Monthly Archives: April 2016

Who will you encourage?

2 Timothy 1:6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Last night I attended an awards ceremony celebrating the boldness of our youth today; a young, growing generation of Jesus’ disciples in today’s public school system. They are going upstream against a world headed downstream; they are boldly living out their faith in Jesus in an arena that brings ridicule and doubt. Our youth are being taught everything from evolution, to the acceptance of anything that feels right, to a central idea of the evolution of truth, and certainly not never-changing Biblical Truth. As I sat amazed at the boldness, heard of the incredible testimonies of faith and evangelism, my spirit recognized the persecution they were enduring. I see it in our oldest son, and even our youngest; I see the hard roads they will travel in life as they grow closer to Jesus, while this world departs farther from the truth. My prayer is for their generation, for they play a critical role in God’s plan for humanity; may the boldness of Christ dwell in them.

Paul saw this in his second letter to Timothy. This epistle is Paul’s final words to his successor in ministry. Paul’s passion reads so clearly in this epistle; his heart for Christ first, and his love for Timothy second. Paul knows the suffering that Timothy is about to endure as a disciple, and Paul wants Timothy to reflect on God’s hand in his life, even to his youth, and encourage Timothy to never forget it, and for Timothy to pursue Christ with all of his being. Do you ever compare Bible translations? The Holy Spirit will open your understanding when you seek him so diligently that you don’t just skip over a verse, but look deeper and deeper into that passage that he stirred your heart on. Look at how Paul wrote for Timothy not only to remember, but the strength that God gives him. Paul reminds him that he is to be bold in his life for Jesus!

ESV – 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

NASB – 6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

MSG – 6 And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed – keep that ablaze! 7 God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

There is only one way that you will ever gain the boldness that Paul wrote about here. There is only one way that the Holy Spirit will ever use you to do God’s work. It does not come from proclaiming Sunday Christianity, and living for the world the other 83 hours a week. The only way to be biblically bold, is to seek Jesus every day of your life. (KJV) Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. If you want your life to change, if you want to really live for Jesus, it all begins on where you begin your day, with our without a heart that seeks Him in prayer and his Word. Will you be bold in your faith today, possibly even encouraging the youth around you that will fight the good fight of faith after you?

Blessings or Sufferings?

Galatians 4:16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

I can’t begin to write the truth of this in the first sentences, because you will go no further. I should write of all the goodness that comes to the Christian in the world today. I should come up with quirky memes that are posted all over social media for us to feel good. The world’s excuse to the Christian is we have enough trying to beat us up; give us some good news. I will, if you are willing to hear the truth. If you are willing to suffer as a Christian, you will spend eternity in a heavenly paradise with the Creator of it; you will live in a painless paradise for longer that your mind can imagine; you will live in victory over Satan because you have faith in the understanding that Jesus defeated him, defeated sin and conquered death, and all you must do is have the faith to believe you can’t earn your way into heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Being a Christian in the world today is hard, just like the Bible points to those that suffered for their faith throughout history. Being a Christian, not a fake facade only, but a heart that is seeking to be Jesus’ disciple, means that you have declared war on Satan, and your life here will be declared a war until you rest in victory in heaven with the One who gave you victory. Being a Christian today in this world, in a world where Satan is peaking in his limited power, means you are labeled a threat, and his warriors seek to make your life difficult in every way. Being a Christian today does not mean prosperity, as so many heretical preachers teach; a prosperous life is found in a person that only lives for this life, and will pay for their hearts desires eternally. God has heaven to give you, but nothing in this world compares to heaven, and you should look at this world as preparation for the next, not what pleasure you can get from it.

Satan seeks to destroy you, in every possible way. He uses those closest to you, to do his dirty deeds. I just passed through a season where literally every person, except one, was used unknowingly to speak a torment from Satan to me; it hurt terribly to hear and feel the evidences of the power of Satan in Godly people I love. God allows it to strengthen you when you recognize it; He gives you glimpses of understanding the power of evil, but also the greater power of good. You are reminded of this passage in 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. Right there, again in the Bible, is the evidences in the word of God that you will suffer (twice) as a Christian. Prosperity preachers, in fact, just preachers everywhere that only speak of the blessings of God, and not the suffering, will be held accountable on Judgement Day for what they said, what they didn’t say, and the motives of the heart for it all. There is equal power of God in the conviction of sin and the blessing of salvation. Sin and suffering seem to be fading away in pulpits today.

Are you prepared to suffer? Are you prepared to wage war with your life against the ruler of this world? Are you willing to speak the truth of God, even when it may cost you friendships? Are you willing to lay down your cross (yourself) daily, for the One who died for you? Are you willing to suffer as those in the Bible did? If not…..are you a Christian in God’s eyes?

Victory Within

Romans 7:14-17 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

There are two side to all
Inward spiritual and outward sin
We live out our lives
Exemplifying the battles within.

God’s perfect law
Given to Moses that day
Pointed to our sins
And a need to know the way.

We can’t fulfill the holiness required
We can’t obey all ten
Sin has such a hold on us
Our losses show the battle within.

Jesus fulfilled the Law
He accomplished what we cannot do
He was the perfect sinless sacrifice
God gave his Son to die for you.

We must understand we will fail
Even Paul here battled sin
The largest writer of the New Testament
Still struggled with the battle within.

Even when we turn our backs
On the sinful life we had before
Sin has the power over us
It is the drug we always want more.

We will never be perfect
But our hearts desire should be
To emulate Christ and live for him
Prayerfully seeking strength to flee.

We will fail daily in sin
We cannot attain perfection as He
Daily repentance from our failures
Cleanses and shows a heart for Thee.

Christianity is a matter of the heart
God truly knows why we sin
If we are putting on a facade
If we are truly given to sin.

Christianity is a life of struggle
Discipleship sees the prize
Living a life of seeking intimacy
A hearts desire to be wise.

Measure your life if you must
By your hearts desire to truly be
One of Jesus’ disciples
Through the battles of sin you see.

There is victory in discipleship
There is victory over fleshly sin
The victory through Jesus
Is won through within.

Temporary Loneliness

Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Ever wonder why the depth of Christianity seems lonely? Ever wonder why seemingly the hearts that desire the deep things of God are many times viewed as strange and outsiders? Ever wonder why the circle of friends shrinks as the level of your discipleship grows? Ever wonder why ministry is so hard that many drop out for countless reasons? Ever wonder why pastors are probably some of the loneliest people on earth while still putting on a good act for everyone? Ever wonder why when researching many of the great men of the faith throughout history battled these battles, even to the depths of extreme times of depression? Charles Spurgeon battled heavily with this evil, and wrote, “The iron bolt which so mysteriously fastens the door of hope and holds our spirits in gloomy prison, needs a heavenly hand to push it back.”

The writer of Hebrews gives account of the greatest patriarchs of faith in chapter eleven. He has written of those that have stepped out on faith, those that have suffered for their faith, and many times Abraham is called the father of obedience in leaps of faith. God simply told Abram to go….8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. We could spend countless time looking at the depth of the leaps of faith in the Bible, but we must realize that all of these called for going against what the world would call standards; going against worldly decisions and what maybe some would even call common sense. We would be going against what sin and Satan has deemed normal, and God has challenged against in the leaps of faith in Him.

Do you understand this world is ruled by Satan, ruled for a limited time that God allows, but this world is passing away to be replaced by the heaven that God designed. This world is temporary, and sadly many place their hope in all it can provide, while passing up on eternal promises of mansions in heaven. At some point of your walk as a Christian, I pray that God opens the door of enlightenment to your heart and mind of the cares of this world. The walk of the disciple is lonely, but heavenly. The walk of the disciple is a heart that desires to share, no matter what the temporal cost. The walk of the pastor is a heart of an evangelist, leaning on only God and a few close friends. The walk of a disciple of Jesus Christ is the most rewarding “lonely” walk on this earth, because the one central, intimate relationship, is with the Creator and Savior of this world, and it is boundless and timeless.

It is just a Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

This book by Solomon
Is humbling to read
Questions and depth of life
For what does a man need?

God’s sovereignty is woven
Throughout this book you see
The evidences of his design
His plans for eternity.

He has placed the desire
More than this life within
By his design we seek more
From this life eternity begins.

Where are our investments
Where is our energy placed
Is it earthy desires or heavenly
Is our time here a waste?

We roll through seasons in life
We have our highs and lows
Through all of them sovereignly
Is how He prepares us and we grow.

I am in a low season
I am ready for it to flee
My hearts desires for my toils
To truly focus on eternity.

I choose to invest in family
I choose to invest in our boys
I thank God for taking
My desire for worldly toys.

My hearts desire is for you
To know Jesus as I
To know in all your failures
You can still be with him when you die.

God is allowing this season
In our high or low for this day
He only desires you to know Jesus
He is using it to show you the Way.

Have You?

Deuteronomy 2:7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”

Have you felt sometimes that God just wasn’t there? Have you felt alone, wondered why God would let you go down these hard paths in life? Have you wondered why your prayers haven’t been answered, or even struggled with prayer completely? Have you wondered why the battle inside your mind rages on, taking you through a roller-coaster of emotions? Have you ever wondered why God allows the struggles in life? We all have, I have, and we could fill this entire ministry with a list of our doubts regarding our faith. I personally am in such a season of myself; a low season of doubt and depression that God is allowing in my life. God is allowing it, he may have even designed it, but in all of it, He uses it to strengthen me, to show me my need for him, and to give me glimpses of his sovereignty.

Moses had been leading Israel in circles in the desert for forty years. He was the leader God had chosen, and just imagine the weight of his nation that he felt. Imagine the doubt that he had, (even from the beginning), the doubt that Satan likely used as a great tool. Surely God continually had to speak to Moses in personal encouragement such as this passage above. Moses likely questioned all that was his life, not for hours or days, but for YEARS. In these coming passages in this scripture, Moses was going to learn of turning over his leadership, of conquering giants, and given just a glimpse from afar of the land God had promised him almost forty years ago. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. 28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see. Moses in reflection saw God’s sovereignty, being in control of it all, and given a glimpse of the fulfillment of the promise that He would deliver them from slavery, after accomplishing what He wanted, even intertwined with Free Will, sin, and failure, for forty years.

When Moses was charging Joshua, charging him with what God had shown him and proclaimed they would conquer the giants that inhabited the land, Moses spoke of God being in control. 21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’ 23 “Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying: 24 ‘O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? When you are struggling with one of the low points in life, remember God has allowed your desert journey. Look back to where he has allowed you to wander. If you have proclaimed to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have declared war on your enemy just as in Moses time. Your Lord Jesus has defeated Satan even before you do battle, just as those giants in Moses day had been. When the doubt comes, and I attest before you it will, reflect and remember God knows where you are now, where you have been, and where you are going. Rest in His sovereign control of it all, even the details of your life.

Read it in view of the end

Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes is a book
You must read knowing it’s end
Solomon points to the life lost
Without God as your Lord and friend.

The wisest man wrote
Of the vanity of our pursuits
Of how we miss the pleasure
When desires are misplaced at the roots.

He covers all the mistakes
He spoke from experience then
He had a great gift from God
After that he turned to sin.

He had everything he wished
But he always wanted more
He was never content or happy
It almost seemed his life was a bore.

His greatest gift was wisdom
It lead him down many ways
His wisdom lead to sinful pursuits
He ran from God many days.

He carried the burden of wisdom
He understood it all his life
He saw his sin and denied it
He was never content with one wife.

He understood the heavenlies
He grasped a depth to man-kind
He wrote books of wisdom for us
He shared the burden of the wise mind.

No pastor to this day
No scholar none the same
Will lighten the load of wisdom
Will bear the weight of sin’s shame.

When God grants anyone understanding
When God opens your mind to see
A burden may be placed on your heart
A weight of wisdom it will be.

You will carry the weight with you
You will bear others lacks too
You will want others to understand
You will want God to help you.

Your wisdom will bring grief
Your wisdom will bring strain
But with the wisdom brings boldness
To share it you will proclaim.

It comes from a heart of love
It comes from Him within
It comes from the burden of wisdom
To preach to turn from sin.

The entire book Solomon wrote
Was a testimony to God with his time
A written account of a person’s gift
Who like me put it in a rhyme.

Solomon closed the book with an account
Of living your life for God complete
Of how we all must give an answer
On that day we bow at his feet.

HB2

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

We have got it all wrong
Political correctness you see
Looking to please everyone
Avoiding the truth in society.

We look to bend our ways
Avoiding truth in God’s Word
In these last days more than ever
Sin and repentance must be heard.

Only a few stand for truth
They are ridiculed then you see
They know right from wrong
By God’s strength stand to be.

A law morphing society together
Claiming equality is the ruse
Gender bending evil politics
Is the tactics Satan will use.

God created boys and girls
God created life continued through them
Pleasure and reproduction in marriage
His design by sin destroyed from within.

Satan through sin has gained strength
Same sex marriage legal today
Applauding their rights to sin
Even in church any given day.

Repentance must be preached
Hell must be clear in our proclaim
An answer to God we will all give
PC will assure Hell for us all the same.

I thank our governor for standing
For where God placed him in power
He is standing for God’s truth
In these evil hours.

Sin is wretched and in us all
Jesus is our only hope you see
Stand for truth where God has you
Be His light in a dark society.