January 13, 2015

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

From the CBN website comes this moving story which helps unmask some of the lies behind abortion. This heinous practice is based on lies because it is motivated by the Liar who comes to steal, kill and destroy.

“I was scared. I asked them if it’d hurt and they’d say, ‘Just relax.’ I remember they have a lot of people waiting. They don’t have a lot of time so it’s kinda like, you got to get this over with and get you out.”

Michelle Sprawl was just 14, and abortion was her choice. In the beginning, her relationship with her new boyfriend seemed like a dream.

“I really flourished in that,” says Michelle “I really wanted to be with him all the time. I wanted the attention and the affection.

“We really were planning to get married, but I never made up my mind that I wasn’t going to have sex. So then when you’re into that situation you just kinda go with the flow -- whatever happens, which was what happened with me.”

When Michelle found out she was pregnant, she went to a girlfriend for some advice…

“I said, ‘An abortion?’ And she said, ‘Yeah. It’s just a simple procedure. You go in and out, and it’s like you’re never pregnant.’ I said, ‘How do you know?’ And she said, ‘Because I had one,’ and she started naming people that I knew.

Michelle’s parents drove her to the abortion clinic. Things were plenty tense already, then protestors came banging on their car.

Michelle knew she was doing something wrong. “I felt like I needed to have the abortion. So no matter what, this is what I had to do. I’d have to just deal with the rest of it later.”

The worst part was still to come …

“I do remember the sound of the suctioning machine,” she says. “I was crying. Then the nurse came to me. The doctor told her to calm me down. So she came over and said, ‘You were woman enough to have sex. You’re woman enough to take this. You need to stop that crying.’

“It was a major turning point in my life. I felt a huge, huge loss. I knew immediately after the abortion that that was my baby. I was angry at myself. I was angry at him for getting me pregnant. I was angry at my parents for not talking to me more about sex. I was angry at the doctor for treating me that way. I was angry at God because I had asked Him, ‘Please, don’t let me get pregnant.’”

Michelle tried several methods to escape her guilt and anger…

“It just got worse because I was on the birth control pill, I was drinking, smoking dope, taking pills… I didn’t care.”

And that continued for seven years. Then came an unexpected bend in the road.

“At 21 years old the guy I was dating took me to church,” she says. “I hear the gospel for the first time, and I start hearing that God loves me the way that I am. I start hearing positive things and not just condemning things about sins.

“When I prayed and asked God, truly from my heart, for repentance. I asked Him to forgive me for the abortion, for all my sins, to come into my heart, and be my Savior. At that moment, I just felt God wrap His arms around me and say, ‘Michelle, I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, and it does not matter to me what anyone else thinks about you.’”

A few years later Michelle married, and in time had a baby. But she still hadn’t dealt with her “baggage.” So she started really studying the Bible like never before.

“God walked me through the process of dealing with the anger, the unforgiveness, the depression, and then finally accepting His forgiveness and knowing that I’m healed.”

For years Michelle has been counseling women at crisis pregnancy centers, helping them see what’s true about abortion and what’s not.

The mistruth about abortion? Michelle says, “That abortion is safe. Abortion is just a ‘simple procedure.’ You’re in and out like having your tonsils taken out. That it’s not painful. That there are really minor complications, if any. Another lie that women might believe is that there’s no psychological consequences, emotionally, physically, spiritually. God has just put a calling on my life that everything that Satan had used for evil God was going to take it and turn it into something amazing and beautiful like Jesus."

Something to ponder as we head toward Sanctity of Life Sunday.

January 12, 2015

"LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, or I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, or I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant."  Psalm 143

Do you pray just to get an answer?

Would you still pray if you didn't get prayers answered?

Why do you pray?

Have you ever thought about it?

You don't get everything you ask from your spouse but you don't stop talking to them, do you? You have no hope for a continuing relationship if you stop communicating.

Someone has said there are two primary reasons for prayer. One reason for prayer is to know the will of God and the second is for grace to do His will. 

The Psalms are filled with passionate prayers. One of those is found in our text, the 143rd Psalm. If you want to have a passionate spiritual relationship with God you must understand prayer. And if you believe that the main reason for prayer is what you can get out of Him, you are missing the better half of prayer. Prayer is also about what God wants to put into you!

Prayer connects you with God allowing you to communicate with Him. Communicating with God brings contentment. Communicating with God means you learn to listen to Him. Listening to God helps you get to know Him and learn to love Him. Connecting and communicating are extremely important to your spiritual health and growth.

Prayer allows you to confess your sins to God and that brings you peace. Peace is evidence that God has heard your confession and lifted your guilt.

When you pray you can contemplate His Word and His works, and His wonders. Meditating on God stretches your mind, expands your spirit, and encourages your heart. Contemplating how much He loves you and how powerful He is and how imperfect and needy you are.

Praying develops conviction within you. As you connect and communicate with God and when you spend regular time contemplating His goodness He will become increasingly more real to you and your faith will strengthen and grow.

Character will develop within you - His Character - as you devote time to praying His Spirit will begin shaping your Spirit. Your thinking will begin to be shaped by His Spirit as you commune with Him and contemplate His word.

So, you see, there are plenty of good reasons to pray to God beyond getting answers to your prayers. We have mentioned five or six of those.There are more reasons but these are certainly good enough!

Prayer is a powerful tool. It can be hard work but it is incredibly worthwhile. Even if you never got what you really wanted and requested from God, you discover all the joys of living in an intimate spiritual realtionship with the eternal God of the universe! Worry less about what you can get out of prayer and rejoice about what it can put in you!

January 11, 2015

"Then He said to them all: "If anyone would come after me......." Luke 9:23a

I am so encouraged to read the call of Jesus to those who would desire to be disciples!

Notice whom He addresses:

"He said to them ALL".

"If anyone will......"

Anyone can be a follower of Jesus Christ. You don't have to be wealthy or well educated or well adjusted. You just have to be willing! Consider this story from Brooklyn Tabernacle, a great church in metropolitan New York City:

Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people. As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.” He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty- hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.” I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.” I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!” Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell. Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford. A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” We can get so full of ourselves.

The call to discipleship is to "all" or to "anyone who will". That means even people like David can follow Jesus! Or, people like you and me.

January 10, 2015

"Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" Proverbs 1:20-22

If wisdom was easy, just about everyone would be wise!

Wisdom demands that you choose wisdom by asking at every impulse, every invitation and every opportunity, "in light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"

Once you ask the question you must act upon the clarity you receive from the answer.

These verses in Proverbs expose three types who opt not to choose wisdom. There are the simple and there are the mockers and there are the fools.

I will have a lot to say about each of those types tomorrow in my message.

One of things that makes it difficult to live wisely is the number of simple people, fools and mockers who opt out of living wisely. And the closer your relationship and interaction with the simple, the fools and the mockers the more difficult it can be to ask and act on the question, "What is the wise thing for me to do?"

The simple lack wisdom primarily because they are inexperienced at life. They haven't learned which questions to ask in order to get the answers they need. But the poor choices they make in their inexperience can complicate decision-making for others who care about them.

Fools lack wisdom because they don't care to have it. They want to do what gives them pleasure and care not for the consequences. Despite knowing the wise thing to do they simply choose to do what they want to do. When they blow up their lives with their careless and reckless choices they create collateral damage.

Simple people lack wisdom because they are inexperienced and foolish people lack wisdom because they reject it, but the mocker not only rejects wisdom but will ridicule those who seek wisdom. Mockers are arrogant enough to believe they are already smarter than everyone else. Mockers try to control their world and everyone in it through criticism and cynicism. It is nearly impossible to reach a mocker or have a meaningful relationship with them.

In a world complicated by the poor decisions of the simple, the recklessness of fools and the opposition of mockers, what are the wise to do?

Ask it!

In light of my past experience, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams what is the wise thing for me to do?

And act on it!

January 9, 2015

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." Ephesians 5:15-17

Have you asked the question this week?

What question?

The question that answers just about anything! The question that could have saved you from your greatest regret! The question that can keep you from future heartache or regret!

"In light of my past experience, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"

Have you asked it?

I wonder what would have happened if in those moments before Lucifer spoke the first evil words ever uttered, "I will be like the Most High!", he would have paused to ask, "In light of my past experience, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams what is the wise thing for me to do?" Do you think the outcome might have been better for all of us?

Do think Lucifer may have had a few regrets about that moment? If not, he will!

What if Adam and Even had taken a second to ask it before they stared too long at the forbidden fruit? Do you think Paradise may have been preserved?

Can you imagine the regret Adam and Eve had to bear after their unwise selfish decision? You and I regret it and we weren't even there!

Imagine King David standing on his rooftop one evening staring across at a beautiful woman bathing on a nearby roof top. What if just before he sent his servants to bring the woman to him he would have asked, "In light of my past experience, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?" What do you think the chances are that David would have sent his servants?

Judas Iscariot is meeting with the High Priest and several of his cohorts discussing the betrayal of the Master, Jesus of Nazareth. What if right after they offered him the thirty pieces of silver Judas would have asked the question? "In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?" What are the chances he would have taken the deal?

What if just before the worst regret in your life became the worst regret in your life you would have asked the question? You very well could have saved yourself a broken heart.

I hope you get the point. If so, you will ask the question, "In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"

Ask it!

Act on it!

January 8, 2015

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

Can you be wise and not be a Christian?

Not according to God's Word. I'm sure that will offend people but truth often does that.

Can you be a Christian and not be wise?

I think the vast counsel of God's Word would say, "No you can't."

I know that will offend some people! 

I am not saying Christians can't make occasional unwise decisions, but I am saying that Godly wisdom is the standard to which His people are called.

Wisdom always factors God Word into every decision, "What does God's Word say about this?" is what every Christian is expected to ask.

Wisdom is impossible apart from the Word of God.

Wisdom also factors the will of God into every decision. "What pleases God in this decision? What does God want me to do?" is what every Christian is expected to ask.

Wisdom is impossible apart from knowing God's will.

Wisdom also factor's God's way into every decision. "What is consistent with God's character in this decision?" is what every Christian is supposed to ask.

Wisdom is not independent from a relationship with God through Christ. Wisdom is absolute dependence on God through Christ.

Wisdom is not incidental to a relationship with God through Christ. Wisdom is integral to a relationship with God through Christ as a relationship with Christ through God is integral to wisdom.

Wisdom is the fear of making a decision without God!  

January 7, 2015

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21-22

The barnyard animals loved their farmer. He had taken good care of them for many years and made their lives very pleasant. He loved them and in their animal way, they loved him.

One day they were discussing how blessed they were to be owned by such a kind and generous man. It was decided they would honor him to show their appreciation. They all readily agreed and began to brainstorm on the best way to communicate their appreciation for him.

Finally they came upon an idea that pleased them all. Since the farmer arose early every morning to do his chores they knew that he loved eating a good hearty breakfast. So, to thank him they thought they would prepare a breakfast in his honor.

"How shall we do it?" one of them asked.

"Well," said the hen, "I will gladly contribute a half dozen of my delicious eggs!"

"Great idea!" said the cow, "I will give milk for him to drink and cream for Him to make butter for his biscuits."

The hog was strangely silent. The hen and the cow looked at him indignantly and the hen challenged, "Hey, hog! I am giving eggs for our farmer's breakfast and the cow is gladly contributing her milk. How about if you donate some ham and bacon!"

This simple silly story about the barnyard animals illustrates the difference between involvement and commitment. The hen and the cow were willing to be involved but the hog would be committed. They would be giving from themselves but he would be giving himself. That is a big difference! That is commitment! Involvement costs you something - but commitment costs you everything!"

Paul in saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" is saying, "I am committed not just involved!"

How do we know that he is committed? We know because he is willing to die. He was willing to pay the cost. Paul loved God more than He loved life itself.

What about you? Are you involved or are you committed? How do you know? How would others know? How would God know? What price are you willing to pay? Do you love God more than you love your own life?