Saturday, June 30, 2012

July 1, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will proclaim the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Psalm 2

My last post I shared what freedom isn't. Freedom isn't a matter of having total control. Those who are driven by a desire to have absolute control usually end up out of control.

According to verses 4-6, freedom is found in God Who IS in total control! He is freedom and He instructed the Founders in establishing a free nation and protecting it.

God stands above the rule of man and is not threatened by men who build great armies or possess great power. He chuckles at them. Their arrogance amuses Him.

Romans 13 reminds us that God sets all rulers in place to accomplish His purposes. So, those who vainly challenge Him or curse Him are no threat to Him. They usually end up as victims of their own attempts to oppose Him.

Beginning with Lucifer, and then Adam and Eve, then the Pharaoh and down to the Hitlers, Stalins, Moas, and Castros of the world - many have tried to eliminate God from the earth only to be brought down by their own evil designs.

To find freedom is to lose yourself in God because freedom is primarily a spiritual matter.

Presidents or kings or prime ministers don't give you freedom, because freedom doesn't come from political parties or governments. None of them can rescue you from your spiritual bondange. Only God can do that.

The truth is, there are millions of people in the freest nation in the world who are bound up in sin. And there are those in China and Russia and North Korea who know the freedom of being children of God.

That brings us to the third important fact about freedom found in verses 7-12, freedom happens when you give control to God!

The fundamental freedom when have is this - the freedom to choose who we will serve!

Jesus gave up His freedom and took your bondage in order to make that freedom of choice possible for you!

God, Who is in charge of time and eternity, gave His Son in order to purchase your spiritual freedom. He chose to pay a HUGE price in order to allow you to that choice.

If you are yet to make that choice, think about this. Think about what it is like when God has absolute control over everyone and everything. What would that place be like?

Does the word "Eden" mean anything to you? How about the word "Heaven"?

And then think about another place where God is not allowed and there is continual rebellion against Him. How would a place like that be?

Maybe, "Hell"?

Freedom isn't free and it isn't easy. It will cost you something and it cost Him EVERYTHING! But think about your other option. Think about spending the rest of this life in the spiritual bondage of rebellion against God and then going to eternal bondage when you die.

The Psalmist knew and the Founders knew what freedom isn't - being in total control. They knew what freedom is, a spiritual matter. And they knew when freedom happens, when you give control to God.

Have you found freedom or are you still bound up in tyring to control everything?



June 30, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will proclaim the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."  Psalm 2

Psalm 2 gives great insights into freedom, that is why I titled my message for this Sunday "Freedom 101".

First, in verses 1-3, we see what freedom isn't.

Freedom isn't being in total control.
 
Reading the Founders makes it clear they understood one of the greatest obstactles to freedom is the false notions of freedom that arise from the corrupted heart and clouded minds of humans.

The Founding Fathers understood the fallen nature of man and the rebellion that led to that fall. They were very aware they would have to build a system of checks and balances as safeguards against the lust for power and control.

Ingeniously, they came up with three co-equal branches of government and a written Constitution to which they were to constrain themselves. They also designed a republic rather than a pure democracy. It was safer to have have 535 elected officials deciding policy rather than a simple majority of individual citizens. In a democracy, if there are 100,000,000 voters and 50,000,001 of them decide that homosexual marriage should be the law of the land, it would become the law of the land.

Also, they had the foresight to limit the terms of service for elected officials. Presidents serve 4 years, senators who serve 6 years, and representatives who have a 2 year term.

Guided by Divine wisdom, our Founders knew what the Psalmist declares in this Second Psalm, those who are driven by a lust for power and control will end up abusing power and out of control.

As you take time to reflect on your blessings as an American, be sure and thank God for the Founders who so carefully and humbly built this great government.

And, while you are searching your heart, ask the Spirit to reveal any area that is not under His control and surrender it to Him.



Thursday, June 28, 2012

June 29, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. I will proclaim the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Psalm 2

 
I wish there was a more positive way to greet you today but the tragic truth is we woke up this morning in post-Constitutional America, thanks to the misjudgment of the Supreme Court of the land. You and I are significantly less free than we were just 24 hours ago. The Health-Care ruling combined with the ruling against the Arizona Immigration Law, we have crossed the border from America to Ameritopia. Constitutional law was weakened and lawlessness further encouraged.
The ruling upholding the healthcare law handed the Federal Government more power than it has ever had over the lives of individual Americans – you and me. And, thanks to this ruling, the IRS will be the enforcement agency charged with making sure you comply with this new law. Oh joy!
Ironically, I purchased pocket-sized copies of the Constitution to hand out to you Sunday. I will still give them to you so you can read them and become more aware of just how bad these rulings were. Today was a victory for a larger more powerful intrusive government and a big loss for those who believe in interpreting the Constitution according to original intent.
Lest you think I am unsympathetic toward those who have health-care needs and will benefit from this ruling, I assure you I am sympathetic. In fact, it is precisely because I care about people and have given my adult life to serving them that I grieve over this Healthcare ruling. Whatever short-term benefit might be gained by those folks, will be a long-term destruction of the quality of healthcare and the freedom to make decisions about your own healthcare interests.
This healthcare law is not really about healthcare. It is primarily about giving the government massive new amounts of power over our lives. Now that they have control over your health they have control over your life because they now have power to control your behavior.
How?
Most of the things you do can somehow be linked to your health – what you eat, what you don’t eat, how much you sleep, how much you don’t sleep, how much you weigh, how much exercise you get or don’t get, how you drive, and how you raise your children – for example.
Fortunately, the Founding Fathers are dead or this would have put them in their graves. This is the very scenario the Founders envisioned when they wrote the Constitution to protect the God-given rights of the American citizens against their government.
If you have not been politically active or if you have not been well informed in political issues going into this election cycle, now is the time to jump in with both feet. This approaching election was already the most important one in our lives. Now it becomes absolutely crucial as our last hope to get rid of this dangerous expansion of government power.
Here are some excellent websites to find factual news and information from a conservative perspective:
 
TheBlaze.com
Newsmax.com
Thedrudgereport.com
Onenewsnow.com
Freedomworks.com
Hannity.com
Rushlimbaugh.com
Heritage.org
Wallbuilders.com

There is one thing left to do if you are concerned with this very questionable ruling by SCOTUS - do your best to make sure conservatives win the White House, the Senate and add to their majority in the House.

1) Make sure you are informed on the issues.
2) Make sure you are registered to vote.
3) Make sure all your families and friends are registered to vote.
4) Go to Freedomworks.com and see how you can help organize a grassroots network to help elect conservatives.
5) Pray daily for our nation and the election




 
 
 
 

June 28, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains  and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs;  the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,  “I have installed my king  on Zion, my holy mountain.  I will proclaim the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my son;  today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,  the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.  "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear  and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."  Psalm 2

American exceptionalism is a concept that has become despised by many nowadays, and our nation is suffering because of it. The ideas behind American exceptionalism come directly from the Word of God. Perhaps that is why they are under assault.

Psalms 2 gives a cogent presentation of these principals that our Founders understood and built into the fabric of the design and documents which formed our Republic.

If you think about it, Psalms 1 gives the idealism of a perfect society while Psalms 2 shows the realism of the world. The great notion of the Founding Fathers that lead to the establishment of a new nation built on a system that would build Psalm 1 ideals into the Psalm 2 reality.

Here is that notion expressed in their own words:

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."  John Adams

"I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth--that God Governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?"   Benjamin Franklin

"Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants." Benjamin Franklin

"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure (and) which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence

"It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains." Patrick Henry

"It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position.”   George Washington

What's obvious is that the first thing exceptional about America was our Founders who dared to fight for the right to establish a new nation on this idealistic notion that a people who are lawless and rebellious by nature, could live in peace and prosperity and freedom under the rule of law!  Inspired by that ideal, guided by the truths of the Book that inspired it, and strengthened by the God Who wrote that Book, they did indeed create One Nation Under God!

The  question is, "Can we sustain it?"




June 27, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,“Let us break their chains  and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs;  the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king  on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son;  today I have your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,  the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Psalm 2

I wonder if the Founding Fathers were well acquainted with Psalm 2. When you consider how they crafted the Founding Documents and how they structured the government you have to think they did.

The more I read about these amazingly wise and devout men, the more impressive they become to me. One of the reasons they were able to craft the documents and design for a government that stood guard over the rise to the wealthiest, most powerful and free nation that ever graced the Earth.

They were able to build a great and free nation because they understood what freedom is and what it isn't.

What freedom isn't is freedom from authority - "The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed"

Something in the human heart yearns to be free. That is part of the image God built into the human psyche.

But the corrupt and fallen human mind fancies freedom as the ability to have total control over your own life. Like the fallen Angel, Lucifer, we "want to be like God" - large and in charge". He wasn't satisfied in his exalted position and wanted to be in charge.

He is the author of rebellion and spread his madness into the human race by way of Adam and Eve.

What freedom isn't is freedom from accountability - "Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

This false and fanciful notion of freedom has afflicted humanity for centuries. It is one of the reasons that in 4,000 years of recorded history there have only been about 250-300 years of peace.

Essentially, rebellion is driven by the perverted desire to be free from the consequences of our actions. Of course, that is ridiculous! If nothing else, the results of your decisions and actions come back on you! If you abuse your body you will suffer from that. If you try to control and bully other people you will eventually meet someone bigger and stronger than you and suffer from that.

But nevertheless, people still buy into it by the millions.

Let me illustrate the foolishness of this false notion of freedom. Suppose I go to the edge of the Grand Canyon and declare myself free from the law of gravity. Two seconds after leaping, I will realize I was wrong and will have a few more seconds to ponder the consequences of that dumb decision.

If you cannot free yourself from accountability to natural laws, how do you think you can escape your accountability to God? And you will suffer the consequences of an attempts to do so.

The Bible says that, "Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

Rebellion against God has never successed and never will! You will suffer the consequences physically, emotional, spiritually and eternally! Attempting to be free from God will result in a life of bondage under the tyranny of sin.

Deal with the rebellion in your heart. It is no small matter.



 

 

Monday, June 25, 2012

June 26, 2012

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains  and throw off their shackles.”  The One enthroned in heaven laughs;  the Lord scoffs at them.  He rebukes them in his anger  and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king  on Zion, my holy mountain.  I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son;  today have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,  the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. "Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear  and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."  Psalm 2

Reading this ancient Psalm sounds similar to a modern newspaper headline.It seems more things change the more they stay the same. Perhaps history repeats itself because human nature remains the same - AND - so does God's!

That is really the theme of the 2nd Psalm which will be the text for my 4th of July message this Sunday. I want you to notice three things that haven't changed over the centuries since this was written.

Man has a rebellious nature that rages against God.

"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." Isaiah 64:6

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23

That was true then and it is true now! It is true of you and it is true of me. This is exactly why we need to be saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit.

God reigns over the affairs of men

The Bible is full of examples where arrogant and rebellious men have risen against God and all of them have been destroyed.

Even when kings and rulers and kingdoms and countries have ruled ruthlessly on the earth, none of them have threatened God in the least.

God sets them in place like chess pieces and each time they move themselves into checkmate.

Let me just give you two familiar examples to illustrate my point:

1) The Tower of Babel

The tribes of the earth came together to build a tower in defiance of God. While we are not exactly sure of the nature of the tower but the purpose was to challenge God.

We know how that turned out! God confused their languages and the tower never was finished.

2) The Flood

Even after God foiled the plan for the tower, men still became increasingly more evil. The evil became so rampant and repulsive to God He could no longer bear it. As much as God loves man He also hates sin so He finally decided He had to destroy the whole human race by way of a flood.

Because of His righteousness, Noah was the only one who would be allowed to survive and save his family.

With the rapid rise of world-wide unrest, the demise of the rule of law, and the economies about to collapse you can't help but sense that judgment is on its way again.

This world is becoming dangerous and it is easy to despair, but be reminded - GOD REIGNS!

You can choose - rebellion against God or relationship with Him.

The Psalmist pleads, "kiss the Son". What does that mean?

It means to surrender to Him and submit to His authority. It means repent of your rebellion and accept His salvation. It means come out of your rebellion and into relationship.

Those who find relationship with God find freedom. The very thing you thought you would find by rebelling against Him you receive when you become His friend!

Is there an area of rebellion in your spirit?

Are you under the illusion you can defy God and get away with it?

Why rebel against Him when you can be in relationship with Him?

















Sunday, June 24, 2012

June 25, 2012

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8

This is the last post I will do on change for awhile.

Yes, you could say that I am going to "change" the subject.

While you and I deal with change constantly, God never changes.

Change is a way of life for us, but He have never changed. Hebrews 13:8 says He never will.

While God sends circumstances, pain and pressure to cause us to change He is unchangeable.

Does that seem right?

There is a very good reason why we regularly are challenged with change and God isn't. God is perfect and you're not.

How can you improve on perfect? It can't be done!

The concept of perfect means flawless and complete. Perfect means pure.God always has been and always will be perfect. He can't get better and He won't diminish so there is no need for Him to change.

God's desire is to shape you and change you to be more like Him! He wants to perfect you to resemble the image of Christ. That requires a lot of changes!

So, how does this affect your understanding of change? How does it affect your attitude toward it?




Saturday, June 23, 2012

June 24, 2012

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  II Corinthians 5:17

There are a lot of things I would have liked to change about myself.

Growing up in Indiana where high school basketball is SO important, I wanted to be taller than I was. But I wasn't.

I wish I could have changed the amount of athleticism I possessed so I could have been quicker and faster and jumped higher. But I couldn't.

If I could have been more talented in music I would have made that change. But I couldn't.

God knew that we are capable of changing ourselves. That is precisely why He sent Jesus to change things for us!

One of the major change points in your life will be the day you understand how little you can actually change.

But change you must! I must change. Here's why:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  Romans 3:

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

You and I are born as sinners. As sinners we have separated ourselves from a holy God. That was the reason Jesus came. He came to take our sins upon Himself and die as a sacrificial offering for our sins. We deserved death because we are sinful. He deserved the best of life since He was holy.

Jesus changed His address by coming to earth. He changed form by coming as a man. And He changed from holy to sinful as He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. And the only reason He made all those changes was so He could change us.

If you will change your mind and trust Him for your salvation rather than trying to earn it yourself, everything will change! You will become a new creation in Christ! Your relationship with God will change. You will have a change of heart. Your mind will be transformed. Your eternal destination will change. Your desires and motivations will change.

One small change from you is all it takes for Him to make big changes in you!






Friday, June 22, 2012

June 23, 2012

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.  Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”  “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24

Discussions and disputes over worship go way back in time. You could even make a case that Cain killed Abel over a worship dispute, because God accepted Abel's sacrifice but not Cain's.

Jesus refused to take the bait and didn't get into a debate with her. Instead, He got to the heart of the issue and told her that worship is an issue of the heart. Worship involves "spirit and truth". The state of your heart is much more important than the style of your worship.

But, the fact is, we are creatures of comfort and we all have a style of worship that seems more comfortable to us. You could argue that is not right but you can't deny that it is how people are. There have probably been more people who have left churches over the issue of worship and music style than those who left because of doctrinal errors.

Who is to say which style is the best? Hymns, hymnals, organs and choirs or worship songs, praise bands, praise teams and powerpoint - which pleases God?

What pleases God is not the style of the worship but the spirit in which worship is done. The style of worship God prefers is sincere worship - worship where your spirit connects with God's Spirit. And the only way that your spirit can connect with the Spirit of God is if you are anchored in His truth and seeking new truth.

The goal of worship is not to look good or feel good but it is to honor a great God by celebrating His goodness in your life.

This woman who met Jesus at the well didn't let her ideas about the right way to worship to get in the way of encountering God. She was seeking truth and when she met the Truth, she put away her notions of worship and enjoyed His presence.

Because she was more open to receiving truth than preserving a tradition, her life was transformed and she was converted to a true worshipper.

Have you ever let your traditionalism or your spiritual comfort zone or personal preference keep you from truly encountering God's presence?

Will you ask God to help you understand what it means to worship Him in "spirit and in truth?"










Thursday, June 21, 2012

June 22, 2012

"Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,”  Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  John 8:1-11

Here is another powerful story of a dramatic life change.

When Jesus was here on earth He was all about life change. Now He leaves that to you and me. If you and I are going to be as effective in changing lives as He wants us to be, we must learn to understand the importance of change points - recognize them and relate to them.

Over the past few posts I have given examples of how Jesus connected with Zacchaeus and the woman at the well and offered hope and help to people when they were hurting.

In this encounter, Jesus was confronted with a woman who had been caught in adultery. The law said she would have to be stoned. I think it is fair to say she was hurting. She was hurting enough to welcome some change into her life - if she had any life left.

Jesus came to her defense and sent her accusers away in shame. When HE was alone with her He told her there was forgiveness for her if she would change her ways.

She wanted to change and once she knew that change was possible, she gladly promised to cease her sinful ways. And history records that she did.

Jesus understood that people change when they hurt enough they have to - she did. And they change when the know enough that they can change - and Jesus showed her how. And then people change when they receive enough that they can - and Jesus empowered her.

People are very resistent to change when they are not at a change point in their life. To be a change agent like Jesus, you must learn to recognize the change points in a person's life so you know when to step in to offer the spiritual transformation God provides.

Learn from Jesus. He encounter this woman when she was hurting, He gave her hope that she could change and gave her help to actually change. If you know the Scriptures, you will remember that later, after she had changed, she ministered comfort to Jesus at a moment when He was hurting.

You are called to bring life-change to a lost and dying world. Learn to recognize the change points!