Did you pick up on the important nuance in Dr. Avants definition of forgiveness yesterday? I don't have it right in front of me, but what struck me was these two words - reconciliation and release.
Let's think about reconciliation. We have been reconciled to God through the blood of Christ. We are called as followers of Christ to carry the ministry of reconciliation to those without Christ. With Christ, they too can be reconciled to God. God is the offended party because of our sin, but he has made a way of forgiveness that takes you directly to a cross upon which his Son Jesus died. His death made the possiblity of a restored relationship become reality.
When one of us hurts another, there may or may not be reconciliation. Yet, if you or I are the offended party, then we can make a choice to release the offender. We do not define that person or our own lives, for that matter, in terms of the aggregious offense we have suffered. In our LIFE group lesson yesterday (written by Woods Watson), we saw how Joseph left the judgment part to God. He trusted in the ability of God to take what was meant to harm him become a blessing to many people. (See Genesis 50:15-21)
Joseph was reconciled to his family and what a sweet reunion that was. When we forgive a friend, a family member, neighbor, or co-worker, we may or may not enter into a restored relationship with that person. Our responsibility is the same regardless of the outcome. We are to forgive.
Gary Witherall shared yesterday that great verse in Romans 5:8 "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He cried out from the cross "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Even when the other person is not grieved that they have hurt you, you can still forgive. You can release that person to the Lord to let him do what only he can do.
His anger is always righteous. Ours is not. Trust him to take what may have hurt you to become a blessing for you and many others with the passage of time.
Take the high road of forgiveness today and begin to live a new life of hope, victory, and joy.
Dwight Munn
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Resurrection Power to defeat Addiction! Romans 6
Before writing this blog, and when I have thought of Romans 6, the one verse that has marked this chapter in my mind is Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” You could also regard Romans 6 as the salvation and baptism chapter. As I began reading the whole chapter, I had a really hard time picking one or two verses. I really was tempted to put the whole Romans 6 chapter as the blog. Please read the chapter in its entirety. We have not only died with Christ but we also live with Christ and, according to verse 5, we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. In Bob Utley’s Romans 6 commentary, he states, “If believers have been identified with Jesus’ death (cf. Gal. 2:19-20; Col. 2:20; 3:3-5), theologically they should be identified with His resurrection life (cf. v. 10).”
Have you ever thought about being identified with Christ’s resurrection? We are in Christ and Christ is in us as believers. We have to remember who we are “In Christ.” Victory is a choice. We can choose victory over our addictions according to this chapter. We must believe what God’s word says about who we are. We are made in the image of God. Once we find Victory, we have to choose to not plant any more seeds of strongholds or sin in our life.
Romans 6:5-13
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be [in the likeness] of [His] resurrection,
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For [the death] that He died, He died to sin once for all; but [the life] that He lives, He lives to God.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
And do not present your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God.
Whit Bass
Have you ever thought about being identified with Christ’s resurrection? We are in Christ and Christ is in us as believers. We have to remember who we are “In Christ.” Victory is a choice. We can choose victory over our addictions according to this chapter. We must believe what God’s word says about who we are. We are made in the image of God. Once we find Victory, we have to choose to not plant any more seeds of strongholds or sin in our life.
Romans 6:5-13
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be [in the likeness] of [His] resurrection,
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For [the death] that He died, He died to sin once for all; but [the life] that He lives, He lives to God.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
And do not present your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God.
Whit Bass
Thursday, March 26, 2009
What do you worship?
While reflecting on this past Sunday’s message and preparing to write this blog it became apparent to me that what impacted me most was not something that was said during the preaching but rather something that was said during a prayer. Before preaching Pastor John spoke a prayer in which he said, “we worship our way into addiction and we are going to worship our way out.” I began to ask myself what that meant exactly. How can worship lead to addiction?
In order to answer that question we must first have an understanding of what worship is. Webster’s Dictionary defines worship in this way, “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” According to that definition, anything or anyone that we place in the highest regard within our life becomes an object of worship. That object may be something negative such as drugs, gambling or pornography, but it also may be something positive such as family, success, or influence. Scripture tells us that it is God who should have the highest place of honor in our lives. If anything or anyone else holds that place, even if it is positive, we find our selves living outside of God’s will and moving down a very dangerous path.
You see, a person who is an addict didn’t wake up one morning and decide that it was a good day to become an addict. His values and priorities slowly began to change until he reached a point that he was no longer in control. He allowed something or someone other than God to become the object of his affection and over time he worshiped his way into addiction. So how does he worship his way out? The answer is by worshiping in the manner for which he was created.
God created us to be worshipers but He gave us the freedom to choose who or what we worship. We have to CHOOSE to place God in the highest regard. That doesn’t necessarily mean that life suddenly becomes easy and addictions suddenly disappear. There may still be consequences for past actions but God will be faithful to carry you through the process of being free. Making God the object of your worship is simply the first step in the journey, but it is the most important step. Every other step out of addiction is based on the foundational decision of who or what we worship.
So ask yourself this question…Who or what has the highest place of honor in your life?
Quinn Stanfill
In order to answer that question we must first have an understanding of what worship is. Webster’s Dictionary defines worship in this way, “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” According to that definition, anything or anyone that we place in the highest regard within our life becomes an object of worship. That object may be something negative such as drugs, gambling or pornography, but it also may be something positive such as family, success, or influence. Scripture tells us that it is God who should have the highest place of honor in our lives. If anything or anyone else holds that place, even if it is positive, we find our selves living outside of God’s will and moving down a very dangerous path.
You see, a person who is an addict didn’t wake up one morning and decide that it was a good day to become an addict. His values and priorities slowly began to change until he reached a point that he was no longer in control. He allowed something or someone other than God to become the object of his affection and over time he worshiped his way into addiction. So how does he worship his way out? The answer is by worshiping in the manner for which he was created.
God created us to be worshipers but He gave us the freedom to choose who or what we worship. We have to CHOOSE to place God in the highest regard. That doesn’t necessarily mean that life suddenly becomes easy and addictions suddenly disappear. There may still be consequences for past actions but God will be faithful to carry you through the process of being free. Making God the object of your worship is simply the first step in the journey, but it is the most important step. Every other step out of addiction is based on the foundational decision of who or what we worship.
So ask yourself this question…Who or what has the highest place of honor in your life?
Quinn Stanfill
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
May's Story
God’s process of transformation in my life is enhanced and revitalized when I see His supernatural power evident in others. Recently, I had lunch with my friend Dayna Poppen and it was what I would consider a power lunch! She shared with me about the resurrection power of Christ renewing her soul and giving her the power to live the Christian life. With her permission here’s part of the story…
I wanted to put into words how much God has changed my life. You know I had my identity stolen at 4 years of age with abuse that continued till I was 12. That is when I became a believer at a Billy Graham crusade, but I was just a baby in Christ. I never knew the Bible myself, never read it...just knew what others told me. Never thought "I" could understand the Bible. But I can tell you that ever since this summer after I re-dedicated my life to Christ, THIS TIME I will NEVER be the SAME. I have given Him my life and I want to walk in obedience. I read His Word now; I tithe for the first time...in my life. I have quit smoking after 30 years. My life had been one disaster after another...married at 14; I went from one bad relationship to another...never feeling worthy. I have found my real identity in Christ.
Reading His word is teaching me so much! I know now that this life is not about me, how crazy to think about the arrogance of that. God is my everything, I love Him beyond measure. He has truly been good to me, He has Forgiven ME. Me....wow...to forgive was one of the first steps He had me take...I never realized that the real hard part was to forgive myself for all the mistakes I have made.
I pray for God to let me be His hands and feet and to be His relevant tool, to be a part of something bigger than me. I have seen God open the floodgates, as He says He will, I have had my salary increased, received bonus checks I never imagined, my business is making budget in the middle of all these economic hard times...despite other competitors being newer. God has given me mercy, and I bow down to His sovereignty and give Him everything I have.
All I really want to talk about is God. I look back and know that I was living in the middle, expecting God to reach down and change my life...you know without me having to make any changes, living in isolation. Now God has given me so many friends I can't count them, He has given me a LIFE group that is real. I want to shout that if people only knew...how much God can change your life. Not just for first time believers but those of us who have been distracted from God's goal to live and have victory over pain, sadness or anger, you can have true joy, just let it go.
May Dayna’s journey reenergize yours like it has mine!
Susan Frost
I wanted to put into words how much God has changed my life. You know I had my identity stolen at 4 years of age with abuse that continued till I was 12. That is when I became a believer at a Billy Graham crusade, but I was just a baby in Christ. I never knew the Bible myself, never read it...just knew what others told me. Never thought "I" could understand the Bible. But I can tell you that ever since this summer after I re-dedicated my life to Christ, THIS TIME I will NEVER be the SAME. I have given Him my life and I want to walk in obedience. I read His Word now; I tithe for the first time...in my life. I have quit smoking after 30 years. My life had been one disaster after another...married at 14; I went from one bad relationship to another...never feeling worthy. I have found my real identity in Christ.
Reading His word is teaching me so much! I know now that this life is not about me, how crazy to think about the arrogance of that. God is my everything, I love Him beyond measure. He has truly been good to me, He has Forgiven ME. Me....wow...to forgive was one of the first steps He had me take...I never realized that the real hard part was to forgive myself for all the mistakes I have made.
I pray for God to let me be His hands and feet and to be His relevant tool, to be a part of something bigger than me. I have seen God open the floodgates, as He says He will, I have had my salary increased, received bonus checks I never imagined, my business is making budget in the middle of all these economic hard times...despite other competitors being newer. God has given me mercy, and I bow down to His sovereignty and give Him everything I have.
All I really want to talk about is God. I look back and know that I was living in the middle, expecting God to reach down and change my life...you know without me having to make any changes, living in isolation. Now God has given me so many friends I can't count them, He has given me a LIFE group that is real. I want to shout that if people only knew...how much God can change your life. Not just for first time believers but those of us who have been distracted from God's goal to live and have victory over pain, sadness or anger, you can have true joy, just let it go.
May Dayna’s journey reenergize yours like it has mine!
Susan Frost
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Healthy Addiction?
Is there really such a thing as a "healthy addiction?"
I think I have an addictive personality. Alcohol, meth, or oxycontin are not my drugs of choice, though. My "fix" involves some things that some would applaud. Working into the night "for Jesus," answering emails, working on my dissertation, and writing various plans and strategies, all earn the praise of men.
But...anything that provides an artificial "feel good" apart from Jesus is an idol, even if it is a "noble" thing. And addictions rarely if ever result in positive outcomes. As one of my mentors told me years ago, "Toby, workaholics are addicted to work, but you should be more concerned with the quality of results than the amount of work you are doing."
The problem with addictions is that even the "healthy" ones manifest a personality type that spills over into the unhealthy...like when one little spoonful of ice cream ends up being most of a half-gallon carton! Another problem is that even the "good" addictions tend to replace Christ as the Lord of a person's life. Why settle for the "good" when you can have the "best"?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Addicts may not be just in the gutter or the back rooms. They are all around me. They may even BE me! Can even a noble thing (or "high" thing referred to in this passage of scripture) become an addiction? What do you think?
Toby Frost
I think I have an addictive personality. Alcohol, meth, or oxycontin are not my drugs of choice, though. My "fix" involves some things that some would applaud. Working into the night "for Jesus," answering emails, working on my dissertation, and writing various plans and strategies, all earn the praise of men.
But...anything that provides an artificial "feel good" apart from Jesus is an idol, even if it is a "noble" thing. And addictions rarely if ever result in positive outcomes. As one of my mentors told me years ago, "Toby, workaholics are addicted to work, but you should be more concerned with the quality of results than the amount of work you are doing."
The problem with addictions is that even the "healthy" ones manifest a personality type that spills over into the unhealthy...like when one little spoonful of ice cream ends up being most of a half-gallon carton! Another problem is that even the "good" addictions tend to replace Christ as the Lord of a person's life. Why settle for the "good" when you can have the "best"?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Addicts may not be just in the gutter or the back rooms. They are all around me. They may even BE me! Can even a noble thing (or "high" thing referred to in this passage of scripture) become an addiction? What do you think?
Toby Frost
Friday, March 20, 2009
It Makes Sense
This past Sunday, Dr. Avant told us to not let our identity be stolen. Webster has several definitions of identity, but the one that seems to fit is “condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is”. Further, it lists “the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized or known”.
I spent the better part of my Christian life trying to establish my identity and my own place in the world. My mindset was that I was my own person and I would live life around that person. Part of living life for me included reading the Bible and praying. I read my Bible and made the verses I read fit around my identity. I prayed to God with requests that fit around my identity. Many times those prayers contained the words “and make ME a better person” . Basically saying that my identity needed some work and God please fix it.
It was only a few years ago during a quiet time that the flaws in that thinking came rushing to me. My identity was tied to self – MYself. But there was no fixing self. It was flawed and would forever be flawed. What I needed was a “self-adectomy”. A new self to replace the old one. What a unique thought –the self that I had taken as my identity needed to die. Wonder how many times in the Bible it tells us that? How many hundreds of times had I read it? That led me immediately to the scriptures that talk about becoming more Christlike, letting Christ live in you, and losing your life (self) in order to gain life.
It now all made sense. As I allowed my self to die or diminish, Christ’s character had more and more room to grow. At some point, I became more like Christ than I was like my old self - who was dying. My identity was Christ’s identity, not mine. But self doesn’t go quietly in the night – it is the fight of your lifetime. You don’t easily give up years of developing who you think you are to surrender to someone else – even if that someone is God, the creator of the universe.
I have survived almost drowning, being shot, cancer and a family member with drug addiction but my identity never changed – because it was Christ in me, not my old self. Satan may be able to steal that part your identity that is “self” , but he will never be able to steal your identity in Christ.
Mark Parrish
I spent the better part of my Christian life trying to establish my identity and my own place in the world. My mindset was that I was my own person and I would live life around that person. Part of living life for me included reading the Bible and praying. I read my Bible and made the verses I read fit around my identity. I prayed to God with requests that fit around my identity. Many times those prayers contained the words “and make ME a better person” . Basically saying that my identity needed some work and God please fix it.
It was only a few years ago during a quiet time that the flaws in that thinking came rushing to me. My identity was tied to self – MYself. But there was no fixing self. It was flawed and would forever be flawed. What I needed was a “self-adectomy”. A new self to replace the old one. What a unique thought –the self that I had taken as my identity needed to die. Wonder how many times in the Bible it tells us that? How many hundreds of times had I read it? That led me immediately to the scriptures that talk about becoming more Christlike, letting Christ live in you, and losing your life (self) in order to gain life.
It now all made sense. As I allowed my self to die or diminish, Christ’s character had more and more room to grow. At some point, I became more like Christ than I was like my old self - who was dying. My identity was Christ’s identity, not mine. But self doesn’t go quietly in the night – it is the fight of your lifetime. You don’t easily give up years of developing who you think you are to surrender to someone else – even if that someone is God, the creator of the universe.
I have survived almost drowning, being shot, cancer and a family member with drug addiction but my identity never changed – because it was Christ in me, not my old self. Satan may be able to steal that part your identity that is “self” , but he will never be able to steal your identity in Christ.
Mark Parrish
Stolen identities, Stolen Lives
Who are you? And why are you here? Do you know? Do you know your purpose? Rick Warren wrote a good book that is a great help in understanding not only your purpose but also who you are in Christ. If you haven’t read Purpose Driven Life then you need to get a copy and read it! There is an even better book that tells us who we are. Compiled through the centuries, written by many different authors, the Bible has been called God’s love letters to mankind. The God of all creation left his world, heaven, and entered man’s world, the earth, in the form of a baby. John told us that the word became flesh and dwelt for a while among us. Why did he do that? I think he did it because of an almost incomprehensible love for his creation. He also knew that by redeeming his creation from the destruction intended by the enemy, he could spend eternity with us.
I think that our enemy wants us to believe that our worth is determined by our performance, that our value is determined by how much we do for God. He wants us to believe that if we spend much time depressed, angry, or worried then we are second-class Christians. Jesus said that our enemy is a liar, the father of lies, that when he lies he speaks his native language. We know from scripture that he can be very subtle. Statements such as “Life should be easy” and “Life should be fair” might seem true. But living in a depraved and fallen world there is much that is hard and unfair about life.
John read to us from Psalm 13 and talked about how David was in despair about his life, his being, and his relationship with God. I attended Dwight’s Life Group this Sunday and heard him explain how Elijah experienced despair and depression following his triumph over the prophets of Baal. Depression and despair that Elijah experienced, that David experienced, are unfortunately common experiences of the human condition, even among Christians. Some experts say that maybe up to half the population will experience depression at some time in their life.
What is the solution to these lies and to overcoming despair and depression? John told us Sunday morning. In his first passage Colossians, chapter 3, Paul tells us to “set our hearts on things above” and to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” And then he told us that David in Psalm 13 awoke from his despair and said, “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me.” I know personally how hard this is sometimes. But when we struggle, God gave us each other to strengthen and encourage us. He even said that we are to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
If you haven’t done it yet, join a Life Group. It is in relationships that we can receive the best of what God has planned for us.
Gil Martin
I think that our enemy wants us to believe that our worth is determined by our performance, that our value is determined by how much we do for God. He wants us to believe that if we spend much time depressed, angry, or worried then we are second-class Christians. Jesus said that our enemy is a liar, the father of lies, that when he lies he speaks his native language. We know from scripture that he can be very subtle. Statements such as “Life should be easy” and “Life should be fair” might seem true. But living in a depraved and fallen world there is much that is hard and unfair about life.
John read to us from Psalm 13 and talked about how David was in despair about his life, his being, and his relationship with God. I attended Dwight’s Life Group this Sunday and heard him explain how Elijah experienced despair and depression following his triumph over the prophets of Baal. Depression and despair that Elijah experienced, that David experienced, are unfortunately common experiences of the human condition, even among Christians. Some experts say that maybe up to half the population will experience depression at some time in their life.
What is the solution to these lies and to overcoming despair and depression? John told us Sunday morning. In his first passage Colossians, chapter 3, Paul tells us to “set our hearts on things above” and to “set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” And then he told us that David in Psalm 13 awoke from his despair and said, “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me.” I know personally how hard this is sometimes. But when we struggle, God gave us each other to strengthen and encourage us. He even said that we are to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
If you haven’t done it yet, join a Life Group. It is in relationships that we can receive the best of what God has planned for us.
Gil Martin
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Soaring Like an Eagle Among the Turkeys
I have been thinking a lot about identity this week as a result of pastor John's sermon on Sunday. As a he pointed out from Colossians 3:3-4: as a Christian, my life is hid with Christ in God. That gives me security! Also Christ is my life. That gives me significance! When Christ returns I will be with Him in glory. That gives me satisfaction!
Too many Christians are a lot like the beautiful swan who was the centerpiece of the story of the ugly duckling. God has great plans for the Christians but they have forgotten or not realized WHO they really are. As one theologian said, "It is tough to soar like an eagle when you live among turkeys."
It is a battle to remember who we really are. There are many voices who try to deceive or convince us, Christians, that what is true is not true and what is not true is true.
It reminds me of the classic game show, "To Tell the Truth." On that show three panelists would say that they are the same person. The contestants would then ask them questions to discern who was telling the truth and which two were lying. The winning contestant was the one who identified the truth.
In life the Christian has to discern while not two but three voices are telling him or her lies. The world, the flesh and the devil do not play fair. The victorious Christian is one who holds to what he or she knows is true despite the onslaught of falsehood.
We not only walk in victory when we hold to our identity, but we also please God. In fact the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that what truly pleases God is the faith that holds that God exists - when liars scream He does not - and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him - while those same enemies of our soul call us fools for following Christ.
I have been thinking recently a lot about death as my dad battles with cancer. I do not know that there is a "good way" to die, but I have wondered which is a worst way to pass away. My dad is courageously living each day as God's gift as he fights the pancreatic cancer with the "new generation" of chemo. That is very difficult for us all.
Yet, Dad's older brother by 5 years and older sister by almost three years are in a stage of dementia. They both are unaware of their world and are fuzzy on their identity. As bad as it is to die of cancer, it may be worse to lose one's mind.
For many Christians, they are suffering from spiritual dementia. Our pastor called us Sunday to go back to Scripture where we find truth to counter the lies. We need to go back to the Bible to find our true identity so we can walk in victory and please God. May God keep the truths in Colossians 3:3-4 clear in our minds and firm in our hearts.
May God enable us to soar among the turkeys!
Too many Christians are a lot like the beautiful swan who was the centerpiece of the story of the ugly duckling. God has great plans for the Christians but they have forgotten or not realized WHO they really are. As one theologian said, "It is tough to soar like an eagle when you live among turkeys."
It is a battle to remember who we really are. There are many voices who try to deceive or convince us, Christians, that what is true is not true and what is not true is true.
It reminds me of the classic game show, "To Tell the Truth." On that show three panelists would say that they are the same person. The contestants would then ask them questions to discern who was telling the truth and which two were lying. The winning contestant was the one who identified the truth.
In life the Christian has to discern while not two but three voices are telling him or her lies. The world, the flesh and the devil do not play fair. The victorious Christian is one who holds to what he or she knows is true despite the onslaught of falsehood.
We not only walk in victory when we hold to our identity, but we also please God. In fact the Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that what truly pleases God is the faith that holds that God exists - when liars scream He does not - and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him - while those same enemies of our soul call us fools for following Christ.
I have been thinking recently a lot about death as my dad battles with cancer. I do not know that there is a "good way" to die, but I have wondered which is a worst way to pass away. My dad is courageously living each day as God's gift as he fights the pancreatic cancer with the "new generation" of chemo. That is very difficult for us all.
Yet, Dad's older brother by 5 years and older sister by almost three years are in a stage of dementia. They both are unaware of their world and are fuzzy on their identity. As bad as it is to die of cancer, it may be worse to lose one's mind.
For many Christians, they are suffering from spiritual dementia. Our pastor called us Sunday to go back to Scripture where we find truth to counter the lies. We need to go back to the Bible to find our true identity so we can walk in victory and please God. May God keep the truths in Colossians 3:3-4 clear in our minds and firm in our hearts.
May God enable us to soar among the turkeys!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Do you spend more time looking up or looking down?
Do you spend more time looking up or looking down?
This Sunday’s sermon reminded me of a question that I asked a lady in our church a few weeks ago. As She walked by she was looking down the whole time. When she looked up, she seemed to have a lot on her mind. I asked her the question, “Do you spend more time looking up or looking down?’ Her answer was, “looking down.” I wonder how true this is for all of us.
This past Sunday john challenged us with a thought from Colossians 3:3. That challenge was that our life was hidden in Christ. That means my life is not found in my present circumstances wither good or bad. My life is in Christ!
It is amazing to me how easy it is for us to be come so consumed by our present circumstance that we neglect to acknowledge our future.
I remember a few years ago when my daughter was struggling through her teen years, she made some unwise choices. The circumstances of those choices caused her a lot of pain and she suffered consequences from them. But the greatest pain that she suffered was from her own thoughts of herself. She now saw her self much differently than before.
In all of her brokenness she could not let go of the fact that she had hurt God and destroyed her testimony. I remember her saying that she no longer felt worthy to have a relationship with God, and she no longer felt she should be called a Christ. What she saw and what I saw were too different things. What I saw was a girl who no longer had it altogether and was proud. I now saw a girl who was depended on God and humble.
I reminded her that life was filled with success and failure.
Even though God wants us to acknowledge things we do in the present and confess our sin, he does not want us to do that in isolations of what He has said about our future. God doesn’t just see where we are now. He sees what we will be one day also. One day we will be JUST LIKE JESUS! That is why it is so important for us to know who we are and what God has said about us. We can’t view our present circumstance in the right way unless we acknowledge are future.
We have to spend more time looking up trusting what God’s word says than looking down. Even when we cannot see it or even feel it. That is the substance of faith. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, The conviction of things not seen”
This Sunday’s sermon reminded me of a question that I asked a lady in our church a few weeks ago. As She walked by she was looking down the whole time. When she looked up, she seemed to have a lot on her mind. I asked her the question, “Do you spend more time looking up or looking down?’ Her answer was, “looking down.” I wonder how true this is for all of us.
This past Sunday john challenged us with a thought from Colossians 3:3. That challenge was that our life was hidden in Christ. That means my life is not found in my present circumstances wither good or bad. My life is in Christ!
It is amazing to me how easy it is for us to be come so consumed by our present circumstance that we neglect to acknowledge our future.
I remember a few years ago when my daughter was struggling through her teen years, she made some unwise choices. The circumstances of those choices caused her a lot of pain and she suffered consequences from them. But the greatest pain that she suffered was from her own thoughts of herself. She now saw her self much differently than before.
In all of her brokenness she could not let go of the fact that she had hurt God and destroyed her testimony. I remember her saying that she no longer felt worthy to have a relationship with God, and she no longer felt she should be called a Christ. What she saw and what I saw were too different things. What I saw was a girl who no longer had it altogether and was proud. I now saw a girl who was depended on God and humble.
I reminded her that life was filled with success and failure.
Even though God wants us to acknowledge things we do in the present and confess our sin, he does not want us to do that in isolations of what He has said about our future. God doesn’t just see where we are now. He sees what we will be one day also. One day we will be JUST LIKE JESUS! That is why it is so important for us to know who we are and what God has said about us. We can’t view our present circumstance in the right way unless we acknowledge are future.
We have to spend more time looking up trusting what God’s word says than looking down. Even when we cannot see it or even feel it. That is the substance of faith. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, The conviction of things not seen”
Monday, March 16, 2009
Christ is Our LIFE
Dr. Avant pointed us to a powerful truth yesterday in his sermon. He took us to Colossians 3:3 where Paul tells the believers at Colosse': " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory." Our life is hidden with Christ because Christ is our life.
As I heard our pastor speaking on this verse, I was reminded of John 14:6 where Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man (or woman or child) comes to the Father but by me." Notice from this verse the exclusivity of Christ as the holder of life and access to the Father. He is the only one who offers authentic life.
Jesus told Martha in John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life." Notice here the power of the life we have in Christ. It is eternal and victorious even over death! Martha's brother and Jesus' friend, Lazarus, had died four days earlier. Martha needed to realize not just that God had a plan for resurrection of those in the faith, but also that the plan was a person and his name is Jesus. Jesus is the victor over death!
Remember the name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew yeshua. The name Joshua comes from this word, and Jesus does too. The name literally means salvation. Our life and our salvation is found in Christ. So, our life is sourced in, held by, and offered by none other than Jesus Christ.
That is good news. No, that is great news!!
Dr. Avant said something to us that I had never heard put the way he put it. The truth of what he stated I had heard. Hearing it put a new way, though, brought the truth home to my heart in a fresh way. The statement he made follows:
As I heard our pastor speaking on this verse, I was reminded of John 14:6 where Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man (or woman or child) comes to the Father but by me." Notice from this verse the exclusivity of Christ as the holder of life and access to the Father. He is the only one who offers authentic life.
Jesus told Martha in John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life." Notice here the power of the life we have in Christ. It is eternal and victorious even over death! Martha's brother and Jesus' friend, Lazarus, had died four days earlier. Martha needed to realize not just that God had a plan for resurrection of those in the faith, but also that the plan was a person and his name is Jesus. Jesus is the victor over death!
Remember the name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew yeshua. The name Joshua comes from this word, and Jesus does too. The name literally means salvation. Our life and our salvation is found in Christ. So, our life is sourced in, held by, and offered by none other than Jesus Christ.
That is good news. No, that is great news!!
Dr. Avant said something to us that I had never heard put the way he put it. The truth of what he stated I had heard. Hearing it put a new way, though, brought the truth home to my heart in a fresh way. The statement he made follows:
God the Father loves YOU as much as he loves God the Son.
Some people have followed the formula for defeat we learned in the message yesterday so long that all they need to know is the truth of the above statement. How do we know it is true? God the Father allowed God the Son to pour himself out to death - on a cross - so that we might have LIFE. That's love in the most pure sense. Sacrificial, others-centered love.
Let that love wash over you today. Are you wounded in a relationship? Let the love of Christ heal those wounds in your heart. Then extend that same healing to the other party in the wounded relationship. Do you have a stolen identity? Do you have a destructive addiction? These things only lead to death. Allow the life-giving love of Christ lead you out of those place.
Right now, embrace the love of the one who has embraced you , where you are, in this moment, with all your imperfections.
Lord Jesus,
We know there are those living in defeat and destruction and despair who have never experienced your love. Lead us to them Lord, so we can help them trade in the lies and the pain for the truth and love and grace. In you alone can they find life. You are life, Christ. Eternal in duration and meaningful for the present. Lord, help us be life givers.
In your name I pray, Amen.
Dwight Munn
Friday, March 13, 2009
Infected with Joy
I hate germs and infections.
When I was a small child, I contracted a condition called shigellosis. Think Montezuma's revenge. Think very sick. I was in the hospital for a week, and ran such high fever. This was 40 years ago now, so the treatment options weren't what they are today. I was infected by a bad germ.
Did I tell you that I hate germs and infections? Ok, we have that straight.
There is one kind of infection I long for. It is the best kind. Those in Destiny on Wednesday night were infected by it. We were all infected with a highly contagious strain of testimony-itis. This is a condition that is acute and results from coming into contact with a person who has got a testimony they have to share with others.
Can I just tell you what a great blessing it was to be infected Wednesday night? A precious young lady gave her testimony of the power of Christ to deliver her from the most difficult types of addictions. The glow of God was all over her face, and it really infected the the people in the room with a sense that God was at work. I noticed her before she ever gave her "impromptu" testimony because her smile revealed her "infected with joy" condition.
What a cool thing when God works in a life, doing a great work, and then that person touches others and infects them. I am glad she spread the "germs" of her delivery from addiction around the room. It may have even made some people run some spiritual fever. (It's OK, you don't have to take ibuprofen for that!)
Are you a carrier of testimony-itis? I hope so. I pray God gives you testimonies during 40 Days of Victory of his work in your life in which all who hear can join in and praise God for all he has done. Remember that we have this blog to share testimonies. You can email the pastor and/or staff. You can put your testimony on the rotating boards located in the grand hallway (outside of worship center) on Sunday.
One warning. The enemy has an anti-bacterial agent he wants to use. He wants to kill the germs you might spread with your testimony. Please, don't wash your heart of the word God wants you to speak because of his anti-joy activities. Don't let his whispers convince you not to share the infecting power of your testimony. Infect someone with joy by sharing how God is giving you victory in your life. God's people need to hear it!
Remember victory is the supernatural joy of defeating what would defeat you.
Spread the germs of testimony. Infect God's people.with joy.
Let's pray joy spreads like wildfire. Spiritual awakening could be the result.
In Christ,
Dwight Munn
When I was a small child, I contracted a condition called shigellosis. Think Montezuma's revenge. Think very sick. I was in the hospital for a week, and ran such high fever. This was 40 years ago now, so the treatment options weren't what they are today. I was infected by a bad germ.
Did I tell you that I hate germs and infections? Ok, we have that straight.
There is one kind of infection I long for. It is the best kind. Those in Destiny on Wednesday night were infected by it. We were all infected with a highly contagious strain of testimony-itis. This is a condition that is acute and results from coming into contact with a person who has got a testimony they have to share with others.
Can I just tell you what a great blessing it was to be infected Wednesday night? A precious young lady gave her testimony of the power of Christ to deliver her from the most difficult types of addictions. The glow of God was all over her face, and it really infected the the people in the room with a sense that God was at work. I noticed her before she ever gave her "impromptu" testimony because her smile revealed her "infected with joy" condition.
What a cool thing when God works in a life, doing a great work, and then that person touches others and infects them. I am glad she spread the "germs" of her delivery from addiction around the room. It may have even made some people run some spiritual fever. (It's OK, you don't have to take ibuprofen for that!)
Are you a carrier of testimony-itis? I hope so. I pray God gives you testimonies during 40 Days of Victory of his work in your life in which all who hear can join in and praise God for all he has done. Remember that we have this blog to share testimonies. You can email the pastor and/or staff. You can put your testimony on the rotating boards located in the grand hallway (outside of worship center) on Sunday.
One warning. The enemy has an anti-bacterial agent he wants to use. He wants to kill the germs you might spread with your testimony. Please, don't wash your heart of the word God wants you to speak because of his anti-joy activities. Don't let his whispers convince you not to share the infecting power of your testimony. Infect someone with joy by sharing how God is giving you victory in your life. God's people need to hear it!
Remember victory is the supernatural joy of defeating what would defeat you.
Spread the germs of testimony. Infect God's people.with joy.
Let's pray joy spreads like wildfire. Spiritual awakening could be the result.
In Christ,
Dwight Munn
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Choosing Life
As our pastor spoke on Sunday morning, it struck me that our life really consists of constant choices of life or death, blessings or curses. From the moment we wake up in the morning, we have the opportunity to live the life Christ has promised those who follow him, or we can choose to accept a cheap substitute.
Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that more abundantly." Many of our lives have been affected by the trinity of actions that the thief (Satan, if you look at the context of the passage) exacts on those who allow him. We have to stand against the onslaught of the enemy says Paul. When we choose to let his efforts of pillaging dog our lives, we have chosen death and curses. The thief steals joy, relationships, and genuine love. He kills hope, dreams, and spiritual progress. He destroys relationships, unity, and growth- both personally in our lives and corporately in churches.
The good news is we do not have to settle for this. His (the thief) plan is not God's plan. God's plan is for us to live the life he has for us. In Christ, we have the ultimate blessing. In Christ, we find God's plan for a life of meaning and significance. Don't let the thief rob you of the life Christ offers. Christ's life lived in us results in the promise of heaven when we die. It also results in a life here and now that is fulfilling and victorious.
The Champion of the universe has offered victory for us. Will you enter into that victory today?
Dwight Munn
Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that more abundantly." Many of our lives have been affected by the trinity of actions that the thief (Satan, if you look at the context of the passage) exacts on those who allow him. We have to stand against the onslaught of the enemy says Paul. When we choose to let his efforts of pillaging dog our lives, we have chosen death and curses. The thief steals joy, relationships, and genuine love. He kills hope, dreams, and spiritual progress. He destroys relationships, unity, and growth- both personally in our lives and corporately in churches.
The good news is we do not have to settle for this. His (the thief) plan is not God's plan. God's plan is for us to live the life he has for us. In Christ, we have the ultimate blessing. In Christ, we find God's plan for a life of meaning and significance. Don't let the thief rob you of the life Christ offers. Christ's life lived in us results in the promise of heaven when we die. It also results in a life here and now that is fulfilling and victorious.
The Champion of the universe has offered victory for us. Will you enter into that victory today?
Dwight Munn
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Victory is a Choice
For as long as I can remember, athletic competition has been a major component of my life. I have always loved to compete, and I’m honestly not sure which is greater -- my love for winning or my hatred for losing! I’m sure that I have not always done a great job of keeping those emotions in balance. Certainly, if confronted with the choice, I’ll choose victory every time!
The spiritual battle that all believers face is infinitely more important than any mere athletic competition. While the stakes are high, the truth is that we have the ability to decide to enjoy victory from the moment we decide to follow Jesus. John 1:12 tells us, “ Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” Choosing to receive Christ is a decision for victory because we become one of God’s children and that means an unbelievable inheritance is ours!
As great as a relationship with God is, he does not guarantee us freedom from problems. He does, however, promise victory over those problems. In Romans 8:37 Paul writes about the position of believers in Christ when they encounter the most difficult circumstances. He declares “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Being considered a conqueror is a pretty lofty distinction, so being “more than a conqueror” is really something special!
God has given believers the right to become his children, and the responsibility to live as “more than a conqueror!” Why would anyone choose to lose when they can choose to experience victory?
Do you have the will to win or do you choose to lose? You were born to be a winner!
Mark Fenn
The spiritual battle that all believers face is infinitely more important than any mere athletic competition. While the stakes are high, the truth is that we have the ability to decide to enjoy victory from the moment we decide to follow Jesus. John 1:12 tells us, “ Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” Choosing to receive Christ is a decision for victory because we become one of God’s children and that means an unbelievable inheritance is ours!
As great as a relationship with God is, he does not guarantee us freedom from problems. He does, however, promise victory over those problems. In Romans 8:37 Paul writes about the position of believers in Christ when they encounter the most difficult circumstances. He declares “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Being considered a conqueror is a pretty lofty distinction, so being “more than a conqueror” is really something special!
God has given believers the right to become his children, and the responsibility to live as “more than a conqueror!” Why would anyone choose to lose when they can choose to experience victory?
Do you have the will to win or do you choose to lose? You were born to be a winner!
Mark Fenn
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Everything we need…
What a great illustration today by our pastor! Would you choose a soup from a gourmet chef or one full of bugs that has been sitting in the yard for two days? Well that’s a no-brainer, huh? Except, isn’t that what the Lord has done for each of us, by setting before us life and death, blessings and curses, and asking us to choose life, so that we may live?!
There are some things that are true. God loves us and has provided salvation through his son Jesus Christ. There are some things that are equally true. Alcohol and drugs can be killers. Why choose death when life is offered?
One who struggled in his own battles of self-control, Peter, said, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” He further said that we have his “very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Or how about Paul’s statement, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” So we are equipped to overcome any obstacle. If God is for us, who could be against us? So why do we struggle so? Why do we have self-worth issues if we really, truly believe that we are created in the image of God? How could we have self-worth issues if we believe and understand that Christ was willing to die so that he could spend the rest of eternity with us?
Scripture tells us that we need 1) to be in a right relationship with God, 2) to be in right relationships with others, 3) we need to have right thinking, which means to think, believe, and live the truth, 4) we need to lean on the Holy Spirit to do that which we cannot do by ourselves, and 5) we need to persevere through time. We are told it will be worth it. Paul said that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.”
As a counselor, I have watched in sorrow as many have chosen the way of death instead of the way of life.
Why eat two day old soup when you can “taste and see that the Lord is good”?
Gil Martin
There are some things that are true. God loves us and has provided salvation through his son Jesus Christ. There are some things that are equally true. Alcohol and drugs can be killers. Why choose death when life is offered?
One who struggled in his own battles of self-control, Peter, said, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” He further said that we have his “very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Or how about Paul’s statement, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” So we are equipped to overcome any obstacle. If God is for us, who could be against us? So why do we struggle so? Why do we have self-worth issues if we really, truly believe that we are created in the image of God? How could we have self-worth issues if we believe and understand that Christ was willing to die so that he could spend the rest of eternity with us?
Scripture tells us that we need 1) to be in a right relationship with God, 2) to be in right relationships with others, 3) we need to have right thinking, which means to think, believe, and live the truth, 4) we need to lean on the Holy Spirit to do that which we cannot do by ourselves, and 5) we need to persevere through time. We are told it will be worth it. Paul said that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.”
As a counselor, I have watched in sorrow as many have chosen the way of death instead of the way of life.
Why eat two day old soup when you can “taste and see that the Lord is good”?
Gil Martin
Saturday, March 7, 2009
A Word About Posting
We are thrilled about the comments we are receiving from people as they reply to our staff posts. One important thing we would love for your help on is this: Please put your name in the body of the post. Some posts might be stories the pastor would want to use at some time, and without your name in the post, then we have no idea who left the reply. This will be a great help to us!!
By the way, our staff will have posts put on the blog Monday through Friday.
Let me also challenge you to be in worship and LIFE group Sunday as we continue to work through to the victory God has for us!
In Christ,
Dwight Munn
By the way, our staff will have posts put on the blog Monday through Friday.
Let me also challenge you to be in worship and LIFE group Sunday as we continue to work through to the victory God has for us!
In Christ,
Dwight Munn
Friday, March 6, 2009
Pursuing Victory
One way I’m pursuing victory and healing over my own depravity . . .
As I reflect and think on what I’ve done this past year to find victory over my own identity, relationship struggles and strongholds, God has been teaching me to live out James 5:16, “Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Oftentimes, people look at ministers as “having it all together” and not having to deal with weaknesses and struggles. For me, this life I live and walk with Christ each day has seasons of strength AND weakness. Oftentimes, I feel like a “yo yo Christian” – victory, defeat, victory, defeat! I must say though that as I am seeking to LIVE OUT James 5:16, I am much more aware and conscious of honoring God in all my ways. I have made huge strides in my efforts to find victory, but I have plenty of “me” to keep me humble.
God led me to a fellow Christian layman of our church in the fall of 2007. Here is what happens when we meet: we simply share our life together -- our victories AND our defeats. We offer one another Godly counsel and sometimes painful feedback or advice for a solution. We always end our time praying over one another. See, when you enter into a place of honesty, vulnerability, and authenticity with someone else, and you really become real, it’s amazing how liberated you feel! Unexplainable! I would be lying though if I said it was easy to be very honest when you first begin meeting. So, I challenge you to be brutally honest with your group. There is such joy in walking in grace and watching the guilt melt away, and realizing that all along, the enemy wants us to be isolated and to feel like such a “Wretch”. According to James 5:16, we find Victory and Healing as we obey this simple passage. Our group is now made up of three men who meet once a week for about one hour. We support one another in prayer and literally carry one another’s burdens at times. We rejoice when we see victory’s won!
I’m praying that you will find that person or persons to help you live out James 5:16!
Whit Bass
As I reflect and think on what I’ve done this past year to find victory over my own identity, relationship struggles and strongholds, God has been teaching me to live out James 5:16, “Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Oftentimes, people look at ministers as “having it all together” and not having to deal with weaknesses and struggles. For me, this life I live and walk with Christ each day has seasons of strength AND weakness. Oftentimes, I feel like a “yo yo Christian” – victory, defeat, victory, defeat! I must say though that as I am seeking to LIVE OUT James 5:16, I am much more aware and conscious of honoring God in all my ways. I have made huge strides in my efforts to find victory, but I have plenty of “me” to keep me humble.
God led me to a fellow Christian layman of our church in the fall of 2007. Here is what happens when we meet: we simply share our life together -- our victories AND our defeats. We offer one another Godly counsel and sometimes painful feedback or advice for a solution. We always end our time praying over one another. See, when you enter into a place of honesty, vulnerability, and authenticity with someone else, and you really become real, it’s amazing how liberated you feel! Unexplainable! I would be lying though if I said it was easy to be very honest when you first begin meeting. So, I challenge you to be brutally honest with your group. There is such joy in walking in grace and watching the guilt melt away, and realizing that all along, the enemy wants us to be isolated and to feel like such a “Wretch”. According to James 5:16, we find Victory and Healing as we obey this simple passage. Our group is now made up of three men who meet once a week for about one hour. We support one another in prayer and literally carry one another’s burdens at times. We rejoice when we see victory’s won!
I’m praying that you will find that person or persons to help you live out James 5:16!
Whit Bass
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Healing Wounds instead of "Pushing Buttons"
"Wounded people wound people." That's the way John said it Sunday, wasn't it? I can attest to the truth of that statement and I suspect you can, too. I know it to be truth because, unfortunately, I have both wounded and been wounded. And.....so have you. But why is it like that? Why do we seemingly go out of our way to wound people when we are wounded? Is it something of a "misery loves company" sort of thing? And, specifically, have you noticed that we often seem to wound those closest to us when we are wounded?
I was recently talking to a young friend who has been married just a few years. He was telling me about a disagreement he had had with his wife and, specifically, lamenting how poorly he responded to it. He said, "We're just not like you and your wife who never get into a fight." Now I knew he was pouring his heart out as a result of genuine remorse for his actions. Still, I laughed out loud when he made that statement! Don't fight with my wife.....are you kidding me? I explained to him that not only did my wife and I fight (although I'll admit after nearly 30 years of marriage, we rarely fight) that like every other couple on the planet we were experts at hurting each other. I told him how I know exactly what to say or do to hurt my wife. I know exactly what buttons to push to wound her in those moments I feel wounded. In fact, it is something I do it on purpose at times. If I am hurting, I make sure she does, too! Now I don't hold this up as an example of good behavior or an appropriate response. I am just being honest about something that is true in me....and, I suspect, true in you. Namely, when we are hurting we go out of our way to hurt others......especially, those closest to us!
It is not my intention to offer solutions to this ridiculous phenomenon in these musings. First, I am not really qualified but, more importantly, I don't think any of us really need help to understand how to change this type behavior if we really want to. No....my purpose in this writing is to ask you (and me) to honestly consider if there are any people who we have gone out of our way to wound lately. And, if so, to challenge you (and me) to be begin the process of restoration. Ultimately, it is the Lord who can provide the healing from these wounds. But we are not to simply be bystanders in this process. So, what about it? Does anybody come to your mind who you have wounded?
Randy Impson
I was recently talking to a young friend who has been married just a few years. He was telling me about a disagreement he had had with his wife and, specifically, lamenting how poorly he responded to it. He said, "We're just not like you and your wife who never get into a fight." Now I knew he was pouring his heart out as a result of genuine remorse for his actions. Still, I laughed out loud when he made that statement! Don't fight with my wife.....are you kidding me? I explained to him that not only did my wife and I fight (although I'll admit after nearly 30 years of marriage, we rarely fight) that like every other couple on the planet we were experts at hurting each other. I told him how I know exactly what to say or do to hurt my wife. I know exactly what buttons to push to wound her in those moments I feel wounded. In fact, it is something I do it on purpose at times. If I am hurting, I make sure she does, too! Now I don't hold this up as an example of good behavior or an appropriate response. I am just being honest about something that is true in me....and, I suspect, true in you. Namely, when we are hurting we go out of our way to hurt others......especially, those closest to us!
It is not my intention to offer solutions to this ridiculous phenomenon in these musings. First, I am not really qualified but, more importantly, I don't think any of us really need help to understand how to change this type behavior if we really want to. No....my purpose in this writing is to ask you (and me) to honestly consider if there are any people who we have gone out of our way to wound lately. And, if so, to challenge you (and me) to be begin the process of restoration. Ultimately, it is the Lord who can provide the healing from these wounds. But we are not to simply be bystanders in this process. So, what about it? Does anybody come to your mind who you have wounded?
Randy Impson
Interruptions
“Interruptions
Okay, let me be honest about something: I do not like unexpected interruptions. Partly I do not like unexpected interruptions because of how they interfere with my busy "to-do list" day. I also do not like unexpected interruptions because they are … well… unexpected. Yet God often uses those very interruptions to draw me closer to Himself. In that drawing my life is changed.
Luke 19:1-10 tells us about Zacchaeus. I was impressed about what the story tells us about the unexpected interruptions in life. He was certainly interrupted by Jesus' visit to his house. But in that interruption he found a depth of relationship with God which was life-changing. In fact, it changed the whole focus of his life as he went from miser, swindler and thief to a generous, honest giver who honored the God of Abraham by acting like one of his sons. He was better for the interruption which changed his life and eternity.
As you may know, one of my latest unexpected interruptions is the discovery a month ago that my dad has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That unexpected interruption has certainly shaken us; we have shed tears and lifted up prayers. In this faith walk we are learning to trust God even when the prospects look dark. Yet God works in all things for good even if we do not immediately understand it all. We are finding that we are walking a little closer to our Lord during these days. He is changing our lives in the process.
Woods Watson
Okay, let me be honest about something: I do not like unexpected interruptions. Partly I do not like unexpected interruptions because of how they interfere with my busy "to-do list" day. I also do not like unexpected interruptions because they are … well… unexpected. Yet God often uses those very interruptions to draw me closer to Himself. In that drawing my life is changed.
Luke 19:1-10 tells us about Zacchaeus. I was impressed about what the story tells us about the unexpected interruptions in life. He was certainly interrupted by Jesus' visit to his house. But in that interruption he found a depth of relationship with God which was life-changing. In fact, it changed the whole focus of his life as he went from miser, swindler and thief to a generous, honest giver who honored the God of Abraham by acting like one of his sons. He was better for the interruption which changed his life and eternity.
As you may know, one of my latest unexpected interruptions is the discovery a month ago that my dad has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That unexpected interruption has certainly shaken us; we have shed tears and lifted up prayers. In this faith walk we are learning to trust God even when the prospects look dark. Yet God works in all things for good even if we do not immediately understand it all. We are finding that we are walking a little closer to our Lord during these days. He is changing our lives in the process.
Woods Watson
Monday, March 2, 2009
Joy: Catalyst to Victory
During 40 Days of Victory, we have adopted the following definition for victory: The supernatural joy of defeating that which would defeat you. Notice how the joy is not dependent on the outcome of the battle. The joy comes from the way we position our heart and our mind. The joy comes from how we let our faith function in the light of God's word.
It does not mean we won't have failures or frustrations. The general direction of our life follows God's course. Living in victory means we make the choice to accept what God has offered us in Jesus Christ. We allow the goodness of God in Christ to saturate every aspect of our life and relationships. We are transformed in that process.
Zaccheaus is a perfect example of a man who embraced Christ and by doing that embraced victory. He was being defeated by greed. Love of money was his addiction. He was a tax collector, and they were notorious for being corrupt in their collection of taxes. He gained victory one day when he heard Jesus was coming his way. He ran ahead and climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. He was looking for more. The Bible tells he was short in stature. Jesus called up to him in the tree and basically told him "I am coming to your house to stay."
Zacchaeus responds with joy. The crowd begins to grumble about Jesus going to the house of Zacchaeus. The greed thing - what the enemy wanted to use to defeat Zaccheus - was rearing its ugly head. What would Zaccheus do in this moment to insure victory? He had to prepare the "house" of his life before Jesus came into his home.
No holding back...Zaccheaus was all in.
Instead of running and hiding, he met his past head on. He promised half of his wealth to the poor. He also promised to pay back 4 times over anyone .
So we see theses things from Zacchaeus:
1. He responded with joy.
2. He came down and gladly welcomed Jesus to come to his home.
3. He made right what he had done wrong.
4. He began to do what is necessary for victory.
Let me challenge you to enter into the joy of victory even before the results arrive. Joy brings on victory.
With Christ, we will not lose. That's reason to be joyful!
Dwight Munn
It does not mean we won't have failures or frustrations. The general direction of our life follows God's course. Living in victory means we make the choice to accept what God has offered us in Jesus Christ. We allow the goodness of God in Christ to saturate every aspect of our life and relationships. We are transformed in that process.
Zaccheaus is a perfect example of a man who embraced Christ and by doing that embraced victory. He was being defeated by greed. Love of money was his addiction. He was a tax collector, and they were notorious for being corrupt in their collection of taxes. He gained victory one day when he heard Jesus was coming his way. He ran ahead and climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. He was looking for more. The Bible tells he was short in stature. Jesus called up to him in the tree and basically told him "I am coming to your house to stay."
Zacchaeus responds with joy. The crowd begins to grumble about Jesus going to the house of Zacchaeus. The greed thing - what the enemy wanted to use to defeat Zaccheus - was rearing its ugly head. What would Zaccheus do in this moment to insure victory? He had to prepare the "house" of his life before Jesus came into his home.
No holding back...Zaccheaus was all in.
Instead of running and hiding, he met his past head on. He promised half of his wealth to the poor. He also promised to pay back 4 times over anyone .
So we see theses things from Zacchaeus:
1. He responded with joy.
2. He came down and gladly welcomed Jesus to come to his home.
3. He made right what he had done wrong.
4. He began to do what is necessary for victory.
Let me challenge you to enter into the joy of victory even before the results arrive. Joy brings on victory.
With Christ, we will not lose. That's reason to be joyful!
Dwight Munn
Digging a Mine Takes Time
"God gave me a new daddy!" This is the phrase I heard Sunday after Sunday from Shawn, a young lady in the mission church Susan and I started a few years back. Her father, Mike, was an avowed but sincere atheist who took a challenge from me to come to church on "a month of Sundays" to give God (if he were real) a chance to work in his life. But...before the month was over Mike also accepted a much greater challenge from Jesus who dared him to, "Come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21). Although being "born again" implies growth over a long period of time, the change in Mike's life was immediate and noticeable to all.
Can people really experience victory in forty days? Most certainly! Jesus proclaimed a "conversionist" message that we all have seen in operation with our own two eyes. Not only can change happen in forty days, but it can happen overnight..indeed, in an instant. I've never seen a wife change a husband, or a husband change a wife, but I've seen people come to Jesus and truly be changed.
Knowing all of this makes me want to be a "lazy" thinker when it comes to the subject of victory and declare that "this is the victory that overcomes the world our (my) faith." (1 John 5:4). But learning from John's message yesterday that half of the references to "lostness" in the Bible refer to Christians, has set me to more stringent thinking.
Even as a believer, are there areas of my life in which I've allowed the enemy to 1) steal my identity in Christ, either through insecurities or vaulted self image, 2) are there addictions in my life that give me fulfillment over my relationship to Christ (I'll have to admit that, sometimes when I'm worried, I choose an ice cream sundae over prayer!), and 3) how does my response to broken relationships, depression, or stress provide either a positive or negative witness for Christ to those around me?
They say that it only took a few seconds for a man to look down and discover gold at Sutter's mill, starting the California gold rush. But it took days and even years to dig the mines to realize the full wealth of the claim. I know I have discovered immediate "Victory in Jesus" that comes from being a follower of Jesus Christ. I've staked my claim to the "gold" of victory in my conversion. But maybe now it's time to actually concentrate a little harder on digging the mine and plumbing the depths to realize this victory in my daily life. And...digging a mine takes time...maybe forty days in this case!
Toby Frost
Can people really experience victory in forty days? Most certainly! Jesus proclaimed a "conversionist" message that we all have seen in operation with our own two eyes. Not only can change happen in forty days, but it can happen overnight..indeed, in an instant. I've never seen a wife change a husband, or a husband change a wife, but I've seen people come to Jesus and truly be changed.
Knowing all of this makes me want to be a "lazy" thinker when it comes to the subject of victory and declare that "this is the victory that overcomes the world our (my) faith." (1 John 5:4). But learning from John's message yesterday that half of the references to "lostness" in the Bible refer to Christians, has set me to more stringent thinking.
Even as a believer, are there areas of my life in which I've allowed the enemy to 1) steal my identity in Christ, either through insecurities or vaulted self image, 2) are there addictions in my life that give me fulfillment over my relationship to Christ (I'll have to admit that, sometimes when I'm worried, I choose an ice cream sundae over prayer!), and 3) how does my response to broken relationships, depression, or stress provide either a positive or negative witness for Christ to those around me?
They say that it only took a few seconds for a man to look down and discover gold at Sutter's mill, starting the California gold rush. But it took days and even years to dig the mines to realize the full wealth of the claim. I know I have discovered immediate "Victory in Jesus" that comes from being a follower of Jesus Christ. I've staked my claim to the "gold" of victory in my conversion. But maybe now it's time to actually concentrate a little harder on digging the mine and plumbing the depths to realize this victory in my daily life. And...digging a mine takes time...maybe forty days in this case!
Toby Frost
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