4-15-16
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Luke 10:41-42 "Martha, Martha the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed only one thing. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 is a fascinating illustration of how easily we get things out of order in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus was coming to visit Martha's home, quite an honor. Martha was probably stressed beyond belief trying to get everything prepared. What would she make for dinner for the King of Kings? She had to get her house in order, clean up and get herself dressed for the occasion. She was probably frantic with excitement and stressed to her max. Her sister Mary on the other hand was focused on simply being in the presence of the Lord as he entered the house. She had no agenda but to sit by the Lord's side and listen and learn from him. She was not distracted by anything or anyone, but she cast all her cares aside to simply be in his glorious presence. Martha was mad and said to Jesus Why don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me! (Luke10:40) Jesus's reply in Luke 10:41-42 must have stung. Martha, you are missing the whole point. While what you are doing is good, what Mary is doing is even better and will not be taken from her.
Martha was most likely distraught and thought to herself what are you talking about Jesus? I am over hearing preparing everything and my sister is not helping at all. She was missing the whole point. Spending time with Jesus was the most important thing Martha could have done, and Jesus pointed this out to her that Mary had chosen what was best. So this begs the question, am I more likely to be Martha or Mary in this story? If I am being honest, I am often distracted by doing things that I feel are good and necessary, but sometimes at the expense of doing what is truly needed, which is just spending time alone in the presence of my Lord and Savior and letting him speak to me and teach me.
Jesus is teaching all of us not to prioritize anything over spending time with him. It should be our first priority every day when we wake up and when we go to bed. But we get distracted so easily in this age of instantaneous dissemination of information. We are more apt to turn to our mobile device for an answer we seek than to spend time in the Lord's presence. In the Lord's presence we find things that no electronic device can give us. That is where we find grace, healing, strength, forgiveness, wisdom, patience, suffering, redemption and deep peace and contentment. So why don't we turn to Him more often? The virtuous circle that ensues when we seek and discipline ourselves to spend time in His presence should be the carrot that leads us to choosing Him over any other activity, as Mary did to the consternation of Martha.
What distractions do we allow to hinder our alone time with Jesus? Well for me, the list includes things such as sports, news, popularity, other's opinions, worries, money, distracted thoughts and feelings, impatience and lack of discipline. I am sure there are others, but that is a pretty good start right there. If you could sum these up in one word it would be distractions. But also in the culture we live in today, the word is busyness. The enemy uses busyness, in conjunction with our pride, to keep us from spending alone time with our Savior. The enemy fears the transformation that occurs in this intimate relationship where the power of the Holy Spirit can be unleashed to speak clearly into the minds and hearts of believers more than anything. Intimate prayer is something he has no answer for, so his goal is to deceive, distract and destroy us.Through our pride that what we, like Martha, are doing what is good. Through our busyness that we are distracted. Finally, through our lack of time spent learning wisdom from Jesus we are vulnerable enough to be destroyed. This is the subtle plan of a cunning and viscous enemy who whether we acknowledge it or not, seeks to destroy us.
So the anecdote for the enemy's plan is simply to have the discipline and courage to spend time in prayer and intimacy in Jesus's presence. That is where we are safest and where we feel the power of His Holy Spirit in our lives. Much like Mary, we must de-clutter and rid our mind of distractions. We must decompress, find space, create time and prioritize Him as our top priority. Temptation, greed, pride, self-importance, power, supremacy, covetousness will be used by the enemy to distract us. Our free time should he filled with him, not useless garbage on the internet, our trying to feel good about ourselves by having lots of likes on Facebook.
It takes discipline and time spent to get the huge benefits that come when we, like Mary, prioritize just spending alone time in His presence. He restores our souls, helps us see areas in our lives in need of repentance, which leads to greater freedom, let's his light and love shine through us, and gives us new perspective and strength to continue our journey's. So while what Martha was doing was good, what Mary was doing, was far better. The choice is ours to be more like Mary than Martha with every decision we make on how to spend out time. We can spend our time on tasks, like Martha, that seem important to us, or we can invest our time like Mary, at the Lord's feet, learning all wisdom that will guide our paths into eternity.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Monday, April 4, 2016
The Dangers of Covetousness
4-4-16
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Deuteronomy 5:21 " You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land. his male or female servant, his Ox or Donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor
According to Webster's Dictionary, Covetous means greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious, mean, having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions. Covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.
I have found covetousness to be a very subtle and deceptive form of sin that the Devil uses to keep us in bondage. If not identified and repented of, it can lead to many problems. In my experiences, the real problem of covetousness is it is rooted in your heart as a means of expressing displeasure with your current situation or circumstances. It takes your focus off of being grateful for what you have and instead makes you anxious and tense worrying about what you don't have, or what you think you deserve. It is that subtle shift in mindset that can really leave you bitter or unappreciative. That in turn can make you very difficult to be around. I have been that person before and I know for a fact I wasn't any fun to be around when I was in that state of mind. It robs you of trusting in God and thanking him for what you do have and instead you put tension on yourself in focusing on what you lack or what other's have. It can take many forms: unhappiness with your appearance, the neighbor's house or car, the job you are in, the state of our political situation, our teacher or boss, your relationships etc.
Covetousness can lead to many problems if not dealt with swiftly through identification and repentance. If you really think you deserve something you don't have, you are prone to shortcuts, ill gotten gains, laziness, entitlement attitude and greed by focusing on what is lacking rather than praising God for what He has already provided you. It is the old saying of I was complaining about not having a new pair of shoes until I looked over and saw a person without any legs. When we compare our situation to someone else's using material possessions as a "scorecard" we are setting ourselves up for emotional disaster. We will never feel happy or content as there will always be someone else that has more "stuff."
The impatience we exhibit in wanting something for ourselves that we think we deserve now has many consequences associated with it. Getting out in front of God's timing or purpose can lead to many other unforeseen events which can create even bigger challenges for us. In our mind we create a scenario that I call the "if only" syndrome. "If I only had this or had that, then I would be happy, or content, or at peace or whatever." So we become ungrateful and anxious. In contrast, when we are grateful for what we do have, that leads to contentment which leads to peace. The former creates a negative feedback loop that usually leads to us being miserable, doubting God's goodness or ability to help us through a situation. The latter leads to a life of peace and contentment as we focus our attention on the gratitude for what we do have through God's great provision. When we are grateful and content, we are more likely to take bold action in relying not on our own abilities, but in recognizing the abilities we have been given by God in order to glorify Him. It is purely a matter of perspective.
So we can choose which path to follow. An ungrateful and anxious heart focused on all of our lacking's or a grateful heart full of contentment and joy that springs up out of an intimate relationship with the Lord. The time is now. The Kingdom of God is not off in the distant future, or buried in the past, but is right now! He has already given us all we need to be effective in whatever area of life He has called us to; namely, our strength which is found in Him! Satan will use covetousness to destroy our testimony and our lives. Our job is to use the strength found in Christ to keep that from happening.
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible Verse of the Day: Deuteronomy 5:21 " You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land. his male or female servant, his Ox or Donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor
According to Webster's Dictionary, Covetous means greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious, mean, having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions. Covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.
I have found covetousness to be a very subtle and deceptive form of sin that the Devil uses to keep us in bondage. If not identified and repented of, it can lead to many problems. In my experiences, the real problem of covetousness is it is rooted in your heart as a means of expressing displeasure with your current situation or circumstances. It takes your focus off of being grateful for what you have and instead makes you anxious and tense worrying about what you don't have, or what you think you deserve. It is that subtle shift in mindset that can really leave you bitter or unappreciative. That in turn can make you very difficult to be around. I have been that person before and I know for a fact I wasn't any fun to be around when I was in that state of mind. It robs you of trusting in God and thanking him for what you do have and instead you put tension on yourself in focusing on what you lack or what other's have. It can take many forms: unhappiness with your appearance, the neighbor's house or car, the job you are in, the state of our political situation, our teacher or boss, your relationships etc.
Covetousness can lead to many problems if not dealt with swiftly through identification and repentance. If you really think you deserve something you don't have, you are prone to shortcuts, ill gotten gains, laziness, entitlement attitude and greed by focusing on what is lacking rather than praising God for what He has already provided you. It is the old saying of I was complaining about not having a new pair of shoes until I looked over and saw a person without any legs. When we compare our situation to someone else's using material possessions as a "scorecard" we are setting ourselves up for emotional disaster. We will never feel happy or content as there will always be someone else that has more "stuff."
The impatience we exhibit in wanting something for ourselves that we think we deserve now has many consequences associated with it. Getting out in front of God's timing or purpose can lead to many other unforeseen events which can create even bigger challenges for us. In our mind we create a scenario that I call the "if only" syndrome. "If I only had this or had that, then I would be happy, or content, or at peace or whatever." So we become ungrateful and anxious. In contrast, when we are grateful for what we do have, that leads to contentment which leads to peace. The former creates a negative feedback loop that usually leads to us being miserable, doubting God's goodness or ability to help us through a situation. The latter leads to a life of peace and contentment as we focus our attention on the gratitude for what we do have through God's great provision. When we are grateful and content, we are more likely to take bold action in relying not on our own abilities, but in recognizing the abilities we have been given by God in order to glorify Him. It is purely a matter of perspective.
So we can choose which path to follow. An ungrateful and anxious heart focused on all of our lacking's or a grateful heart full of contentment and joy that springs up out of an intimate relationship with the Lord. The time is now. The Kingdom of God is not off in the distant future, or buried in the past, but is right now! He has already given us all we need to be effective in whatever area of life He has called us to; namely, our strength which is found in Him! Satan will use covetousness to destroy our testimony and our lives. Our job is to use the strength found in Christ to keep that from happening.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Live Victoriously
Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Bible verse of the Day: Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We are truly blessed to live in a time where so much information is available so quickly and where communication is possible from even the farthest remote parts of the earth to anywhere else we need to. But there is also great danger in that we can also become easily distracted by having such vast sums of information available. If we don't know how to decipher truth and where to look for it, we can become disoriented and unable to live truly effective lives.
As I travel around the world on business, I find that many people are being seriously distracted, deceived and ultimately destroyed from becoming who they were created to be in God by the lies that they are listening to on the internet, television or radio. The world is saying to be happy you need to be wealthy, you need to do whatever you want that makes you feel good, consequences be damned, that you deserve a life of material possessions and that you shouldn't have to work hard for it, it should be given to you because it is your right as a human being to be happy. All a series of lies that somehow has crept into a global mindset of what people are entitled to in 2016. In case you haven't noticed, there are many, many wealthy people who are completely miserable because they have bought into the lie that wealth equals happiness. No matter how many bedrooms your house has, you can only put your head down on one pillow at night and you can't trick your soul. Money will never allow you to forget about the things that are troubling you deep down in your soul. There is no such thing as getting something for free and feeling good about yourself in the long term. Like Luke 9:25 says, "what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world yet loose their own soul." Yet everyday, we live in a society that glorifies wealth regardless of the means in which it was obtained. Cheating, stealing and lying are a part of acceptable behavior if they lead to you getting what you feel you are owed. When the only thing that matters in this world is yourself and your pleasure, then the ends will always justify the means. Galatians 5:16-17 warns us of the battle that rages in everyone of us between feeding our Spirit or feeding our fleshly nature, which is designed to look and feel pleasurable but which ultimately leads to disaster. 16 "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want."
Working for something that is a goal of yours feels tremendous when it is accomplished through hard work and diligence. But really what people are searching for is peace deep down in their soul. Peace that is real and not circumstantial. Peace that they have a hope and a future. Peace that is found in relationship to knowing that "nothing can separate from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord," as Romans 8:39 tells us. This peace is life altering as it allows us to shift our focus from one of fear to one of faith, freedom and fearlessness. We shift our focus from the worries of the here and now, to the promises of the there and then that will be ours for all of eternity, no matter the short term hurdles we may face on this earth. When this shift occurs, we can begin to live victorious lives where we become " more than just conquerors through Him who loved us," as Romans 8:37 promises. So what does a victorious life look like? I think that will depend on each of us individually and on the struggles and opportunities that we have been presented with. The only thing I can see for sure is that each of us will have unique challenges that will stretch our faith on earth, and each of us will have unique opportunities to step out in faith and to glorify Christ with our actions. We will need to take a first step of faith. I am convinced that life truly begins at the edge of our comfort zones. But when we do stretch ourselves for God, we can be sure that the God of all Creation will meet us there to help us accomplish what we intended to glorify Him. Ephesians 3:20 says we may not even believe what He can and will accomplish through those who are willing to step out in faith" now He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."
Below is what living victoriously may look like in my life. It is based on my own fears, experiences and dreams. What will it look like if your life? May God help you to find that contentment that no one can steal.
Bible verse of the Day: Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We are truly blessed to live in a time where so much information is available so quickly and where communication is possible from even the farthest remote parts of the earth to anywhere else we need to. But there is also great danger in that we can also become easily distracted by having such vast sums of information available. If we don't know how to decipher truth and where to look for it, we can become disoriented and unable to live truly effective lives.
As I travel around the world on business, I find that many people are being seriously distracted, deceived and ultimately destroyed from becoming who they were created to be in God by the lies that they are listening to on the internet, television or radio. The world is saying to be happy you need to be wealthy, you need to do whatever you want that makes you feel good, consequences be damned, that you deserve a life of material possessions and that you shouldn't have to work hard for it, it should be given to you because it is your right as a human being to be happy. All a series of lies that somehow has crept into a global mindset of what people are entitled to in 2016. In case you haven't noticed, there are many, many wealthy people who are completely miserable because they have bought into the lie that wealth equals happiness. No matter how many bedrooms your house has, you can only put your head down on one pillow at night and you can't trick your soul. Money will never allow you to forget about the things that are troubling you deep down in your soul. There is no such thing as getting something for free and feeling good about yourself in the long term. Like Luke 9:25 says, "what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world yet loose their own soul." Yet everyday, we live in a society that glorifies wealth regardless of the means in which it was obtained. Cheating, stealing and lying are a part of acceptable behavior if they lead to you getting what you feel you are owed. When the only thing that matters in this world is yourself and your pleasure, then the ends will always justify the means. Galatians 5:16-17 warns us of the battle that rages in everyone of us between feeding our Spirit or feeding our fleshly nature, which is designed to look and feel pleasurable but which ultimately leads to disaster. 16 "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want."
Working for something that is a goal of yours feels tremendous when it is accomplished through hard work and diligence. But really what people are searching for is peace deep down in their soul. Peace that is real and not circumstantial. Peace that they have a hope and a future. Peace that is found in relationship to knowing that "nothing can separate from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord," as Romans 8:39 tells us. This peace is life altering as it allows us to shift our focus from one of fear to one of faith, freedom and fearlessness. We shift our focus from the worries of the here and now, to the promises of the there and then that will be ours for all of eternity, no matter the short term hurdles we may face on this earth. When this shift occurs, we can begin to live victorious lives where we become " more than just conquerors through Him who loved us," as Romans 8:37 promises. So what does a victorious life look like? I think that will depend on each of us individually and on the struggles and opportunities that we have been presented with. The only thing I can see for sure is that each of us will have unique challenges that will stretch our faith on earth, and each of us will have unique opportunities to step out in faith and to glorify Christ with our actions. We will need to take a first step of faith. I am convinced that life truly begins at the edge of our comfort zones. But when we do stretch ourselves for God, we can be sure that the God of all Creation will meet us there to help us accomplish what we intended to glorify Him. Ephesians 3:20 says we may not even believe what He can and will accomplish through those who are willing to step out in faith" now He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."
Below is what living victoriously may look like in my life. It is based on my own fears, experiences and dreams. What will it look like if your life? May God help you to find that contentment that no one can steal.
Live Victoriously
Remove all fears by focusing on the promises of Christ.
Because the Tomb was empty, His promises were not!
Take massive action.
Be involved in greater purposes that create value, rather
than extract value.
Faith, family, and then everything else.
Live above the fray ( above the noise ) and do be easily distracted.
Be selfless even when it is hard ( what you get makes a
living, what you give makes a life )
Shine your light into an ever increasing darkened world.
People need to know the truth and where to go to find hope.
Give it to them.
Start each day grateful and energized.
Walk on the beach and keep things in perspective. The
Universe is a grand creation.
Be forgiving, not judgmental.
Enjoy the beauty all around me; don’t pay attention to the
noise.
Be more patient, we have all of eternity.
See the miracles around you every day. When you change the
way you look at things, then the things you look at begin to change.
Change your focus from what you can get, to what you can
give.
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