Category: Uncategorized

As we look ahead to the Christmas season and beyond, by faith we can see and expect better days. But that hope and faith must not be put only in humankind and its institutions and its leadership. This year should have convinced that we as Christians must trust less in humans and more in God.

It is God that heals, delivers and restores. While we have our responsibility for social and political involvement, ultimately our hope and the hope of our nation can only be fulfilled by God’s intervention. While people, political parties, and governments let us down, God will not. Our faith and prayers must be towards God not man.

Let us seek God for a better future knowing He is faithful and He loves us. Look to God. Then look forward in faith.

2020 has been a challenging year in a lot of ways. But as I mentioned in my blog at Tim’s Positive Place, it is not the sum total of our existence but one year of many. It is easy to lose perspective when our emotions are affected. We, as Christians should never forget the ongoing grace and mercy in our lives because of Christ Jesus and our relationship with Him

Today I just want to remind you that we have so many more blessings in Christ than we have challenges. Especially at this time of year we should focus on all the miraculous changes that happened because of Jesus’ birth into this world.

The advent was the door opening on all the good and precious things God wants to give us. Think on Him. Meditate on the message of the season. What you meditate on and what you believe will have great impact on your emotional life.

So embrace the Season celebrating God’s greatest gift, Jesus. For from that gift comes the new birth and the covenant in His blood, newness of life, freedom from the bondage of sin and hopelessness, His character and life in us, and many other benefits. Rejoice! 2020 lasts a year. God’s goodness and graces are everlasting.

Choosing to rejoice does NOT mean that you do not you take serious things seriously. It simply means that you know someone greater than your problems. Jesus is our hope and help. He is much more powerful and trustworthy than the arm of the flesh. Rejoice! For pandemics or politics, serious as they may be, are not the center of our realities. Jesus is. He truly is the PRINCE OF PEACE.

We as Christians need to seek the Lord, humble ourselves and repent. In this year I’ve seen so many Christians, even ministers, full of fear. Others full of cynicism, anger, and hate. And they all had reasons, excuses. BUT IT ISN’T RIGHT.

How can we be lights in darkness if we, ourselves, embrace the darkness. If we live in fear we are not living in faith. If we are living in cynicism, anger and hate, we are not walking in love and peace.

It should not surprise us if those without Christ fall into these things. But if we let politics, covid or any other thing make us walk in anger, hate, fear, or any other of Satan’s ways, we need to pray, repent, seek God’s forgiveness for claiming Him as our Lord and living in the old nature. God has given us freedom from all of that. If we are to be effective witnesses (and ministers) we must not make excuses for the evil we embrace.

A lot of us need to give the Lord an honest apology. Times like these do not so much change what is in us but exposes what was already there. Repentance is not a bad thing. It brings peace, joy, renewal.

We all could be thankful. Even the poor or sick have been thankful. Being thankful is not according to circumstance but according to attitude. One of the greatest revelations I ever had was when I was homeless, living in a car on a dreary winter’s afternoon. I was challenged by a speaker on the radio to count my blessings and be thankful. I started wit: I’m not out in the snow. I have enough gas to heat up the car now and then. I have a place here where I’m allowed to park. I can listen to the radio. I have a few snacks and some water. I have had a rich life full of great friends and a really good family….and on and on. As I wrote these things down, as they filled more than a page I became more and more thankful. More and more of God’s blessings came to mind from the natural to the spiritual. It was like I was blessed with a Spirit of Thanksgiving. I asked God that I keep that attitude of thanksgiving. I have never been the same.

As we enter the Holidays let’s put aside the things that trouble us and focus on all the things and persons for which we should be thankful. As Christians our Thanksgiving should begin with God’s goodness expressed by His greatest gift, Jesus. As humans we have so much for which to be thankful. As Christians we have so much more. Put away the things that trouble you and be filled with joy and thanksgiving.

Your attitude is up to you. Your attitude guides your feelings. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Philippians 4:6-7 says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Who do you serve? Who do I serve?

Is the God we serve dependent on the outcome of an election to keep us, to give us peace? He is a great and glorious God whose will will be done in His kingdom. As important as our elections and other human activities may be; it is even more important to know who we serve,,,who has our back.

Is the God we serve unable to defeat the evil in this world? Of course not. He has given us the responsibility to confront and defeat evil. He is a God who is dedicated to human freedom and human responsibility. It answers this question. If God is a good God why is there so much evil in the world?

He does not give us commandments to limit our freedom but to protect it. He wants us free from the ravaging results of sin. He wants us to live in joy, enjoying peace of mind and confidence in His love.

We usually know freedom in two main ways which are the freedom to do and the freedom from. For instance we love the freedom to do what we want. We also want the freedom from crime, abuse, disaster. God has give humans choice. He wants us to have freedom of choice but know that our choices are affected, not truly free if we are servants of sin. Certainly people who are not born again do not have absolutely free choice. They can make choices but their choices are affected by sin.

The God I serve wants us to be absolutely free. He wants us to live with peace of minds during pandemics, natural disasters, and contested elections. If we live in His peace we are free from fear and doubt.

In the upcoming weeks and months there will be many new souls entering the Kingdom, the Family of God. How do we welcome them? What do we teach them first?

As I look at books for new believers I see many good things listed as foundational. I would not deny the value of these things. But only some of them deal with Christianity as relational and dynamic.

I propose that first learning the relationships in the Kingdom makes the other doctrinal and polity teachings more understandable to the new believer. It gives the things to come a more personal framework into which further teachings can be incorporated.

We all have our personal stories and with them our own understandings about how relationships work. Some of those understandings are good and healthy. Some come out of hurt, abuse and other dysfunctions. A healthy accurate view of relationships in the Kingdom can be a great help to positive mental and emotional transformation in the life of a new believer.

I believe we should teach growing Christians in five areas of relationships with which to begin.

1. We should start with who Jesus is and who he is to us.
2. Next the new believer needs to be rooted and grounded in God’s love; what it is and what importance it has in our personal lives.
3. We need to teach new believers about freedom in the Kingdom. Not only teaching from what they are free but how to remain and live free.
4. New believers should be taught about God’s way in regard to relationships with people; both those inside and outside the Kingdom.
5. Last, no way least, the new believer needs to be taught how to walk with and in fellowship with God. Of course this requires understanding of our new nature and how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to make a difference on the earth.

These are understandings that will facilitate spiritual growth. I submit them for your consideration. In upcoming posts I will go into more detail.

God Bless you. Have a great week.

In my meditations in God’s word I was revisiting Galatians 5:19-23. In this passage the evil works of the flesh are contrasted with the Fruit of the Spirit.

Sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery. idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like

versus

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control

As I considered these things it occurred to me that these things were reflections of a person’s relationship with God… but also it is true of a society, a country. It was as if the Lord was showing the riots and other evils as evidence of what our culture brought on itself by rejecting God and embracing the works of the flesh. As I looked at the evil works of the flesh, I saw how that was an exact picture of much of our society. I could not deny it. What is true of a person is true of a society for are not societies made up of many persons?

As I sadly considered this, a quiet voice said, “You know. My people have been praying. They have been repenting and seeking my face.” I was aware of my own prayers but at that time I was unaware of a larger prayer movement. But it was and is happening. The voice came again to my mind and asked,”What did I say would happen if my people would humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways?” And suddenly, I remembered 2 Chronicles 7:14 where God said “I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”

A spirit of joy came upon me. I was encouraged but considered the efforts of evil men to shut out, to destroy the Kingdom of God. Suddenly as I considered the opposition. Psalms 2:1-4 came into my mind.

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. Let us break their chains they say, and throw off their fetters. The ONE enthroned in heaven laughs. He scoffs at them.”

At this point I was rejoicing, seeing where this was going. But God was not done. He said, “You see all of the evil, all of the death. Can America be revived, revitalized? Again a passage of scripture came to my mind. (Ezekiel 37) Ezekiel was brought to a valley of dry bones. And he was asked a similar question to the one God asked me. “Son of man, can these bones live?

It did not appear possible, but with God, all things are possible. They came alive. If He can make a mighty army of dead, dry bones, he is well able to heal our land. Keep praying. Keep repenting. Keep seeking His face. For the sake of His people and to demonstrate His Kingdom and the truth of His Word, HE WILL HEAL OUR LAND.

Throughout the years God is always faithful!  Remember Jesus not only rose from the dead. He is alive…really Alive Now and He loves you.

Good and upright is the Lord therefore will He teach sinners in the way. Ps. 25:8

He loveth righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Ps. 33:5

 

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. Ps. 43:8

How good God is, not just good out there somewhere but good to us. He has always been that way. He was good to His people and delivered them from slavery. He was good to Daniel when He spared him in the Lion’s den. Jesus was good when He walked this earth. He was good when He cleansed the leper. He was good when He raised the dead. He was good when He blessed the children. He was good when he fed the hungry. He was, is, and ever shall be good.

Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you and you’ll experience His goodness to you.

We Christians call the sinners we know as evil, heathen, lost. But in John 3:17-18 Jesus calls them already condemned. His mission was and is to save them not condemn them.

Often when we quote Jesus we are called haters and condemners. But that is untrue. The hard sayings of Jesus were designed to warn, to save, not condemn. His motivating force was love not hate.

So must we walk and speak. If we are to be part of God’s work on the earth we must care about those already condemned and help them find the Way of escape.

Real care is evidenced by action. As James said we are to love in word and deed.