Stay focused

Stay focused.

"When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.' Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. (Deu 17:14-20)

As we're going through 1 Kings on Sunday, we saw how King Solomon went to great length to experience and enjoy the world's ways, the world's women, and the world's wealth. Just the things that God, through Moses, had warned him NOT TO DO.

We must learn to fear and respect God for who He is, and being careful to learn, apply, and obey God's Word is a good way to stay humble.

While it may make sense from a human perspective to pursue the world's ways and the world's wealth, it does not make sense from God's perspective.

As I said to my people yesterday, Everyone walks in faith. It's just a matter of who you're putting your faith in. God, or the things of the world?

The things of the world have a magnetism about them, and sometimes we as Christ followers need to wear our blinders to keep from getting distracted.

The important thing is to stay focused on the Word and His Kingdom, and Believe that God will use His ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things for His glory.

Are you ready for the battle?

"When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'
(Deu 20:1-4)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Are you on a Team?

In some ways the body of Christ is like the NFL, except all of our local church teams are playing against the adversary and not against each other. Our local churches, like football teams, all have a mission to compete effectively for Christ, and yet each has its own identity and unique place. It sounds spiritual to say that you just serve on Team Jesus, but the Bible says those that team Jesus consists of many local teams with their own unique team managers and coaches. On which of these are you serving?

The problem is often not so much which team within the body of Christ that a player is playing on, but rather that some players choose not to serve on a team at all. Maybe they don't like the discipline and rigors of Spring training. Maybe they don't want to risk being asked to go out on the field, or maybe they want to go out on the field and don't want to compete for the first string slots. Maybe they haven't found a team name or uniform to their liking, or maybe they just think that everyone should be on the same team, and don't like the fact that God chose to establish many local teams to accomoplish His purpose for the church.

The important question for each of us, is are we active on one of God's teams? Are we committed to our local team, and willing to work hard to get in shape? Are we willing to serve in whatever capacity the team coaches want or need us? Are we willing to show up for practices on time, and to respect our fellow teammates?

Serving on a local team is not just showing up, putting our name on the roster, and wearing a uniform, is it?

For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1Co 12:14-18)

So how are you doing on the local team in which He has set you?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Are You Circling the Wagons?

What is your response when you feel all is lost? Many of us have circled up the wagons, tried to convince ourselves that all would work out, but deep down really didn't believe that God's calvary would be coming to the rescue. We find ourselves discouraged, or even in despair, believing that for whatever reason, God has left us to fend for ourselves. We feel helpless, hopeless, and hapless.

I find that reading the Psalms aloud is often a great comfort to me in such times.

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. (Psa 4:1)

(A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD, Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul.)

And He Said: I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. (Psa 18:1-6)

(A Prayer When He Was in the Cave.) I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me." (Psa 142:1-7)

You must build up your faith. It is your shield against the fiery darts of the wicked one. Talk to God aloud, Read the Psalms aloud, make signs with the promises of God on them, and display them prominently in places where you spend a lot of time.

This is a spiritual war, and you don't want to be one of its casualties.

For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME."
(Rom 10:11)


Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Hopefully You're Shooting at the Enemy

Are you shooting your arrows at the enemy, or at your brothers and sisters in the camp? The armor of God has nothing to protect our backs, as God is counting on us not to shoot arrows at each other. God calls us to minister to each other and build each other up, not tear each other down.

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Rom 14:19)

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
(2Co 13:11)

and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. (1Th 5:13-14)

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
(Heb 12:14)

God makes it pretty plain that living in peace with one another as a Christian community is critical to a healthy relationship with Him. We are fooling ourselves if we think we can have a wonderful relationship with God while having a turbulent relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm sure it was sometimes frustrating to the apostle Paul to pour himself into the minsitry of the gospel of Christ, find himself in prison, and yet hear that some of his brothers and sisters in Christ were spending their time and energy fussing with each other rather than spending it accomplishing the mission Christ gave us.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, plead with you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph 4:1-3)

Amen!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Are You a Mighty Person for the Lord?

The Hebrew word for "mighty" is 'gih-bore', and means passionately powerful. The offspring of the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4 were mighty. Joshua tells us that the Israelites had mighty men of valour [khah-yil], that is passionately powerful men of worth. Men that were 'worth their weight in gold' because they were valiant and worthy of one's trust in combat. These men of valor were not brave in a 'look at me', 'I'm the greatest', 'I can beat down anyone' type of foolhardy recklessness. These men were submitted to their leaders, loyal to their leaders, and willing to die for their leaders in combat.

It is one thing to find someone passionate. It is quite another thing to find someone that is passionately powerful. It is a rarity to find someone that is passionately powerful and loyal.

King David had the utmost respect for people that were passionately powerful and loyal. Even though Saul had tried to kill David, David blessed those that out of loyalty to Saul risked their lives to recover his and his sons' bodies from the Philistines after they had been slain in battle, to give them a decent burial.(1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 2:5-7).

God blessed David with mighty men that were with him from the beginning. They served David loyally when he was on the run and in hiding, and when it didn't look like much would come of him. They served him long before he ascended the throne of Israel.

Spiritual leaders need passionately powerful people of valor. People that are not serving or loyal because of what they can get out of it, but are serving and loyal out of a faith in God and in the leader that God has raised up over them.

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. . . . Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
(1Th 5:8-13)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Your Barn will be filled with Plenty

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.
(Psa 4:5)

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
(Psa 37:3-5)

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
(Psa 40:1-4)

It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.
(Psa 118:8-9)


Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
(Pro 3:5-10)

The bottom line for the people of God is that we must trust the Lord. Not man's methods or his maneuvering, not man's wealth or his wisdom, not man's power or his plans. But THE LORD.

One of the best things I can do for you in 201o is pray that you trust in the Lord, encourage you to trust in the Lord, and live by example to trust in the Lord.

Have a great year!
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The car key that wasn't

Do you truly believe that God is working in every situation?

And are you willing to suffer in order to glorify God in every situation?

Yesterday my son-in-law and daughter (visiting us from Jacksonville) could not find their only Toyota car key. We asked the Lord to help us find the key, but alas, we could not find it. They called the Toyota dealership which said the car would need to be towed to them and that for a few hundred dollars they could make them a new key.

I knew money was tight for them, and as I prayed I felt the Lord tell me to call a locksmith, and I therefore did so, even though I wasn't sure that locksmiths could make electronic keys, and when I found one that could, I knew it was the Lord's will for me to pay for a new key to be made. A young locksmith came, and I had opportunity to share the gospel and talk with him about the things of the Lord in our driveway. He told me he was going to come to my church Sunday because it was time for him to get involved in a local church family again, and shared a little of his background with me.

As he and his young son that was with him pulled out of the driveway, I couldn't help but reflect on the events that led up to our meeting. What if all of the drama surrounding the key was really about effecting a change this young man's life? That would explain why our prayers for finding the key weren't answered, and if getting a new key meant getting a family active in the Lord's work, the hundred and sixty-five dollars was a small price to pay.

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Col 1:17)

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the 'words' of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1Pe 4:11)

May we look more for opportunities to glorify God this year when the going gets rough, and not be so concerned with Him quickly rescuing us from our every tribulation.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.