February 21, 2014

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you. ”Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  John 21:15-19

As we finished up our fourth day of patching and painting a large recreation room in the lower level of the teen boy’s group home, I confess that I was wrestling with questions of, “Is this really worth being away from Barbara and my church family (and of course, Tyrod?)”

But then the Spirit checked me and reminded me that it was worth it to Him to have a nice bright place for His troubled, neglected and rejected teens to relax for a while.

He also reminded me that I had prepared the team members that much of ministry work is doing ordinary things with an extraordinary attitude. What sounds glamorous at first “A Mission Trip”, often comes down to doing pretty ordinary things that may seem insignificant at the time.

God called to my attention what Jesus said to Peter in this portion of Scripture. In fact, He said it three times! “Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep.”

When I listened to what Jesus says to Peter here and then meditated on it I understood Jesus was essentially telling Peter, “Peter, if you want to experience my love, make sure you express my love to others!” And those expressions of love usually happen in ordinary ways during ordinary days.

I would prefer to express His love in spectacular and supernatural ways, but usually the opportunities He gives me to demonstrate His love is in ordinary ways.

The types of things we have been doing for a few days here at Hephzibah are done every day by the committed staff of this necessary ministry. So, if we get bored by the ordinary imagine what it must be like for them!

God revealed to me through the Scripture portion above that the way to serve ordinary people in ordinary ways on ordinary days without losing the passion of our purpose is this – stay connected to the EXTRAORDINARY love of God! Experience it every day in the midst of the ordinary and express it each day through the ordinary tasks of life!

Will you connect with God today?

Will you experience His extraordinary love today?

Will you express that extraordinary love to someone on this ordinary day?

February 20, 2014

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Imagine you have a glass that is partially filled with dirt. What will happen if you pour fresh cool water into that glass?

Or, if you have a glass of clear cool water and you dump a few tablespoons of dirt into that glass, how will that work out?

In either scenario you will end up with a glass of muddy water.

So, how do you get a glass filled with clear, cool water?

If you want it clear you must empty the dirt and clean the class.

And if you want it full of water you must empty everything else out of that class.

Only a clean empty glass can be filled with pure water.

So it is with the Holy Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit unless you are emptied of your sinful and selfish nature. 

And you can't receive the Spirit until you have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

That is what happened to Peter that changed him from a fan of Jesus to a follower of Jesus.

It is what happened to Peter that changed him from denying Jesus to becoming a disciple.

Becoming Spirit-Filled is what filled him with "agape" love because God's Spirit is His perfect love! So, being filled with the Spirit is being filled with His love.

God's love IS the power of His Spirit!

The power of the Holy Spirit changed Peter from having a "Peter Moment" to starting a "Peter Movement".

Have you emptied yourself so you can be filled with His Spirit?

February 19, 2014

"The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. ”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep."  John 21:17

This is a DTR moment.

You have had them and I have had them and they are often awkward.

DTR stands for "define the relationship".

If you have been in a dating relationship for several months or more you have experienced a DTR moment where you sense that you are more than friends but you are not sure if she (he) is feeling the same way. So, you initiate the conversation to bring some definition to your relationship. The outcome of that conversation will determine if the friendship deepens, if it remains the same or if it ends. Each of those conclusions brings a definition to the relationship.

It is impossible for any relationship to grow and deepen without these DTR moments.

Jesus knew that Peter was confused and struggling in his faith since the devastating day that he denied Jesus three times. Not only had he lost confidence in himself but he was unsure of where he stood in his relationship with Jesus. 

So, Jesus came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to find Peter and define their relationship. He did this because He had huge hopes for Peter and He needed to restore him. Peter needed to know how much Jesus loved him and he needed to admit his insufficient love for Jesus.

When that brief conversation was over Peter knew exactly where he stood in his relationship with Jesus and he knew exactly what he must do for the relationship to grow and deepen.

Since being a Christian is a relationship, DTR's are essential.

It takes a DTR to become a Christian. You have to confess that you have no relationship with Jesus because you are a sinner and you must ask Him to forgive your sins. When your sins are forgiven you can enter into a relationship with Jesus.

Then it requires daily DTR's to continue to develop your relationship with Christ. Your DTR moments will occur as you spend time in His Word and in prayer. It is nearly impossible to connect with God through the Word and through prayer and come away confused about your relationship with Him.

Have you had a DTR with God this morning?

February 18, 2014

"Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Acts 2:38-41

Peter is famous for his "Peter moment" and he is also famous for his Peter "movement".

His Peter "moment" was when he denied Jesus three times on the night Christ was arrested. Earlier, he had boasted that he would be true to Jesus if no one else was. As it turned out, he vastly overestimated himself and his arrogance led to his fall.

Failing Jesus at this crucial moment was a regret Peter carried heavy on his heart.

So, how did he go from the Peter "moment" to the key guy in launching this new movement know as "The Church"?

How do you account for the change in a guy who cowered before a young girl but then stood up in front of thousands of people and preached the powerful message that led to mass repentance.

And after he launched this new movement he was never the same. He never had another "moment" after that.

That is a major change!

Something big happened!

Peter became "the rock" that Jesus had predicted he would become!

Peter went from being a fan of Jesus to becoming a follower of Jesus.

Peter's love for Jesus changed from "brotherly love" to "godly love".

Something happened to Peter that powered him up!

That "something" was "Someone" - the Holy Spirit of God.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:1-4

When Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit he was filled with the power of God!

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?

February 17, 2014

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” John 21:15-19

Again, meditating on this Scripture I see three things true about love.

First, love must be assessed.

I must constantly ask the Spirit to search my heart and reveal if I am loving God in my own strength or if I submitted to receive His love.

Am I being a fan or a devoted follower?

Second, love must be possessed.

If I want to be in possession of God's love, I must be possessed of His Spirit. To be possessed of his Spirit I must be consecrated to Him so the blood of Christ can cleanse and purify my heart. Only when my heart is made perfect can I possess His perfect love.

Third, love must be expressed.

God shares His love with me so I can share it with others.

The love of God is not lavished on me just for my enjoyment. He intends His love to shown and to be shared!

While is love is unconditional He does desire that my attitudes and actions reflect the power of His love at work in me. How can I be in possession of His perfect love and not have it show through the way I love others?

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. I John 4:7-21

Will you assess your love today?

Will you be possessed by His love today?

How will you express His love today?

February 16, 2014

I had heard some talk about this topic but came across this article recently and thought, in light of all the events unfolding in our nation and around the world, this is certainly worth being aware of.

It has made the rounds on Facebook, but in case you haven’t heard of it please take a few minutes to read this.

The Book of Genesis says God uses the sun, moon, and stars for signs and seasons. Examples can be found throughout the Bible.

Think of how a star led the wise men to Jesus or how the sun stood still as Joshua led Israel to victory over its enemies.

Four Blood Moons

In his latest book, “Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change”, Pastor John Hagee lays out what he calls celestial signals. He describes how a series of blood moons in 2014 and 2015 will have great significance for Israel. 

Although single blood moons happen fairly regularly, four appearing so closely together is extremely rare.

There have only been a series of blood moons a handful of times over the past 500 years.

So what exactly is a blood moon and what is the biblical significance?

“A blood moon is when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon,” Hagee explained. “And the sun is shining through the atmosphere of the Earth and casts up on the moon a red shadow. And so the moon appears to be red.”

Such moons appear several times in scripture.

In the book of Joel, God says there will be “wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire…the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

In Acts, the Apostle Peter repeats that verse from Joel. And the book of Revelation says that during the Great Tribulation, “the moon will become like blood.”

Blood moons are set to appear in April 2014, on Passover, and then again in September 2014 during the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot.

The timing is the same for 2015 -- a total of four blood moons, all appearing on Jewish feast days.

“The sun and the moon and the Earth are controlled by God almighty,” Hagee said. “He is the one that is getting them in a direct alignment on a certain day at a certain time -- but each time, it’s a Passover or Sukkot.

Historic Significance

In the past, the rare appearance of four blood moons on these feast days has coincided with major events for Israel and the Jewish people.

In 1492, Spain expelled the Jews. Columbus also discovered America, which became a safe haven for the Jewish people.

“In each of these blood moons, you have something that begins in tragedy and ends in triumph,” Hagee explained.

For instance, in 1948, Israel was reborn as a nation

.

“After 2,000 years, God supernaturally brought them from 66 nations and a nation was born in a day,” Hagee noted. “That again was a supernatural something that happened following the tragedy of the Holocaust.”

In 1967, Israel won the Six-Day War and recaptured Jerusalem.

“For the first time in 2,000 years, Jerusalem and the State of Israel were together again,” Hagee said.

Nuclear Threat

The blood moons of 2014 and 2015 are poised to appear as Iran works toward nuclear weapons and Israel’s neighbors, Egypt and Syria, are in chaos.

“The only reason that Iran will not acquire a nuclear bomb will be that Israel chooses a military solution to that crisis,” Hagee told CBN News.

“I believe that if that happens, it will start a series of events that will change the course of world history,” he said. “If Israel does not, then it will still change the course of world history.”

Hagee has been warning of the Iranian nuclear threat through his work with Christians United for Israel, which he founded in 2006. It is now the largest pro-Israel organization in America, with some 1.3 million members.

He holds nights to honor Israel across the country and at San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church, where he serves as senior pastor. The first event, in 1981, drew bomb threats and vandalism from anti-Semites.

Yet Hagee continues his mission.

“If there was ever a time for the Christians of America to stiffen their spine and stand up and speak up, it’s now,” Hagee admonished. “To see evil and not call it evil is evil. Not to speak is to speak. We cannot be silent and receive God’s approval at a time like this.”

He said it’s still unclear what the coming blood moons will bring, but he is certain of one thing. “When all is said and done, the flag of Israel will be flying over the walls of the city of Jerusalem when Messiah comes, and it’s going to be forever,” he said. “And every nation that rises up in judgment against Israel God will punish and punish severely.”

For the original article, visit cbnnews.com.

February 15, 2014

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,”Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4:18-22

Peter and his fishing buddies were called to be followers of Jesus, but did they become followers?

Pastor Kyle Idleman in his book "Not A Fan", deals with the distinct differences between being a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus.

Here's an excerpt:

According to a recent survey, the percentage of Americans who claim to be Christian is somewhere north of 75 percent.

Really? Three out of four people are followers of Christ?

Let's see, if the population of the United States is about 311 million and 75 percent are Christians that brings the number of Christians to somewhere in the neighborhood of 233 million. That's a lot of Christians. I don't see nearly that many Jesus fish on car bumpers. I don't know, maybe all the Darwin fish ate them. I'm just saying something about that percentage is off. Because if there really are that many Christians, then why will some 35 million people in America go to bed hungry tonight, including 13 million children? If 75 percent of Americans are Christians, then how is it possible that 40 percent of the homeless are under the age of 18? Why are there more than 120,000 children waiting to be adopted? I could keep going, and that's just in the States. The numbers don't add up. Jesus said the evidence that someone is one of his followers is love. So 233 million? The evidence just isn't there.

What's the explanation for such a discrepancy? A number of years ago I read an article about the new vegetarians. These new vegetarians don't eat meat -- most of the time. One of them explained that she was a vegetarian, but she really liked bacon. A vegetarian, by definition, is someone who doesn't eat meat. Umm, yeah, but isn't bacon a meat? Is it really accurate for her to identify herself as a vegetarian? If enough people who eat meat started calling themselves vegetarians wouldn't that throw the numbers off? The discrepancy was solved by coming up with a new term to describe vegetarians who aren't committed to abstaining from meat. They now identify themselves as "Flexitarians."

A Christian, by definition, is a follower of Christ. So, I'm thinking that what might help make sense of the 233 million number is a new word to describe people who identify themselves as Christians but have little interest in actually following the teachings of Jesus. Perhaps instead of "followers," it would be more accurate to call them "fans."

The word fan is most simply defined as, an enthusiastic admirer. And I think Jesus has a lot of fans these days. Some fans may even get dressed up for church on Sunday and make their ringtone a worship song. They like being associated with Jesus. Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them. They want a no-strings-attached relationship with Jesus. So a fan says, I like Jesus but don't ask me to serve the poor. I like Jesus, but I'm not going to give my money to people who are in need. I like Jesus, but don't ask me to forgive the person who hurt me. I like Jesus, but don't talk to me about money or sex that's off limits.

When Peter dropped his net and left the fishing business was he a follower or a fan?

If you answered "fan", at what point did he become a follower?

And while you're thinking about it, which are you?