June 21, 2012

^"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:7-15

John Maxwell gives this helpful insight into understanding change:

People change when they …

Hurt enough they have to,

Learn enough they want to, and

Receive enough that they are able to.

Followers of Christ are in the life-change business! That is because God is in the life-change business. No one can come in contact with His transformational power and remain the same!

I am giving some Biblical example of lives that changed when Jesus approached them at change points in their lives.

Yesterday, I wrote about Zacchaeus. Today I call your attention to the woman at the well. When she encountered Jesus she was definitely hurting. The fact that she was coming to the well during the noon hour was evidence of that. All the "respectable" ladies came early in the morning and later in the afternoon to avoid the heat. But the "bad girls" came during the middle of the day to avoid the shame and scorn that would be heaped upon them if they met people there.

I think it is safe to assume that Jesus was waiting at the well during the middle of the day for that very reason! He knew that who ever He met would be a hurting, needy person who was at a change point in their life.

Do you know some one who is hurting? Will you be willing to meet them at their change point?

Once Jesus connected with her hurt, He then shared help and hope with her by giving her the gospel.

Are you prepared to share the good news of the gospel with a hurting person?

Jesus connected with her hurt and shared His hope and finally, He showed her how she could receive the power to change. He identified with her thirst and offered he living water that would satisfy her thirst forever!

She changed because she hurt enough that she wanted to. She changed because Jesus was there to give her the knowledge that she wanted to. And, she received the power from Jesus that transformed her.

She hurt, she hoped and then she received Him! That is how change happens!

When was the last time God was able to use you to bring His change to a hurting person?

June 20, 2012

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  Luke 19:1-10

Jesus came to seek and to save those who are spiritually lost.

What did you come to do?

If you are a Christian, a follower of Christ, you are commanded to do as He did - look for lost people to win.

So, what should you look for when identifying someone you could reach?

John Maxwell gives this helpful insight into understanding change:

People change when they …

Hurt enough they have to,

Learn enough they want to, and

Receive enough that they are able to.

In other words, Maxwell is saying that there are three main change points in a person's life.

A person who is effective in reaching lost people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knows how to recognize someone who is at a change point in his life.

Zacchaeus is a good example of one who was at a change point and Jesus recognized it and stepped into his life.

Zacchaeus was hurting because, as a tax-collector, he was despised and had no friends. He was a Jew collecting taxes from other Jews for the hated Romans. That was not a way to make friends or influence people.

So, he hurted enough to want to change. He knew what he was doing wasn't working and he was looking for something that would. When he heard about Jesus coming to his village he knew that he had to meet this amazing Teacher.

Jesus, quickly recognized Zacchaeus was at some change points and took advantage of this vulnerable time to give Zach what he needed in order to experience a fundamental change in his life.

This is a great lesson for those of us who are called and commissioned to "seek and save" lost people.

Who do you know who is at a change point in his life?

Do you know some one who is hurting?

Do you know some one who is just begin a healing process and is looking for a better way to live?

Do you have some one in your life who is highly motivated toward self-improvement but misguided in that search?

Spiritual transformation happens at change points!

June 19, 2012

^"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  Acts 2:42-47

I met with my Leadership Team earlier this evening and I shared this thought with them: "We often feel that something in our church needs to change but we can't always identify what it is that needs to change."

Usually, what needs to change is me.

That has been the case from the very beginning of the Church. Jesus had told them to launch out into the world to win converts and make disciples, but He told them to wait and pray until they received the Holy Spirit. So, they did. And they did!

Now, remember for a moment that these people had seen the Risen Savior following His resurrection! And they had been there to watch when He ascended into Heaven. Both of those had to be extremely exciting events. And while they were memorable, they weren't life-altering experiences.

What you or I might have thought would be life-defining was inspiring but not transformational. Similarly, it is easy to buy into the idea that a different worship-style, or a new worship leader, or an adjustment to the church building, or moving the starting times or SOMETHING different to jump-start the morale of the church.

Sometimes those adjustments do work. Sometimes they don't.

But the biggest adjustment needs to happen in your heart and in my heart. What we need most is the Holy Spirit. His power and His presence in our lives. What needs to change is our heart and mind. What needs to change is our attempts at religiously tyring to earn God's favor and simply enter into a fresh spiritual relationship with Him.

It is interesting that those who offer the most opposition to fundamental spiritual change in a church are those who fancy themsleves the most religious among us. That was the case with the First Church in Acts and that generally is the case today.

What needs to happen in most churches is not a drastic change in programs or a pastoral change or a different style of music, what they need is a series of personal pentescosts in the hearts of the people!

Does your church need a pentecost experience?

Will you allow it to begin with you?

When was the last time you really sincerely sought the infilling of the Holy Spirit?

If it has been a long time - that is the first thing to change!

June 18, 2012

'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers" Psalm 1:1

If you want to be blessed by God you must find a place in God's will. This verse gives some insights on how to do that.

First, be careful who you believe - "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked ...."

It is hard to get good advice from bad people. You are not likely to get godly advice from and ungodly person. How can you get trustworthy counsel from a person you can't trust?

Before you believe something ask yourself, "What does the Bible say?"

Be careful who you listen to. Ask yourself, "What is their life like?"

What are you filling your mind with? Always ask, "Can God honor this?"

Second, be careful how you behave - "....or stand in the way that sinners take...."

The old saying is, "Birds of a feather flock together." You will be judged by the company you keep.

If you are committed to doing the right thing you will not want to spend time with the wrong people.

Are the people you spend the most time with lifting you up or are they pulling you down? Do they draw you closer to God or do they pull you away?

Sow a thought and you reap and act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

If the friends you spend the most time with can impact your destiny, what sort of friends should you choose? Are they exhibiting the sort of behavior God can bless? Are they helping or hindering your behavior?

Third, be careful who you have for buddys - "or sit in the company of mockers"

If you want God's blessing, why would you develop close friendships with people who God is not able to bless? Wouldn't you be better off finding friends who share your faith and your values?

The easiest thing in the world is to be negative, and cynical, and sarcastic. It doesn't take a spiritual giant to recognize problems, but it does take a person of faith and conviction to come with ideas to solve it. If you want to have a positive attitude and a positive perspective on life, why would you spend your time around cynical and negative people?

If you want to be blessed and delivered from the struggles with sin in your life, some things need to be done to help you live in God's will, and learn in God's Word, and love in God's way.

Get wise godly counsel so you will believe right. Get grounded in God's Word so you will behave right. Get godly friends who can encourage and edify you in your faith.

Who are you listening to?

What are you learning from?

Who are you hanging around with?

June 17, 2012

You've probably seen this Subaru commercial. In 33 seconds it senses the heartbeat of a father. The most instinctive thing a dad wants to do is protect his family.

Watch and enjoy:

http://youtu.be/2qf8OGLqE1s

Modern fathers do a good job of protecting their kids in just about everyway possible - except spiritually. Considering it is the spiritual part that is going to live forever, shouldn't that be the highest priority for protecting?

In case you are wondering how to do that, Paul gives some good instructions in Ephesians 5:22-6:18:

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to  make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,  because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.    Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

That is a lot of Scripture and it is certainly worthy of serious study. But in the interest of time on this Father's Day 2012, allow me to summarize the truths of it for you.

To protect your family:

Live In His Protection - "put on the FULL armor of God"

Every day you are under spiritual attack by the Enemy of your soul. All day every day he comes to kill, steal and destroy. If you are not protected you will be defeated. When you are defeated how can you protect your family?

Lean On His Power Through Prayer -  ^"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Be sure you maintain a continuous conversation with your Father. Pray for strength. Pray for supplies. Pray for His Spirit to fill you. Pray for safety for your wife and children. Pray for success in your efforts for the Lord. Pray for your friends at work and let them know they can count on you for prayer support.

Love Your Wife - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

One of the best things you can do for your family is to love your wife with a sincere sacrificial love. Serve her needs. Shower her with affection and attention so she feels secure in your love. Serve the Lord with all your heart so she can trust you and respect you. Make it easy for her to submit to you because of the way you submit to the Lord!

Lead Your Children Well - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Live a godly life before your children and set a spiritual example. Always be aware that more is "caught" by them than is "taught" by you. Fathers are ALWAYS teaching because kids are always watching. But be particularly alert for those teachable moments when you have an opportunity to share Biblical truths with them.

 

Most of all, make sure your children have received Christ as their personal Savior through faith.

It is nice to buy a safe car for your child and surround them with other safety items and products. But giving them a Subaru will not get them to heaven. Only you, their earthly Father, getting them connected to your Heavenly Father will provide them the everlasting safety they desire and deserve!



June 16, 2012

In our study of Ephesians we are learning what it means for a men of God to "fight right." First, you must stand guard clad in the Armor of God.

Second, you must serve your wife.

And, third, you must shape your Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  "Fathers,do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

 

A.     Demand Their Obedience, V.1

Demand they obey you.

Demand they obey their mother.

Demand they obey God.

Demonstrate obedience to God. 

B.    Demand Their Respect, Vv. 2-3

Clear expectations and boundaries – family mission statement

Clear example – show them what it looks like

Clear execution – show them how to do it

C.    Disciple – Don’t Dictate, V. 4

Discipline according to principles – set up guardrails and teach them to “drive safely”

Discipline positively not negatively – “Say NO in order to say YES to better things”

Demonstrate disciplined living

Guys, your kids need you more than you know. They need you more than they even know! God wired each of us to need a father – earthly father AND Heavenly FATHER.

Much of what is wrong with our American culture can be traced back to the failure of FATHERS. LISTEN TO THIS:

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS – IF POOR FATHERS CREATED THE PROBLEM THEN GOOD FATHERS CAN HELP TURN IT AROUND!

THINK ABOUT THIS:

MEN – IF YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND YOU WIN THEM BOTH TO THE LORD AND BRING THEM UP IN THE FAITH – AND BOTH OF THEM RAISE TWO CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AS WELL AND THAT PATTERN CONTINUES THOSE TEN GENERATIONS ALONE WOULD PRODUCE 1,024 FAITHFUL BELIEVERS.

IF THERE ARE FOUR CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION WHO BELIEVE AND PASS ON THEIR FAITH THAT 1,024 BECOMES 260,000 FROM YOUR FAMILY ALONE!

SAY THERE ARE SIX CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION THAT NUMBER GROWS TO OVER 10,000,000 JUST FROM YOUR DESCENDANTS!

LOCAL CHURCHES LIKE OURS WITH GODLY MEN LIKE YOU WHO COMMIT TO BEING COURAGEOUS HUSBANDS AND DADS ARE THE HOPE OF THE WORLD!

WILL YOU COMMIT TO STAND STRONG IN HIS ARMOR AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

WILL YOU SERVE YOUR WIFE – WINNING HER TRUST AND RESPECT AND LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR HER?

WILL YOU SHAPE YOUR CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AND MAKE SURE THEY COME TO KNOW CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR?

WILL YOU BEGIN THIS MORNING?

June15, 2012

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—  for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:21-33

Here are some very troubling statistics that reflect what is wrong with America

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.

Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households. Teens in single mother households are at a 30% higher risk than those in two-parent households.

70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

I think we have to honestly say that much of what is wrong with our culture today is a failure of fatherhood!

That is sad news. BUT, it also means there is hope for our nation if courageous men of faith will arise and become the husands and fathers God has called them to be!

A courageous men of God stands guard over his family by putting on the full armor of God daily so he can withstand the unrelenting attacks of the enemy!

Also, a courageous man of God serves his wife (5:21-33). The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother with a godly love.

What does that mean? How does that happen?

Earn Her Trust, Vv. 22-24

A man of God serves God with such passion and integrity that his wife can learn to trust him.

He will walk blamelessly before her and be a man of his word. He will place her need ahead of his own because that is what God calls him to do.

His love for God will humble him before the Lord and help him humble serve his wife.

Earn Her Respect, Vv. 25-30

A man of God will not only serve the needs of his wife but he will stand guard over her spiritually, providing a spiritual cover for her. He will put on the armor of God every day and fight like a man for his family earning the respect of his wife and his children.

When a godly man serves his wife and sacrifices for her, she will grow to respect him. She will love him more deeply since trust and respect are the foundation upon which love is built. And she will trust and respect him because she will feel secure in his demonstrations of love for God and for her.

Eliminate Competing Loyalties, Vv. 31-33

Commitment means being "all in". Commitment means having no "plan B".

Commitment means loving her in the same way you love yourself and care for your own needs.

A man of God is fully committed to God and his marriage. That means he consciously and intentionally chooses to eliminate all competing loyalties. Every thought, every emotion, every temptation that comes against him he defeats with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth and the shield of faith!

There is nothing wrong with our nation that couldn't be cured if men would just fight right!

Men, will you commit to serve your wife today? Will you earn her trust and respect by the way you serve God? Will you love her as you love and care for yourself?