Crossing Over

Have you crossed over yet?

Matthew 14 tells us of the events surrounding Peters walk upon the water.  This story has been told and retold countless times, with a variety of lessons learned through the scripture.  But I would like to present to you the events immediately following this leap of faith.

Let’s start at the beginning.  Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of Him to the next village.  Of course, to get there, they had to ride in a boat across the sea.  Jesus stayed behind to send the crowds home that He had just fed.  Plus, He wanted to take a little bit of alone time to pray.

Later that evening, Jesus began walking on the sea to meet the disciples.  Imagine the sight of a person on top of the water in the middle of the night walking toward you.  Totally unexpected, right?  They thought that He was a ghost.

Jesus then spoke to them, saying, ‘It is I.’  But Peter, being the most outspoken member of this rag-tag group of Christ followers, wasn’t convinced this was a ghost.  Peter spoke up and said, ‘Lord if that’s you, call me to come to you.’  So, Jesus obliged and called him to come.

Well, Peter then makes the crazy decision to climb out of the boat and attempt to walk on the water.  And what do you know?  He did it.  Peter was actually walking on top of the water just like it was solid ground.

But that didn’t last long because Peter became concerned about the wind and waves that were tossing all around him.  He lost sight of the Master and began looking into the water.  Since his focus was suddenly twisted, he started to sink.

We know that Jesus saved him from drowning but check out what He said when He pulled Peter up out of the water.  He said, ‘Oh ye of little faith.  Why did you doubt?’  In most messages and lessons gleaned from this story, we come to the part where we talk about Peters lack of faith.  But Peter wasn’t alone.

You see, the rest of the disciples were there also and none of them even considered getting out of the boat.  They chose to let Peter be the one to get out and try to do something so foolish as to walk on water.  Whoever heard of such a thing?

When Jesus questioned Peters faith, He was also questioning the faith of the other disciples.  Peter at least was bold enough in what faith he had to put forth the effort to try to get to Jesus.  They just sat still and waited.  No boldness.  No proof of their faith in this unusual situation.  Nothing.

So, once Jesus and Peter arrived safely in the boat, the wind and waves became totally calm.  At that moment, the other 11 disciples began to worship Jesus and declare Him to be the Son of God.  It wasn’t the water walk that convinced them of His supremacy.  No, the telling factor for them was the calming of the waves.  That sealed the deal.

They then finished the journey to the other side of the sea.  The scripture tells us in Matthew 14:34 that, ‘Once they crossed over, they came to the land at Gennesaret.’  They had to cross over the sea to arrive at the next step in the journey to their destinies.  You can’t make it to where God wants you to be if you’re not ready.

When they arrived on shore, people immediately recognized that it was Jesus and began bringing sick folks from all around town for Him to heal.  They simply wanted to touch the tassel of His robe.  Why the tassel?  They had heard of the woman with the issue of blood who had touched the same tassel and was completely healed and made whole. These folks knew that there was power in that tassel and of course, everyone who touched it was made whole.

But what about the disciples?  Their faith had to be proven on the sea in order for them to experience the Glory of God once they arrived at the shore.  No, they weren’t sick, but Jesus knew what was waiting for them at Gennesaret and He wanted their faith built up before arriving there.  In a crowd such as that, there is no room for doubt.

So, they had to cross over from unbelief to proven faith before encountering this miracle moment.  They had to cross over the sea of doubt in order to arrive at the village of victory.

Now, back to my opening question.  Have you crossed over?  Have you built up your faith through the winds and waves of doubt so that you can witness and withstand the true power of God?  Is your faith strong enough to cause you to get up in the middle of the storm and strike out walking on the water to touch Jesus? 

Or are you content to sit back and watch somebody else step out into their miracle moment?  Have you allowed the winds and waves of life to wear you down so that you don’t know what you believe? I want to encourage you to stand up in the face of every storm that dares to come your way and trust in Jesus to hold your hand as you walk right through it.  Don’t miss your miracle moment because you were afraid to step out.  Go ahead and cross on over the sea of doubt and come to rest at the village of victory.

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Wake Up, Look Up, and Get up!

The church struggles now more than ever with finding the newest, greatest method of bringing souls to Christ.  The book of Acts tells us that the believers went from house to house preaching and teaching the Word of God.  For their efforts, God added souls to the church every day.

The church struggles now more than ever with finding the newest, greatest method of bringing souls to Christ.  The book of Acts tells us that the believers went from house to house preaching and teaching the Word of God.  For their efforts, God added souls to the church every day.

Years later, we had preachers called Circuit Riders, who traveled by horse from village to village, church to church, and house to house sharing the same word.  And for their efforts, souls were added to the church.

 It was simple.  Tell folks about the saving power of Jesus Christ where they are at.  Don’t perform a sideshow for them.  Don’t waste time telling funny stories that will cause them to loosen up.  Don’t try to be a mighty spiritual warrior for them.  Be real and be honest in presenting Jesus.  And it worked for them.

So, why won’t it work now?

Is it really that difficult to present a simple Gospel message to another person or group of people?  If we are truly followers of Christ, truly believing His Word, it should be a piece of cake.  But we have made it complicated.

Since the days of the Circuit Riders, the church has become preoccupied with the next best thing.  As distractions have become increasingly more prevalent, we have become increasingly uninvolved in the church.  Attendance has been on the decline for years.  The number of active church members has declined.  Holiness is eerily absent.  The church sure doesn’t look like it used to.

We have pacified folks so that we can keep them coming back.  We have compromised the Gospel in many ways, diluting its effects.  We have removed accountability from those in leadership positions.  As long as they say ‘I’m sorry’ we let them keep on doing what they do.  We have programmed our churches into a place where we are so busy, we don’t have the time to just sit down and talk about Jesus with our friends and family.  We don’t have time to spend in prayer for the lost.  We don’t have time for our own personal devotions.

And what does all that get us?  Well, I’ll tell you.  We end up with a sanctuary full of people willing to sit back and watch while a few do all the work, make all the sacrifices.  I’m not saying they don’t love the Lord.  I believe that many, not all, are born again and on their way to heaven.  They just don’t want to commit to any type of responsibilities in the church.

When the saints won’t commit to the work of Christ, they won’t be active.  As a result, they skid through church life asleep.  They are present, but not growing.  They are present, but not involved.  They are present, but not effective.  They have become unaware of the potential for His Presence.

Genesis 28 tells us a story of Jacob having a dream.  In that dream, the Lord spoke to Jacob and assured him that wherever he went, He would be with him.  He told him how his family would be blessed and multiplied on the earth.  Then Jacob woke up.

He said in Genesis 28:16 and 17 that “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”  Did you see that?  He did not know it.  Even though he had an amazing dream, he was asleep.  Then the bible says that he was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is!  This is none other than the house of God.  This is the gate of heaven.”

Jacob wasn’t being sacrilegious or disrespectful.  He realized that he had been asleep when God showed up for him.  That is how many folks enter, and exit, churches today; asleep.  They have come to the point where ‘If the Lord shows up, great, and if He doesn’t, ‘Oh well, maybe next time.’  There is no sense of expectation.  There is no urgency in doing the work of the Lord.  There is no excitement to see what God is going to do next.  When the Spirit of the Lord shows up, they don’t even realize it.

We have been sleeping too long and missed too much. It has been God’s desire to come and fellowship with His people.  But we have been sleeping and didn’t even realize He was at the door, knocking.  Well, it’s high time we wake up, look up, and get up.  There’s work to be done.  There are souls hanging in the balance between heaven and hell.  If we don’t tell them who will?

We need to look at our assigned house of worship as Jacob did when he woke up – ‘What an awesome place this is!  This is none other than the house of God.  This is the gate to heaven.’  Wouldn’t it be exciting if we all approached our churches with that same sense of awe this Sunday morning?  It would be earth-shattering.  It would be life-changing.  It would be God-exalting.

Just think about it.  Knowing that your church is the place where the Lord will come in and meet with you.  To know that your church is the place where a drug addict can come in and have a life-changing encounter with the Spirit of God.  They can be saved and set free, right there where you worship week after week.

Your church is the place where a prostitute can come in and be delivered from that life of slavery and perversion.  Your church is the place where an abused wife can hear from God that she no longer has to subject herself to that bondage.

To these folks, your church is the gate of heaven, as Jacob put it.  That means that while they are there, they can make reservations for heaven, on the spot.  They don’t have to live another day with the fear of dying and going to hell.

But in order for that to happen, we all must wake up from our sleep, look up to the Maker of heaven and earth, get up and get busy building His Kingdom.  It’s not just up to the pastor.  It’s not just up to the evangelist.  This responsibility belongs to each of us who claim Christ as Lord of our life.  So, what are you going to do?

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What are we really building?

The old song by the Carter Family says, "I'm workin' on a building for my Lord."  It tells how the writer is working on their own personal building, their self.  The song talks of making one's self presentable to God.

"If I was a liar, I tell you what I'd do; I would quit my lying and work on a building too."

Each of us, whether we realize it or not, are also working on our own building.  We want God to be pleased with who we are and what we have become.  But while we work on ourselves, we are also working on another building.

As saints of the Most High God, we are called to build His Kingdom.  That is a building much different than the one we visit every Sunday morning.  That is a building that we cannot pin-point to a specific, geographical location.  That is a heavenly Kingdom, very present on earth, nonetheless.

We preach sermons, teach classes, have bible studies, write books, and hold revival services focused on building the Kingdom of God.  But too often we get that confused with building our own church. 

I don't know of too many churches that don't want to grow.  New methods of church growth are presented to us on a regular basis.  Writers and teachers have so many different ideas and suggestions for growth that we can become overwhelmed by the influx of information.  When that happens, we attempt to institute many of their ideas into our church and get distracted from the reason why we are the church.

Church growth is a wonderful thing.  But when it becomes our focus, we've lost track of our real purpose - Kingdom growth.  The moment we are born again, every one of us is called to be a witness for Jesus Christ.  We aren't called to build a church.  We aren't called to fill the pews.  But we are called to be the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of God in this world.  He wants to use us to reach folks with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that they too can be born again and become a part of the Kingdom of God.  Church growth should not even be an issue when witnessing to the lost.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 16:18 that Jesus told Peter  "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."  He is not referring to a physical building with pews and a pulpit.  He is talking about the Kingdom of God, or His church.  Not the big white building on the corner with the steeple on top.  Jesus said, "I will build my church."  But for that to happen, you and I must do our part.  And what is that?

I mentioned earlier that we are here to be God's hands, feet, and mouthpiece in this world.  In other words, it's up to us to go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in.  In where?  Not the church building, but the Kingdom of God.  In order for that to happen, they must hear the gospel (from us) and see the gospel (through us).  

When we do that, lives are changed and they become citizens of the Kingdom of God.  When souls come into the Kingdom, Jesus is well pleased and in turn, directs some of those souls to our local congregations. That's how our churches are built.  Not by programs and giveaways and feel-good messages.  Not by compromising our standards so that the world will fit in.  But by simply being living, walking, talking presentations of the Gospel.

The scripture also states that, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (the church)."  So, if we would focus our efforts on building the Kingdom of God, He would fill our churches with souls and cause us to be unmovable and unshakeable in the work of the Lord.  It's all about Him and His Kingdom, not ours.  If what we are building is our kingdom, we've already lost the war.  We won't be able to stand when the enemy comes calling.  But when we build His Kingdom, we are unbeatable!

So, as we continue working on our own personal building, let's not lose sight of what He has called us to do.  Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

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The Armor Bearer - Is He Tall Enough?

In the short-lived battle between David and Goliath, what happened to the giant's Armor Bearer? The Bible tells us that he was in front of Goliath throughout their confrontation. But we never read where he was taken down or whether he ran and hid. Up until the rock flew from David’s sling, he was in front of the giant.

Apparently, the rock bypassed the armor bearer and struck its intended target, Goliath.  But how, I wondered?  Think about this.

We read how the giant was nine feet, nine inches tall.  He wasn’t referred to as a giant for nothing.  The armor bearer was simply on par with the rest of the Philistine army, size-wise.  Now, this may sound elementary to some, but hear me out.  He just wasn’t tall enough.

I know that there are some who will disagree with this and say that it was destiny, or the anointing, or the hand of God, or any number of spiritual implications.  But sometimes we miss the obvious truths because we look so intently to find the spiritual significance in these situations.  I am not aiming to discredit or un-spiritualize (if that’s a word) this event.  Rather, I want to address this over-looked truth.

The armor bearer walked in front of the giant, carrying any necessary equipment, weapons, and defensive protection.  Before an enemy could reach the giant, they had to go through the armor bearer. The scripture never indicates that David fought or confronted this protector.  Instead, his attack against the giant either went over or around the armor bearer and struck the intended target.

There was no defensive posture or retaliation by the armor bearer.  Rather, he quickly became insignificant.  He presented no challenge to David.  He did nothing to ensure the giant was untouched.  His presence was, essentially, a non-threatening formality.  In the end, it meant nothing because his leader, the one he was supposed to stand in the gap for, was defeated.

This armor bearer was ill-prepared to actually defend the one he was assigned to protect.  He was used to being the face that went with the champion to the battle.  No combat readiness was necessary on his part.  The armor bearer was simply not tall enough to present a challenge. What I see here has nothing to do with right or wrong, good versus evil, or prophetic destiny.  It is merely a realistic observation.

Over the last fifteen or so years, I have witnessed the relevance, and irrelevance, of the position of Armor Bearer in many churches.  I have served in that position myself, learning many lessons, both good and bad.  There are some ministry leaders who utilize their armor bearer appropriately.

But whether you recognize this position or know it by another title, the importance of the armor bearer has been reduced in many circles to be a lap dog, or a gopher (go for this, go for that).  Many leaders today reduce the relevance of this God-ordained calling by limiting it’s potential.  They enjoy the fact that having an armor bearer makes them appear super-spiritual, untouchable, and extra-anointed.  In reality, that attitude equates to high-mindedness and conceit.

Many spiritual leaders have explained that an armor bearer is in that position to not only be a protector of said leader but to be learning humility by serving them in that capacity.   Many have intentionally kept their armor bearer under their grasp so that they won’t have to feel threatened by that persons calling and anointing.  As a result, they have diminished the effectiveness of the armor bearer’s presence.

When I say that Goliaths armor bearer wasn’t tall enough, I am suggesting that he did not have the capability to actually be a protector of the giant.  He was just a gopher. Many armor bearers today are in that same place.  They haven’t grown up enough or been trained to be any more than a face associated with the leader.  They aren’t equipped with the essentials to stand side by side with their leader in battle.  If they were, the enemy would be stopped short of reaching the leader with any form of attack.  Having a protector who is comparable to your anointing, greatly diminishes the possibility of falling to the fiery darts of the enemy.  You would not only be protected, but you would be standing in a place of reinforced strength, position, and effectiveness.  Why would you not want that?

Having an ill-equipped armor bearer is just as serious as having no armor bearer.  If they can’t stand with you, defend you, fight for you, and fight with you, send them back to join the rest of the army.  How do we fix this?

We need to train our armor bearers to be more than a lap dog.  They need to be equipped with these three things:

1) discernment – Recognition of the presence and potential of the enemy is key to being prepared to go to battle on behalf of the leader.  If you can see it, you will know in which direction you should be positioned to be the most effective.

2) confidence -  The armor bearer must be confident in their ability and anointing to take the initiative to go on the attack rather than stand back and wait for something to happen.  Spiritual warfare is a much-needed teaching for anyone serving in the armor bearers position.  God says that His people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.

3) authority – A true leader will instill a level of authority in his armor bearer that will cause him to not back down or keep quiet when he witnesses a potential attack on the leader.  This does not give him the power to overrule the leader, but it does enable him to proceed with addressing the enemy without always asking for permission to do so. That permission should be pre-authorized; before any threat of attack.

Thank God for our armor bearers.  The necessity of their position is of utmost importance in the Body of Christ.  If the shepherd is knocked down, the sheep will wander aimlessly in the wilderness and eventually into enemy territory.  However, if an anointed and equipped armor bearer is on post, there is no attack that will be able to destroy his leader.   

The question, leaders, is this - Is your armor bearer tall enough to be effective?

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Clean, but Cracked

             It seems that there are so many saints in the Body of Christ living well below the level of victory that has been provided for them.  We become so focused on what God has done for us that we fail to recognize what He wants to do in us next, tomorrow or next month or next year.  At that point, we have stopped the progression of the Holy Spirit’s work in us and stunted our spiritual growth. 

            We have settled for being cleansed but not advanced to the place of wholeness.  Cleansing is good, and it is necessary.  However, if we desire sustained victory over our enemy, we cannot achieve it without being made whole.

            To be cleansed means that you have been made clean or purified.  Something, or someone, can be clean but still cracked.  Sometimes, we as Christians get dirty and stained.  But we are fortunate in that we know how to get ourselves washed up and get the stains out.  We can clean up time after time.  Eventually, though, continued washing will wear away the foundation and substance of a vessel if it remains cracked. 

            Now, to be whole means that you are unbroken or complete.  That doesn’t mean that we won’t pick up a little dirt from time to time.  But it does mean that the dirt will not destroy us.  It means that while we are consistently requiring a fresh cleansing, our foundation and our substance remain intact.  We are whole, complete.

            You can receive cleansing and still not be whole.  This equates to confession without repentance, the crucifixion without the resurrection. Why would you stop with something good when you can go on to something greater and end up right in the middle of God’s best?

            A fitting example of this halted progression is the story of the ten lepers found in St. Luke, chapter 17.  Upon reading the passage, it does not specify that any of the lepers were not healed or cleansed.  Indeed, all ten were healed and cleansed by the power of the spoken Word of Jesus Christ.  But, make no mistake.  There is a failure in the process here.

            You see, once Jesus had seen the lepers and acknowledged their condition, He directed them to go and show themselves to the priests as legal proof of their cleansing.  The scripture tells us that as they were going down the road, they were healed.  They were healed as they went.  He did not touch them or even wave His hand over them.  Their simple obedience to His Word caused the healing to manifest as they walked.

            As they went and were cleansed, no doubt they all shouted and celebrated.  All of them but one allowed their shout to get their focus off the source of their cleansing.  Don’t let your shout distract you from God’s purpose.  We can achieve victory and still miss God, all while shouting. 

            Here we have the separation in the process.  Nine of the lepers continued down the path to the priests as directed.  You must give them credit.  They were obedient.  Since their request for mercy had been answered, why would they do anything other than what they were told?

            So, the nine lepers went on their merry way to do as ordered.  When Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest, they did just that: they went and showed themselves. They forgot the one who made their healing possible.  Anytime we fail to recognize God as the source of anything good in our lives, we open the door for pride to come in and make a fool out of us.  No doubt, they received plenty of publicity once their cleansing was confirmed.  The story became all about them instead of being all about Jesus.

            The one leper that they left behind had the correct response.  We know that 1 Samuel 15:22 says that obedience is better than sacrifice.  So, you obey before anything else, right? 

            Don’t get this twisted.  This leper did obey the Word of the Lord.  The Bible tells us that he was healed as he went.  But when he realized that he was healed, or cleansed, his focus turned from the priests back to Jesus.  He was no longer concerned with reaching the priests.  In his heart, thanking the healer was more important than showing off his healing. 

            That same separation is prevalent in the lives of so many of us today.  We receive some sort of miracle at the hands of the Lord and we want to camp out at the memory of that miracle.  Sometimes we can allow our testimony to hold us back from the next step in God’s plan and purpose for our lives.  We can be so consumed with what he did for us, that we basically ignore what He wants to do right now.

            When the man turned back to worship the healer, Jesus asked him about the other nine lepers.  He had no response because he had decided not to follow them, instead choosing to follow his healer.  Jesus then told him that his faith had made him whole.  The man was no longer dirty, cracked, and incomplete.  He was now clean and completely whole.  He was no longer a leper, but a man of God.

            The nine lepers were cleansed but were not made whole because they did not give glory to God. Even though they were physically moving and obeying His Word, they spiritually stopped their own progression.  Once they received what they asked for, their eyes turned from Him. They were clean but still cracked.

            It is nearly impossible to maintain your cleansing without wholeness.  That’s why so many people come to church, profess Christ, go home and fall back into the sin they were just forgiven for.  Confession with no repentance.  They were cleansed but did not allow themselves to become whole.  They got the quick fix but didn’t stick around for the total transformation. Don’t allow yourself to stop just short of God’s best for you.

            Any time you obtain a victory through Jesus, don’t stop and camp out in that happy place.  Don’t get trapped in the memories of past victories, healings, and moves of God.  Instead, you should begin to look ahead to what He has in store for you next.  What victories lie ahead?  What mighty moves of God still lie ahead?  A victory doesn’t mean it’s over.  It simply means, we have made it this far by faith and we will keep on keeping on by the grace of God.  Just because He did something wonderful for you, doesn’t mean He’s finished.  The best is yet to come.  Don’t stop at the good thing.  Go for the best thing! 

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MerryChristmas!

As I sit here on Christmas Eve watching some seasonal specials on television, a song comes to mind that we used to sing when I was growing up.  We sang, ‘I just feel like something good is about to happen; I just feel like something good is on its way.’  Have you ever had a song get in your head and you just keep going over it time and time again?  That is my present condition.

I got to thinking about this song in relation to Christmas and why it came to me tonight.  I’m wondering if there was anybody on the night before the birth of the Christ-child singing a song such as this.  Was anyone anxious for the gift that was about to be born?

As a parent, I know how excited I was before the birth of my daughter.  We couldn’t sleep in anticipation of what was about to take place.  Even though we had other children, we still had a nervous excitement.  We knew what to expect but at the same time we didn’t know what to expect.  But we knew that something good was about to happen.

While Joseph and Mary were attempting to settle in to their temporary home for the delivery, do you think they were excited because something good was about to happen?  Or were they fearful because of who this child really was and what could await him in the future?  Such uneasiness can cause enough stress to make a body feel physically ill.

Was someone excited about the soon-coming birth of Jesus?  The greatest gift the world has ever known was about to be presented in a matter of hours and only his mother and father were present.  There is nothing like being pumped up about something and having no one to share it with.  That was the soon-to-be parents’ present situation.

All these questions made for a serious bundle of nerves.  Knowing that in just a few hours their lives would be changed forever, Joseph and Mary settled in for the night as best they could.  Then they waited for the child to make himself known.

During this Christmas season, we should have a similar anticipation.  Knowing that, once again, Jesus is soon to make an appearance, our excitement level should be through the roof.  The fact that we have waited for so long for His appearance should cause us to be expecting something wonderful. 

Yet, we continue with our busy lives like nothing is going to change.  We don’t have that sense of expectation about us like we did when we first got saved.  Remember when we were so excited about what God was going to do next in our lives and we couldn’t wait to tell somebody about it?  It didn’t really matter what it was, we just couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

Well, it’s time to get back to our first love.  We need to get back to that place where we maintain a child-like, Christmas Eve mentality when it comes to the things of God.  You know, hoping someone gets saved in the next church service, waiting for revival to bust loose in our church, and looking to the fact that this could be the day of the Lords return. 

What are you expecting from God?  What have you been praying for?  Well, it could happen tomorrow.  I just feel like something good is about to happen.  Make that little tune a part of your daily walk and before you know it, your expectations from God will begin taking shape.  He will give you so much to look forward to.

Thank God for giving us His very best over 2000 years ago and thank God for what He gives us every day.  Merry Christmas to all.  Be blessed.

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A Baby Hidden for You

Apostle Paul said this in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  The gospel is not hid from the lost but it is hid to them.  The truth of the Word of God is not hidden so that it can’t be found.  It is hidden so that it can be searched for and ultimately found.

When It came time for Jesus to come into this world in human form, God fully intended for Him to manifest in the simplest form.  Jesus didn’t come as the child of a world-renowned superstar.  He didn’t come as a descendant of earthly royalty.  Yes, He was from royalty but not of an earthly kingdom.  His parents weren’t widely known for their political associations or entertaining talents.  Mary and Joseph were not popular because of their appearance on reality TV.  Jesus came into this world as the child of a lowly young woman and her humble spouse.

God purposely only notified a select few people of His impending birth.  It wasn’t published in the newspapers of broadcasted on television.  Reporters were not camped out near the inn waiting for the money shot of the new, already famous child.  God saw fit to tell a few shepherds in the field.  He knew that their social connections weren’t of any consequence to His plans for this family.

God chose to hide them during a tumultuous time in the land.  Prophecies had been spoken for years about the Messiah who was coming to save everyone.  Scholars and religious leaders knew these prophecies and were concerned about the impact of such a birth on their positions of power.  They were fearful that people would look to this new king as the one to deliver them out of these times of political upheaval.  Folks longed for a king to set them free.

When God set the plan in motion for Jesus to come into the world, His hiding was of utmost importance.  Thus, the choice to tell only a select few.  He knew that the ones He notified of the coming birth would drop what they were doing to go and see the new king.  He knew their hearts and the purity of their souls.  God knew that they would not visit Jesus for any type of political gain or other impure motives.  They would go to Him out of love and reverence for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

So, Jesus was hidden as a baby so that those with the right motives would seek Him and find Him just as He was announced.  One of our problems today is the fact that we sometimes portray Jesus as something that He is not.  Too often, we use Him as a magic genie or a slot machine, hoping that He will give us everything we want.  Then, when He does bless us, we testify how he gave us what we asked for and talk about how much of a giver God is, leaving out the requirement of any responsibility on our part.  So, when someone new to the faith prays, asking God for something and He doesn’t oblige them, they get mad because God wasn’t faithful like everybody said He was.  They don’t know that He wasn’t accurately represented to them, so they walk away in anger.

The gospel is hidden to the lost so that they don’t hear it and act on it prematurely, effectively twisting any future possibilities of their total acceptance of Jesus as He is.  I’m not saying that it would be impossible for them to be saved after that.  What I am saying is that after receiving a twisted presentation of the Christ, the mind can grasp it in so many different ways that they have absolutely no idea just Who he wants to be in their lives.  Thus, the gospel must be hidden until the time designated by God for them to hear His Word as He intends.

I want to encourage you in your future witnessing opportunities.  When it seems that someone doesn’t want to hear what you have to say, don’t feel kicked.  It may not be the right time.  They might not be ready to hear.  That’s not your fault.  If you spend time working on your relationship with the Master, your sensitivity to His leading will increase and you will become more keenly aware of the right opportunities.  There is an appointed time for every person to hear the gospel, at least once.  Do they have to hear it from you?  Of course not.  But at the appropriate time, the right person will be on the scene to reveal to them the truth of the gospel.

In the meantime, continue praying for them and simply show them the love of God.  If you know someone that needs to hear the gospel, pray for God to send the right person at the right time.  Pray that they will hear and gladly receive the gift of salvation through Jesus alone.  While you’re at it, don’t forget to thank Him for saving you too.

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The Lie Called Fear

It’s crazy how we can learn lessons in the most common everyday occurrences of life.  Take today, for example.  I received my lesson as I drove home after work.

I was traveling on a 2-way road as I left work during the evening rush hour.  Traffic on my side of the road had stopped, waiting for the opportunity for someone to make a left turn.  While we were stopped, I noticed a vehicle to my right waiting to turn left into traffic heading in the direction I had just left.

Traffic in the opposing lane had finally eased up, when I saw the person in the car in front of me motion for the turning vehicle to come on out and make their turn.  I thought to myself, ‘That’s a nice gesture.’ 

Well, my feeling of pleasure didn’t last long.  As soon as the car began to come out into their turn, the vehicle in front of me took off, stopping the other car from entering the roadway.  I couldn’t see it with my eyes, but I could sense that person laughing because they had tricked the other driver.

Due to a feeling of pity and anger, I decided to stop and let them out in front of me, the polite thing.  I honestly felt that I was doing the right thing.  But as I sat waiting for their move, I watched them sit still, just looking at me.  They would not move from their spot.

Immediately, I began receiving my lesson.  The turning driver had gotten burned by the person in front of me and decided to wait until there was no one coming in either direction.  They assumed that I would trick them as well.

How many times in life have we been burned by someone and became fearful or suspicious of others after that experience?  It happens more than we would care to admit.

For instance, a woman gets abused by her husband and after they divorce she is afraid that every man she meets will also be abusive.  So, she resists any type of meaningful relationship.  She bases her fear on what she has experienced in her past.

Here’s another example.  A couple becomes an active part of a local church.  They join the church because they feel loved and accepted.  But after a while, something happens, or something is said to cause them severe emotional pain.  Maybe a fellow church member is overheard talking about them.  Maybe the church leadership has become extremely demanding or verbally abusive.  Either way, they are hurt and decide to leave that church.

From then on, they receive multiple invitations to attend various churches in their community.  They want to but are afraid that they will experience the same pain as before.  So, they simply sit at home, occasionally watching a television ministry, hoping that will satisfy their longing for spiritual fulfillment.

Just like the man who would not turn in front of me for fear of being tricked again, sometimes we resist making our next move in life because of what has happened to us in our past.  The pain goes deep.  We try to hide it and explain it away as us being satisfied the way things are.  And the whole time we are crying on the inside, wishing things were different.

There comes a time when we must make up our mind that even though it might hurt; even though it might not work out, we must make a move.  Fear has no business controlling our lives.  Fear is a lie.  Fear tells you that things will end up just like they did the last time when you got hurt.  Fear tells you that there is no way things can ever be different because of what has happened to you.  Fear keeps too many people chained to the bed of compromise, bed of addiction, and bed of hatred.

When we decide that fear is no longer our master, then we can step up and step out into something more than what we’ve settled for.  But it is a decision.  It doesn’t just happen.  You don’t wake up one day and the fear is gone.  You must decide that fear is no match for your determination.

If your previous spouse abused you, make up your mind that all men aren’t that way.  If you have been hurt in a church, make up your mind that all churches are not that way.  The only way for victory to manifest in your life is to recognize and respond to the fact that fear is a lie.

So, what are you going to do?  Will you continue living in fear?  Will all those what-ifs keep taking up space in your mind? Or are you finally going to stand up and say, ‘Enough!  The past is the past.  It’s a new day and I am going to live my life without fear.’  Fear is a lie.  Don’t believe what it says.

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God Bless America!

                The word of the day is rebellion.  It is so prevalent in our society right now that it cannot be avoided.  It seems that a rebellious spirit has overtaken our nation.  We, as a people, have decided that we must have our voices heard, especially if it is in disagreement with whatever is the subject of the day.

                The current debate over standing or kneeling for our national anthem at sporting events has been taken to such a ridiculous level, that it reminds me of the playground debates we had as children.  You remember the ones; my dad can beat up your dad.  My family has more money than your family.  I’m stronger than you.  I’m prettier than you.  Whatever the debate, we just had to make sure our opinion was heard.

                We have taken that frame of mind and twisted it so far that we have thrown away all respectful intentions in our life and embraced this rebellious spirit.  We insist on arguing about and fighting over anything that we disagree with.  People are so divided right now that we can’t see each other as God intended for us to be seen – out of a heart of love.

                Love is no longer evident in most sporting events.  It is difficult to locate in the political realm.  People are speaking words of hate and division simply for the sake of being heard.  We are fighting over respect and in turn are throwing respect out the window.  The fight is no longer about respecting the flag.  It is no longer over the hateful comments of our president.  The fight is over who can yell the loudest and who can give the sharpest jabs.  It’s all about ‘I’m right and you’re wrong.’

                Whether you agree with the professional athletes or not; whether you agree with the president or not, you have a God-given responsibility to respect your brother.  It is your duty to strive for unity among those in your community, county, state, and nation.  And what are we doing but the very opposite.

                Several years ago, I was teaching a class in the prison system and heard a common theme during every session.  These men were continuously talking about others respecting them.  They bragged about how if someone didn’t give them respect, they would take it.  They equated respect with fear.  So, one day I decided to break from the lesson plan and teach on respect.  Nobody in the room knew what the word respect meant.  I taught how respect meant putting someone else before yourself.  It meant listening to someone’s opinion even though you didn’t agree with them.  It meant that if there was only one piece of cake left, you should offer it first to the other person. These men did not have a clue.  Needless to say, after that session, they no longer talked about respect when they were in class.  

                Our society has adopted the same view.  We insist on receiving respect from others, whether we give it to them or not.  If we don’t get it, we think we have to take it.  That attitude is rooted in rebellion.  And we wonder why there is so much strife and dissension in our nation.  We have thrown the rulebook out the window, sewed the mouths of the peacemakers shut, and decided on our own that we are the only ones that are right.  We have taught that any authority figure that does not cater to our wants and needs should be done away with. 

Our children have learned these disrespectful attitudes from us.  Shame on us!  We constantly rail against the president, the boss, and the pastor and then wonder why our children rebel against us.  When we refuse to honor the set authority over us, we are in rebellion and are setting ourselves up for failure in every area of life.  Why are you not advancing on your job like you think you should be?  Because you are constantly complaining and issuing hollow threats against those that you are supposed to be answering to.  Sure, you are honey-sweet compliant to their face but when they walk away you’re cussing them under your breath.  You’re forever threatening to quit and ‘leave ‘em hangin’.

People, it’s time to grow up.  Can we be adults?  Can we show respect for each other?  If we can’t, then we as a people are in serious trouble.  If we can’t, our nation is doomed.

I understand folks have different reasons for not liking certain statues, songs, politicians, or ideals.  Let’s just shut up, get up, and move on.  Life is too short to turn it into a never-ending display of protest and rebellion.  So what if you and I disagree.  We’re still neighbors, going to work every day, shopping at the same grocery stores, and still paying bills.  So, if we can decide to move on past our disagreements and faults, we will see our schools, churches, and nation thrive one more time.  I say, God bless America!

The Love of God

Today is a day that we need encouragement from the Lord.  We are most definitely living in trying times.  Not everything we go through is smooth sailing.  Not everything that happens to us from day to day is a big bunch of pleasantries.  Sometimes they cause us to get down in our spirit and begin looking at just how bad things seem to be.  But today, I just came by to bring you a word of encouragement.

Once upon a time, I lived a life, that from the time I woke up until I went to sleep, I was looking over my shoulder to see what was going to happen next.  I worried about everything.  I pretended not to be afraid but my nerves would sometimes get the best of me and I felt like giving up on life.  I made some terrible decisions that almost destroyed my family.

Can I tell you today, that the devil thought he had me in his hip pocket?  But when I thought I couldn’t go any further, a man named Jesus came by my way and pulled me up and out of the miserable pit I was in.  He showed up in a way that I would have never expected.  He showed up when I least expected Him.  He showed up when I wasn’t even looking for Him.  But the main thing is, He did show up.

Jesus came in and turned everything around.  He gave me reason to keep on going.  He gave me a reason to get up in the morning.  He gave me a reason to live.  My fears began fading away.  My worries fell off by the wayside.  I began singing a new song.  I began walking a little lighter.  The Creator of heaven and earth saw fit to come into my room and save me from hell and from myself.  Hallelujah!!!

As some of you today are grieving over a loved one that has passed on or over a relationship that has seen its better days, I came to tell you that it’s time for you to live.  You or a loved one may be suffering from depression or anxiety and can’t see the light of day.  Well, Jesus said that “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.”  So, that means that your grieving or your depression cannot keep you from the comforting arms of a loving God.

He gave everything for you.  Yes, you!  He loves you with an everlasting love.  And if there is anything I have learned, it is that He will never abandon you or give up on you.  It doesn’t matter how bad you might have messed up.  It doesn’t matter how many times you may have cast doubt on whether He cares or not.  The plain and simple truth is that He is a loving, caring, comforting, longsuffering God.  He knows all about the thoughts and feelings you’ve had while trudging through your struggle and He still loves you. 

I’m not talking about a God that is distant, even to the point of being dead.  I’m talking about a God that is ever-present, even when you don’t feel Him.  He is our awesome God.  He is our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Strength, our Joy and our Peace.  He is our Healer, our Way-maker, and our Peace-speaker.  He is our Way, our Truth and our Life. He is!!!  He lives and He loves you.

Be encouraged today by who He is and by how much He really does love you.

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Just Give Me Jesus!

We read in St. Luke chapter 2 of a man named Simeon who was at the dedication ceremony for the Christ-child.  Simeon was a man of God.  The bible says that the Holy Ghost was on him and revealed to him that he would not leave this world until he had seen the Glory of God in Jesus.  He had waited for years for this promise to come to pass.  Then one day he heard that Jesus had been born and was on His way to the temple for His own dedication.

We read of how, when the baby was brought in by His parents, Simeon held the child up and blessed God because he had now seen the Glory in the person of Jesus.  That was the moment he had lived for.  He waited and longed for the promise of God to be fulfilled and on this day he was not disappointed.  He didn't give up at any time during his wait.  He prayed, served God, and waited.

The modern church could take a lesson from Simeon.  We don't have the steadfastness to hold on and believe God for years on end.  We get so impatient waiting for even a sandwich to be made.  We get impatient waiting in line at the bank.  Simeon waited for years just to see Jesus, the Glory of God.  He did not allow anything or anyone deter him from his chief desire.  But, us?  We get discouraged so easily if things don't happen exactly when and how we want them to. 

It's time for us to get a Simeon spirit about us.  By that, I mean that we need to stand up tall and make up our mind that nothing will hinder us from receiving the promises of God.  Yes, we're saved and on our way to heaven.  But we aren't totally convinced that the promises spoken of in the Word of God are for us.  We can believe for other people to be healed.  We can believe for someone else's relative to be saved.  But we have trouble believing it for ourselves.

We see others prospering in life and wonder why it's not us that are riding down easy street.  We see others getting healed and wonder why we haven't gotten our healing.  That's because of what I said in the preceding paragraph.  We don't fully believe the Word of God for ourselves.  And why, you may ask, do we not fully believe it?  We don't fully believe because we haven't fully sold out to Jesus the Christ, the Glory of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  We haven't fully sold out to the life-giver, the way-maker, the chain-breaker and the peace-speaker.  And until we devote ourselves totally to Him, our faith will continue to fall short of where it needs to be.

The bible tells us that faith can move mountains.  We tend to view the mountains from a pretty good distance away and by the time we get to it, we have convinced ourselves that it's too big for us to overcome.  If we were to learn a lesson from Joshua and the Israelites at Jericho, the closer we got to the mountain the stronger our faith would be and we could just shout that mountain out of our way.  But we will never be able to do that until we give everything we've got to Jesus.  He should be our number one priority in life.  Every day when we wake up, He should be the first name we call out.  His praises should continually be in our mouth, no matter the situation.  If we would develop that lifestyle, no mountain would be safe.  No enemy would be able to stand before us.  We must get back to our first love.  And His name is Jesus!

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