"Spiritual Infancy To Spiritual Maturity"

Can you imagine having a new born baby and then abandoning it at two months to care for itself? What do you think would happen to that infant? My guess is it would probably die. Well.. why would we leave a spiritual infant to nurture its self? A new convert needs to be walked with from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.

I have seen what I deem as a major issue in many churches. The issue that I am referring to is the lack of discipleship after a person is converted and changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not the conversion was authentic our churches should have a ministry set up that walks with new converts and disciples them in the infant stages of conversion.

Billy Graham is quoting as saying “80% of those who make a salvation decision during his crusades are already on a church roll somewhere.” So they are on a church roll somewhere but they are just getting around to giving thier lives to the Lord at Bill Graham crusade? This leads me to believe that majority of the people in our churches are not believers even though they are faithful to church. This is what makes Matthew 7: 21-23 such a scary passage.

That passage states:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

Look at what these people said, “did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” These were people thinking they were on the right track for the Lord, when the Lord says to them I never knew you. I would hate for people in our churches to get before the Lord and He say “I never knew you”.

The great commission tells us to make “disciples” of all nations it does not say make “converts”. Our churches should actively be engaging people to spiritually grow in the Lord. God never called us to Himself to stay as infants. But Paul made it clear in 1 Corinthians 3:1-5 that we should move from spiritual infancy to maturity.

Our churches should be training our members to be actively involved in the lives of our new converts. Abandoning an infant at the age two months is extremely wrong and will more than likely get you arrested and trailed for neglect and murder. We should have the same vigor and passion for our spiritual infants. Let’s tend to them, love them and nurture them in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"A Cake Not Turned"

Hosea 7:8 "Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned."

Imagine this... Getting up on a Saturday morning and having a strong craving for some good old fashion pancakes. I'm not talking about those pancakes that are pre-made in the bag but some soft yet crispy around the edges home made ones. Picture having your PJ's on, stirring the batter as your mouth waters. Then buttering the pan NOT spraying it with pam (ccThat's a HUGE pancake mistake)! Then dropping some batter in, however after you put the batter in than you walk away and forget its in the pan. What do you think would happen to those pancakes? Most likely they will be burnt on one side and undone on the other

Well that's exactly what Hosea is saying about Ephraim in Hosea 7:8. When I read this scripture this morning I couldn't help but think of the areas in which I'm "sanctified" in and the areas in which I'm undone. Now I completely understand the more and more you walk with the Lord the more and more he will cook the undone side however my prayer is that we would become aware of those areas we need to turn closer to the fire.

No real Christian is ok with having holiness in one area of life and reigning sin in another. After reading this passage it caused me to pray in two areas. Turn me so that I don't burn on one side and risk the chance of becoming prideful and turn me so that the undone area would cook under His holy fire.


I found a prayer by C.H. Spurgeon that I think endorses this passage well.

If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my un-sanctified nature to the fire of Thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from your heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded person, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for I well know that if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of Your grace, I must be consumed for ever amid everlasting burnings.

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“Eyes”

Matthew 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness”

I Read this scripture today and couldn’t help but relate to the Words Jesus is speaking. Our eyes are the entrance to our hearts and minds and, as such, they provide a doorway to our very souls. If we allow our eyes to linger on evil, we are so affected by what we see that darkness actually begins to emanate from within and can corrupt us.

If you’re a transparent man you will agree that this scripture should ring in our hearts on a consistent basis. Seriously how easy is it for our eyes to wonder? Job said “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1). How many times have you broken this covenant? We must commit to being careful where we allow our eyes to go. Truth is we guard our hearts and souls by guarding our eyes.

King David’s sin happened way before he slept with Bathsheba and way before he had Uriah killed. It actually happened when he saw Bathsheba bathing. Jesus said in Mark 9:47 “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell”.

Prayer:

Father help us to keep our eyes on you. Living in a world that is so perverted, dark, and wicked it is so easy to take our eyes off of you. Please help us to see that you are greater and more amazing than anything else we see. Help us to keep the covenant that Job made in Job chapter 31. Let our inner man not be darkened because of the things we chose to entertain with our eyes. I pray for anyone dealing with lust & porn addiction. May our Godly men not view woman as sex symbols but rather sisters in the faith. Be pleased with where we focus our eyes which should be on your Son Jesus Christ. It’s in Jesus Christ name I pray AMEN.

2010 Reflections

I have done a lot of reflecting over the last week (I'm sure most of you have). 2010 has been a year filled with mixed emotions for the Watts family. Spiritually this has been by far one of the most challenging years. The words that come to mind when I reflect on 2010 is prayed, cried, fasted, been uncertain, trusted, believed for greater.

Every decision and move that my wife and I have made during this year, was made with Jesus Christ as the focal point. Call me deep but I truly believe that a foundation built on anything else except Jesus, is destine to sink. 1 Corinthians 3: 11-13 says “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work”.

As 2011 is fastly approaching, I can’t help having a million questions bouncing through my head. I though it would be cool to share these questions with you and get your juicy flowing. It’s my hope that when you read these questions you would be as honest as you can be with yourself. See where you can make adjustments for the better.

1. What worked in my life this past year? What did not work?

2. Did I passionately pursue Jesus and make him the focus?

3. What drained me? Could I possibly do without it?

4. Did I learn from my mistake, struggles, and hard times?

5. What am I most proud of? What do I most regret?

6. How many people did I love on?

7. What big project am I working on for 2011?

8. Could I have been a better father, son, husband, wife, friend?

9. Did I allow pride, greed, gluttony, envy, or jealousy to be my motivation?

10. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream? (Opps sorry my ADD kicked in)

Happy New Year Blessed People!

Salvation In 10 Sentences

Luke 2:25-32 Simeon was living a life filled with great anticipation. He was a man who was considered righteous and devout. The Holy Spirit promised him that he would not take his last breath before seeing what salvation looked like. Simeon response to seeing Jesus gives us great insight to what salvation really is. He said in verse 30 “my eyes have seen your salvation”. This small passage points out a very large truth. Salvation is not following ritual but is actually a person. Jesus name in Hebrew “Yeshua” literally means, "Salvation”. As we are moving into Christmas it’s important to keep in mind whose birth we are celebrating. Salvation is not merely found in Jesus, SALVATION IS JESUS!

Merry Christmas

“Narcissistic Christians”

The title of today’s blog clearly is an oxymoron, saying a Christian is a narcissus is like saying “she is almost pregnant” it just is not possible. However the point is still clear there are people claiming to be of the faith that are more concerned with themselves then they are the mission.

Narcissism is a term that derived from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome young man who was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. As divine punishment he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool, not realizing it was merely an image, and he wasted away to death, not being able to leave the beauty of his own reflection. The myth of Narcissus has given rise to the personality disorder known as “narcissism”, which is characterized by vanity, conceit, egotism, and self-obsession.

So how does this play its self out in the church today? Well by people simply being in love with them self and therefore have no real love for others, or even for God. Now before we condemn these types of people, it’s always helpful to look at yourself. We all have areas where we would rather take care of ourselves more then they would rather take care of others. From time to time I also must pray against this narcissistic behavior. I mean as a Christian it’s hard not to fall into loving your self when the majority of the Christian books on the market are self help books, or many Gospel songs are about us not God, or even Sermons that are geared toward self promotion. At times I wonder is God really pleased with us as his body. Some how we have taken the Bible and made it a book about God doing for us and not us doing for God.

So how do we fight against narcissism in the church? The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. Selfishness and vanity are the epitome of narcissism, and they are very destructive and have no place in the Christian life. Paul also attacks this in Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” A humble person always sees the best traits in others and the worst traits in there self.

By no means am I telling you to hate yourself but I am saying hate the fact that you love yourself (confused you didn’t I). Jesus said in Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters yes, even their own life such a person cannot be my disciple”

My hope is that you would read this and pray asking God to reveal the areas where you struggle with narcissism. A good question to ask your self is how many times do I say “I” or “Me” through the course of a day? If you have a social networking site such as Face book or Twitter take a moment and see how many post were about you. I’m telling you we all must do better.

The cure for narcissism is the same as for any sin, repentance and a commitment to Christ as Lord of our lives. Only through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit can the narcissist become a true child of God, dedicated to Him and seeing others as better than himself. God is able to take that love that you have for yourself and turn it into pure love for Jesus Christ.

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“Holding On To What Is Dear To You”

Matthew 19: 16-22

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Wow what an awesome story we find in Matthew 19. Far too often I find my self being the rich young man in this story. By no means am I rich, but this story points out a far greater issue then his love for money. It points out the things we hold dear and potentially put before God.

When I came into salvation I came in with a list of rules and I said to God I will give you this, this and this but not that. I wish someone had warned me that Jesus would ferociously go after every area and every piece of my heart. Just when you think you have given God everything he always seems to find something else that he wants. I know for some of you giving God everything is easy, but unfortunately I am more like that young man in this story that walked away sorrowful. Yea I'm a little selfish pray for me! :-)

So I thought it would be helpful if I laid out a few reasons why we don’t want to give up the things we hold dear. Prayerfully this will help us to understand that the greatest possession we could ever have is Jesus Christ! Everything else is temporary and will pass away.

Reason we hold on to stuff

1- (We think we have security in it) I have listed this one first because this is probably the most common one. In this story the young man’s wealth gave him a false sense of security. True security is by putting your hope in the one that created everything. John 1:4 says “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Money will never be able to fill the void we have in our hearts it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ that fulfills.

2- (We think we have given Him enough already) This young man kept all of the commandments yet he was still lacking something. Its easy for us to become religious minded and think well I have followed all of the rules so I’m good, when this story points out that you’re not good. The great thing about the Gospel is that it works from the inside out. Gods not after the list of rules that you have kept but after your heart.


3- (We think our treasure is here on earth) The easier our lives become, the more enjoyment we derive from our possessions, and the greater the temptation to store up treasures on earth, instead of in heaven. We must remember we are aliens here that are just passing through this is not our home. (1 Peter 2:11) "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul".


So my prayer today is that God would shift us from building our foundation on possessions and build it on Jesus Christ. If you see yourself in this story like I do you probably need to repent and ask God to help you in that area. Ill close today’s blog with this question. Are you willing to part with anything that might keep you from seeking true joy with Jesus?

Father help us to realize that you alone can satisfy the deepest longing and desires of our heart. No other treasure can compare with you, keep me free from being possessive or discontented and give me joy in having you alone as my Treasure and my Portion. It’s in your Son beautiful name I pray Amen.


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“We Are More Like Barabbas”

A vital part of Christianity is understanding substitutionary atonement. By nature humans are sinful people who try time and time again to do right but we always fall short. I’m not sure if as Christians we can understand the Gospel without understanding substitutionary atonement. A simple definition of substitutionary atonement is Jesus Christ dying as a substitute for sinners. As the song says “He took my place”.

As Human beings we are all guilty of being sinful people. Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and the penalty for sin is death. History has proven mans true nature we fall most of the time, and the times we don’t fall our righteousness is considered as filthy rags. There are 1,189 chapters is the Bible only two chapters reflect man in a perfect state. The other 1,187 chapters show man in his fallen state.

So how do we get back in right standing with god our creator? Jesus is how we do that. Jesus paid the price demanded by justice for your sins, you are declared innocent and righteous before God, the supreme Judge, when you are united with Christ Jesus. There is absolutely no other salvation for mankind outside of Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY way! 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Matt chapter 27 is a clear picture of how Jesus Christ physically took our place. We see Jesus on trial before a Roman governor name Pontius Pilate. It was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. We will see how this crown of religious people chooses a sinner over a savior. Verse 21-22 says “Which of the two do you want me to release to you? Asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, Crucify him!" This is exactly what substitutionary atonement looks like. By reading this passage of scripture we get a glimpse of how Christ took the place of men and woman worthy of death.

Before we start to judge Barabbas its important for us to reflect and look at our own sin. Just as Barabbas should have been the one on the cross so should we! The Old Testaments proves that man has always been sinful and rebellious against God. Time and time again we have chosen sin over righteousness.

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to pay for the price of our sins. Because he did this for us; we now have the opportunity to not only have our sins forgiven, but to spend eternity with Him. BUT in order to do this we must place our faith in what Christ did on the cross. So the next time you think about being like Jesus, take time to reflect that we are more like Barabbas. We are men and woman in desperate need of a substitute to take our place. Jesus Christ is the perfect substitutionary atonement for our sins.

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“Followers of the Way”

Over 2000 years ago the church was birthed. The earliest Christ centered community that formed around Jesus message did not call themselves Christians. They called themselves “Followers of the Way”. These early Christian learned how to disciple people by simple following in the Master’s footsteps.

The word Christian is only shown three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26), (Acts 26:28), (1 Peter 4:16). Through out the book of Acts you will consistently see references to believers as “Followers of the Way”. Even Paul referred to believers as The Way in Acts 22:4. Having Paul refer to believers as “Followers of the Way” means a lot. He was one of the most advocate supporters of the early church. In Acts 24:5 we find Paul on trial for preaching about Jesus, and the prosecutor in his trial says: “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect” Clearly Paul was a leader and front runner for believers. You can find reference of “The Way” in (Acts 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22).

So why where these early Christian call followers of the way? Well because in John 14:6 Jesus called Himself the way and the truth and the life. The question that we must ask ourselves 2000 years later is, are we still showing people “The Way”. It’s easy for us to get caught up in our daily lives and forget that there is a whole world that is lost and in desperate need of “The Way”. One of the easiest ways to show people the way is by following in Christ footsteps.

Ill never forget watching a speech by Louis Farrakhan and hearing him say he doesn’t have a problem with Jesus he has a problem with his followers. As followers of “The Way” we must represent Christ at all times. We can not be followers and fakes at the same time. The time is now for us to show off the glory and majesty of our King.

So as followers of the Way we must make sure we are making the way clear to people. The easiest way to make it clear to people is by living a transformed life. I don't believe you can receive Jesus into your heart and your actions not prove it. So lets show people and tell people about the way to peace, comfort and ultimately salvation. There is only one way to receive salvation and that is by believing in the person and the work of Christ Jesus. I think in John 10:9 Jesus says it best “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

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“Hitting the Ceiling”

Have you ever felt like your prayers were hitting the ceiling and then coming back down? Have you ever spent time praying and got up and felt that your prayer never left the room you where in? Well this is a common feeling that many Christians share. Some of the greatest men of the Bible have struggled with this same feeling of separation and disconnection to the Throne. David felt this same thing in Psalms 13.

So how do we overcome this feeling? Well.... I can’t speak for everyone but I feel a disconnect when I know I haven’t been consistent in my prayer time. Every good relationship is launched off the platform of communication. One of the most dangerous things we can do in a marriage is stop talking. The truth is God delights in hearing from his children. In fact God wants us to give him no rest when it comes to prayer Isaiah 62: 7.

I have also found that praying for myself to much stagnates my prayers. Again I’m not sure how your wired but as for me I feel a real connection to the Throne when im praying for others. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” When I was young in the faith all of my prayers where centered around me, as I continue to grow im finding that my best prayers are prayers for others. Have you every prayer for someone else and you needed the same thing? That’s the type of prayers I like to pray.

Another hindrance is my motive behind the prayer. Are your prayers for a show or are they a means to reach our Heavenly Father? Praying so you can sound spiritually deep can hold your prayer back. When Christ began to teach about how to pray in Matt chapter 6 notices he starts out with how not to pray. Matthew 6: 5&7 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

Then there are times that we think our prayers hit the ceiling when really God heard them and probably answered them. Here is an example: If a man ask God to help him with his anger, do you think God removes the anger or does he put the man in a situation that normally will make him angry? Or if a man ask for God to help him with his finances does God drop money in his lap or does God provide opportunities for him to take advantage of. Just because your answer isn’t packaged the way you want it doesn’t mean it went unanswered.

My prayer today is that you will not treat God as a vending machine, or as a genie is a bottle, but that you will love him with everything in you. Prayer strengthens your faith; the more you pray the more faith becomes activated in your life. Your prayers should always line up with Gods perfect will. The prayer “Not my will but Your will be done” is not a lack of faith prayer but a prayer that is humbled before a sovereign God.

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"Image Of The Invisible God"

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”


Many of us desire to have a better understanding of Gods nature. We search the Old Testament and the New Testament trying to understand our creator. While our finite minds can never fully understand an infinite God, I believe through this one scripture we capture a piece of Gods Sovereign nature.

Jesus is described by so many names through out the scriptures. Redeemer, Judge, King, Savior, Lord, High Priest, and Son of David, just to name a few. One description that I believe we don’t hear enough about is Jesus being the Image of the invisible God. This is such a powerful statement made by Paul. As I have stated in a previous blog no man has ever seen God. So, in the person of His Son (Jesus), God took upon Himself flesh so we could behold Him.

If we view God the Father through his Son Jesus we get a glimpse of God nature. You could never understand God without looking at Jesus Christ life. Let’s be clear Jesus was a man but he was also God in the flesh. So what does Gods nature look like? Well in order to answer that question we must look at scripture concerning Jesus Christ.

Compassionate:
Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Cares for the Hungry:
Mark 8:2 I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.

Cares for the sick and afflicted:
Mark 1:41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

Has power over Creation:
Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

Has Power over life and death:
John 11:43-44 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Sensitive to the broken hearted:
John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.

Forgiving:
Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Knows our heart:
Luke 9:47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side.

By looking at the life of Jesus we can see the attributes of God the Father. I would encourage you to continue praying & studying God through this lens. This will lead you in experiencing God in a whole new way. So if you ever want to try and understand the “Invisible God” look at the “Visible One” that walked this earth JESUS.

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3 Reasons Salvation Isn’t By Our Works

I want to discuss in today’s blog what I consider to be a major misunderstanding in many church theologies. In fact this may be the most important topic in all of Christian theology. This topic was the cause of the Reformation, the split between the Protestant churches and Catholic Church. The question that many people ask is “Am I saved just by believing in Jesus, or do I have to believe in Jesus and do certain things”? And the answer is that your belief in Jesus is enough. Because if you truly believe in Christ that your life will be transformed.

Many people will say “Well Faith without Works is Dead”, and they quote that scripture as if believing in Christ isn’t enough. That is a complete misunderstanding of what James is saying. When Paul claims that we are "Justified by faith apart from works of the law" (Rom. 3:28) he is arguing against those (Jews) who claim they do not need faith because their works are sufficient. James, on the other hand, argues that we are "justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24) because works are the result of faith. So really both are saying the same thing but have different vantage points. James is not contradicting Paul teachings, but rather complementing it. Paul's perspective speaks to where justification begins, whereas James's perspective speaks to where justification ends. These two men are saying Salvation is by Faith alone (Paul) and our faith demonstrates its authenticity by our works (James). Martin Luther & John Calvin (whose teachings I endorse) said Faith alone saves, but the Faith that saves is never alone. Salvation is always accompanied by good works.

So I though it would be great to list out 3 reasons why salvation can’t be by our works and back them up with scripture references.

1. History has proven that the works system is a failure.

Man has already been under two different works systems, and both have left man condemned. First was Gods command to Adam found in Gen 2:16-17 “And the LORD God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Well we all know how this story ends and it didn’t work out to well for mankind.

The second works system was of course the Law of Moses. If you look in the Old Testament you will see that the Israelites could by no means keep the Law. Romans 3:23 is clear that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. There is only one man that lived a perfect life and that was Christ Jesus.

2. Mans best works still fall’s short of God's standard of justice.

Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

3. Salvation cannot be by our works because Jesus has already done the work in our place.

Jesus Christ came into the world to solve man's fundamental problem (Sin). 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” Christ took our sins and gave us access to eternal life, if we believe in him.

So as we close today’s blog we need to ponder in our hearts, and ask our selves are we trying to live by rules or by Gods Grace. Christ said that he is the door, His Blood gives us access to the Father if we believe in him. If you have not received Christ into your life don’t take another breath until you do (Yes it’s that important). Psalm 95: 7-8 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”. Give Christ your life.

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“Serving Others Is Natural For A Christian”

The title of today’s blog pretty much sums up the entire blog. Our good works do not grant us Salvation but instead are a result of Salvation. Works alone will not save you; your belief in Jesus Christ is the means in which one is saved. I want to post a passage of scripture that I read last night that I believe is a great place to park for today.

Matthew 25:31-46

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

We see here that Jesus is showing us what it looks like to be a Christian. That is by caring for those who are in need. Once you receive Christ into your heart, this behavior should be second nature. Galatians 5:22-23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law”. If you noticed in this parable, the sheep (believers) said Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, or in prison, and helped you? What amazes me is that they didn’t even know that they did these things. That’s because serving others is not forced for a believer its natural. They weren’t doing them to earn salvation but they where doing them because they had salvation. Christ response was “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”

We also must be careful how we treat others that we don’t know. You never know who you could be helping. Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it”. Paul makes it pretty clear that serving others is a way of serving Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

I thought it would be great to end today’s blog with a prayer for use all. If we are not careful we all could fall into the category of not exemplifying Christ in our actions.

Father we ask that you would make us more sensitive to the opportunities we have to help others. Help us not to be selfish in our serving. For you gave your son willingly to come and die for our sins. We ask that his life would be a light for us as servants. As your son said in Matthew 20:28 “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. So we ask that you would help us to give of ourselves to help those in need. We thank you for providing all that we need, and we ask that you put in our hearts the willingness to want to help people. We ask this in your Sons name Jesus Christ Amen.

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“Hope in Heaven”

So many unbelievers have questions about Heaven. Questions such as, where is Heaven? Is Heaven a real place? What is Heaven like? My question to the believer is, are you prepared to help an unbeliever understand this place we call Heaven.

Heaven is a place that we as believers put all of our hope. But if you were to ask some Christian to take you in the Bible where it speaks about this place they would have no clue where to go. I believe it’s important for use to know what the Word says about this place we will spend eternity, after all we will be there a very long time :-). In this short but much needed blog concerning Heaven, it is my hope to help us understand Heaven a little bit better.

There are tons of scriptures that can help us to understand Heaven. In the New Testament alone, the word “Heaven” is found 276 times.

Most of us know heaven as the place of “No Mores”. Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." But there is so much more to Heaven then what he will do for us. Let’s see what we will do for Him. Revelation 22:3 “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him”. Isn’t that a great thought, we will be able to Worship God without the curse of sin! There won’t be anything to cloud our vision, we will for the first time be able to see God face to face. 1 Corinthians 13:12 “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Anyone that tells you they have seen Gods face is not telling the truth. Not even Moses was granted access to see Gods face, only his back. Exodus 33:20 "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" So I find great joy in knowing that one day I will see God face to face.

Not only will we be able to see God face to face, we will also be able to behold this beautiful place that he dwells. I can’t even imagine how beautiful Heaven will be. Revelation Chapter 21 does a great job explaining what heaven will look like, but even after reading it I can’t imagine its beauty. I mean seriously there will be no sun or the moon to shine on it, God will give off its light. And there is no temple in Heaven because God the father and his Son Jesus Christ are its temples. There will also be twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates, I hope Archangel Michael is at my gate I will be starstruck :-).

So I ask you, have you secured the hottest ticket in town? As Toby Mac said do you have your ticket to ride to the other side? Well there is only one way to get a ticket, and that is by believing in Christ Jesus. John 14:6 “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. I want to see all of you in Heaven, there is still room! So I beg you, give your life to Christ, if you haven’t all ready!

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"Idolatry, Idolatry, Idolatry"

Last week we spent a few minutes talking about the sin of pride. This week I really want to spend some time talking about another sin that goes unnoticed and that is idolatry. The definition of Idolatry is the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.

The scriptures are adamantly against idolatry, and the reason is because it simply puts something else in the place of our God. Since the beginning, God’s covenant with Israel was based on worshiping Him and Him Alone. Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me”. God’s holiness is so powerful that he doesn’t even want us saying the names of false gods. Exodus 23:13 “Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips”. We must be careful that we respect and reverence our Holy God at all times. Unfortunately the Old Testament shows us time after time of how the Israelites went back worshipping false gods. They were stuck in a pattern of idol worship, punishment, restoration and forgiveness, followed by a return to idolatry, and the cycle would start back over.

The most prevalent form of idolatry in Bible times was the worship of images and statues. We must ask ourselves how idolatry plays out in modern times. Well most people do not bow physically before a statue. It is my experience that idolatry is a matter of the heart. It’s shown when we succumb to Pride, self-centeredness, greed, materialism, gluttony, and dependence on a man or woman (Boo Lovin).

We could spend hours on this topic but because of time I want to focus on two of these forms of idolatry. “Materialism” and “Gluttony”!

Worshiping materialistic stuff is a very common form of idolatry. People want the newest items, clothes, gadget, cars, homes, and not to mention all of the stuff that goes in a home. My wife and I just purchased our first house and in purchasing the house we realized that we needed stuff to go in the house. So we bought a flat screen and a few pieces of furniture and quickly realized that our rush to fill the house could become a form of idolatry. My wife said to me one night going to bed we have spent a lot of money on stuff but have we helped anyone else? This question rung in my spirit for the whole week. When you worship materials it keeps the focus on you and not God. Indulging in our materialistic desires is Satan’s trap to keep our focus on ourselves.

Now let us talk about a less noticeable form of idolatry called Gluttony. This is a form of idolatry that I struggle with. Anyone that knows me knows I love to EAT, but if we are going to line ourselves up with the Word of God, then gluttony is not acceptable. Gluttony is simply a desire to consume more than that which one requires. Gluttony is one of those sins that I have ignored for years and I’m sure many others have also. We are often quick to label smoking and drinking as sins, but for some reason gluttony is accepted or at least tolerated. We must view gluttony as a habit that must be broken. If we are unable to control our eating habits, we are probably also unable to control other habits. Did you know Proverbs 23:2 says “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony?” That’s one of those scriptures that makes you scratch your head. I heard someone say the other day that people that give in to gluttony dig them selves a grave with there teeth. The bottom line is nothing should control us but our Father in Heaven.

So as we are ending today’s blog I encourage you to pray that God would reveal the areas where other things are before God. Our hearts and minds must be centered on God and on others. This is why when asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” Matt 22:7. When we love the Lord and others with everything that is in us, there will be no room in our hearts for idolatry.

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"Pride, Pride, Pride"

Pride is one of those sins that gets overlooked by Christians. But we can not overlook something that the scriptures are so strongly against. In today’s blog I want to point out how God feels about pride. Throughout Scripture we are told about the consequences of pride. Proverbs 16:18–19 says “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud”.

Pride is giving ourselves the credit for something that God has accomplished. It’s important to know that anything we accomplished would not have been possible had it not been for God enabling us to do it. Pride normally says look at me and not God. Psalm 10:4 “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God”. Pride has no room for God only self-glorification.

Pride separates us from our Father; let’s remember Satan was cast out of heaven because of pride. (Check Out Isaiah 14:12–15). Pride is something I try my best to be aware of. There are times when I have to rebuke myself for thinking I have done things on my own. Unfortunately I am not alone in this battle against pride, many Christian have some form of pride and don't know it. My hope is that you become aware of the areas where you have taking the credit for what only God can do.

Pride is a false reality that makes us think we are good people, and because we are so good we deserve God to bless us. When the truth is God is not pleased with our lack of humility. Thomas Merton said Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.

There are four things I do to keep pride from entering my heart again.

1. I pray for forgiveness of the sin of Pride: This is something I must pray on a continual basis. I know some of you have this area under control but if you’re like me you have to ask everyday for forgiveness. (Pride is sneaky and constantly wants to creep in)

2. Say to yourself everyday “It’s not about me”: This is a great way to get the focus off of YOU. Unfortunately we live in a society that promotes us to think of ourselves and not others, we must fight against the plague of selfishness.

3. Memorize Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

4. Ask God for a spirit of Humility & Gratitude: This one is simple, pray that you are humble and grateful. The book of James has a great scripture on humility. James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”

So as we closed today’s blog my hope is that we replace Pride with Humility. Gods loves every one of us the exact same. He doesn’t love me anymore then he loves the crack head on the corner. Its time for us to do away with our pride and watch how our relationship with God takes off.

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"God Isn’t Fair"

The title may seem a bit much, but unfortunately I have heard many people say this. The truth of the matter is God is NOT fair, and we should be so grateful that he isn’t. Fairness would mean that everyone got exactly as he or she deserved. I want you to think about some of the trifling things you have done in your life. Are you thinking? Now think what would happen if God gave you what you deserved?

If God were completely fair, we would all spend eternity in hell paying for our sin, which is exactly what we deserve. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and are therefore worthy of eternal death. Romans 6:23” For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Fairness would mean we would end up in the lake of fire according to Revelation 20.

So fortunately for us, God is not fair, instead He is merciful and good, so He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” All we have to do is believe in Him (Jesus) and we will be saved, forgiven, and receive eternal life.

The only people that will receive the punishment they deserve are the people that don’t believe in who God sent, which is Christ Jesus. John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” So as you see those who believe are receiving far more, and much better, than what they deserve.

So the next time someone debates with you over whether or not God is fair, let them know that he is absolutely not fair. But he is gracious, merciful, and forgiving by sending his Son Jesus Christ and that is better then him being fair any day!

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“Daddy Can I Drive?”

This is the question my 7 year old son asked me this morning on our way to school. My reply to him was “One day just not today”. The truth is I hate driving and would love for him to drive, and it’s my hope that one day he will be able to drive.

Its amazing how something as natural as driving can be so dangerous if you’re prematurely pushed into it. One day I expect him to get his license and prayerfully a car and then on the road he will go. But at 7, if he is put behind the wheel he would probably crash the car.

This is the same way our Father in heaven works. There are things that he wants for his children but we may not be spiritually ready for it. Our job is to have patience and grow in the area God wills for us. Hebrews 10:36 says “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

In 1 Samuel 16, David is anointed to be King. After David was anointed, he went back to tending the sheep for his father. What do you think kept David from running ahead and going to the palace and demanding to be king now? He was willing to wait on God’s timing. David knew that things were in God’s hands, and he knew that God’s timing is always right. We have seen in this story that David was obedient in trusting God even when he didn’t know how God would work out the details.

If God was to put some of us behind the wheel right now we would probably be like my 7 year old son and crash, potentially hurting ourselves. In many cases, people are just like my son and have a strong desire to want to mature too quickly, but as Christian we have to learn how to wait on Gods timing. Just because we have a strong desire doesn't change Gods will or his timing. Everything he does is perfect! Eccl 3:11 says “He has made everything beautiful in its time”. You will never be able to appreciate things that come quickly. But things that take time and effort you will appreciate that and be grateful for.

It is my hope that as we close today’s blog you will examine the areas you may be rushing God in and then slow down. Instead of rushing God we should find ourselves continually praying and seeking him for patience. Romans 12:12, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”.

“Fruitful”

If I were to ask you what makes a person fruitful most people would say having homes, cars, jobs, and money in the bank. Having things of this nature is definitely a way to look at being fruitful. However, in today’s blog I want to look at fruitful people through a different lens. The word fruit, or a variation of it is used fifty-five times in the New Testament and refers to a variation of results. I want to talk about one of these variations, and that is by gauging fruitfulness by how many people you bring to Christ.

Fruit for a believer should be the gaining or converting of another believer. In 1 Corinthians 16:15, Paul refers to the first converts in Achaia as the “First fruits of Achaia”. Although this way of thinking about fruit is uncommon it is still biblical. Jesus said in John 15:8 “This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Being a fruitful disciple is contingent on how many souls accept Christ as their personal Saviour. This passage of scripture has nothing to do with money but all to do with connecting people to the “True Vine” which is Jesus Christ.

When we bear fruit it pleases God. Colossians 1:10 says, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work”. If you are a person that looks to honor God in every area of your life, converting unbelievers is a major way to honor our Father.

As Christians we should have such urgency within us to tell all we know about Christ, Why?Because he is the only way to Heaven according to John 14:6. That urgency should burn within us every time we walk in a Mall, down the street or in a gym. If you want to learn more about witnessing to unbelievers there is plenty of material out there, but the best material to read is the Bible. The book of Acts is a great place to start reading about unbelievers becoming believers.

As I was studying some of the conversions in the Bible I begin to ask myself this question. Am I being fruitful? And I must be 100% honest, I'm not feeling very fruitful. As Christians we have a lot of work to do. There are so many people that don’t know about Christ. I pray that you will read this blog and begin to look at your own life. I will leave you with this simple question. How many people have you told about Jesus just this year alone? If your answer is none, LET’S GET TO WORK!

"Christian Persecution"

Salvation doesn't excuse Christians from persecution on earth. It is my experience that many Christian don’t understand the purpose of persecution. Persecution plays a major role in our walk with Christ. We tend to equate anything good with Gods Will but anything that hurts us we say it’s the devil. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12 says “In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. Notice that scripture does not say we might be persecuted it says we WILL be.

As faithful Christians, we must learn to recognize the value of persecution and even to rejoice in it. Persecution allows us to share in a unique fellowship with our Lord and Savior. I love what Paul says in his letter to the Philippians. Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”. It’s amazing how we all say we want to be like Jesus and even wear WWJD bracelets yet none of us want to suffer with him. If you really want to know what Jesus would do he would do like the scriptures says in 2 Timothy 2:3 “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus”.

As Christians we need to get to the place where we realize that persecution is good for us. James 1:2–4 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Just as steel is shaped in the fire, so is a Christian’s character.

Trust me I realize that going through trials can be a tremendous challenge, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us and the wonderful example of the Lord to encourage us. 1 Peter 2:23 says “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” There is no better example to have then Jesus Christ who was insulted, beat, and murdered yet he made no retaliation. Let's not get it twisted Jesus could have retaliated if he wanted to, but our King choose to lay down his life. John 10:18 says “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

As I close today’s blog I pray that you read this and begin to rejoice in whatever you’re going through. Hardship makes you constantly rely on Christ. I pray that you find Peace, Joy, and Strength in your situation. I'll leave you with a scripture from Philippians 4:11 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”