Scripture: Genesis 11:31-32
Where's does God's will for your life collide with your complacency? Are you halfway through the dream God has given you? Sometimes in life we can leave what is comfortable and then just resettle somewhere else that seems familiar. Will you continue your journey? In these verses we read that Terah follows God's call to leave Ur; God was calling him to a better place. But Terah stopped at a place called Haran and he got stuck there. Haran felt familiar even though it was a new place. They left Ur because it was a place of idolatry, but they stopped in Haran where they worshipped the moon god Nannar. Terah became happy with good enough. Terah died in Haran: he was halfway to the promise land! He was a victim of the halfway hazard, where many get stuck. At the halfway point we spend too much time counting our losses and lose sight of the final destination. As Christians there are two places we can get stuck: minimalism and hiding. First we can get stuck being minimal Christians: a person with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. This person cannot chose between desiring worldly things and holy things. Second, Christians can get stuck hiding behind the church doors: getting stuck here is where a person gets so consumed with doing things within the walls of the church that they forget to reach the world around them. Neither accomplishes much, but some people find comfort in these places and live lives stuck. We cannot get stuck in the world or get stuck forgetting to tell the world about Christ's saving power! Ask yourself: are you feeling stuck? It's time to move on! You have adventured beyond Ur: your old and past life. You have a promised land, it is not your destiny to get stuck in Haran. 5/30/2013 Change it Up!Scriptures: John 21:1-14
In these verses we read that the disciples went fishing and they fished all night long. Each time they put out the net they had hope, but their nets kept coming back up empty. A night's work is over with aching muscles and sore hands, but no fish. We all have had the same experience! Peter went fishing because that is where he felt most comfortable and in control, but the empty nets reminded him of his empty feelings. Jesus tells him to the cast the nets on the other side of the ship, Peter was probably reluctant but he did it. This time the net was full of fish: 153 of all types. Jesus showed them that they could not just keep doing the same thing over and over again. The fish were there, just not where they were fishing. It was the same net, but with a new approach and a new location! It was time for something different, something new: Jesus told them to: change it up! Peter and the disciples had to give up their personal expectations and biases. They had to try it Jesus' way to succeed. Ask yourself the question: are you tired of empty nets? Are you tired of putting in effort and getting no results? Yes, once they caught the fish the net got heavier and required even more effort, but they acutally caught something! Are you content just going fishing or do you want to catch something? It's time to hear Jesus' voice and let him show you how to: change it up. Scriptures: Isaiah 5:20-23, Proverbs 30:12, Romans 1:24-32
Life is all about choices and there is a trend in this hour to reverse God's principles. So the question is: how do we live right in a wrong world? As Christians our calling is to reflect God in a world that is turning its back on Him. So how can we determine if something is right or wrong? Today we are going to study five ways to see if a choice is right or wrong. First, we need a reference point: a life compass. This compass must be the Word of God: the Bible. The world says to follow your heart, but emotions are constantly changing. God tells us to follow His Word, which is constant and unchanging. Second: ask yourself has God proclaimed this action to be wrong or right in his Word. Examine the situation and ask yourself if you are trying to make fiction a fact and fact fiction. The Bible tells us that righteousness exalts a nation and an individual, while sin causes a person to feel condemned. Next, can you ask God to bless your actions or words? Can you thank God for the action you just committed or the words you just said? Is this activity something you could invite Jesus to do with you? Will you feel shame later because of this? Ask yourself will this action or words cause me to doubt my faith? Is this situation causing you to doubt God? To doubt His Word? To doubt yourself? Doubt does nothing productive for your faith! Finally, are these actions or words something you want to do or say when yo are under pressure? Ask yourself: what is the motivating factor behind this? Am I acting/speaking out of anger, fear, tension or lust? In a world that is constantly choosing sin over righteousness, we need to know to live uprightly! We need to choose Christ by using His word as our compass, inviting Jesus into our words and activities, choosing faith over doubt, and checking our motivation. 5/20/2013 Passionless PerformanceScripture: 2 Kings 13:14-21
In these verses we read that Elisha tells the king to shoot an arrow out a window. We can ask the questions: " what was the target" and "what was the purpose?" The target was an enemy he could not see; he was shooting an arrow into a spiritual battlefield. Elisha put his hand on the King's hand, because this battle needed assistance. To survive a spirtual battle a person needs instruction, guidance, direction and coaching. God has placed his hand on your life so that through your weakness he can accomplish supernatural things. But then it was the king's turn to take the remaining arrows and strike the ground. The arrow in the air flew through the enemy's territory, but the ground was the king's territory. The king struck three times; Elisha was expecting something much more dramatic: there was an army on the way and their goal was to destroy. People come to church for answers and miracles, they are wary of the strange things. What seemed like a ridiculous action to the king was what God considered faith in him. The king seemed embarrassed by the prophet's direction. He had a passionless performance: he didn't put his heart into it. The king was polite instead of passionate; he was more concerned with dignity than with deity. He sacrificed his nation because of public opinion and personal doubt. Passion predetermines our victories. Each of us holds the arrows of prophetic destiny. Many want to speak prophecies, but few want to fulfill prophecies. When we serve God with passion He gives us power to overcome our unseen enemies. We must ask Him to help us overcome our passionless faith, passionless prayers, personal embarrassment and passionless worship. It's time to make a break with personal traditions. Do something in the name of passion for God: find out what God can use in you! The words and actions of deliverance are in your hands. Strike your ground until passion ignites, your heart is in it and your full deliverance comes. |
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