September 7, 2018

^"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness"  II Peter 1:5a

Glenda and Robert Lennon were four miles off the coast of Florida fishing alone from their yacht. Glenda decided to take a swim and soon found the current had carried her too far out from the boat. Her husband, hearing her cries, without thinking dove in and swam to her, but then realized they were both being carried out. He was a champion swimmer, but not she. They made a plan. He would swim against the tide to keep the boat in view until the tide ceased and he could reach the boat. She should save her strength and just float with the tide and he would come and get her. He fought the tide for six hours and just as the boat was about to disappear on the horizon the tide turned and his strokes carried him to the boat exhausted. The sun had set. His searching was futile—he could not find his wife. The next day on one last effort of search, the search party found his wife—twenty miles out and still alive. It was an incredible story.

What it illustrates is this: Christians who just float never stay in the same place. Christians who disobey verses 5 - and beyond - do not apply themselves with diligence to grow and bear the fruit of faith drift into great peril. We must strive even to stand still, the tide of temptation is so strong.

Robert Lennon survived this ordeal because he made every effort to swim against the tide and stay within range of his boat. And when he had spent all of his strength to make progress against the tide - the tide shifted and carried him to his rescue!

As a result of his persistent effort to swim against the tide, not only was he rescued BUT his wife also was rescued!

When Peter urges these believers to "make every effort" to add to their faith he is encouraging them to swim against the tide - the tide of temptation, the tide of apathy, the tide of discouragement, the tide of doubt - any of which will cause them to drift from the safety and security of a relationship with Christ.

Should they be lost or set adrift they would not be able to rescue others.

How about you? Are you swimming or are you drifting? Are you making progress against the tides of opposition or are you being pulled under by them?

"Make every effort to add to your faith....."

September 6, 2018

^"For this very reason, make every effort......." II Peter1:5a

Let me ask you a question, "What sort of an effort did Jesus make for you?"

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!" Colossians 2:5-8

That sounds like He made every effort!

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." Matthew 4:1-2

Wow! That sounds like a committed effort!

"He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^"  Luke 22:41-44

That sure sounds like a total effort to me!

^"As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.  When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him."  Matthew 27:32-44

Jesus gave His all until the very end. His entire life was characterized by total effort!

"Therefore, make every effort......"

Are you making every effort to grow in grace?

How does your effort compare to His?

September 5, 2018

^"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness" II Peter 1:5a

A woman was preparing to fix a roast for a dinner party she would be hosting. Her teen-aged daughter, who was helping her, watched as her mother cut several inches off each end of the roast prior to putting it in the pan.

"Mom," the daughter asked, "Why did you cut the end of the roast off?"

"Because I always do it," Mother replied.

"But why do you do it?"

"Well, I don't know. I guess I do it because my mother always did it"

"Why don't you call grandma and asked her why she always cut the ends off her roasts," the daughter urged.

"Good Idea!" said the mother as she picked up the phone and dialed the number, "Hello, mother, it is Betty. I have a question to ask you."

"Hi, Honey! What can I do for you?" answered the grandmother.

"I am preparing a roast and I just cut an inch from each end of the roast and Jenny asked me why I did it and I said it was because you always did. Why did you do that, mom?"

"Well, Honey, that is easy! I only had an 8" pan!" she replied, "I don't know why you do it!"

It is important to understand why you do the things you do. Granted, cutting the end off a roast is not a deal-breaker but it illustrates a bigger point of having a purpose for what you do.

As Peter challenges believers to grow spiritually he confronts them with this very truth. God has provided everything needed to become godly but it won't happen accidentally or casually. He urges, "Make every effort".

Are you making every effort to develop your faith?

Are you taking responsibility for your spiritual growth?

Are you living on purpose?

Is discipleship your top priority?

September 4, 2018

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."  II Peter 1:3-4

When I was a kind we used to sing a chorus in Sunday School that went something like this:

"Every promise in the Book is  mine - every word, every letter, every line."

Looking back on it I believe my teacher was trying to instill the same truths in me that Peter is affirming to these Christians - GOD HAS GIVEN US GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES!

These promises are great because of Who has given them!

These promises are great because of what they give to you!

These promises are great because of what they will give you in days to come!

And, these promises are great because they are TRUE and their truth is guaranteed in Jesus Christ, Who is both the fulfillment of every promise and is the proof that every promise will be fulfilled!

His promises that have been given to you are precious because He made them!

His promises are precious because what they promise is precious!

His promises are precious because of the price that was paid to guarantee them -the life blood of Jesus.

God, through His power, has given you great and precious promises!

Will you believe them?

Will you receive them?

September 3, 2018

“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.” Ecclesiates 5:18-20

Some of us remember the old country western classic, “Take This Job and Shove It” sung by Johnny Paycheck. A few years later during a recession of the early 1980’s, I heard someone say that the new version of the song had been changed to say, “Shove That Job – I’ll Take It!”

No kidding! Estimates show 14.6 millions who want a job don’t have one. 7.9 million jobs have been lost since the recession started in Fall of 2008. Many of those will never be recovered. Unfortunately, with an unemployment rate of 9.1% there are many who would love to take a job but can’t find one. I saw a report by a private firm that tracks unemployment trends and their findings show for the month of May 28% of 1,000 households surveyed had at least one person unemployed – June was 27.8% and July 28.8%. Their factors that they use to calculate actual unemployment totals shows it at 22% or almost two and a half times more than the Labor Department numbers. Those are heartbreaking statistics.

In view of this current reality, I want to offer some perspective on this important issue of working as I prepare my message for Sunday which will be entitled "Take This Job And Love It".

First, I urge you to love your job as a blessing!

Solomon in his wisdom reminds you that to be able to labor at a job is a "gift from God".

Have you forgotten that?

A husband and his wife woke up one Sunday morning and the wife dressed for church It was just about time for the service when she noticed her husband hadn’t moved a finger toward getting dressed. Perplexed, she asked, “Why aren’t you getting dressed for church?” He said, “Cause I don’t want to go.” She asked, “Do you have any reasons?” He said, “Yes, I have three good reasons. First the congregation is cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don’t want to go.” The wife replied, wisely, “Well honey, I have three reasons why you should go. First the congregation is warm. Second, there are a few people there who like you. And third, you’re the pastor! So get dressed!”

Don't be that guy!

Realize these three facts:

God blesses work!

I have already documented in my last few blogs how God invented work and sanctified it. He has wired us so we need to work in order to find satisfaction and fulfillment. Perhaps if you stopped thinking about your job as work and began thinking about it as worship that would help your attitude.

Second, work blesses you!

In addition to all the spiritual, emotional and psychological benefits of working, there is the practical aspect of being able to provide the basic needs and wants of yourself and your family. What a blessing to enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you can provide for your family and give them the security and stability of knowing they will be cared for!

Finally, work allows you to bless others!

One of the most spiritual things you can do after you have provided for your family is to lend assistance to family and friends in need. That happens through the tithe you give to your church and it happens through special offerings the church fellowship may occasionally collect in response to a need. God never intended for His people to become dependent on the government, they are supposed to take care of one another.

BUT, it is difficult to do that if you don't have a job!

Will you take a moment and thank God for your job? Will you ask Him to help you take that job and love it?

It is a blessing to you, to your family and to others!

September 2, 2018

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 1and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."  Luke 5:1-11

"After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him."   Luke 5:27-28

Continuing on the theme of the sanctity of work, I remind you that many of the significant servants of the Bible were called by God while they were busy working. The Scripure references above affirm that. Remember that Moses was tending sheep when he saw the burning bush. God often met with David as he was tending his sheep. The angels appeared to shepherds in the fields announcing the good news of Jesus' birth. And, Jesus Himself, had a job as a carpenter until He entered His final three years of life and ministry.

I came across this article by a researcher named Craig Galati that explains why God calls busy people:

There is an old adage, “if you want something done, ask a busy person.” It certainly seems true that busy people do get things done, but I wanted to know why. I decided to poll a few people I know who are very effective in their work to find out.

Before I describe my findings, I want to establish a common definition of what I mean by a busy person. For the purposes of this article, a busy person is one who is sought after for his specific specialty because he does it well. He is the one who always has something to do and he is the one everyone chooses to help them when a task needs to be accomplished. He is not the unorganized, multi-tasker who swoops in with a flurry of activity but never really accomplishes much beyond creating chaos. The busy person I refer to is a performer and, because of his ability, is busy. He works on important things, not just busywork!

With that said, here are my findings:

Busy people are organized. It didn’t come as a surprise to that the people with whom I spoke, those who were busy and accomplished, were also very organized. Although there were a few exceptions to this rule, in most cases these busy people knew what they were working on, how long it would take, what resources they needed, when they needed resources, and they had a path to follow including contingencies. They spent the time necessary to plan an appropriate course of action. At times, these people didn’t appear to be as busy as the person next to them with the overflowing desk, but their workload and accomplishments indicated otherwise.

Busy people delegate. One of the ways top performers get things done is through timely and appropriate delegation. They have mastered the art of what and to whom tasks should be delegated. They also are accomplished in keeping track of the delegated work and provide support to their team. This keeps them from putting their team members in a panic or crisis mode and eliminates the need for micromanaging. I was told that when delegating, it is important to keep in touch with what the entire team is working on and ensure that all involved are communicating effectively among themselves.

Busy people spend time planning. The busiest people with whom I spoke were also the calmest. It was explained to me that one is not nervous working a well-thought-out plan. Busy people spend the time it takes to develop a solid work plan. When I asked how they were able to find the extra time it takes to plan, I was told that it didn’t require additional time to plan. The time it takes to plan is more than offset by the more effective use of time executing the plan. The high performers also explained that without a well-thought-out plan, people begin working on tasks that may or may not be relevant to the overall goals of the project. The plan is the key. Spending the appropriate time planning will ensure that the work meets its objectives, that tasks are sequenced well, and time is use effectively.

Busy people are driven. The busy people with whom I spoke were all very successful. I already knew that; they didn’t need to tell me. In fact, the busy people acted with a cool confidence that clearly told me that they knew they were successful and didn’t need outside recognition of that fact. They are driven by a need to succeed and to do a great job, and internal satisfaction is their reward.

The conclusion I draw to the adage, “if you want something done, ask a busy person,” is that busy people get things done because they are organized, driven and the are effective delegators. Most importantly, busy people get things done because they plan their work well to ensure its success.

I know you work hard and stay busy, but will you be busy for Jesus?

September 1, 2018

"To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”  Genesis 3:17-19

Is your work a job or a joy?

We established that work came from God. The first glimpse we get of Him in the Bible He is working! Creation was a joyful experience for Him but it WAS work! He found it necessary to rest on the seventh day.

After He created Adam the first thing God did was to put him to work in Eden, aka - Paradise. It is clear that work has a sacred aspect to it.

So, when did work stop being a joy and become a job? What changed that working became more of a pain than a pleasure?

Sin happened. Adam got on the wrong side of the Boss when he disobeyed God. Everything changed after that from a labor of love to labor. Because of sin his relationship to the Boss changed and his attitude toward his job changed and his motivation for work changed. That took the joy out of the job.

Before Adam sinned he worked to please the Boss. After sin he had to work to pay the bills. Before he sinned all of nature was working with him, but the curse of sin was that nature turned against him. Suddenly the earth was not as fertile and weed and thorns grew like wheat and corn once did.

If you have a hard day on the job today, you can blame Adam! He caused work to change from joy to a job. But rather than feel sorry for yourself, feel the sting of sin and determine to turn from it. Decide to get right with the Boss and put Him in charge of your attitude. Remind yourself of the sancity of work and do your job in a way that honors God. As you work to serve the Lord, the joy will return to your job!

Work at bringing the joy back to your job.