07.01.09
What Giant Do You Need Slayed?
Almost everyone can say they have heard the story of the young shepherd boy David who against all odds fought the Philistine giant Goliath and wins (1 Samuel 17). As children it is one of the first stories you learn about in Sunday School. I would dare say it is probably one of the most recognized stories in the Bible. Why is this particular story so retold compared to lets say the story of the 40 Jews who had plotted to kill Paul in an ambush (Acts 23)? Like so many stories written in the Word these are stories of strength, trusting God, and determination. However, speaking of the story of David and Goliath; it like so many others is a story of overcoming doubt and trusting God against all odds.
40 days and nights Goliath, the Philistine giant, came before the Israelite army and caused them to run away in fright. Goliath shouted challenges and threats to the people of Israel over and over sending fear thought the army – all the way up the ranks reaching even King Saul. The constant badgering from this mighty giant caused them to doubt their abilities, ran away full of fear, and refuse to stand up and fight. Then onto the scene walks a young boy who’s job is to tend sheep and bring food to his brothers who are there in battle! Most of those present that day saw Goliath as a giant ready to take them out, with no way they could defeat him. David however, saw a mere mortal man who was defying his God, whom he loved so much. In the natural realm the odds were stacked against him, however David knew God and how faithful He was. His faith in God and God’s abilities gave David the courage to fight. David trusted God because God had shown himself faithful to David in the past. David could have had several thoughts: 1) “God has been there and helped me against all odds before when I came against a lion and a bear and took them out.” Or even 2) “Goliath was too big of a target to miss, so why not!”
We all at some point in our life come against “giant” odds. Those battles that seem to big for us. However we are given this wonderful account of David’s life so we can choose how to react. All the accounts written in the Word of God are true. Not fables, but true accounts of normal ordinary people like you and I. They faced giants, trials, mobs, and fires just like we do. However our giant does not come with a shield and a sword, it can be sickness, debt, sorrow, fear, etc. We may feel as if we are overwhelmed by our doubts. But like David we must remember 1) God has done it before and He can and will do it again. He is able to help you and bring you out no matter what the odds are! 2) God is bigger no matter the size of our “giant target” He is bigger than any problem, sickness, disease, or debt you face!
We have a choice, we can choose to run in fear. We can pace and worry about how, when, and why or we can do as David did and trust our God. Knowing He will never leave us and never forsake us. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6) Through our constant faith in Him – like David had, we too, will be able to overcome and slay our “giant!”
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06.29.09
Do We Dare Test God?
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10
Each of us says we would love to have a closer relationship with God; that we want all He has for us. However, none of us would dare say we can get closer to God without obeying His Word. His word is truth and it is God’s bond with us, so to speak. He wants us to have all He has for us. I say it almost every post lately, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” James 1:17. Why do I keep say this? Because it is truth. God only wants good for us, however we must obey His word!
We would be foolish to declare, “I want all God has for me and I want to grow spiritually, but there are certain things in the Bible I do not have to follow.” Yet we are saying that when we choose not to obey what the full Word of God says for us to do and that includes God’s commands about our money.
Money matters to God. How do I know this? Well concerning our money – this is the only area of our life where God tells us specifically to test Him. God wants to pour out a blessing on us so much we do not even have room enough for it (“store it” some translations says)!
We can no longer allow the enemy to tell us “the pastor wants my money” or “the church just wants my money!” or “I cannot afford to tithe or give an offering.” Those are lies from the pit of hell! God has only asked us for 10 cents of every dollar He blesses us with. ( We must not forget where the money came from in the first place!) So are we going to allow a dime to keep us under a curse? If you move up one line to verse 9 it plainly tells us we are under a curse when we rob God of our tithes and offerings. He is not out to take from you, He is trying to get more into your hands! When we are obedient to what God tells us -He opens up the heavens and pours out blessings on us………more than we can even store up! I can tell you that my family made the decision we would not rob God and we would not be under a curse. So tithing is not an option for us! It is our pleasure to bring God what is His and be Kingdom Builders with our finances (it takes money to build a Kingdom and send out the Gospel!) And we have tested God and He has proven himself faithful. We have also made the decision we would give above our tithe and bring offerings to God as well so we would be blessed - and blessed is what we have been. God is not a liar. He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19), He is the only one we can truly trust. So join us and make the decision to be obedient to God and honor Him with your tithe and offerings and watch what He will do for you! Test Him in this He says and get your storehouses ready!
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06.25.09
God never asked you to perform a miracle, He only asks you to start one!
God never asked you to perform a miracle, He only asks you to start one! You take the step in faith; giving Him something to work with – then watch what He will do! As Christians we need to totally understand God is not lacking in resources. There is nothing you and I need that He does not already own. Everything belongs to Him- “O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.” (Psalm 104:24) You are His child and He only wants to give you good things (“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17) Your Heavenly Fathers nature is a nature of increase and He is looking for a vessel He can use to bring the increase to and through!
We live in a five sense world – driven by what we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. We live by the motto “I have to see it to believe it.” This however, is the total opposite of God. He is a faith God. He expects us to walk by faith and live by faith. He is moved only by our faith. By faith we were saved when we asked Jesus into our hearts; but we then tend to forget the rest of this is a “faith walk” – 2 Corinthians 5:7 – as we can all quote – “we walk by faith and not by sight.” BUT do we live it? The NIV translation says “ we live by faith and not by sight.” So there it is in black and white – the directions on how to live – we are to live by faith. However, so many times we are so caught up in our circumstances and focusing on what we don’t have and “what if” and “what about this or that” – when we are supposed to be looking at what God already possesses (everything) and what He gives us (good and perfect gifts and supplies our need). Jesus took two fish and five loaves and fed a multitude (Matt. 14:14-21). A widow took a bit of flour and oil which became the means for a miracle that sustained her through a famine (1 Kings 17:8-16). A young shepherd boy took a few pebbles and killed a giant and conquered a nation (1 Sam. 17:40-51). Not one of them were acting on the five senses they possessed when they did these miracles. Each of them were living and walking by faith – not faith in themselves, but faith in the God who possess everything they needed!
God is not asking you to do the miracle you need in your life; He is asking you to start the miracle by taking the act of faith and stepping out. Whatever you need right now, He has it for you, He is just waiting for you to act in faith by giving Him something in His hands as a vehicle so He can show forth His power! You possess something just as the young boy, the widow, and young David did for God to use. Step out, confess the Word, live by faith; and watch God perform a miracle in your life!
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06.19.09
Is Your Role Important Enough?
I read a story that got me thinking about the church as a whole. “A spider dropped a single strand down from the rafter of an old barn and began to weave his web. Months went by and the web grew. Its elaborate maze caught flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, providing the spider with a rich diet. Eventually it became the envy of all the other spiders. Then one day the spider noticed a single strand stretching up into the rafters. “I wonder why it’s there? It doesn’t catch me any dinner.” Concluding it was unnecessary, he climbed as high as he could and severed it. In that moment the entire web began to fall in upon itself, tumbling to the floor, taking the spider with it.”
Paul writes to the Corinthians, explaining to them they are parts of the body, they are all different. You and I are all different, however we need each other in order to complete the work that Christ has called us to complete. He left us here to carry on His work and do greater things than He did (John 14:12). In 1 Corinthians 12:21 Paul writes, “The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” Paul was telling the Corinthians and us, that we cannot say – Because this does not seem important or bring about something we see, then we or I don’t need them! The spider needed that part of the web even though it was not bringing in the food so to speak. It was helping to hold up the web – quietly without glory- doing it’s very vital part!
“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Paul declares we are all one body no matter who we are, what our background or nationality is. We are all a very important equal part of the Body of Christ. Paul presents a very important image of how we all work together; “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?” Yet so many times we try to lump the “important” people in the Body of Christ together. Or better yet, Satan makes us feel like “who am I?” “ How can, or why should a Holy God every use me?” These are lies from the enemy! We are all called and all to be part of what God is doing here on this earth. If you are not called to preach the Gospel into all the world, then maybe you are to finance the Kingdom of God so that those who are called can. Maybe you are called to be an intercessor and cover the President, your Pastors, this nation in prayer! Thank God for you! Maybe you are the one who works in the nursery and takes care of those precious little ones who need your warm touch and smile so that their parents can be in the service. Thank God for you! Maybe you are the one who cleans the toilets at the church every week! Thank God for you! No matter what your calling is – and YES you ARE called! You are very important and vital to God AND to the Body of Christ! We cannot all be one big ear or one big eye, or even one big hand. We need one another to be who WE are and not try and be someone else or feel less important or more important than someone else.
Each of us just the way we are and the way God created us adds beauty and grace to the Body of Christ. We need to celebrate our gifts and our differences and accept we are a diverse community, a wonderful diverse Body for Him!
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06.17.09
Your Praise Will Open the Door!
God heal me in Jesus Name! Father provide for me in Jesus Name. – We have all prayed these prayers and stood on the Word of God. However, first we must worship our Heavenly Father before we expect Him to do anything for us! Worship absolutely must come first – THEN we have a right to ask. In Matthew 4:10-11 Jesus was speaking to Satan and He said “ Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
Did you see it? “thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God…..Then the devil leaveth him…” Jesus gave us a key and an example. Worship God first; then all things that is not from God will leave.
Sickness, disease, death, destruction, conflict, lack, anything that does not resemble God or heaven is NOT from God. James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” So God ONLY sends good gifts and if it is not good then it is not from your Heavenly Father and you have the right and the authority from Jesus Christ himself to demand it out of your life! But first, we must worship and praise him.
Every day when we wake up, words of worship and praise should come out of our mouths. Every day as we go about our day, words of worship and praise should come out of our mouths. Every evening when we lie down to go to sleep words of worship and praise should come out of our mouths. Then as we do this every day and the devil shows up in your life – the Lord Jesus Christ himself will be there ready, willing, and able! Psalm 22:3 tells us God inhabits the praises of his people. The word “inhabit’ means “to live in a place.” As we praise and worship our God, He – God Himself, comes to live in the place we are. In our homes, our offices, our churches, our ministries, our schools. Wherever we are, wherever we worship, He comes and inhabits!
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06.11.09
How Sold Out Are You? You Might Be Surprised!
Sitting in a leadership meeting with my Pastor he spoke some very profound words which resonated in my spirit. “Each member of the church needs to have a place in the church – besides the pew.” My thoughts then began to think of unity and purpose and how each member of a church body needs to have a purpose and live in unity in order to bring about the vision God has placed in the pastor’s heart.
Unity means the combining or joining of separate things or entities to form one. A beautiful example of lives blending together as one; is the story of Ruth and her devotion to Naomi. The cultures, ages, and background of these women were very different, however they were bound to each other as one. This my friend is an amazing picture of how unity should be in the Body of Christ.
“Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” – Ruth 1: 14-17 (NKJV)
We all have different ways of interpreting unity. A lot of times the Body of Christ thinks before they can walk in unity all things must be in perfect position and perfect conditions. They tend to look at the “what is in it for me” instead of “how can I help you pastor bring about your vision.”
Ruth made both a choice to walk in unity with her mother-in-law Naomi AND she made a commitment to her. As Ruth and Naomi joined together to move back to Bethlehem their trip was one filled with challenges, not much different then the challenges the Body of Christ faces in building unity and a church body. In spite of the challenges, Ruth made a decision she was going to surrender her ideas, her will, her agenda, and even her homeland to follow and stand in unity with her mother-in-law. She was sold out. She ran the risk of being rejected, she did not care if others misunderstood her, and she abandoned herself to Naomi resulting in God using Ruth to be in the very line of the descendants of David – an ancestor of Jesus Christ the Messiah! Did you get that! Ruth did not know the God of Israel before she sold out to be in unity with Naomi, however she came to know God and ended up in the very birth line of Jesus!!!
If we want to get to the level God wants to truly use us we must begin to develop a passion for unity. We the Body of Christ must stand up along side our pastor and catch their vision! We must put our hand to the plow and work to bring in the harvest of those who do not know Jesus, THEN we must get them free! I challenge each of us to become one with our pastors, to cling to them and put away our egos, put away our titles and say like Ruth we are in this together, wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God!
We can do more for Christ when we stand together rather than be spread apart. God’s desire for His children is to stand together in unity- reaching out to this lost world and bringing them the Gospel and setting them FREE! So what are you going to do this week to help your pastor bring the vision about in your church and your city for Christ?
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06.10.09
No Lack!
“Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints. There is no want to those who fear Him.” Psalm 34:9
I was in conversation with someone a while ago who asked me if my church and my belief was to “fear the Lord.” Upon speaking with her more I came to understand that her interpretation was to truly fear God – meaning to be afraid of Him. Afraid that if she messed up God was there waiting to take action against her. This is a truly wrong interpretation of our Heavenly Father. Others talk about fearing the Lord and think about having a deep respect, but that is not what the fear of the Lord is about. The word “fear” in Psalm 34:9 translated means “reverence.” Reverence goes much deeper than respect. To reverence the Lord means we are to be in awe of Him. We must choose on the inside to reverence God. And so we can read this passage of scripture as “Oh choose to have a reverence for God, you saints” (that is you and I). Now look at the promise we have if we choose to reverence God – “There is no want to those who choose to have reverence (fear) for Him!” I love that! It promises us when we fear the Lord, when we reverence God -there is no want. Now for some more good news – the word “want” there means no lack! We are promised NO LACK!
This world today is in lack. We are reminded of it every day by the media. Even television sitcoms refer to lack (which by the way infuriates me!) There are many different areas people in this world lack. They lack money, health, peace, and even victory. But the Word says they who fear the Lord – they who reverence the Lord – they who are in awe of the Lord, there is no lack for them! It doesn’t matter who you are, if you are a child of the Most High King, if you reverence and are in awe of God – you will not be in lack!
Fear is a word we all are taught that is a negative word. But remember fear is translated reverence in this passage. So why should we fear the Lord? When we fear God we come to a place where we do not lack any good thing; if it is a good thing – we will have it. We must get it settled here and now it IS the will of God for you and I to lack no good thing in our lives! James 1:7 tells us “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” If it is a good thing – God wants us to have it, the only qualifier is we are to reverence Him. If we reverence Him then He is going to bless us. It is settled!
The fear of the Lord will cause you and I to lack no good thing in our lives!
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06.09.09
There Is Enough To Meet Your Need
This picture is a famous painting called “Angelus” by Jean François Millet. Though I have never heard of this artist nor have I ever seen this painting it moves me as I look at it. The sight of a farmer and his wife praying in the middle of their fields. They have sown their seeds now all they can do is speak over it and trust their Heavenly Father! All God’s promises ALEADY belong to us. Everything written in the Word of God was given to us by Jesus Christ, we however must take authority and act on what these principles say in order to obtain them.
We can learn a lot from the farmer and his wife. They sowed their seed and now they were praying over it, declaring the Word of God over what they have been obedient to do. Genesis 8:22 tells us just how God set up this world system and it is a law that shall not cease “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest…shall not cease.” This is a principle in which God set the world on. We plant seed and we reap a harvest.
It is the same way with our needs. We must sow to get where we want to go, because inside every seed there is enough to meet your need. 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” When we sow seed generously we will reap generously. We however must first sow our seed then we must speak to our seed, just as the farmers in the picture was doing.
How do we speak to our seed you ask? By declaring the Word of God over it. The Word is full of promises which we must declare over our lives. We are to speak the Word over our health, our finances, our families, etc. We are to tithe, begin sowing seed (this is your offering ABOVE the tithe), and believe God is able and will do what His Word has promised. Then confess these promises over your seed all the while praising God and thanking Him for what He has done and what He is going to do for you!
The Word promises if we believe; for each seed we sow, there is a time of reaping the harvest. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22). Does the earth still remain? Yes it does, then seedtime and harvest shall not cease. The Word of God teaches. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38). Also in Galatians 6: 7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
You and I are to take a valuable lesson from this now famous painting; we are to sow our seed and speak to it and expect a harvest in return!
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06.08.09
Pieces to Your Life’s Puzzle
Life is like a puzzle, it is beautiful to look at when it is all completed however putting it all together is another task completely! God does not hand to us every piece of the puzzle we need to complete the situation we are in. He lovingly hands out one piece to us at a time, we however, always want God to give us a bunch of pieces – if not all of them at once. We think if we have all of the answers to our puzzle in our hands we could figure it out and complete the puzzle faster. But God in His all knowing and loving kindness does not give us every piece because – well let’s face it – we would mess it up! We often want to know all the answers up front, before we start out, but that my friend is not faith! That is not trusting in our Heavenly Father.
He hands us one piece of the puzzle at a time, allowing us to find where and how it fits. All the while He is working in us. He is teaching us, He is pulling traits out of us He does not want there. He is strengthening us to be the best He created us to be. Then after that piece of the puzzle is snugly fitted in the correct place, He hands us the next piece, then the next, until the beautiful picture is complete!
We need to remember we cannot take more than one piece at a time. If He was to give it to us before it was time we would mess it up. We would try and make pieces fit together that were not made to fit together! We would rationalize this or that, all the while messing up the perfect plan God already has laid out for us! Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
His puzzle is perfect for our lives. His puzzle brings prosperity to us. His puzzle brings hope to us and does not bring us harm. The Message Bible tells us “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
I like that! The future I hope for! What are you hoping for in your future? Whatever it is God has the puzzle already worked out for you and He is handing you one piece at a time!
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06.05.09
How To Get Out Of The Pit
In Genesis 37 we read the story of Joseph and his brothers in their conspiracy to kill Joseph and cast him into a pit in their attempt to hide their evil plot to remove Joseph from their lives. The brothers sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph off to Egypt.
How many times have we found ourselves in a pit of despair and disbelief. We feel like we are alone and Satan convinces us the problems we are facing are too hard for anyone to resolve. We even are convinced we must have done something wrong and that is why God is not helping out in our situation. A pit is recession, lack, doubt, sickness, disease, loss of loved ones, loneliness, etc. The enemy uses the pit in our lives to hold back our blessings and he tries to kill our spirit, steal your joy, and destroy our testimony. He even goes as far as trying to bring sickness and disease into our lives to kill us!
While Joseph’s brothers were plotting to take him out, at that same time, God dispatched a team of deliverers, the Ishmaelites to come to his rescue (verse 25). This is great proof of God’s sovereign wisdom and power over our lives. He is our provider, healer, comforter, protector and redeemer! He knows just what our pit looks like; the foreclosure notice we get on our homes, the doctor’s bad report at our last visit, the loss of a loved one, or a lengthy unemployment causing the bills to pile higher. But! He is the one who takes care of us, just as He did Joseph. Remember our responsibility is to stand on the Word of God and trust in the Lord. Then He will take care of the rest. He has a plan, purpose and destiny that HE has made for our lives. In Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He has plans for you and His plans are to prosper you! His plans are NOT to harm you! His plans give you hope! And His plans give you a future! So look up out of that pit because your future in up – not down there in the pit!
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