s mindset on morals that will make what was once known as sin to be accepted as normal. The moral compass that we once had is not pointing in the right direction and people are being confused.
Being sober, attentive and alert were character traits noted in the watchman in the Old Testament times.
Watchman. One who guarded or watched over a city or harvest field. Because of the danger of being raided, every Palestinian city or village had a watchman, especially at night. These watchmen were stationed on the city walls (2 Sam. 18:24), a watchtower (2 Kin. 9:17), or a hilltop (Jer. 31:6). Watchmen were responsible for reporting any hostile action or approaching suspicious person. These watchmen sometimes patrolled the city, called out the hours of the night, and especially looked forward to dawn (Is. 21:11–12).
At harvest times watchmen guarded the crops at night. Israel’s prophets were responsible for watching for impending divine judgment or blessing (Is. 21:6; 52:8; Jer. 6:17) and bringing the news to the people. Watchmen are sometimes referred to as sentries and lookouts.[1]
Their job was to be constantly viewing what was happening in front of them so they could quickly identify when an enemy force was coming to attack. Once they identified them they sounded the trumpet to warn the people and activate the military to prepare for battle. The watchman had a critical job. If he fell asleep or was not observant death and destruction could come upon the whole city. I remember when I was in the Army one of my fellow soldiers told me of a time when he found another soldier who was on guard duty asleep. He took the opportunity to steal an M16 rifle and a field radio the soldier had taken off and set beside him. He hid the items and later got them. The day after the theft there was a massive search at the base to locate the stolen rifle. It was not found and the soldier who was responsible for guarding it got in serious trouble. Proverbs contrasts the ant and the sluggard.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.[2]
We have to always be alert and watching for the enemy who looks for the right moment to attack.
We can keep ourselves alert by disciplining our minds. An undisciplined mind is easily influenced by wrong thoughts. Our minds are a gift from God and they have tremendous potential for good or evil. We have to discipline our thought life to line up with the reality of God’s world. I taught in a Christian school where the students all used a self paced curriculum. They had 5 subjects to study and each course had 10 booklets to complete. It required a lot of reading on the part of the student and it required discipline to be able to accomplish the goals they were to set. I had several students who excelled in this environment and several who did not have the discipline to be able to do the work and do it well. One of the students was very intelligent but he was always daydreaming and carrying on conversations with his imaginary friends. He was an only child living with only his mom. I don’t think he had many friends and I am sure he spent a lot of time alone when he was home. He created an imaginary world that he could move into at a moment’s notice. It seemed that I had to daily bring him back to reality so he could concentrate on his work. The scriptures tell us that we have to take every thought captive to obedience to Christ.
2 Cor. 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
We have the ability to bring our thoughts into captivity, we do not have to allow them to run wild and take control of us. When we find our minds going off in the wrong direction we need to take our thoughts captive, bring them under control and focus on what is before us. I know there have been times when my thoughts drifted off into areas that were not germane to what I was doing. I find that I have to simply stop thinking those thoughts and redirect my thinking toward what I need to do. I have to consciously make a decision to not go that direction. I find this happens most often when I am upset with a situation or a person and I begin to think about all the things that could happen or will happen. What starts out as a small cut ends up being a life threatening disease and I better start planning my funeral! Our perception of reality can be distorted majorly. We have to see things as God sees them so we can be prepared to respond as God wants us to respond. We perceive things based on our knowledge and previous experience dealing with similar situations. If our minds are filled with wrong information then our perception of reality will be skewed. That is why it is so important to be filled with the Word of God. If we have the Word of God as our basis of knowledge then we can use it to compare and judge what we are thinking and respond correctly. If we are ignorant of God’s word then we are not able to see the world as God sees it and our perception and interpretation of events will not reflect true reality. This is very evident when missionaries enter people groups who do not have the Word of God to judge reality. Their lives are filled with superstitious beliefs that hold them in bondage and fear. Offering sacrifices of animals or plants to appease a god is common and the great fear is that they will not be successful if they do not do the things that their god requires. Offering prayers for the dead is another common practice which has no basis in the Word of God yet people do it because they are afraid if they don’t the dead will never make it to heaven. The Word of God is truth or reality of what is real. We have to know what it says and means to be able to accurately judge thoughts, either our own or those of others. Thoughts have consequences and we must acknowledge the power that lies within thoughts that are true and those that are false. Having a sober mind means we have a mind that constantly brings thoughts into the truth and reality of God’s Word. We constantly are comparing and judging our thoughts by the Word of God to make sure we are thinking God’s thoughts.
We are living in a day when the Word of God is constantly being challenged by secularism and false religions. The enemy is doing everything he can to stop Christians from spreading the truth of God’s Word. Satan knows the truth and truth is his greatest threat because truth sets people free from false beliefs. I was watching CBN World News and they had a report about the problems that are happening in the state of Orissa in India. The Hindus are destroying churches and beating the believers. They do not want people to convert to Christianity and they have used violence and are threatening more violence if the Christians do not stop proselytizing immediately.
When we are sober minded we are aware of the way the enemy attacks us. Paul said he was not ignorant of the devices of the enemy (2 Cor. 2:11). The enemy knows when we are weak, lonely, needy, discouraged, tired and are not paying attention to what is happening around us. Usually we are very vulnerable at these times and unless someone else is covering us we can become prey for the enemy. When we are at weak points in our walk with God we need the help of others. It is said of elephants that when one of their young ones is under attack they form a circle around the young and protect it from the attacker. We need to do the same for each other when we are under attack. We need to surround the one in need with our prayers and our physical presence to be able to help them in their time of need. We all need someone we can call on during our weak moments when we are tempted to do something that will bring destruction and disgrace. I read of a man who was struggling to overcome drug addiction. One of his friends told him that whenever he felt tempted and wanted to give in to call him. It did not matter what time it was, he would take his call. The person overcoming the addiction took advantage of this offer several times and credits his friend’s availability and concern as being major factors in his ability to overcome his problem. We have to let others know we care and make ourselves available to them when they need our help. We as a body of believers have to cover each other and be sensitive to the needs of each other. Our pride will sometimes keep us from asking for help because we think we can overcome the situation on our own. We don’t like to admit a weakness or be dependent on someone else. Our independent nature works against us and until we are willing to admit this we will never seek the help we truly need or take advantage of the powerful resource God has made available to us. We wrongly think that others will reject us if they really knew what we were thinking or what we have done. But the reality in most situations is your confession and admission of weakness will draw you closer to the people who truly care for you. They can relate to what you are experiencing and it can serve to bond you with them. Humility is seeing yourself as you really are. When we can come to that point in our lives we will not have a problem admitting our weaknesses and seeking the help of others.
The Bible states we are to “gird up the loins of our mind.” (1 Peter 1:13) First, Peter urges the saints to have a “girded” mind. The girding up of the mind is an interesting figure of speech. In eastern lands, people wore long, flowing robes. When they wanted to walk fast or with a minimum of hindrance, they would tie the robe up around their waist with a belt (see Ex. 12:11). In this way they girded up their loins. But what does Peter mean by gird up the loins of your mind? As they went out into a hostile world, believers were to avoid panic and distraction. In times of persecution, there is always the tendency to become rattled and confused. A girded mind is one that is strong, composed, cool, and ready for action. It is unimpeded by the distraction of human fear or persecution.
This state of mental solidarity is further encouraged by the words be sober. This means self-control in contrast to hysteria. The sober spirit is poised and stable[3]
This means that we need to be prepared to take action. If we are unprepared or unwilling to respond, it is easy for us to be passive and just let things go. We see something or think of something that needs attention but we allow it to pass and take no action. We are not prepared to take action possibly because we lack training, or we just don’t care or we are preoccupied with something else or we think it is someone else’s job. In the medical field people are trained to be “First Responders.” These are the people who are usually the first on the scene of an accident or incident and they are trained to do specific things to aid a victim. They are in a state of preparedness all the time and when a situation arises they respond according to the training they have received. They do not wait for someone else to do something; they jump in immediately because they know how critical time is when it comes to saving a life.
In our spiritual lives we have to be prepared and trained in spiritual warfare. We have to know the weapons that are available to us and be ready to use them all the time. When we see the enemy attacking we must take immediate action. We can’t wait for someone else to do it when God has placed us in the situation. We must be sober, alert, ready for action, and prepared to respond immediately to stop the enemy from gaining ground. When we see or hear of a brother or sister who is under attack we must be prepared to respond and take action. How often we have heard someone express their struggles either directly or indirectly and we do nothing to help them. We allow them to go on their way and hope things work out for them when we should be doing something to help them. As a minimum we need to pray and intercede for them and if we are able respond to the need that they have. The Good Samaritan was prepared to respond. His mind was set ahead of time on being ready to help someone in need. He took action, gave of himself and made sure the needs of the injured man were met. Our mindset must be that I am ready, willing and able to help in every situation that God places before me. I will not let my own agenda take control of my life and cause me to pass up opportunities God gives me to render assistance spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally. James admonished the early church to not overlook the needs of the poor or anyone in need. (James 2:15)
15If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, 16and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?[4]
We need to be mentally prepared to take action when we are able to do something to aid a brother or sister in Christ. At times we may feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to give assistance and we need to immediately respond. Beth Moore tells of an incident when she was waiting for her flight in the Knoxville airport.
HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE OF BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORT
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding speaker and Bible teacher, and the author of several excellent Bible studies. She and her husband of a number of years live in Texas and have two grown daughters. This is one of her experiences:
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport....an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?
There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. “Oh, no, God, please, no.” I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, “Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!”
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, “Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.” Then I heard it... “I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.”
The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? It was a no-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, “God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.”
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. “That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.”
I looked up at God and quipped, “I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?” God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: “I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, “Sir, …may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?”
He looked back at me and said, “What did you say?”
I repeated, “May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?”
To which he responded in volume ten, “Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.”
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, “SIR, MAY I HAVE
THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?”
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, “If you really want to.”
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, “Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.”
“'I have one in my bag“, he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, “Sir, do you know my Jesus?”
He said, “Yes, I do.” Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, “I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.”
He continued, “You see, the problem is…I have been away and I haven't seen my wife in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my wife.”
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, “That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?”
I said, “Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!”
And I shared with her about God’s intervention.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The final area regarding our mind is the need for and process of transformation. Our minds need to be deprogrammed from the ways of the world and reprogrammed with the mind of Christ. Unless you have grown up all your life in a solid Christian home and had constant exposure to the Word of God you will no doubt have a mind that still operates to some degree as the world does. We have to unlearn many things that we have been taught that do not line up with the Word of God and the nature and character of God. One of the ways we can compare our thoughts is by looking at Jesus’ sayings when he said “But I say unto you.” Jesus was a contrarian. He said things that went against the common thoughts and attitudes of the day. Here are some examples:
Murder, Anger, Reconciliation
Matt 5:21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24“leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26“Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Divorce
31“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32“But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Oaths
33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35“nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36“Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Revenge
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Treatment of your enemy
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.[5]
Idle Words
Matt 12:35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.[6]
Tony Campolo calls himself a “Red Letter Christian.” He encourages people to take serious all the words of Christ and live them out in our daily lives. Let the words of Christ transform the way we think and the way we treat people. God’s desire is that we operate in the mind of Christ, to think His thoughts and respond as He would in every situation. How different our world would be and how different we would be if we truly put into practice the words of Christ on a daily basis. We all need to examine how we think and what we think using the Word of God as our basis of comparison. We need to wash our minds with the Word of God and allow it to cleanse us from wrong thinking and attitudes that are contrary to the mind of Christ.
Paul states in Romans 12: 1, 2 that we are to be nonconformists to the ways of the world.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.[7]
When our mind is transformed and renewed we will be able to know and demonstrate the will of God. We won’t be walking around wondering what God wants; we will know what He wants and then act accordingly. God’s desire is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. His desire is that we understand how things are in heaven and then believe Him to bring the same things to earth. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Our minds need to be transformed to be heavenly minded. If we grasp what heaven is like and how things operate in heaven then we can begin to understand what God wants accomplished on the earth. Our responsibility as believers is to bring as much of the Kingdom of God to earth during the time God gives us on planet earth. I encourage you to meditate on what the Kingdom of God is and begin to pray and believe God to use you to transform this world with your transformed mind.
Our minds are the battlefield of our spiritual life but they are also the command center that will control what we will accomplish in our lives. We need to have a mind that is sober, one that is alert and attentive to what is happening around us. We need to have a mind that perceives things accurately according to God’s Word. We need to have a mind that is ready for action, ready to respond to meet the needs of others. We need a mind that is transformed and set free from worldly thinking and embraces heavenly thinking so we can carry out the will of God during our time on earth and see His Kingdom established.
God desires that we allow Him to transform our minds into the mind of Christ through His Word. Are we living our lives with our minds saturated in the Word of God, perceiving things according to His truth and reality or are we conforming our minds to the ways of the world? We all need to “Mind Your Head”and use our minds to accomplish God’s will and purposes during our brief time we have on this earth. Ask God to renew your mind and use your mind in the way He intended it to be used for the glory of His name.
An audio file of this message can be found a the following site:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=428109166.wma
[1]Youngblood, Ronald F., General Editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, Consulting Editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995.
[3]William MacDonald; edited with introductions by Arthur Farstad, Believer’s Bible commentary: Old and New Testaments [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995 by William MacDonald.
[4]The Living Bible, (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1997.
[5]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[6]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
[7]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
When I was in Fiji I saw many signs that said “Mind Your Head.” In the USA we use a warning sign “Watch Your Head” to alert people to situations where they will knock their head on something and possible injure it. Tonight I want to talk about minding our head in the sense they we are admonished in the Scriptures to take care of our minds because it is the control center of the decisions we make and the actions we take.
The other day I was driving through Ciudad Vieja and had to stop because of traffic. I did not understand why everyone was stopping until I saw 3 men carrying another man who was so drunk that he could not walk. His body was completely limp almost as though he was dead. It was a pitiful sight and I felt badly for this man who for whatever reason decided to fill himself with alcohol until his mind was totally under the control of the alcohol and he passed out. The men loaded him into a bus and drove off. I don’t know where they were going but hopefully they were going to find help for this man or keep him in a safe place until he regained consciousness and became sober.
As I reflect on this situation I think about how easy it is to allow things to progressively take control of our minds until we find ourselves addicted and powerless over them. In the news now there is an actor who has admitted himself to a program for sexual addiction. He was spending a lot of time in chat rooms on the internet that were feeding his addiction. His mind became addicted to sex and he was no longer in control. He realized he needed help and is pursuing it.
The scriptures admonish us to be sober minded and alert to the ways of the enemy. Our enemy is very subtle and he lures us into things that he knows have the potential to completely destroy our lives. He is working diligently in this hour to change people’s mindset on morals that will make what was once known as sin to be accepted as normal. The moral compass that we once had is not pointing in the right direction and people are being confused.
Being sober, attentive and alert were character traits noted in the watchman in the Old Testament times.
Watchman. One who guarded or watched over a city or harvest field. Because of the danger of being raided, every Palestinian city or village had a watchman, especially at night. These watchmen were stationed on the city walls (2 Sam. 18:24), a watchtower (2 Kin. 9:17), or a hilltop (Jer. 31:6). Watchmen were responsible for reporting any hostile action or approaching suspicious person. These watchmen sometimes patrolled the city, called out the hours of the night, and especially looked forward to dawn (Is. 21:11–12).
At harvest times watchmen guarded the crops at night. Israel’s prophets were responsible for watching for impending divine judgment or blessing (Is. 21:6; 52:8; Jer. 6:17) and bringing the news to the people. Watchmen are sometimes referred to as sentries and lookouts.[1]
Their job was to be constantly viewing what was happening in front of them so they could quickly identify when an enemy force was coming to attack. Once they identified them they sounded the trumpet to warn the people and activate the military to prepare for battle. The watchman had a critical job. If he fell asleep or was not observant death and destruction could come upon the whole city. I remember when I was in the Army one of my fellow soldiers told me of a time when he found another soldier who was on guard duty asleep. He took the opportunity to steal an M16 rifle and a field radio the soldier had taken off and set beside him. He hid the items and later got them. The day after the theft there was a massive search at the base to locate the stolen rifle. It was not found and the soldier who was responsible for guarding it got in serious trouble. Proverbs contrasts the ant and the sluggard.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.[2]
We have to always be alert and watching for the enemy who looks for the right moment to attack.
We can keep ourselves alert by disciplining our minds. An undisciplined mind is easily influenced by wrong thoughts. Our minds are a gift from God and they have tremendous potential for good or evil. We have to discipline our thought life to line up with the reality of God’s world. I taught in a Christian school where the students all used a self paced curriculum. They had 5 subjects to study and each course had 10 booklets to complete. It required a lot of reading on the part of the student and it required discipline to be able to accomplish the goals they were to set. I had several students who excelled in this environment and several who did not have the discipline to be able to do the work and do it well. One of the students was very intelligent but he was always daydreaming and carrying on conversations with his imaginary friends. He was an only child living with only his mom. I don’t think he had many friends and I am sure he spent a lot of time alone when he was home. He created an imaginary world that he could move into at a moment’s notice. It seemed that I had to daily bring him back to reality so he could concentrate on his work. The scriptures tell us that we have to take every thought captive to obedience to Christ.
2 Cor. 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
We have the ability to bring our thoughts into captivity, we do not have to allow them to run wild and take control of us. When we find our minds going off in the wrong direction we need to take our thoughts captive, bring them under control and focus on what is before us. I know there have been times when my thoughts drifted off into areas that were not germane to what I was doing. I find that I have to simply stop thinking those thoughts and redirect my thinking toward what I need to do. I have to consciously make a decision to not go that direction. I find this happens most often when I am upset with a situation or a person and I begin to think about all the things that could happen or will happen. What starts out as a small cut ends up being a life threatening disease and I better start planning my funeral! Our perception of reality can be distorted majorly. We have to see things as God sees them so we can be prepared to respond as God wants us to respond. We perceive things based on our knowledge and previous experience dealing with similar situations. If our minds are filled with wrong information then our perception of reality will be skewed. That is why it is so important to be filled with the Word of God. If we have the Word of God as our basis of knowledge then we can use it to compare and judge what we are thinking and respond correctly. If we are ignorant of God’s word then we are not able to see the world as God sees it and our perception and interpretation of events will not reflect true reality. This is very evident when missionaries enter people groups who do not have the Word of God to judge reality. Their lives are filled with superstitious beliefs that hold them in bondage and fear. Offering sacrifices of animals or plants to appease a god is common and the great fear is that they will not be successful if they do not do the things that their god requires. Offering prayers for the dead is another common practice which has no basis in the Word of God yet people do it because they are afraid if they don’t the dead will never make it to heaven. The Word of God is truth or reality of what is real. We have to know what it says and means to be able to accurately judge thoughts, either our own or those of others. Thoughts have consequences and we must acknowledge the power that lies within thoughts that are true and those that are false. Having a sober mind means we have a mind that constantly brings thoughts into the truth and reality of God’s Word. We constantly are comparing and judging our thoughts by the Word of God to make sure we are thinking God’s thoughts.
We are living in a day when the Word of God is constantly being challenged by secularism and false religions. The enemy is doing everything he can to stop Christians from spreading the truth of God’s Word. Satan knows the truth and truth is his greatest threat because truth sets people free from false beliefs. I was watching CBN World News and they had a report about the problems that are happening in the state of Orissa in India. The Hindus are destroying churches and beating the believers. They do not want people to convert to Christianity and they have used violence and are threatening more violence if the Christians do not stop proselytizing immediately.
When we are sober minded we are aware of the way the enemy attacks us. Paul said he was not ignorant of the devices of the enemy (2 Cor. 2:11). The enemy knows when we are weak, lonely, needy, discouraged, tired and are not paying attention to what is happening around us. Usually we are very vulnerable at these times and unless someone else is covering us we can become prey for the enemy. When we are at weak points in our walk with God we need the help of others. It is said of elephants that when one of their young ones is under attack they form a circle around the young and protect it from the attacker. We need to do the same for each other when we are under attack. We need to surround the one in need with our prayers and our physical presence to be able to help them in their time of need. We all need someone we can call on during our weak moments when we are tempted to do something that will bring destruction and disgrace. I read of a man who was struggling to overcome drug addiction. One of his friends told him that whenever he felt tempted and wanted to give in to call him. It did not matter what time it was, he would take his call. The person overcoming the addiction took advantage of this offer several times and credits his friend’s availability and concern as being major factors in his ability to overcome his problem. We have to let others know we care and make ourselves available to them when they need our help. We as a body of believers have to cover each other and be sensitive to the needs of each other. Our pride will sometimes keep us from asking for help because we think we can overcome the situation on our own. We don’t like to admit a weakness or be dependent on someone else. Our independent nature works against us and until we are willing to admit this we will never seek the help we truly need or take advantage of the powerful resource God has made available to us. We wrongly think that others will reject us if they really knew what we were thinking or what we have done. But the reality in most situations is your confession and admission of weakness will draw you closer to the people who truly care for you. They can relate to what you are experiencing and it can serve to bond you with them. Humility is seeing yourself as you really are. When we can come to that point in our lives we will not have a problem admitting our weaknesses and seeking the help of others.
The Bible states we are to “gird up the loins of our mind.” (1 Peter 1:13) First, Peter urges the saints to have a “girded” mind. The girding up of the mind is an interesting figure of speech. In eastern lands, people wore long, flowing robes. When they wanted to walk fast or with a minimum of hindrance, they would tie the robe up around their waist with a belt (see Ex. 12:11). In this way they girded up their loins. But what does Peter mean by gird up the loins of your mind? As they went out into a hostile world, believers were to avoid panic and distraction. In times of persecution, there is always the tendency to become rattled and confused. A girded mind is one that is strong, composed, cool, and ready for action. It is unimpeded by the distraction of human fear or persecution.
This state of mental solidarity is further encouraged by the words be sober. This means self-control in contrast to hysteria. The sober spirit is poised and stable[3]
This means that we need to be prepared to take action. If we are unprepared or unwilling to respond, it is easy for us to be passive and just let things go. We see something or think of something that needs attention but we allow it to pass and take no action. We are not prepared to take action possibly because we lack training, or we just don’t care or we are preoccupied with something else or we think it is someone else’s job. In the medical field people are trained to be “First Responders.” These are the people who are usually the first on the scene of an accident or incident and they are trained to do specific things to aid a victim. They are in a state of preparedness all the time and when a situation arises they respond according to the training they have received. They do not wait for someone else to do something; they jump in immediately because they know how critical time is when it comes to saving a life.
In our spiritual lives we have to be prepared and trained in spiritual warfare. We have to know the weapons that are available to us and be ready to use them all the time. When we see the enemy attacking we must take immediate action. We can’t wait for someone else to do it when God has placed us in the situation. We must be sober, alert, ready for action, and prepared to respond immediately to stop the enemy from gaining ground. When we see or hear of a brother or sister who is under attack we must be prepared to respond and take action. How often we have heard someone express their struggles either directly or indirectly and we do nothing to help them. We allow them to go on their way and hope things work out for them when we should be doing something to help them. As a minimum we need to pray and intercede for them and if we are able respond to the need that they have. The Good Samaritan was prepared to respond. His mind was set ahead of time on being ready to help someone in need. He took action, gave of himself and made sure the needs of the injured man were met. Our mindset must be that I am ready, willing and able to help in every situation that God places before me. I will not let my own agenda take control of my life and cause me to pass up opportunities God gives me to render assistance spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally. James admonished the early church to not overlook the needs of the poor or anyone in need. (James 2:15)
15If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, 16and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?[4]
We need to be mentally prepared to take action when we are able to do something to aid a brother or sister in Christ. At times we may feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to give assistance and we need to immediately respond. Beth Moore tells of an incident when she was waiting for her flight in the Knoxville airport.
HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE OF BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORT
For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding speaker and Bible teacher, and the author of several excellent Bible studies. She and her husband of a number of years live in Texas and have two grown daughters. This is one of her experiences:
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.
The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport....an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?
There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.
I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. “Oh, no, God, please, no.” I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, “Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!”
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, “Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.” Then I heard it... “I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.”
The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? It was a no-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, “God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man.”
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. “That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.”
I looked up at God and quipped, “I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?” God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: “I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, “Sir, …may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?”
He looked back at me and said, “What did you say?”
I repeated, “May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?”
To which he responded in volume ten, “Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.”
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, “SIR, MAY I HAVE
THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?”
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, “If you really want to.”
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, “Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.”
“'I have one in my bag“, he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, “Sir, do you know my Jesus?”
He said, “Yes, I do.” Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, “I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior.”
He continued, “You see, the problem is…I have been away and I haven't seen my wife in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my wife.”
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, “That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?”
I said, “Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!”
And I shared with her about God’s intervention.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The final area regarding our mind is the need for and process of transformation. Our minds need to be deprogrammed from the ways of the world and reprogrammed with the mind of Christ. Unless you have grown up all your life in a solid Christian home and had constant exposure to the Word of God you will no doubt have a mind that still operates to some degree as the world does. We have to unlearn many things that we have been taught that do not line up with the Word of God and the nature and character of God. One of the ways we can compare our thoughts is by looking at Jesus’ sayings when he said “But I say unto you.” Jesus was a contrarian. He said things that went against the common thoughts and attitudes of the day. Here are some examples:
Murder, Anger, Reconciliation
Matt 5:21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24“leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26“Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
Adultery
27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Divorce
31“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32“But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Oaths
33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35“nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36“Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Revenge
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Treatment of your enemy
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.[5]
Idle Words
Matt 12:35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.[6]
Tony Campolo calls himself a “Red Letter Christian.” He encourages people to take serious all the words of Christ and live them out in our daily lives. Let the words of Christ transform the way we think and the way we treat people. God’s desire is that we operate in the mind of Christ, to think His thoughts and respond as He would in every situation. How different our world would be and how different we would be if we truly put into practice the words of Christ on a daily basis. We all need to examine how we think and what we think using the Word of God as our basis of comparison. We need to wash our minds with the Word of God and allow it to cleanse us from wrong thinking and attitudes that are contrary to the mind of Christ.
Paul states in Romans 12: 1, 2 that we are to be nonconformists to the ways of the world.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.[7]
When our mind is transformed and renewed we will be able to know and demonstrate the will of God. We won’t be walking around wondering what God wants; we will know what He wants and then act accordingly. God’s desire is to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. His desire is that we understand how things are in heaven and then believe Him to bring the same things to earth. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Our minds need to be transformed to be heavenly minded. If we grasp what heaven is like and how things operate in heaven then we can begin to understand what God wants accomplished on the earth. Our responsibility as believers is to bring as much of the Kingdom of God to earth during the time God gives us on planet earth. I encourage you to meditate on what the Kingdom of God is and begin to pray and believe God to use you to transform this world with your transformed mind.
Our minds are the battlefield of our spiritual life but they are also the command center that will control what we will accomplish in our lives. We need to have a mind that is sober, one that is alert and attentive to what is happening around us. We need to have a mind that perceives things accurately according to God’s Word. We need to have a mind that is ready for action, ready to respond to meet the needs of others. We need a mind that is transformed and set free from worldly thinking and embraces heavenly thinking so we can carry out the will of God during our time on earth and see His Kingdom established.
God desires that we allow Him to transform our minds into the mind of Christ through His Word. Are we living our lives with our minds saturated in the Word of God, perceiving things according to His truth and reality or are we conforming our minds to the ways of the world? We all need to “Mind Your Head”and use our minds to accomplish God’s will and purposes during our brief time we have on this earth. Ask God to renew your mind and use your mind in the way He intended it to be used for the glory of His name.
An audio file of this message can be found a the following site:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=428109166.wma
[1]Youngblood, Ronald F., General Editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, Consulting Editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995.
[3]William MacDonald; edited with introductions by Arthur Farstad, Believer’s Bible commentary: Old and New Testaments [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995 by William MacDonald.
[4]The Living Bible, (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1997.
[5]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
[6]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
[7]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
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