Tag Archives: Christianity

August 30, 2012 · 11:36 AM

It’s Time to Reprioritize

This is a very busy time of year for most of us. School has just started back, labor day is approaching, the companies we work for are gearing up for fourth quarter and we are still trying to balance family, relationships and all of our extra curricular activities. Even with all the advancements in technology, life can still be complicated and difficult. Finding a moment of peace where we can just breathe seems impossible, but that’s what we need. We need to stop for a moment and take a breath.

While everything we’re involved in seems necessary, not everything is. I know we want to be involved in this or have our kids participate in that, but at what cost? You are driving around town, burning the candle at both ends, sacrificing too much just to feel stressed out. That is not the way to live. When did we start putting more emphasis on doing things than our own peace and health? We justify it by saying, “I’m doing it for the kids or if they can do all of that, so can I.” Quit comparing yourself to others. You aren’t them.

If this sounds like you, slow down. Determine what in your life is a priority. Cut out the things that aren’t priorities and focus on the things that are. You will find that your quality of life improves. When that happens, your relationships and everything else will get better. I heard someone say that you really can’t multitask. You can do a lot of things poorly or one thing really well. Focus on what you want to do well.

It’s also important to learn to use the word “no”. You can’t do everything you’re asked to. It’s ok to say no. Life will go on. Someone else will be able to do what you couldn’t. It doesn’t mean that what you say no to is not important or that you don’t care about it. It simply means that your plate is full and that if you take it on, something else will suffer. Jesus said that if we were faithful in the little things, He would make us faithful over many things. Learn to be faithful and good at managing what’s on your plate before accepting more. If you don’t, everything you do will suffer.

You also need to find time to relax. By the time you leave work, get the kids to their activities, get everyone fed, get home, washed up and to bed you realize you still have more to do and you haven’t even stopped yet. You can’t live like that for long periods of time without being stressed out and sacrificing the important things in life. It’s ok to slow down and to relax from time to time. You need it.

When we get too busy, we get stressed. When we get stressed, we begin to worry. God did not intend for you to endure long periods of stress or worry. When Jesus was visiting the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:40-42, Mary sat at His feet and listened to Him. Martha was busy making dinner, straightening the house and doing so many things. She even told Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Jesus looked at her and said, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her (NLT).”

If your life has gotten so out of control and busy that you have forgotten the one thing you should be concerned with, then it’s time to reprioritize. Your main focus in life is to follow Jesus. Everything else are just details that distract us from that one thing. Stop today and take an honest look at your life. Have you forgotten to sit at the feet of Jesus? Are you too busy or tired to give Him your time? Are you giving Him what’s left over? If so, it’s time to make a change. When you get your priorities in life, everything else falls in to place. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need (NLT).”

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August 28, 2012 · 7:14 AM

Why I’m burnt out on religion

I’ve seen first hand what the effects of religion are. I’ve seen people who are forced to follow strict guidelines or risk being shunned by their community. I’ve watched people mutilate their body in hopes of paying some kind of penance. People do a lot of unnecessary things to themselves and to others all in the name of religion. It’s very sad to see.

Religion often seeks to control others. It uses rules and regulations to force people into doing things in order to earn their way into the afterlife. By keeping people guessing about their assurance of their salvation, they can manipulate them into doing whatever they ask. People comply and the follow in the name of this or in the name of that, but really it’s in the name of whoever is trying to control them by fear.

Jesus did not come to bring fear or to control you. It’s just the opposite. II Timothy 1:7 says that God has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. He gives us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind, we won’t be controlled or manipulated by religions that seek to do that. Even in Christianity there are those who seek to manipulate and control through fear.

In Galatians 5:1, it says that it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you could be bound by religion and the rules that come along with it. He came to bring freedom from religion. He knew that the only way to have a true follower is if it were by choice. He wants to have a relationship, not a dictatorship.

Another thing that religion does is to condemn people. Condemnation uses shame and judgement to make someone feel bad. By using condemnation, religion seeks to elevate itself by tearing down those who follow it. Those who are under condemnation can never be good enough or do enough. They can never be sure of their salvation, but they keep trying in hopes of making it when they die.

Jesus said in John 3:17 that He did not come to condemn the world, but that through Him, the world might be saved. Where religion brings condemnation, Christ brings salvation. His message was not Hell, fire and brimstone. It was love, compassion and forgiveness. He desires to spend eternity with His creation and made a way for that to happen by paying the high cost of giving His life for you.

Religion also seeks to make you conform. It wants to make you conform into its image, not God’s. It doesn’t want you to be who God made you to be, it wants you to be who they think you should be. When you lose who you are, you are more likely to blindly follow their rules. As mentioned before, Jesus wants you to be free.

He wants to take who you are, all of your successes, failures, scars and shortcomings to use them for His purpose. When you become His follower, he doesn’t make you conform. Instead He makes you transform! Romans 12:2 says that we should not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your mind. This transformation starts with renewal. You get a fresh start spiritually. Jesus wants to give you a renewed hope and future.

I know what it’s like to be religious and to try to impose religion on others. Jesus didn’t do it that way and neither should we. Where religion seeks to control, condemn and conform you, Christ wants to set you free, forgive you and renew you. In fact, Christianity is the opposite of religion. It is not a set of rules and regulations as some would have you believe. It’s about having a relationship with a God that loves you more than you can comprehend. It’s about living for the One who died for you. While there are those who seek to make Christianity act like religion, that was not Jesus’ intent. He came to bring life and peace. There is freedom in Jesus.

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August 6, 2012 · 8:29 AM

Victory in your trials

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He didn’t pull any punches in His ministry. He told it like it was. Take for instance John 16:33 where He said, “In this world you will have tribulation and trials and distresses and frustration (AMP).” If He told us ahead of time we were going to experience these things, why are we shocked and upset when they happen? I’ve had my share of these and know there are more on the way as long as I live.

So often when we encounter these in our lives, we ask others to pray for us to be delivered of it. Our immediate response to tribulations, trials, distresses and trouble is to want to get out immediately. If that was God’s desire for them, we would never face them. He uses times like that to grow us, to make us more dependent on Him and to prepare us for something down the road.

Here are some things I’ve found that help me to get the most out of these times.

1. Admit I can’t do it alone

We were not made to go through these times alone. I’ve tried to make it through difficult times by myself and it has never worked. I try and I try, but always fall flat on my face after I get worn out by the stress of it all. It’s only when I come to the realization that I need God’s help that growth truly happens. In II Corinthians 12:9, Paul said that it is when we are weak that He is made strong. We don’t realize our need for dependence on God until those times.

When we think we can do it on our own, our pride grows as a result. I thought it was fitting that Michael Phelps final medal was in a team event. He didn’t get to be the best Olympian ever on his own. He had help along the way. He had a coach to push him beyond what he thought he could do. That’s what God does for us in our difficult times. He pushes us to grow more than we ever thought we could.

2. Trust God

I don’t know what my future holds and chances are, you don’t know yours either. We may have a plan of where we are going, but it doesn’t always end up that way. God has a perfect plan for your life. He knows what you need now to get you where He wants you in the future. Sometimes difficult times are a means to put us back on the right track. He uses road blocks, job losses and dead ends to get us to where we need to be. We have to trust His view of the complete picture of our lives.

Last season I watched a couple of episodes of “Gold Rush Alaska”. In one of the episodes, they took their gold to a refinery at the end of the season. They heated the gold until it melted, they then added borax to the gold and then they let it cool. Once cooled, the gold was covered in black stuff (dross). They hit it with a hammer and all the dross fell off leaving pure gold. When we are walking through the fires of life, God purifies us. It’s not an easy process and it often means that we lose people who are close to us. They, like the dross, may be keeping us from being pure. It may hurt, but it’s for our good.

3. Walk in faith

When hard times come, don’t crumble under the pressure. Keep walking and moving in the right direction. Giving up only prolongs the situation. I know what it’s like to give up when the tribulation seems to have no end. This is not the answer. God sees you where you are and is walking through it with you. He is there every step of the way. You may not be able to see the way out, but He does so you don’t have to.

Victory is found in taking up your cross daily and following Him. It’s in your daily walking out your faith even when you can’t see the next step that you overcome trials. I love how the verse in John 16:33 ends. It says, “Take courage; be confident… I (Jesus) have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.” Your victory has already been won! Keep walking in faith believing in your victory and learn what God has for you in this.

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August 3, 2012 · 10:21 AM

Chic-Fil-A, The Church and Jesus

I’ve read a lot this week about whether people going to Chic-Fil-A was right or wrong, whether the church failed or not and whether CFA was evil and hateful or good and right. Some people went to protest the protest, some went to speak out against homosexuality and others went to support a fellow believer under attack. Some spoke words of conviction while others spoke words of condemnation. It’s been an emotional roller coaster to watch and be a part of this week.

Jesus faced the same thing in his day. In Matthew 11:12 he talked about how the kingdom of heaven had suffered from violence and that violent people were attacking it. A few verses down (18 & 19), he mentions how John came and didn’t eat what others ate and he was demonized for it. Then, when Jesus ate and drank with sinners, He was called names too. Christians have been attacked whether they do or they don’t. Lately, those attacks have been coming from within though.

How are we supposed to respond when our faith is under attack and one of our own is being ridiculed? If we stand up for them, we are hate mongers. If we stay quiet, will we be attacked next? How do we show love to those in sin without compromising our message. If all we do is show love and don’t bring the truth of the cross have we really accomplished anything than approving of their sin? The message of the cross is just as hard on believers and nonbelievers alike.

Jesus preached in the temple and in the synagogues. His message was tough on the religious leaders. He didn’t pull any punches. They hated Him for it. He pointed out in Scripture what He came to do: preach Good News to the poor, set those in captivity free, open the blind eyes, to deliver the oppressed and to proclaim the day of salvation (Luke 4:18). He was clear in His mission.

He also preached on the hillside where those who couldn’t / wouldn’t go to a synagogue or the temple to hear His message. Even there, He was clear in His message. It was still about repentance. In Luke 5:32, He was being attacked for taking His message out of the synagogue. His response was that He did not “come to invite and call the righteous, but those erring ones (those not free from sin) to repentance [to change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins] (AMP).”

Jesus was able to preach repentance while showing compassion. He didn’t hide behind the walls of the synagogue. He went out to the people, even those whom the religious leaders thought were the worst of sinners. He made Himself accessible to all who wanted to come near. When people wanted to debate Him or trap Him with questions, He didn’t crush them with His response. He asked them questions or made plain His view without destroying the person. They usually left without saying anything in response because His answers left no room for question.

How do we do that today? It seems our goal in debates (internally and externally) is to destroy the other person, not to bring them to your side. Christians proved they could be mobilized and unified (for the most part) this week. Whatever your reason for going or not going to CFA, the Church sent a message (good or bad depending on your perspective). That mobilization caught the attention of the country and part of the world. What if we showed that kind of unity and mobilization to do something for the least of these instead of for ourselves next time? What if next time we buy those chicken sandwiches and deliver them to homeless shelters and feed others instead? What message would that send? We have the opportunity now to stay mobilized and unified to do something with compassion. Keep this energy and momentum going and channel it into doing something positive that will bring repentance to others and souls into the Kingdom.

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July 26, 2012 · 3:31 PM

God is working for your good

When you are going through a difficult time in your life, it’s easy to wonder where God is. It’s hard to see Him when you are in the middle of your pain and suffering. Grief and depression have a way of blinding us to the help that is around us. When you can’t see God in your storm, you feel isolated and alone.

Each of us go through difficult times in our lives. It’s in those times when we forget that others have walked down that same road. We tell ourselves that no one else knows the pain we feel. We separate ourselves from others and begin to think that no one cares. Just because you feel alone, it doesn’t mean you are. In Luke 11:11-17, a widow lost her only son and was grief stricken. She felt the same way.

Here are three things Jesus does for us in difficult times.

1. Jesus sees our affliction

In the time of her son’s death, she could not see Jesus. He knew that her son had died and purposefully arrived at her town as the funeral procession was headed out of the town. Verse 13 says that when He saw her, His heart over flowed with compassion for her. It was clear that He was struck by her grief.

In the midst of our struggles and pain, Jesus sees us whether we see Him or not. His heart is broken for you and will come to show Himself to you at just the right time. You are not alone. He is there with you in the middle of your pain. I know personally that it is hard to see Him in that place. Reach out to Him. You will find He is right there.

2. Jesus comforts us

After meeting her in her despair, Jesus tried to comfort and console her. It broke his heart to see her crying. He reached out to her in his compassion and told her not to cry. We do not serve a God who is not empathetic to our needs. He understands loss, friends turning on you, being betrayed and so much more that we go through.

You may think that God doesn’t care about you, but He really does. His heart breaks when ours does. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to be our comforter. He knew that we would need comfort in our times of distress here in this world. He never promised that we wouldn’t go through difficult times. He promised us a comforter for difficult times.

3. Jesus works for us

For this widow, Jesus raised her son back to life. I’m not sure why some people are healed or raised from the dead and others aren’t. I believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. What He did back then, He will still do today. We often don’t see Him move that way because we treat Him like a convenience instead of a necessity.

Even if you don’t receive the miracle you were praying for, it doesn’t mean that He was not working for you. There are things beyond what we can physically see or comprehend. God works on our behalf. He knows our future and may have us go through something now to prepare us for something later. We often ask God to remove trials or problems, but He may be working for you to prepare you for your future.

When times are tough and you can’t see God, it doesn’t mean He can’t see you. Hold on to your faith in the storm. He sees your affliction and has sent the Holy Spirit to comfort you in your time of need. God is always working on your behalf. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for YOUR good. Hang in there.

Here is a prayer by my friend Michael Moak for you.

Dear Lord,
Today I proclaim your promise in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of Fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
For the reader of this blog, Lord, that is dealing with the fear of the unknown future in their life, I come to You on their behalf today. I ask that You would surround them with your gentle peace and fill their heart with your strength while they wade through the waters of uncharted territory. Give them the ability to see Your hope at the end of this long journey and increase Your blessing upon their family during this pivotal time of transition. I know that You do not place fear or uncertainty upon our hearts; however, as humans we find ourselves defaulting to those emotions and get our eyes off of the one true place where fear can not dwell… in YOU! So, today, Lord Jesus, remind my friend of the promises of Your word and inject them with the spiritual medicine to heal their broken and searching heart! I ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.

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July 23, 2012 · 9:31 AM

Recognizing attacks

Are you falling behind or not doing what God has called you to do? You are not alone. Circumstances and situations seem to eat up our time and prevent us from doing what we are supposed to do. It happens to all of us. We get caught in a cycle of things happening that continues until we give up on our calling.

If you have plans to be effective for Christ, then you will be under attack. Things will happen in your life that will prevent you or slow you down and keep you from being effective. I’ve heard that 21 days makes a habit. If the enemy can keep you from your task for 3 weeks, he has a strong chance of keeping you from your mission.

There are some common tactics he uses and we can see them by looking at Job’s life.

1. He attacks your mind

If he can win the battle of your mind, he can render you ineffective. That’s why he attacks this first. He may attack you, your family, your job or your belongings to get your mind off of God. A lot of times when bad things happen, we even blame God for it. When you blame God, he has won.

This happened in my own life. I lost just about everything that was important to me in my life during the span of about 8 months. I lost the battle of the mind when that happened and I was rendered ineffective for nearly a decade. We need to recognize that when bad things are happening, it could be an attack and you need to guard your mind. When Job was attacked this way, he fell down and worshipped God and said, “Naked I came into this world and naked I’ll go out. The Lord gave to me and the Lord has taken away. Bless the name of the Lord.”

2. He attacks your body

If he can’t win the battle of the mind, he will try to attack your body. He did this to Job and he’ll do it to you too. He will afflict your body until you physically can’t accomplish what God has for you. When you are taken down through physical illness or injury, it is hard to move around or go where you are supposed to go.

This happened to me recently when my back went out. During that time, I spent less time in prayer, read scripture less, wrote less and couldn’t attend church. The attack kept me from all the things that feed my spirit. When your spirit isn’t fed, it grows weak. When it grows weak, you are able to be defeated. Job was not defeated when he was attacked physically. Scripture says that during that time, he did not sin against God with his lips.

3. He attacks through friends

Another tactic that is used against us is that our friends and family can be turned against us. When Satan can’t turn you against God, he will turn the closest people to you against you. They will tell you things that will break you down and break your heart. Their words become obstacles that will build doubt and keep you from your calling.

There is an old Irish proverb that says, “In times of trouble, friends are recognized.” When bad things start happening to you, a lot of “friends” seem to disappear from your life. You start to question each of the relationships you have and sometimes you are left with no one standing with you. Job experienced this. His wife and friends told him to curse God and die and even accused him of hidden sins. Still he did not let it sway him.

What’s going on in your life that you may not have recognized as an attack? Is something taking you away from what you are supposed to be doing for God? If so, then you are probably under attack. Don’t yield if you are being attacked. Stand up, fight back and get back to doing what you need to do for God!

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July 20, 2012 · 9:54 AM

Condemnation or compassion

If you have ever been around children then you know they typically have a problem with being tattletales. They are so worried about everyone else who is doing wrong and they feel the need to bring it to everyone’s attention. The funny thing is that they never tell on themselves.

I’m not sure that we ever really grow out of that. We constantly look for the bad in others and want to point it out. If it is someone of importance, then we really want to make sure everyone sees their sin. What I’ve learned is that Jesus didn’t subscribe to this way of thinking. When a crowd brought a woman caught in adultery and wanted Him to condemn her, His response was the opposite.

The example He set teaches us a few things.

1. Don’t be quick to condemn

The crowd of people paraded this woman through the city square and announced to everyone what she had done and what the punishment for her sin was. I’m sure it started with the person who caught her and as he took her through the streets a crowd gathered with him. They may or may not have known the woman, but they knew the crime and wanted to participate in her punishment.

Jesus didn’t get worked up over it. They demanded that He answer them if they were right in what her punishment should be. He just looked at the ground and began to draw. His thought out response was a lot better than the mob reaction we typically exhibit. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, He simply compared the grace they wanted for their sins with the punishment they wanted to give to her for her sin.

2. Put down your rocks

When Jesus did respond to them, he said, “Let he who is without sin, throw the first stone at her.” His response should make each of us look at our own lives. We shouldn’t be so concerned that someone else isn’t getting it right. We should give the same amount of grace we expect from others.

Galatians 6:1 says that if someone sins, we should go and restore them. It’s hard for someone to accept your offer of restoration when you have a rock in your hand. We need to put down our rocks of criticism and go to them in gentleness as the scripture says. They know they’ve done wrong. God’s job is to convict. Ours is to help restore them and to provide a path to recovery.

3. Offer forgiveness

Jesus offered forgiveness time and time again to those who the Pharisees thought didn’t deserve it. He is our example of what we should be doing. Too many times I have been guilty of pronouncing judgement instead of offering forgiveness. I’ve realized that in my life Jesus has always pointed out my sin and offered forgiveness. Why should I act differently?

If we are serious about winning the lost, we need to be more effective in how we help people come to grips with their sin and need for a savior. I’ve found that building relationships with people and not being afraid to admit my sins or hide my scars from sins works well. Judgement turns people away while forgiveness draws them in.

If you find yourself in a mob and you have rocks of hateful words in your hands ready to be hurled, stop for a minute, draw in the sand and think through how Jesus would respond. How did he respond to you? How would you want to be treated if you were in their shoes? Allow God to do His work which is to convict and be prepared to do your part to show forgiveness and to bring restoration.

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June 28, 2012 · 8:39 AM

Living set apart

As a Christian, I have always wanted to please God with my life. I think that is the goal of most Christians. Just like any goal, it is difficult to accomplish. We cannot seclude ourselves from the world to accomplish this goal because Scripture tells us to be in the world not of it. By being in the world, we get exposed to things that are against what we believe. We get exposed to temptations. We are pressed on every side to change who we are into conforming to the things of this world.

We have to resist that. We are called to be salt and light. We are called to be set apart, but how do we do that? How can we effectively live a life for Christ while being pressured to live otherwise? That is the daily challenge that we face as believers. We have the Spirit of God living in us to empower us to live a life worthy of the call. Do we access that power daily though? For me, it’s a struggle some days.

In Romans 12, Paul gives us some insight into what we can do to live in the world, yet set apart at the same time.

1. Be a living sacrifice

This is one of the hardest things to do. I once heard that the problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps climbing off the altar. God has given us that free choice daily to lay down our lives, wants and desires for His. A living sacrifice means just that. Each day, I give up my agenda for His. I give up my wants for His. I give up what I desire most for what He wants.

Paul said that this living sacrifice should be devoted, consecrated and well pleasing to God. It is a form of spiritual worship that is deeper than singing songs on a Sunday in church. It is true worship when I live a life that is devoted and consecrated to what He wants me to be and do.

2. Don’t conform to this world

Daily we are pushed to conform to what others want. We are asked to go along with the flow, to be tolerant and open minded. We are told that what we believe is archaic and not in step with where the world is now. Christianity is considered outdated and should be changed to reflect our culture. That is not what God intended for us though.

If no one around you can tell that you are a Christian and that your life is different, you may have conformed to this world without even knowing. Scripture is very clear on how we are to live. We are to take up our cross daily for Christ, crucify our fleshly desires and follow after God.

3. Be transformed

We are to be changed by the entire renewal of our mind. It should have a new set of ideals and a new attitude according to Paul. He understood that to make a permanent outward change, it starts with the mind. We cannot live how God intends for us to live without having our minds changed.

We have our minds renewed daily by spending time alone with God and by reading His word. We must take that time daily to renew our mind and our spirit. We get covered with dirt and junk from being in the world day in and day out. We need that daily cleansing to keep our minds fresh for God.

Paul says if we do these three things, we will prove what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God. We can live for Him in a world that does not know Him if we know how to. Which of these three steps can you start to work on today in order to live the life you were called to?

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