March 15, 2018

"If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Storms are frightening because they are powerful, destructive and far beyond your control. As a result you feel powerless and out of control. And in fact, you are!

When you are in the midst of a storm all you want is to get out of the storm immediately or as soon as possible. You are looking for a path out of the storm.

In this verse, the Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians at Philippi offers a path to peace. Notice, he doesn't offer a path out of the storm but a path to peace while you are in the storm!

What is that path to peace you may be wondering?

It is found in the previous verse:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

A path requires steps. The steps are clearly laid out for you!

1) Choose not to be overcome by anxiety

Jesus said to his anxious disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me."

Feelings of fear or anxiety may not be a choice, but giving in to them is! Paul says, "Choose prayer over despair!"

2) In every situation choose not to be anxious

If you can choose not to give into anxiety once, you can choose not to every time! 

I've heard it said that if you do something consciously three times it becomes a habit! Worrying and fretting is a habit so why couldn't faith become a habit?

3) Choose prayer over despair

When you begin to feel anxious or fearful or out of control, choose to cast your anxiety on Christ! How? Through prayer!

How do I pray?

A simple way to remember prayer is the ACTS of prayer!

Adoration - begin by praising and worshiping God as you come into His presence

Confession - come into alignment with God by confessing the sins His Spirit convicts you of.

Thanksgiving - express gratitude to God for Who He is, for what He has done in your life, and for what He longs to do as you trust Him and allow Him His way with you!

Supplication - once you have aligned your heart, mind and spirit with God, you will know what to ask God for and how to ask Him! The key to supplication is to ask specifically! When you ask specifically you will recognize when God has answered your prayer and be encouraged!

The first step down the path to peace begins with a decision to prayer over despair!

Will you choose the path of panic or the path of prayer today?

A Perfect Storm

"If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:17

In October 1991, the “perfect storm” raged along the Atlantic coast from Canada to Puerto Rico. Damage from the storm totaled more than $200 million and killed thirteen people. That historic event prompted a Hollywood movie called "The Perfect Storm" which told about the tragic end of the vessel Andrea Gail and its crew.

If you saw the movie you have a much clearer image of how the "perfect" combination of a deep low pressure system, a torrential rain storm, and hurricane force wind that churned up killer waves were too much for a small fishing vessel to overcome. The experienced mariners could have dealt with any single one of those elements but the combination of the three overpowered their vessel. All were lost at sea.

One storm in life can make you anxious. The loss of a job. A troubling health diagnosis from your doctor. Your spouse asking for a divorce. Learning your teen is doing drugs. Losing a parent.

As heart-breaking and devastating any one of those experiences storms come in waves. You lose your job and get the bad diagnosis. Your mother dies and your teen gets arrested for shop-lifting. You total your car and your insurance had lapsed.

Your ship is taking on water and you don't see any way to keep it afloat amid the pounding waves.

And the "peace of God" will keep you calm in those storms?

Yes. Yes it will!

The peace of God IS God! He is near, remember?

He created the storms and His Son, Jesus, calmed the storms. With just a word from Jesus the storm was calmed! Remember that word? Peace was the word and peace is what happened!

He is the Perfect calm for the "perfect storm" when it comes.

Storms may be out of your control but they are never out of His control. So you need to be under His control, too.

Are you?

March 13, 2018

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Matthew 13:44

What is the kingdom of heaven and why did this man in the parable consider it worth selling everything to obtain it?

Let's take some time to think about that important question.

First, the kingdom of heaven is where ever God reigns in the hearts of believers. God reigns in those who place their faith in Him, love Him with all their heart and live in obedience to His Word.

Where God reigns there is peace and joy and justice! When God reigns there is safety and security!

So, the kingdom is where God reigns AND where there is spiritual relationship with Him through Christ. Those who live in His kingdom live according to His will in order to please Him and become like Him. Living to please God allows you to receive His love.

What you be willing to give up to live under God's reign and in relationship with Him? Tell me what could be more valuable than that?

But there is more!

In the kingdom of heaven there is righteousness! Righteousness is being right with God and trying to be right with others while making right decisions according to the Word of God.

What is the alternative to being right? It is being "not right" or wrong. When you are right you get to go to the right place when you die.

Would you rather be right or wrong? What price would you place on being right?

Why would you sell everything to purchase the kingdom of God? What is there in this kingdom that is worthy of such a high price tag?

In the kingdom there is the reign of God and there is a relationship with God and the righteousness of God!

But there is still more!

There is a reward in the kingdom of heaven! What IS that reward?

The reward is God! The reward is heaven! Heaven is being in the presence of God forever! The reward is spending forever in a righteous place with other righteous people!

Jesus told this parable to illustrate the primacy and the urgency of making sure to be in a personal saving spiritual relationship with God! The man in this story saw the value of this "pearl of great price" and considered it more valuable than everything else that he possessed.

What do you value in life? What do you hold most dear? Is it more valuable than the kingdom of heaven? What else can you obtain that when you have it you will have all that you will ever need?

March 12, 2018

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Matthew 13:44 

What determines the value of an object?

Is it what you think it is worth?

Is it what it's worth to you?

Is it what you wish someone would give you for it?

Is it what Consumer's Report says you should get for it?

Ultimately, the value of an item is determined by what someone is willing to pay you for it.

You know that from going to yard sales or from buying and selling on eBay. The market drives the value.

That is the point of this parable Jesus is telling.

What determines the value of God's kingdom?

Jesus did!

That's right! When Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross to redeem it and to redeem us, He attached the price tag to the kingdom.

If you want to enter the kingdom of God it will cost you everything! You must commit to loving God more than anything else in your life to take possession of His kingdom.

There are no discounts or mark downs or clearance sales in the kingdom of God. It is either sell out or miss out.

In sharing this parable Jesus is posting a sign that says, "Casual Christians need not apply!"

God gave His Son to purchase the kingdom and the Son gave His life.

Are you willing to sell out in order to get in?

March 11, 2018

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers." Philippians 4:6

In the best selling book "The Hiding Place", Corrie ten Boom tells a remarkable story about gratitude. During World War II, she and her sister Betsie lived in three different concentration camps. The entire ten Boom family had been arrested for providing a safe haven to Jews and Nazi rebels. It is estimated they saved 800 lives before being caught and sent away.

Corrie describes how the barracks of the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany was infested with fleas. The sisters were forced to sleep on wooden platforms with straw on top, but the straw was dirty, smelly, and crawling with the skin-biting pests. Corrie writes:

I saw up quickly and bumped my head on the platform above. "Fleas!" I jumped down to the floor. "The place is crawling with fleas!...I don't know how I can cope with living in such a terrible place!

"Corrie, I think God has already given us the answer," my sister Betsie said. "What was that verse from the Bible we read this morning?"

I pulled my Bible out from the bag I wore on a string around my neck. In the dim light, I read from I Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.' Oh, Betsie, that's too hard for a place like this!"

"No, come on, Corrie - let's try. What are we thankful for?" my sister asked.

"Well....if we must be in this awful place, I'm thankful that we're here together"....

"That's right!" Betsie's eyes dance. "And thank you, God for the fleas -"

Corrie goes on to say that the flea infestation kept the guards out of their barracks, allowing Corrie and Betsie to read the Bible aloud twice a day for any woman who wanted to hear. More and more women found the light of Christ in the darkest of places because of fleas.

There is reason to be grateful in every circumstance.

When you live out this difficult urging from the Scriptures I cannot guarantee what your outcome will be BUT I can tell you His input will be well worth it!

March 10, 2018

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers." Philippians 4:6

A grandma was very uncomfortable flying but she wanted to visit her grandchildren who lived across the country. Riding in a car or a bus for that distance wasn't a viable option for her so she reluctantly booked a flight and white-knuckled it all the way to her destination.

When her grandchildren met her at the airport they welcomed her with warm husky hugs. Then they asked her, "Grandma, now that wasn't so bad was it? After all of your worrying the plane stayed up in the air and carried you safely here, right?"

Grandma reluctantly admitted they were right but then added, "But I didn't put all my weight down on my seat!"

That's what anxiety can do to you! It can keep you stressed out and on edge all the time.

But the Apostle Paul tells the Philippians, "When you are feeling anxious put your full wait upon prayer! Settle into prayer by faith!"

When you feel like worrying tell Jesus about it in prayer!

When you find yourself anxious share it with Jesus in prayer!

When you are overcome by cares and feeling distressed throw your full weight on Jesus.

When prayer doesn't seem to be helping keep praying. 

That's what it mean to "pray about everything"!

Everything?

Everything!

So, it is up to you! 

You can worry and stress or you can pray!

Someday I'll...

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:11-13

I've never been to the Hawaiian Isles.

I haven't been to the Philippine Isles.

I've not visited the Virgin Isles.

I would love to vacation to those tropical Islands sometime!

Unfortunately, I have to admit I have spent a considerable number of days on "someday I'll".

Someday I'll? Where is that?

Someday I'll is found in your heart and in your mind and your imagination. It is the hope and wish that contentment is "out there somewhere" and SOMEDAY I'LL find it!

So, the frantic search begins.

Someday I'll find someone who will make me feel happy and fulfilled! So, you go from relationship to relationship looking for that ONE. But because you really have no idea what to look for you end up dissatisfied and disillusioned and you lose yourself in the process.

Someday I'll find the perfect career that will maximize my potential and get me the recognition I deserve. Then I will have the satisfaction and security I long for. But you refuse entry level positions and keep holding out for jobs more "worthy" of your talent. As a result, you fail to build a resume or experiences or references. You put yourself on a path to frustration and anger.

Someday I'll be the Christian I should be when I find the right church and the pastor who recognizes my spiritual gifts. But rather than settle into a local fellowship you run from church to church never knowing anyone or being known. Consequently your become more shallow and cynical.

Paul, at least following his conversion to Christianity, never spent a moment on "Someday I'll". Once He knew Christ and His grace he replaced someday I'll with already is and already have and already am!

Paul understood that contentment wasn't somewhere "out there" but it was "in Christ". It wasn't about something happening to him it was everything happening within him as he was in Christ! He learned to live in Christ in the moment!

Someday I'll is anything but a paradise. It is a dead end. It is an illusion. So, if you are living there, get off! If you are thinking about it don't go there!

Sit down right now. Begin to count your blessings. Start thinking and thanking for what you have. Worship God for His mercy, grace and goodness to you. Empty yourself of self and invite Him to fill you up!