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Seasons of…………

07 Jun

Seasons of…………

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Most of us realize that our lives go through seasons. The Bible is full of these examples, and the wisest man who ever lived penned them in the book of Ecclesiastes. The season I am in now, I am praying that God will soon allow me to move on from. Struggling on so many levels, seemingly increasing on so many levels, and spiritual warfare abounds. Satan has brought upon attacks of anxiety and depression that flood my mind; mentally straining to the point of physically draining. I am preaching a week from now on this passage above; Satan seeks to convince me my strains are because of my sins, not because I am trying to go against the world and live as a disciple of Christ.

I have committed to a mission trip to India, only because I felt called to go; the attacks increased tenfold. My life is a battlefield, and I am on the front lines engaged in an invisible war. This is a season of preparation by my Lord for whatever he has planned for me. He is allowing these lows to take me to heights I cannot fathom to draw glory to him through my testimony to his sovereignty. I do not choose the paths, but I follow the path maker. He makes me step out of the boat into the unknown, where only Jesus is.

If you are struggling with life just as I am, pray and go to the Word of God for strength. Know that he is allowing or designing every step you take, and it all can be used to draw you closer to him.

Ecclesiastes 3
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

 
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Posted by on June 7, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Vanity of Success

13 Apr

Vanity of Success

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. 4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. (ESV)

The book of Ecclesiastes is my go-to book for keeping me grounded when the busyness of business creeps in. The demands of running a service business means that most every customer wants you now; everybody wants to know why not now; everybody gets upset the longer they must wait. In my business you either have 10 people standing around wanting something to do, or you work 3 to death; there is no balance. The business world creeps in and steals our joy of early mornings with God. The business world will creep in to your prayer life; it happens to us all when we can’t get the demands of our careers off our minds even to pray. The only solution I have found is to seek God harder than the business world seeks me. It is a very real battle that most of us face. Satan will curse you with demanding thoughts of work, or he may be disguised as blessings that take your eyes off God. Anything that takes your eyes off God and puts your focus of life anywhere other than eternal, is an idol. Let me be perfectly clear; if you are awaking early each day, staying up late at night, doing anything it takes for your career, and not doing anything it takes to do the same for drawing closer to God, you are serving the idol of success. Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
The root of the book of Ecclesiastes is the holy, reverent fear of God. This is not a shaking in your boots fear, but the awe and respect that encompasses everything he is. All throughout this book by Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) is the term vanity. Solomon loves to use the term “chasing after the wind” as a description of the futileness of so many things we desire. Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? 4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. 5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose. 6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. Can you imagine the level of your faith, the level of your life as a disciple, the level that God could use you if you spent the energy seeking him that you spend seeking the vanity of success? Can you imagine the height of heavenly success you will enjoy eternally when you spend your little time here working for things that eternally matter; spending your time investing in kingdom work; investing in lives and pouring your blessings into ministries? Take a hard look at your calendar today, make time for God today, and make time for investing your time in something that truly matters. Success is measured by hearing those words when you meet Jesus; “Well done good and faithful servant.”

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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I am rich

17 Jan

I am rich

Psalm 49:13-15 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah

I have had the world come at me recently with the idea of the pursuit of the wealth of the American Dream; I have had God laying on my heart the reality of letting go of prized possessions. These two are in direct contradiction to one another; this is of no surprise for one is of Satan and one is of my Savior. Sadly we define others and even ourselves by our possessions; this has been around since sin and the beginning of time. We look up to the wealthy and look down on the poor. There is incredible proof in how deep sin is rooted in our character from the fall of man at the Garden of Eden in that understanding. That outlook on life is a character trait you were born into. Only by the grace of God, the work of Christ, and the lifelong process of sanctification frees you from that bondage that condemns. A spiritual marker in your journey is the point at which “stuff” just does not have the hold on you that it once did; when attaining stuff is no longer your pursuit in life. This inner change is a work of the Holy Spirit, but this change is a life-long process that He continually puts before you. “What do you place before me?”

There is striking similarities between this Psalm and the book of Ecclesiastes that was written by Solomon. The book of Ecclesiastes is very pertinent to how much value we place on our careers and all that we seemingly attain from them. Solomon wrote 1:2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” In contrast though, Solomon did not write this Psalm. The Sons of Korah did, and if you have not heard of them, they wrote about 25 of the Psalms, and their lineage is a powerful story of the power of God. I have included a link here.
http://www.gotquestions.org/sons-of-Korah.html

Part of the reason I do not play the lottery is the fear of winning the lottery. What does the Bible tell us about being rich? Read about Jesus and the parable of the rich young ruler; Luke 18:23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” You might say, “I would give it all away to the poor.” Would you, could you? Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit for all of your life conforming you into the image of Jesus Christ. The greater the work He does in you, the greater the work he does through you. You become a living testimony to the power of God to save the sinner and to attain heaven all through the Gospel. You begin to see this life as the preparation for the eternal life, and that is where true riches lie. Revelation 21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

 
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Posted by on January 17, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not vanity

21 Jul

Not vanity

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11   The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

My work is very physically demanding; the hotter it gets the more I work. Friday a long day in the heat caught up to me; I suffered from dehydration all day Saturday. The results are extreme headaches and body fatigue, yet I also had to work again Saturday through it; the benefits of being self employed. Some days it really tugs on the mind, and this morning I thought of the book of Ecclesiastes after getting some more rest. This book of Solomon points to the vanity of life in so many ways; to those that pursue all the things in life, yet never think of the eternal life after this temporal one. At some point in your life you must realize the life after this; where you place your faith will determine your destiny.

The commentaries on the word vanity in Ecclesiastes are intriguing. There is much struggle to interpret the word correctly; many times it is referred to a vapor, which in a simple understanding is fleeting, or temporary. The word vanity is used 38 times in Ecclesiastes, and it is used in different nuances to describe what is being pursued. The book is a book of pursuit by the man who pursued knowledge; he found it as a gift from God, and came to realize it’s burden and loss. Ecclesiastes 1:16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

The American Dream is the pursuit of “stuff”. The dream of the Christian should be their life after with Christ, and their evangelical pursuit of this life for others to know of Him. The entire Bible points to Christ, and our need for Him. The more time you spend there, the more you come to understand the vanity of this life. The more you understand what Solomon tires to describe, the more you will invest your energies in the eternal. You come to understand the the highs and lows of life are vanity, the demands of life are vanity, the only thing that is not fleeting is the eternal promise of the Hope that lies within you. A hearts desire to spread that Good News is the heart of a disciple, and that is what He called us to be.

 
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Posted by on July 21, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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100% guaranteed ROI(return on investment)

12 Apr

100% guaranteed ROI(return on investment)

Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.

The first thought that comes to my head when I read this scripture is that old saying, “ You can’t take it with you.” This passage from Solomon could be viewed in many contexts, even the idea of trying to buy your way out of persecution. The seemingly rich may enjoy somewhat power for their short time here, but there will come a day their wealth is meaningless; Solomon described all their hard works as “folly and vanity” here and in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon had attained immeasurable wealth and wisdom, all as a gift from God. He had  come to realize that happiness was not found in wealth, but in ones relationship with God.

I chased that dream of financial success. I thought the harder I worked, the better it became, and eventually there would come a point that life got easier. There had to be a point that your hard work paid off; a crest that brought balances of finances and responsibilities. If there is such a pivot in life, I failed miserably trying to attain it. Solomon, who was the wisest and richest man in history, failed also.  Maybe you believe you are the one who can find balance in wealth, happiness, and faith; that no rich man before you has attained. You are serving one God or the other, their is no middle ground. Christ made this perfectly clear at his great Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

God has really been working on me for well over six years adjusting my priorities. He first spoke to me through my son, realizing I did not spend any time with him. That was a big part of my testimony when I went against the world and downsized my business in the midst of a booming economy, so I could spend more time with my family. God has continued to sanctify me in the realization of what is important; the removal of all the stuff that cluttered my focus on Him. We are about to sell our big house, and hope to simplify life even more. In this simplicity is found peace. Peace is not found in 90hr weeks to pay for the house, the boat, the car, the next toy that gets your attention. Peace is found in a heart that pursues God and the things of him daily. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. All you have to do is to put all your focus and energies on God and he will take care of the rest of your needs, for eternity.

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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