I would like to share with you all a very fine letter we received at M101 Ministries for our work in our faith-based women’s dorm at the prison. I would also like to remind you that we can’t do it without the love and support of our pastor, elders, and congregations at the Duncanville Church of Christ and Skillman Church of Christ and all of the other volunteers who have joined with us to try and make a difference in these incarcerated men and women's lives. Of course, all the glory goes to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Hey Guys, I have been thinking about paying you my gratitude for the last two years for the change in me. And there just doesn’t seem to be a way that is profound enough.
When I came into this dorm in July of 2009 I was a mess. I had done some work on myself at the God Pod at Plane State Jail where I got transferred from, but still, if you remember, I was a mess (We do). I couldn’t have a conversation without crying, couldn’t look anyone in the eye, had a chip on my shoulder the size of Dallas, and thought that life as I knew it was over.
And I was right. Thank God! So, as feeble as this might seem in response for the hard work you guys have done for me, thank you. For all the lessons, for the care, for the prayers, for praise and worship, for love, for reprimands, for hope, for reality, for teaching me how “to wrap my arms around” ideas, for “walking it out,” and facing my past, my mistakes, my pain, my shame, and my guilt, and to see that no matter what…
I am a precious child of God, a daughter of the Highest King, and a princess.
That I no longer walk with my eyes down, shoulders slumped, jumping at any loud noise or touch.
I stand proud! I can say “no!” I turn to my Bible everyday-all day and pray continuously. I am happy; I have “the peace that transcends all understanding.” I know how to “be still.”
I can breathe, I have faith, and to my amazement; finally, finally at 49 years old I love myself.
Thanks guys, for letting the Lord use you to minister to people like me that society cast off as having no value…In the long run this program works.
Again, from the bottom of my heart “thank you!”
Now is this child of God healed and fixed? Certainly not. But she now has Jesus and great hope for the future where there was only despair. We receive many letters like this one and just want you to know it is good. May God bless you and keep you until next time.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Stop Living Like a Christian Atheist (Hopler, Internet)
Stop Living Like a Christian Atheist
Whitney Hopler
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Craig Groeschel's recent book, The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He
Doesn't Exist, (Zondervan, 2010).
Sure, you believe in God. But does the way you live reflect that belief? Too often, Christians seem more like atheists because they live as if God doesn't really exist - despite saying that they believe in Him. God wants more from you than just belief. He wants you to act on your faith by living it out in every part of your life. That's the only way you can grow closer to God and let others know that your faith is real, so they'll be inspired to seek God themselves.
So stop living like an atheist and start living like a Christian. Here's how you can deal with different obstacles that can prevent you from fully living out your faith.
When you believe in God but don't really know Him: God wants a close relationship with you - one in which you get to know Him well. He promises in the Bible that those who seek Him will find Him. So make it your top priority to pursue a closer relationship with God. As you get to know God better, you'll change into a better person throughout the process. Tell God that you want to know Him more, and invite Him to transform you and your life.
When you believe in God but are ashamed of your past: Shame will give you an inaccurate view of yourself and keep you from embracing the truth that God loves you no matter what and you have great value as someone He has made in His image. So reject what your shame says about you so you can hear what God says about you and start living with confidence. Confess your sins, repent of them, and pursue healing however God leads you, such as through counseling. Ask God to help you use your experiences from past mistakes to minister to other people who are struggling in similar ways.
When you believe in God but aren't sure He loves you: Don't waste time and energy worrying about whether you're good or important enough to deserve God's love, or trying to earn His love - that's all futile. Instead, realize that God, in His essence, is love. Since God's nature is to love, He loves you completely and unconditionally. God's love for you will always be bigger than your sins and failures.
When you believe in God but not in prayer: If you don't pray much, ask yourself honestly why you don't. Is it because you don't expect prayer to lead to real change? Give prayer a try and you'll start to experience its power to change both people and situations. Is it because prayer is just a boring ritual to you? Pour out your deepest thoughts and feelings to God, listen to His responses, and you'll discover that prayer can be exciting. Is it because you're not sure that you know how to pray the right way? Rest assured that there's no formula for prayer; God will hear whatever you pray, however you pray it.
When you believe in God but don't think He's fair: Bad things do happen to good people in our fallen world, but you can count on God to bring about justice ultimately in the eternal realm. Remember that whenever God does allow you to suffer, He has a purpose for your pain that will ultimately lead to something good. Also, considering how often people sin, it's good that God doesn't give us all exactly what we deserve in this world, because that would mean not receiving the good grace that He constantly gives.
When you believe in God but won't forgive: Remember that God has forgiven you freely and completely for everything you've ever done wrong, so let your gratitude motivate you to obey His call to forgive other people who have hurt or offended you. If you just make the choice to forgive - despite your feelings - God will help you through the process and empower you to forgive anyone for anything.
When you believe in God but don't think you can change: No matter what problems you're dealing with, you can overcome them if you rely on God's help to do so. Eliminate any excuses you may have for not trying to change. Replace every wrong thought that enters your mind with biblical truth. Cut ties with people who are holding you back from changing in the ways you hope to change and surround yourself with people who will encourage and help you. Trust in God's promise that with Him, all things are possible.
When you believe in God but still worry all the time: Recognize that worry is actually the opposite of faith, because by worrying you're telling God that you don't really trust Him to handle the situations you face. Rather than worrying about your problems, do all you can to solve them and trust God to do what you can't do. Invite God to work on each problem in His way and in His time. Whenever you catch yourself worrying, take that as a signal to start praying about your concern instead.
When you believe in God but pursue happiness at any cost: It's a mistake to believe that God wants you to be happy above all else. God isn't obligated to make you happy if you're faithful to Him. In fact, He may often allow pain to enter your life to help you grow in ways you couldn't otherwise. But God, from His unlimited perspective, knows what is best for you. Chasing after what our culture tells you can make you happy may make you feel good temporarily, but it will eventually disappoint you. Only God's blessings - which transcend happiness - will truly fulfill you in lasting ways.
When you believe in God but trust more in money: You can't devote yourself to both God and money, because your heart will be divided and a love for money will end up pushing you into sin. Realize that money is just a tool for living, and decide to control it well - according to the principles God has outlined in the Bible - so it won't end up controlling you. Ask God to teach you how to give sacrificially to thank Him for making the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus on the Cross to save you.
When you believe in God but don't share your faith: If you're not sharing your faith, you're not responding to an important call from God. Evangelize is part of God's plan for all believers. Ask Him to help you share your faith through your conversations with the people you relate to every day. Pray for people, serve them, and invite them to both your church and your home regularly.
When you believe in God but not in His church: You can't grow closer to God, build strong relationships with other believer, or represent God well to the world if you're not participating in a local church. So believe in God enough to truly give your life to it, which being active in church will help you do.
Adapted from The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn't Exist, copyright 2010 by Craig Groeschel. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.zondervan.com.
Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a pace-setting multi-campus church, with more than 80 weekly worship experiences in 14 locations, including an online campus. Craig, his wife, Amy, and their six children live in the Edmond, Oklahoma area where LifeChurch.tv began in 1996. Craig is the author of several books, including Chazown and It.
Whitney Hopler
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Craig Groeschel's recent book, The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He
Doesn't Exist, (Zondervan, 2010).
Sure, you believe in God. But does the way you live reflect that belief? Too often, Christians seem more like atheists because they live as if God doesn't really exist - despite saying that they believe in Him. God wants more from you than just belief. He wants you to act on your faith by living it out in every part of your life. That's the only way you can grow closer to God and let others know that your faith is real, so they'll be inspired to seek God themselves.
So stop living like an atheist and start living like a Christian. Here's how you can deal with different obstacles that can prevent you from fully living out your faith.
When you believe in God but don't really know Him: God wants a close relationship with you - one in which you get to know Him well. He promises in the Bible that those who seek Him will find Him. So make it your top priority to pursue a closer relationship with God. As you get to know God better, you'll change into a better person throughout the process. Tell God that you want to know Him more, and invite Him to transform you and your life.
When you believe in God but are ashamed of your past: Shame will give you an inaccurate view of yourself and keep you from embracing the truth that God loves you no matter what and you have great value as someone He has made in His image. So reject what your shame says about you so you can hear what God says about you and start living with confidence. Confess your sins, repent of them, and pursue healing however God leads you, such as through counseling. Ask God to help you use your experiences from past mistakes to minister to other people who are struggling in similar ways.
When you believe in God but aren't sure He loves you: Don't waste time and energy worrying about whether you're good or important enough to deserve God's love, or trying to earn His love - that's all futile. Instead, realize that God, in His essence, is love. Since God's nature is to love, He loves you completely and unconditionally. God's love for you will always be bigger than your sins and failures.
When you believe in God but not in prayer: If you don't pray much, ask yourself honestly why you don't. Is it because you don't expect prayer to lead to real change? Give prayer a try and you'll start to experience its power to change both people and situations. Is it because prayer is just a boring ritual to you? Pour out your deepest thoughts and feelings to God, listen to His responses, and you'll discover that prayer can be exciting. Is it because you're not sure that you know how to pray the right way? Rest assured that there's no formula for prayer; God will hear whatever you pray, however you pray it.
When you believe in God but don't think He's fair: Bad things do happen to good people in our fallen world, but you can count on God to bring about justice ultimately in the eternal realm. Remember that whenever God does allow you to suffer, He has a purpose for your pain that will ultimately lead to something good. Also, considering how often people sin, it's good that God doesn't give us all exactly what we deserve in this world, because that would mean not receiving the good grace that He constantly gives.
When you believe in God but won't forgive: Remember that God has forgiven you freely and completely for everything you've ever done wrong, so let your gratitude motivate you to obey His call to forgive other people who have hurt or offended you. If you just make the choice to forgive - despite your feelings - God will help you through the process and empower you to forgive anyone for anything.
When you believe in God but don't think you can change: No matter what problems you're dealing with, you can overcome them if you rely on God's help to do so. Eliminate any excuses you may have for not trying to change. Replace every wrong thought that enters your mind with biblical truth. Cut ties with people who are holding you back from changing in the ways you hope to change and surround yourself with people who will encourage and help you. Trust in God's promise that with Him, all things are possible.
When you believe in God but still worry all the time: Recognize that worry is actually the opposite of faith, because by worrying you're telling God that you don't really trust Him to handle the situations you face. Rather than worrying about your problems, do all you can to solve them and trust God to do what you can't do. Invite God to work on each problem in His way and in His time. Whenever you catch yourself worrying, take that as a signal to start praying about your concern instead.
When you believe in God but pursue happiness at any cost: It's a mistake to believe that God wants you to be happy above all else. God isn't obligated to make you happy if you're faithful to Him. In fact, He may often allow pain to enter your life to help you grow in ways you couldn't otherwise. But God, from His unlimited perspective, knows what is best for you. Chasing after what our culture tells you can make you happy may make you feel good temporarily, but it will eventually disappoint you. Only God's blessings - which transcend happiness - will truly fulfill you in lasting ways.
When you believe in God but trust more in money: You can't devote yourself to both God and money, because your heart will be divided and a love for money will end up pushing you into sin. Realize that money is just a tool for living, and decide to control it well - according to the principles God has outlined in the Bible - so it won't end up controlling you. Ask God to teach you how to give sacrificially to thank Him for making the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus on the Cross to save you.
When you believe in God but don't share your faith: If you're not sharing your faith, you're not responding to an important call from God. Evangelize is part of God's plan for all believers. Ask Him to help you share your faith through your conversations with the people you relate to every day. Pray for people, serve them, and invite them to both your church and your home regularly.
When you believe in God but not in His church: You can't grow closer to God, build strong relationships with other believer, or represent God well to the world if you're not participating in a local church. So believe in God enough to truly give your life to it, which being active in church will help you do.
Adapted from The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn't Exist, copyright 2010 by Craig Groeschel. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., www.zondervan.com.
Craig Groeschel is the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, a pace-setting multi-campus church, with more than 80 weekly worship experiences in 14 locations, including an online campus. Craig, his wife, Amy, and their six children live in the Edmond, Oklahoma area where LifeChurch.tv began in 1996. Craig is the author of several books, including Chazown and It.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Psalm 40 Sketch Notes-Vs. 4
Vs. 4-“Blessed is that person who makes the Lord their trust…”
Who have you been trusting in? How has that been working for you? Well, if you have been trusting in anything or anyone more than the Lord, then you are not blessed according to this verse of the Bible. The world wants us to trust in it. Obama and many others want us to trust in the government. There is always someone or something advertising its wares and ways that can be trusted to make everything all right. Don’t believe them. If we are trusting in anything other than the Lord we have put our hopes in a bag full of holes. Money can’t buy us blessing, secure protection, love from God, or peace, joy, kindness, humility, or any other heavenly gift. Only a solid relationship with Jesus can do these and many more benefits. Jeremiah 31: 1-6 at least, reminds us of our God’s faithful, steady, constant love. There is no one who is more loving toward us, good in all their doings, and extremely wise and powerful as the Lord our God.
There may be people in your life who have the power to help you in certain situations, but they lack the love or will to do so. Still again, there may be others around you who want to help you with all their hearts, but they lack the power to do it. Not so with Jesus, He has the love and the power to do anything that is according to His will for those who trust in Him. He promises to love us and always do what is right for our lives in every situation. And without fail he will show Himself mighty if He is our only trust.
Vs. 4b-“…and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
When dealing with Scripture, the purest and deadliest form of “pride” is anyone or anything that says, “Don’t listen to God or His word, we have a better way.” If you ever hear this idea, whether directly or implied by someone, run for your life. This is “pride” about to try and take you down an evil road. Any idea that lifts itself above the teachings of the Bible is evil. There is a saying that goes like this, “To l-i-v-e backwards is e-v-i-l.” I don’t think this is a coincidence. To put our trust in anyone or anything other than the Lord is living backwards according to the maker of heaven and earth.
The word teaches us to, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” For example, this means if the word tell us not to partake in sex outside of marriage (fornication, sexual immorality, adultery), but the world promotes it as a “do what ever your heart tells you, go ahead and enjoy it, you only live once.” Someone is lying and you had better believe it’s not God. These are “the proud who turn aside to lies.” You can go with the culture and be judged as evil along with it, or you can believe God and follow Him. You can’t do both and expect to be blessed or rewarded with good.
Who have you been trusting in? How has that been working for you? Well, if you have been trusting in anything or anyone more than the Lord, then you are not blessed according to this verse of the Bible. The world wants us to trust in it. Obama and many others want us to trust in the government. There is always someone or something advertising its wares and ways that can be trusted to make everything all right. Don’t believe them. If we are trusting in anything other than the Lord we have put our hopes in a bag full of holes. Money can’t buy us blessing, secure protection, love from God, or peace, joy, kindness, humility, or any other heavenly gift. Only a solid relationship with Jesus can do these and many more benefits. Jeremiah 31: 1-6 at least, reminds us of our God’s faithful, steady, constant love. There is no one who is more loving toward us, good in all their doings, and extremely wise and powerful as the Lord our God.
There may be people in your life who have the power to help you in certain situations, but they lack the love or will to do so. Still again, there may be others around you who want to help you with all their hearts, but they lack the power to do it. Not so with Jesus, He has the love and the power to do anything that is according to His will for those who trust in Him. He promises to love us and always do what is right for our lives in every situation. And without fail he will show Himself mighty if He is our only trust.
Vs. 4b-“…and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
When dealing with Scripture, the purest and deadliest form of “pride” is anyone or anything that says, “Don’t listen to God or His word, we have a better way.” If you ever hear this idea, whether directly or implied by someone, run for your life. This is “pride” about to try and take you down an evil road. Any idea that lifts itself above the teachings of the Bible is evil. There is a saying that goes like this, “To l-i-v-e backwards is e-v-i-l.” I don’t think this is a coincidence. To put our trust in anyone or anything other than the Lord is living backwards according to the maker of heaven and earth.
The word teaches us to, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” For example, this means if the word tell us not to partake in sex outside of marriage (fornication, sexual immorality, adultery), but the world promotes it as a “do what ever your heart tells you, go ahead and enjoy it, you only live once.” Someone is lying and you had better believe it’s not God. These are “the proud who turn aside to lies.” You can go with the culture and be judged as evil along with it, or you can believe God and follow Him. You can’t do both and expect to be blessed or rewarded with good.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Psalm 40 Sketch Notes-Vs. 3
Vs. 3- “He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God;”
I’ve always had a song in my mouth since my youth. The only problem is it sounded like this, “Me, me, me, me, me, meee.” But ever since the Lord has shown Himself faithful to the one who cries out for Him, my tune has changed. Now the song I sing goes more like this, “Him, Him, Himmm.” There’s nothing like being pulled out of a pit, a place where we are stuck, to be rescued by the Lord is an exhilarating experience; to finally shed a bad habit, bad relationship, a betrayal, a depression, or a gut-wrenching grief is to have a new song on your lips. The freedom of these just mentioned will cause a new song to rise up in your heart, a song caused by the goodness and power of the Lord. This is what “praise” really means. To sing toward the One who has just proven themselves to hear, care, and answer as only a Savior (Hero) can.
My “new song of praise” sounds like this today, “Oh, thank you Lord, for the grace to be clean and sober for 4 years now. Oh, thank you Lord, that by your grace I haven’t viewed pornography in just as many years. Oh, thank you Lord, You have turned my house into a home where love abounds, instead of evil. Oh, thank you Lord, I have been surrounded with good people in my life, instead of evil workers. Oh, thank you Lord, my future with you gets brighter and brighter because You are my strength and my shield…etc. Now that’s a song of praise to our God. As you walk with the Lord your song should sound a lot like mine because He is faithful to those who walk with Him.
Vs. 3b- “Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”
Whether you realize it or not, you are surrounded by people who are watching you because you claim to be a Christian. They know you from your past life of sin and trouble. And they are watching to see if this new life is going to stick. They will watch and see if Jesus works for you. And if you continue to follow Jesus, and as your life begins to change for the better, they will realize there is a God in heaven and He really helps people on earth. In many cases, that will cause them to have a holy fear of not knowing Him like they should. This is the beginning of wisdom. This is the time when God can say, “Yes, I am real and I do want you to know Me, just like your friend there your watching me bless. I will love you and save you and turn your life around too, if you’ll trust Me…,” or something very similar to that. How many of us have seen God work in the lives of others and it made us want it that much more? If you are following Christ best you can, then by default you are a walking billboard for Him. And people will read you and believe that Christ is real and who He says He is, and it just might make them want Him too.
I’ve always had a song in my mouth since my youth. The only problem is it sounded like this, “Me, me, me, me, me, meee.” But ever since the Lord has shown Himself faithful to the one who cries out for Him, my tune has changed. Now the song I sing goes more like this, “Him, Him, Himmm.” There’s nothing like being pulled out of a pit, a place where we are stuck, to be rescued by the Lord is an exhilarating experience; to finally shed a bad habit, bad relationship, a betrayal, a depression, or a gut-wrenching grief is to have a new song on your lips. The freedom of these just mentioned will cause a new song to rise up in your heart, a song caused by the goodness and power of the Lord. This is what “praise” really means. To sing toward the One who has just proven themselves to hear, care, and answer as only a Savior (Hero) can.
My “new song of praise” sounds like this today, “Oh, thank you Lord, for the grace to be clean and sober for 4 years now. Oh, thank you Lord, that by your grace I haven’t viewed pornography in just as many years. Oh, thank you Lord, You have turned my house into a home where love abounds, instead of evil. Oh, thank you Lord, I have been surrounded with good people in my life, instead of evil workers. Oh, thank you Lord, my future with you gets brighter and brighter because You are my strength and my shield…etc. Now that’s a song of praise to our God. As you walk with the Lord your song should sound a lot like mine because He is faithful to those who walk with Him.
Vs. 3b- “Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”
Whether you realize it or not, you are surrounded by people who are watching you because you claim to be a Christian. They know you from your past life of sin and trouble. And they are watching to see if this new life is going to stick. They will watch and see if Jesus works for you. And if you continue to follow Jesus, and as your life begins to change for the better, they will realize there is a God in heaven and He really helps people on earth. In many cases, that will cause them to have a holy fear of not knowing Him like they should. This is the beginning of wisdom. This is the time when God can say, “Yes, I am real and I do want you to know Me, just like your friend there your watching me bless. I will love you and save you and turn your life around too, if you’ll trust Me…,” or something very similar to that. How many of us have seen God work in the lives of others and it made us want it that much more? If you are following Christ best you can, then by default you are a walking billboard for Him. And people will read you and believe that Christ is real and who He says He is, and it just might make them want Him too.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Psalm 40 Sketch Notes
Psalm 40 Study Notes
1. Waiting on the Lord means to serve Him with gladness, to attend to Him, to lean upon Him, think of Him, sing to Him, trust in Him, talk to Him, praise Him for His blessings already, dwell upon His kindness, gentleness, love and faithfulness, in other words to fill your heart and mind with His love, answered prayers, commitment to you, and never-ending help for you.
2. To wait patiently means to stand firm in these just mentioned no matter what is going on around you. Patience means while trouble is happening we shall not be moved, shaken, or stirred out of place. Patience is a quiet, steadfast resolve to trust that He knows and cares and is already moving on the matter because we asked for His help and He loves us so much He can’t sit by without guiding us through.
3. “He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Inclined means to lean toward, to stoop down, to have His attention. When we cry out to Him we know that we have His attention. And with His attention comes His help. I have heard people say, “God only helps those who help themselves.” This is not true. God helps those who call to Him for help and He does it gladly because HE loves us dearly and we have proved our love and trust of Him by our prayer for help. He absolutely loves us to trust Him.
4. “He brought me out of a horrible pit.” The pit is where I can only see walls around me. I seem to have fallen into something and need help getting out. The pit is a low place, below the level of my privileges as a child of God. We have to be thrown “down” to be in a pit. We can also fall into a pit or sometimes we choose to jump in on our own when we do things against His will. The only way out is up. So, we must look up to the heavens to call for a rope.
5. “Out of the miry clay.” The miry clay is slippery substance. The more you try to get out on your own the more slippery and stuck we get. We can’t walk rightly in the slippery mud and continue to fall on our faces; we get bogged down in slimy things and need help to get out. If we’re not careful we may give up and try and make the pit our home. We’ll try and just live our lives without freedom in the low, slippery places of life, and may even try to pull others down into the pit with us so we will be more comfortable in our misery. When all along we should be looking up and calling to the One who has the high ground and the strength to pull us out.
6. “And set my feet upon a rock.” God not only pulls out of the pit when we call for His rope, He makes sure to place us way away from the mud on solid rock. He gives us a firm foundation that is not easily shaken or moved. A strong surface for our feet which steady’s the rest of our movements. We can now continue our journey because of the solid ground; His word is our solid ground. We can walk safely through His word like a huge, green lush meadow we can live free in. (The Rock is Jesus, solid people in the church, a descent job, school, phone numbers of ladder people, definitely His word, and His love and guidance which is promised to those who will trust Him.) What else? “Jesus is our firm foundation; I know that His love is true… Jesus is our firm foundation; I will trust in his holy word, I will trust in His holy word…”
1. Waiting on the Lord means to serve Him with gladness, to attend to Him, to lean upon Him, think of Him, sing to Him, trust in Him, talk to Him, praise Him for His blessings already, dwell upon His kindness, gentleness, love and faithfulness, in other words to fill your heart and mind with His love, answered prayers, commitment to you, and never-ending help for you.
2. To wait patiently means to stand firm in these just mentioned no matter what is going on around you. Patience means while trouble is happening we shall not be moved, shaken, or stirred out of place. Patience is a quiet, steadfast resolve to trust that He knows and cares and is already moving on the matter because we asked for His help and He loves us so much He can’t sit by without guiding us through.
3. “He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Inclined means to lean toward, to stoop down, to have His attention. When we cry out to Him we know that we have His attention. And with His attention comes His help. I have heard people say, “God only helps those who help themselves.” This is not true. God helps those who call to Him for help and He does it gladly because HE loves us dearly and we have proved our love and trust of Him by our prayer for help. He absolutely loves us to trust Him.
4. “He brought me out of a horrible pit.” The pit is where I can only see walls around me. I seem to have fallen into something and need help getting out. The pit is a low place, below the level of my privileges as a child of God. We have to be thrown “down” to be in a pit. We can also fall into a pit or sometimes we choose to jump in on our own when we do things against His will. The only way out is up. So, we must look up to the heavens to call for a rope.
5. “Out of the miry clay.” The miry clay is slippery substance. The more you try to get out on your own the more slippery and stuck we get. We can’t walk rightly in the slippery mud and continue to fall on our faces; we get bogged down in slimy things and need help to get out. If we’re not careful we may give up and try and make the pit our home. We’ll try and just live our lives without freedom in the low, slippery places of life, and may even try to pull others down into the pit with us so we will be more comfortable in our misery. When all along we should be looking up and calling to the One who has the high ground and the strength to pull us out.
6. “And set my feet upon a rock.” God not only pulls out of the pit when we call for His rope, He makes sure to place us way away from the mud on solid rock. He gives us a firm foundation that is not easily shaken or moved. A strong surface for our feet which steady’s the rest of our movements. We can now continue our journey because of the solid ground; His word is our solid ground. We can walk safely through His word like a huge, green lush meadow we can live free in. (The Rock is Jesus, solid people in the church, a descent job, school, phone numbers of ladder people, definitely His word, and His love and guidance which is promised to those who will trust Him.) What else? “Jesus is our firm foundation; I know that His love is true… Jesus is our firm foundation; I will trust in his holy word, I will trust in His holy word…”
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Horse-Bit
We baptized Brad (name changed) on Sunday. Today, I am mad as hell about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted as heaven that Brad decided to ask Jesus into his life and be baptized. It was a wonderful privilege to be asked to do the honors. I’m angry because Brad has been coming to Wednesday night Bible study with our group, Friday night Celebrate Recovery meetings, and Sunday morning services at our church for about six weeks and only had seven or eight days clean and sober when Satan pounced.
If you will remember my last blog I told you about Steve who we had tried to help out by getting him to a good transitional house where he could get a great head start for re-entering society after a three year prison sentence. The title of that blog, “You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but…,” referred to him, as does this one, titled, “Horse-Bit.” In case you don’t remember the outcome let me refresh your memory. Steve murmured and complained about the house while the whole time he was using drugs and alcohol instead of working the program, and as soon as he gave up on his self and the program he was arrested and on his way to jail within hours because he was digging through someone’s trash and they called the police.
Steve got out of the county jail with time served on Monday, the day after we baptized Brad. The only problem with that is Steve still hasn’t learned his lesson. I asked Steve not to go over to Brad’s house and drag him down from his new commitment to Christ. Steve’s grandmother, who he lives off of because he refuses to do anything with his own life, lives two houses down from Brad. So true to form Steve goes ahead and visits Brad a few days later with another friend against my request. And also, true to form he takes beer and marijuana with him. Of course, it is Friday morning by now and our recovery meeting is about eight hours away.
Needless to say, Brad did not show up for the meeting because he was too ashamed to face us having relapsed. Now, that’s okay because we didn’t expect Brad to go very long before a relapse could happen. The fact is just because someone gives their life to Jesus and enters into the family of God does not mean their hurts, habits, and hang-ups just magically disappear. Twelve or thirteen years of living in the flesh is a lot of mountain to climb over and get past for a baby Christian. So my beef is not with Brad, it’s with Steve. My thinking goes something like this, “Steve, if you’re not going to give a rip about your own addiction, at least have the decency to not be an instrument of Satan to bring others down with you.”
Well, that only sounds natural. Isn’t that, pretty much, what you would think? I’m sure it’s close. However, I have to remember my anger is only the signal light for something being wrong. My anger is telling me that somehow my will has been blocked, what I wanted to happen has not happened. Let me tell you that’s a miserable way to try to go through life. First off, I had to realize that I’m not mad at Steve so much as, I am mad because I can’t control Steve. Secondly, as long as I have been in recovery, I should know “I am powerless over the actions of others” (Recovery 101). So what this means is actually I’m mad because I’m not God. Now realize that is a big breakthrough for me because I can now turn it over to He who is God, and release myself from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness which is exactly what I’m still trying to do. It is not easy. But, at least, I’m on the right path.
I knew I was in trouble when I caught myself at 4:00 a.m. this morning having a heated, ungodly, conversation in my head with Steve, while I wasn’t even awake. Has that ever happened to you? It was so real I had to get up and go sit on the porch to talk with the Lord. Through the sleep in my eyes, I looked up into heaven and cried, “Oh Lord, I’m so mad at Steve. I should have realized it sooner and already had this conversation with You. Please forgive me for letting the sun go down on my wrath. I know better than to go to bed angry, and now here I sit with this awful bitterness in my spirit. I am no better than Steve, I forgive Steve, I release all malice, anger, and evil speaking toward Steve to You, and ask You to take this feeling from me.” Well, guess what? The Lord did take it from me. The relief was almost immediate and I went back to bed and slept quite well. This is one of those times when I have to hang-on to Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." I have to let God be God, and trust that He won't let Brad go, and no one can snatch him out of His hand.
I guess what I want to convey to you through this message today is “Don’t stop trying, don’t stop reaching out with love, don’t let setbacks back you up just because you’ve been horse-bit.” And always remember if it’s too easy then it’s probably not real ministry. I will go and see Brad today and let him know we love him, and no matter how many times he falls we will be there to help him up and dust him off. And if I see Steve, well, I have no choice but to tell him the same. God help me.
Be blessed everyone!
If you will remember my last blog I told you about Steve who we had tried to help out by getting him to a good transitional house where he could get a great head start for re-entering society after a three year prison sentence. The title of that blog, “You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but…,” referred to him, as does this one, titled, “Horse-Bit.” In case you don’t remember the outcome let me refresh your memory. Steve murmured and complained about the house while the whole time he was using drugs and alcohol instead of working the program, and as soon as he gave up on his self and the program he was arrested and on his way to jail within hours because he was digging through someone’s trash and they called the police.
Steve got out of the county jail with time served on Monday, the day after we baptized Brad. The only problem with that is Steve still hasn’t learned his lesson. I asked Steve not to go over to Brad’s house and drag him down from his new commitment to Christ. Steve’s grandmother, who he lives off of because he refuses to do anything with his own life, lives two houses down from Brad. So true to form Steve goes ahead and visits Brad a few days later with another friend against my request. And also, true to form he takes beer and marijuana with him. Of course, it is Friday morning by now and our recovery meeting is about eight hours away.
Needless to say, Brad did not show up for the meeting because he was too ashamed to face us having relapsed. Now, that’s okay because we didn’t expect Brad to go very long before a relapse could happen. The fact is just because someone gives their life to Jesus and enters into the family of God does not mean their hurts, habits, and hang-ups just magically disappear. Twelve or thirteen years of living in the flesh is a lot of mountain to climb over and get past for a baby Christian. So my beef is not with Brad, it’s with Steve. My thinking goes something like this, “Steve, if you’re not going to give a rip about your own addiction, at least have the decency to not be an instrument of Satan to bring others down with you.”
Well, that only sounds natural. Isn’t that, pretty much, what you would think? I’m sure it’s close. However, I have to remember my anger is only the signal light for something being wrong. My anger is telling me that somehow my will has been blocked, what I wanted to happen has not happened. Let me tell you that’s a miserable way to try to go through life. First off, I had to realize that I’m not mad at Steve so much as, I am mad because I can’t control Steve. Secondly, as long as I have been in recovery, I should know “I am powerless over the actions of others” (Recovery 101). So what this means is actually I’m mad because I’m not God. Now realize that is a big breakthrough for me because I can now turn it over to He who is God, and release myself from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness which is exactly what I’m still trying to do. It is not easy. But, at least, I’m on the right path.
I knew I was in trouble when I caught myself at 4:00 a.m. this morning having a heated, ungodly, conversation in my head with Steve, while I wasn’t even awake. Has that ever happened to you? It was so real I had to get up and go sit on the porch to talk with the Lord. Through the sleep in my eyes, I looked up into heaven and cried, “Oh Lord, I’m so mad at Steve. I should have realized it sooner and already had this conversation with You. Please forgive me for letting the sun go down on my wrath. I know better than to go to bed angry, and now here I sit with this awful bitterness in my spirit. I am no better than Steve, I forgive Steve, I release all malice, anger, and evil speaking toward Steve to You, and ask You to take this feeling from me.” Well, guess what? The Lord did take it from me. The relief was almost immediate and I went back to bed and slept quite well. This is one of those times when I have to hang-on to Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." I have to let God be God, and trust that He won't let Brad go, and no one can snatch him out of His hand.
I guess what I want to convey to you through this message today is “Don’t stop trying, don’t stop reaching out with love, don’t let setbacks back you up just because you’ve been horse-bit.” And always remember if it’s too easy then it’s probably not real ministry. I will go and see Brad today and let him know we love him, and no matter how many times he falls we will be there to help him up and dust him off. And if I see Steve, well, I have no choice but to tell him the same. God help me.
Be blessed everyone!
Monday, June 28, 2010
You Can Lead A Horse To Water, But...
Guess what? It’s still true. You can’t make him drink. Now, I do realize this old saying is not actually Scripture, but there is a great deal of truth in it. I’m not going to get bogged down in the negativity of a failed rescue attempt, but this thing we do called ministry is hard work. I hope you know what I’m talking about. I hope you know what it’s like to reach out to someone in love and get your hand slapped. I hope you know what it’s like to spend a whole lot of time, energy, and resources on someone only to watch them fall flat on their face, again.
If you do know these things then, congratulations, you are doing kingdom business. The truth is we don’t get to decide who wins or loses; we are just called to join Jesus in helping others no matter what the outcome. Actually, to say someone has lost is a little premature because with God if there is breath there is still hope. In the last blog I issued I talked about the God of “green pastures,” and with it I gave a wonderful testimony to the successful work of God leading Bud into green pasture. Well, Bud is still doing well, and for that I am thankful.
However, a couple of weeks later we got a call from a good friend of mine who has been clean and sober and following Jesus for almost 16 months now. He told me that one of his childhood friends had just gotten out of prison. My friend wanted us to help his friend get out of the old neighborhood where all the same old temptations lie. We usually like to concentrate on those individuals who have been under our ministry inside the prison for at least six months, but in this case we made an exception. After all, it’s not really up to us anyway. Jesus is our head, and since we already have contacts and experience in these matters, who better to give it a go?
So, I met with Steve (name changed) and we talked about his prison time and his situation now that he’s out, and my partners and I agreed that we would help him. We packed what little clothes he had, took him to get some groceries, got him a bus pass, and transported him over to one of the transitional houses that we often use. As a matter of fact it’s the same house where Bud is doing so well. At this house, as well as at all the houses, there are some rules and procedures to follow about doing chores and looking for a job during the work days. We figured Steve would be okay because at least he does have a Texas I.D., and if you’ll remember Bud didn’t even have that much and God got him a job.
It turns out that Steve was having a problem with the rules. He evidently didn’t like the fact that he had to spend all day looking for a job. He also must not have been to keen on the idea of having to be in at a certain time, and for the first two weeks they’re not allowed to leave for the weekend. I admit that sounds strict, but every house has to get to know their clients and since those clients have proven over time that they don’t always make the best decisions in life when left to themselves, it is wise to let them slowly transition to the freedom of movement that we would consider only natural.
Well, as it happened to play itself out, Steve was making bad decisions. He let that old “stinking thinking” creep in and deceive him into thinking that he was being oppressed by his living situation, instead of it being a blessing to him. We found out after the fact that Steve wasn’t looking for a job during his second week there. He was going back to his old neighborhood with his old neighbors (who are all unemployed and practicing for prison themselves) and he was drinking and complaining about the “prison” that we had put him into over on the other side of town. On Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. he realized that the house manager had been informed that Steve was coming in after drinking during the day. Of course, there is a “No Tolerance” policy against drinking and drugging at the house, and had he stayed they would have confronted him about it.
Steve didn’t stay (big mistake). He decided he had had enough of this oppression (yeah right) and he packed his stuff and moved back to the neighborhood. Well, you know the Lord loves Steve and couldn’t let him continue thinking that he was in charge of his life. Steve got off the bus about 11:00 a.m. and took his things to his grandmother’s house who was not at all pleased that he had left the good environment that he was in to come back to his old haunt. And according to witnesses on the scene, Steve was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a squad car within three hours. Evidently, he and another guy from the block decide to go up the street and do some junking (picking through the trash on the curb for anything salvageable). Isn’t it interesting that when you wander off from green pasture all there is is the world’s leftovers and trash.
The neighbors called the police and said they were breaking and entering the house, and Steve and his partner in crime took off running when they showed up. Now that’s a funny thing to do if all you’re doing is picking through the trash. Steve is now at the Dallas County Detention Center facing a felony charge of “Evading Arrest” (running from the cops). I’ll bet those rules and procedures at the transitional house don’t look near as oppressive now compared to those jail cells. Steve should have never been on the wrong side of town. Steve should have been following the Shepherd each day to find his place. Steve wandered off form the sheep fold into a wilderness area and it cost him dearly.
There is an old habit of Shepherds who have a wandering sheep in the fold. The truth is if the sheep keeps wandering off and the Shepherd has to continually go after it, then finally, out of love, the Shepherd will have to bring it back and gently break one of its legs. That’s right, you heard correctly. Ouch! The reason for the drastic breaking of the leg is to save the sheep’s life. If he is allowed to continue wandering off, sooner or later, he will get lost, attacked by predators, or die of exposure to the elements without a Shepherd to lead him. So that means the Shepherd now has to do everything for the sheep. He has to carry it to wherever the sheep are going that day. He has to feed and water it, and keep close inspection on his nose with a special ointment that stinks to keep the flies from laying eggs in his mucus cavity which when hatched will drive the sheep crazy. As you might imagine, once the sheep’s leg heals and the Shepherd sets him down to walk on his own that sheep will never leave the Shepherds side again because of the bond that they have formed over the past weeks. The Shepherd has poured so much concentrated love on the little wanderer that he sticks real close from then on.
What a beautiful picture of how our heavenly Father treats us. I bet Steve is rubbing his leg right now wishing he would have stayed closer to the Shepherd. Remember that wandering off from the Shepherd could hurt and cost you dearly. So listen for His voice today and make sure to look around and see that there are other sheep in your area, if not, they didn’t wander off, but you may have.
God bless!
If you do know these things then, congratulations, you are doing kingdom business. The truth is we don’t get to decide who wins or loses; we are just called to join Jesus in helping others no matter what the outcome. Actually, to say someone has lost is a little premature because with God if there is breath there is still hope. In the last blog I issued I talked about the God of “green pastures,” and with it I gave a wonderful testimony to the successful work of God leading Bud into green pasture. Well, Bud is still doing well, and for that I am thankful.
However, a couple of weeks later we got a call from a good friend of mine who has been clean and sober and following Jesus for almost 16 months now. He told me that one of his childhood friends had just gotten out of prison. My friend wanted us to help his friend get out of the old neighborhood where all the same old temptations lie. We usually like to concentrate on those individuals who have been under our ministry inside the prison for at least six months, but in this case we made an exception. After all, it’s not really up to us anyway. Jesus is our head, and since we already have contacts and experience in these matters, who better to give it a go?
So, I met with Steve (name changed) and we talked about his prison time and his situation now that he’s out, and my partners and I agreed that we would help him. We packed what little clothes he had, took him to get some groceries, got him a bus pass, and transported him over to one of the transitional houses that we often use. As a matter of fact it’s the same house where Bud is doing so well. At this house, as well as at all the houses, there are some rules and procedures to follow about doing chores and looking for a job during the work days. We figured Steve would be okay because at least he does have a Texas I.D., and if you’ll remember Bud didn’t even have that much and God got him a job.
It turns out that Steve was having a problem with the rules. He evidently didn’t like the fact that he had to spend all day looking for a job. He also must not have been to keen on the idea of having to be in at a certain time, and for the first two weeks they’re not allowed to leave for the weekend. I admit that sounds strict, but every house has to get to know their clients and since those clients have proven over time that they don’t always make the best decisions in life when left to themselves, it is wise to let them slowly transition to the freedom of movement that we would consider only natural.
Well, as it happened to play itself out, Steve was making bad decisions. He let that old “stinking thinking” creep in and deceive him into thinking that he was being oppressed by his living situation, instead of it being a blessing to him. We found out after the fact that Steve wasn’t looking for a job during his second week there. He was going back to his old neighborhood with his old neighbors (who are all unemployed and practicing for prison themselves) and he was drinking and complaining about the “prison” that we had put him into over on the other side of town. On Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. he realized that the house manager had been informed that Steve was coming in after drinking during the day. Of course, there is a “No Tolerance” policy against drinking and drugging at the house, and had he stayed they would have confronted him about it.
Steve didn’t stay (big mistake). He decided he had had enough of this oppression (yeah right) and he packed his stuff and moved back to the neighborhood. Well, you know the Lord loves Steve and couldn’t let him continue thinking that he was in charge of his life. Steve got off the bus about 11:00 a.m. and took his things to his grandmother’s house who was not at all pleased that he had left the good environment that he was in to come back to his old haunt. And according to witnesses on the scene, Steve was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a squad car within three hours. Evidently, he and another guy from the block decide to go up the street and do some junking (picking through the trash on the curb for anything salvageable). Isn’t it interesting that when you wander off from green pasture all there is is the world’s leftovers and trash.
The neighbors called the police and said they were breaking and entering the house, and Steve and his partner in crime took off running when they showed up. Now that’s a funny thing to do if all you’re doing is picking through the trash. Steve is now at the Dallas County Detention Center facing a felony charge of “Evading Arrest” (running from the cops). I’ll bet those rules and procedures at the transitional house don’t look near as oppressive now compared to those jail cells. Steve should have never been on the wrong side of town. Steve should have been following the Shepherd each day to find his place. Steve wandered off form the sheep fold into a wilderness area and it cost him dearly.
There is an old habit of Shepherds who have a wandering sheep in the fold. The truth is if the sheep keeps wandering off and the Shepherd has to continually go after it, then finally, out of love, the Shepherd will have to bring it back and gently break one of its legs. That’s right, you heard correctly. Ouch! The reason for the drastic breaking of the leg is to save the sheep’s life. If he is allowed to continue wandering off, sooner or later, he will get lost, attacked by predators, or die of exposure to the elements without a Shepherd to lead him. So that means the Shepherd now has to do everything for the sheep. He has to carry it to wherever the sheep are going that day. He has to feed and water it, and keep close inspection on his nose with a special ointment that stinks to keep the flies from laying eggs in his mucus cavity which when hatched will drive the sheep crazy. As you might imagine, once the sheep’s leg heals and the Shepherd sets him down to walk on his own that sheep will never leave the Shepherds side again because of the bond that they have formed over the past weeks. The Shepherd has poured so much concentrated love on the little wanderer that he sticks real close from then on.
What a beautiful picture of how our heavenly Father treats us. I bet Steve is rubbing his leg right now wishing he would have stayed closer to the Shepherd. Remember that wandering off from the Shepherd could hurt and cost you dearly. So listen for His voice today and make sure to look around and see that there are other sheep in your area, if not, they didn’t wander off, but you may have.
God bless!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The God of Green Pastures
Psalm 23:1-2
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures…"
“Green pastures” are the places in our lives where God leads us into rest and reflection upon His goodness. The lush, green meadows are the places where we feel that sense of satisfaction on the inside of us, and our souls can lay down and rest in peace. In this fast-paced, hurry-up world we live in there is no time to rest, or is there? The Good Shepherd says differently.
God leads us into green pastures for a reason. He wants us to enjoy life, and the best part of life is Him. One famous Christian writer once said, “Our souls find no rest until they find their rest in You, O Lord.” I can still remember my life before Jesus, I was never at rest. I was always searching and searching for something outside of me to put in me that would stop the uneasiness and turmoil. I used things like drugs, alcohol, sex, and anything else that would cause a feeling of comfort. But the worldly comforts never lasted long, and all of them ended up paying huge dividends that I wasn’t expecting. No, I needed Someone who could end the search for me.
Bud (name changed) was moved into our re-entry dorm about 7 or 8 months ago. He is an Irish immigrant about 45 years old who had committed a crime in Texas and received a 1-2 year sentence. Bud was set in his ways, and his ways mostly exhibited a lack of trust, negativism, and a tendency to question anything and everything. Right off the bat we knew we had our hands full because he did not trust us or Jesus, especially Jesus. Everybody could tell that life had been cruel to Bud. Of course, his “horse’s rear-end” personality didn’t help matters any, to say the least.
There was no “green pasture” in Bud’s life. He participated in the classes, but with a serious disdain for anything good. You see, we are a re-entry dorm which means we don’t just come in everyday and teach classes, but we also will help the men who show a willingness to follow the program, with a place to live (if they don’t have one), bus passes, work and job-finding clothes, groceries, and other basic necessities until they get stabilized. So there is a lot at stake if you get moved out of the dorm for non-participation. The truth is our program is working. I say that because most of the men who come into the dorm are different men altogether by the time they leave. God’s word (which most of them have never known) starts sprouting and taking root in their lives and there becomes a noticeable difference at some point along their journey. It is truly awesome to witness, but we have to hang in there and not give up on them.
Well, Bud was no different, after a while in the dorm under the teaching, and as a result of other men getting released and writing letters back to the guys in the program saying that we had indeed fulfilled our obligations on the outside, he started loosening up, a little. After each class when we would leave for the day Bud would still start spewing his negative comments like “they aren’t going to help us when we get released” or “they’re just in it for the money (huh, I have no idea where he gets that), they don’t really care about us just watch and see.” And, of course, he got himself into a big wreck because of his bad attitude. But after that, while the bruises were healing and his pride along with it, he started really engaging this Jesus even if it was slow and sporadic (a great place to be for him).
One day we came into the dorm and Bud had been moved to Houston because he was about to be released and Immigration Services wanted to check him out because of his Irish descent. We thought we had lost him for good, but God was working in Bud. Thankfully for most of us, Jesus loves even the “horse’s rear-ends.” A couple of weeks later my phone rang and you’ll never guess who was on the other end. Yep, it was Bud. He said “Hey man, this is Bud and I just got released in Houston, do you remember me?” And I answered that I did (how could I ever forget). “I don’t have any place to go; will you guys still help me?” We (Stek) picked him up around midnight at the Greyhound bus station and took him over to a transitional house we often use for our re-entrants.
Well, being an Irish immigrant with no identification and no birth certificate with him to obtain a Texas I.D. we still got him some clothes, groceries, and a bus pass so he could go look for a job during the week. I don’t know if you caught what I just said. How easy do you think it is going to be to find a job without any identification? You’re right, impossible. Well, that’s what we thought. So we had to send off to New York for a copy of his birth certificate in order to help him get an I.D. when and if it arrives. By now Bud is starting to see that we were serious about our word when we said we would help them when they got out of prison, and he even thanked me (miracle) one day for all of our help. I had never really heard much gratitude out of him for anything. I think Bud is starting to see some “green pasture” in his life even though he may not recognize it as such because of its complete foreignness to him. But God, who in Bud’s mind was only starting to show out because he doesn’t realize how close we came to giving up on him inside the prison, and how everything we have already gotten for him comes from the money that our churches put into a re-entry fund which is God’s property, was about to do the impossible for Bud.
I got a phone call this past week from Bud who has been waiting for the Birth Certificate in hopes of finding a job. He said he needed some work pants and boots and belt by the next morning. He was really excited and went on to tell me how he was standing out in the front-yard of the transitional house when he struck up a conversation with the neighbor. Bud mentioned to the neighbor that he was an out-of-work painter who just got released from prison and was still waiting on some documents to come in the mail so he could go look for a job. And by some stroke of ginormous luck (the God of the green pastures) the neighbor told Bud that he owned his own painting company, and one of his guys didn’t show up for work today. Then he asked Bud if he would like to go to work for him the following day. Wow! What are the chances of that happening? Slim to none unless Jesus is your job-finder (Shepherd). Well, to say the least, Bud has just been led into a "green pasture" by we-know-who. His faith has just taken an enormous leap because even Bud knows the chances of that happening to him are astronomical.
Is Bud a Christian, yet? I don’t know. But I can tell you one thing, it is more than obvious to this Christian that the Shepherd is leading him, whether he is aware of it or not. And I do know this also, Jesus won’t stop pursuing His lost sheep. So, please pray for Bud and all the other inmates who have decided to join our faith-based dorms and give this Jesus a chance.
We at Ministries 101 would like to sincerely thank Jesus who leads us and all of you who are praying for and supporting this most rewarding ministry inside and outside the prisons. We simply can not do it without you or Him.
"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures…"
“Green pastures” are the places in our lives where God leads us into rest and reflection upon His goodness. The lush, green meadows are the places where we feel that sense of satisfaction on the inside of us, and our souls can lay down and rest in peace. In this fast-paced, hurry-up world we live in there is no time to rest, or is there? The Good Shepherd says differently.
God leads us into green pastures for a reason. He wants us to enjoy life, and the best part of life is Him. One famous Christian writer once said, “Our souls find no rest until they find their rest in You, O Lord.” I can still remember my life before Jesus, I was never at rest. I was always searching and searching for something outside of me to put in me that would stop the uneasiness and turmoil. I used things like drugs, alcohol, sex, and anything else that would cause a feeling of comfort. But the worldly comforts never lasted long, and all of them ended up paying huge dividends that I wasn’t expecting. No, I needed Someone who could end the search for me.
Bud (name changed) was moved into our re-entry dorm about 7 or 8 months ago. He is an Irish immigrant about 45 years old who had committed a crime in Texas and received a 1-2 year sentence. Bud was set in his ways, and his ways mostly exhibited a lack of trust, negativism, and a tendency to question anything and everything. Right off the bat we knew we had our hands full because he did not trust us or Jesus, especially Jesus. Everybody could tell that life had been cruel to Bud. Of course, his “horse’s rear-end” personality didn’t help matters any, to say the least.
There was no “green pasture” in Bud’s life. He participated in the classes, but with a serious disdain for anything good. You see, we are a re-entry dorm which means we don’t just come in everyday and teach classes, but we also will help the men who show a willingness to follow the program, with a place to live (if they don’t have one), bus passes, work and job-finding clothes, groceries, and other basic necessities until they get stabilized. So there is a lot at stake if you get moved out of the dorm for non-participation. The truth is our program is working. I say that because most of the men who come into the dorm are different men altogether by the time they leave. God’s word (which most of them have never known) starts sprouting and taking root in their lives and there becomes a noticeable difference at some point along their journey. It is truly awesome to witness, but we have to hang in there and not give up on them.
Well, Bud was no different, after a while in the dorm under the teaching, and as a result of other men getting released and writing letters back to the guys in the program saying that we had indeed fulfilled our obligations on the outside, he started loosening up, a little. After each class when we would leave for the day Bud would still start spewing his negative comments like “they aren’t going to help us when we get released” or “they’re just in it for the money (huh, I have no idea where he gets that), they don’t really care about us just watch and see.” And, of course, he got himself into a big wreck because of his bad attitude. But after that, while the bruises were healing and his pride along with it, he started really engaging this Jesus even if it was slow and sporadic (a great place to be for him).
One day we came into the dorm and Bud had been moved to Houston because he was about to be released and Immigration Services wanted to check him out because of his Irish descent. We thought we had lost him for good, but God was working in Bud. Thankfully for most of us, Jesus loves even the “horse’s rear-ends.” A couple of weeks later my phone rang and you’ll never guess who was on the other end. Yep, it was Bud. He said “Hey man, this is Bud and I just got released in Houston, do you remember me?” And I answered that I did (how could I ever forget). “I don’t have any place to go; will you guys still help me?” We (Stek) picked him up around midnight at the Greyhound bus station and took him over to a transitional house we often use for our re-entrants.
Well, being an Irish immigrant with no identification and no birth certificate with him to obtain a Texas I.D. we still got him some clothes, groceries, and a bus pass so he could go look for a job during the week. I don’t know if you caught what I just said. How easy do you think it is going to be to find a job without any identification? You’re right, impossible. Well, that’s what we thought. So we had to send off to New York for a copy of his birth certificate in order to help him get an I.D. when and if it arrives. By now Bud is starting to see that we were serious about our word when we said we would help them when they got out of prison, and he even thanked me (miracle) one day for all of our help. I had never really heard much gratitude out of him for anything. I think Bud is starting to see some “green pasture” in his life even though he may not recognize it as such because of its complete foreignness to him. But God, who in Bud’s mind was only starting to show out because he doesn’t realize how close we came to giving up on him inside the prison, and how everything we have already gotten for him comes from the money that our churches put into a re-entry fund which is God’s property, was about to do the impossible for Bud.
I got a phone call this past week from Bud who has been waiting for the Birth Certificate in hopes of finding a job. He said he needed some work pants and boots and belt by the next morning. He was really excited and went on to tell me how he was standing out in the front-yard of the transitional house when he struck up a conversation with the neighbor. Bud mentioned to the neighbor that he was an out-of-work painter who just got released from prison and was still waiting on some documents to come in the mail so he could go look for a job. And by some stroke of ginormous luck (the God of the green pastures) the neighbor told Bud that he owned his own painting company, and one of his guys didn’t show up for work today. Then he asked Bud if he would like to go to work for him the following day. Wow! What are the chances of that happening? Slim to none unless Jesus is your job-finder (Shepherd). Well, to say the least, Bud has just been led into a "green pasture" by we-know-who. His faith has just taken an enormous leap because even Bud knows the chances of that happening to him are astronomical.
Is Bud a Christian, yet? I don’t know. But I can tell you one thing, it is more than obvious to this Christian that the Shepherd is leading him, whether he is aware of it or not. And I do know this also, Jesus won’t stop pursuing His lost sheep. So, please pray for Bud and all the other inmates who have decided to join our faith-based dorms and give this Jesus a chance.
We at Ministries 101 would like to sincerely thank Jesus who leads us and all of you who are praying for and supporting this most rewarding ministry inside and outside the prisons. We simply can not do it without you or Him.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Dirty Diapers: Handle With Care
I guess you have already surmised by the title of this blog it’s going to get a little messy. It isn’t bad timing either as we are right in the middle of the big “Super-Pampers” fiasco. Moms all over the world are seething at the sight of little, blistered baby bottoms. “Watch out corporate giant you have really messed with the wrong end of the consumer conscience this time.”
I have a good Pastor/friend of mine who always used to say, “With baby Christians, comes dirty diapers.” It is an interesting way of putting it to say the least. But there is a lot of truth packed in that little maxim. As we minister to the offenders in our Christ-centered dorms each day there are often a variety of sticky situations that arise. Most of it just can’t be made up it is so off the charts. We really are baffled sometimes about the depths and depravity that a sinful life can take an individual too. And even more interesting and challenging is when they ask for your guidance to help them navigate their way out of it from here.
The “here” is now that they are following Christ and sincerely want to know and do God’s will (bless their hearts). But let me assure you Christopher Columbus on his best day, with his best maps, doesn’t have the navigational skill and fortitude it is going to take to steer them free from the mazes they have created.
The first thing I want you to remember as we look at just one scenario that we often deal with in the prison is GOD LOVES THESE PEOPLE. Yep, there is no doubt about it the Lord is absolutely head over heels in love with His new, baby Christians. I pity the fool who gets in the way of their faith and relationship with Him. Satan has had them under his control for a long time, and I’m sure the Lord has spared their lives on multiple occasions just so He could enjoy this new season with them as their Father. He is like a doting mother with a newborn that has been a long time coming. That being said let me share with you a real life “dirty diaper” of many new Christians that we are asked to help change and dispose of everyday.
Susie (name changed to protect the innocent) calls me aside after I have given a riveting (just kidding) class on the love of God.
I ask her how she is doing and how I can help her.
Susie looks up at me with tears in her eyes and says, “Devon, I was wondering what I should do about my husband. Well, actually he’s not my husband, but we have a kid together. Well, we actually have a couple of kids together, my daughter is ours and our boy is his from him and another lady.”
I say “Uh huh.”
And she goes on to say, “You see, I also have three other kids, but I don’t have custody of them and they are from three different dads, which is not really a big deal because one of their dads is in prison and he ain’t never getting out, and one of them drank himself to death, and the other one, well I don’t know where he is.” And I say “Uh huh,”
and she says (now with tears filling the floor around us both) “I want to do what is right by Jesus. But my current boyfriend doesn’t know the Lord, and he drinks, and he does drugs (usually a dealer), but he takes real good care of our kids (Really?). So what should I do?”
To which I firmly and wisely reply, “Uh huh?”
Susie then says, “Devon, should I divorce my husband/boyfriend or are we even married since we just lived together for a year (known in Texas as common law marriage) before I got locked up this third time, since he’s out cheating on me anyway?”
To which I can only reply (by this time ready to cry myself), you guessed it, “Uh huh.”
Now let me remind you again, this is a conversation my partners and I have actually had with many women on many different occasions. I don’t think even “Super-Pampers” without all their current trouble in the press could even begin to clean this mess up. Now, can I ask you something? What would you say to this girl if she asked you what to do?
God bless you all, Devon.
I have a good Pastor/friend of mine who always used to say, “With baby Christians, comes dirty diapers.” It is an interesting way of putting it to say the least. But there is a lot of truth packed in that little maxim. As we minister to the offenders in our Christ-centered dorms each day there are often a variety of sticky situations that arise. Most of it just can’t be made up it is so off the charts. We really are baffled sometimes about the depths and depravity that a sinful life can take an individual too. And even more interesting and challenging is when they ask for your guidance to help them navigate their way out of it from here.
The “here” is now that they are following Christ and sincerely want to know and do God’s will (bless their hearts). But let me assure you Christopher Columbus on his best day, with his best maps, doesn’t have the navigational skill and fortitude it is going to take to steer them free from the mazes they have created.
The first thing I want you to remember as we look at just one scenario that we often deal with in the prison is GOD LOVES THESE PEOPLE. Yep, there is no doubt about it the Lord is absolutely head over heels in love with His new, baby Christians. I pity the fool who gets in the way of their faith and relationship with Him. Satan has had them under his control for a long time, and I’m sure the Lord has spared their lives on multiple occasions just so He could enjoy this new season with them as their Father. He is like a doting mother with a newborn that has been a long time coming. That being said let me share with you a real life “dirty diaper” of many new Christians that we are asked to help change and dispose of everyday.
Susie (name changed to protect the innocent) calls me aside after I have given a riveting (just kidding) class on the love of God.
I ask her how she is doing and how I can help her.
Susie looks up at me with tears in her eyes and says, “Devon, I was wondering what I should do about my husband. Well, actually he’s not my husband, but we have a kid together. Well, we actually have a couple of kids together, my daughter is ours and our boy is his from him and another lady.”
I say “Uh huh.”
And she goes on to say, “You see, I also have three other kids, but I don’t have custody of them and they are from three different dads, which is not really a big deal because one of their dads is in prison and he ain’t never getting out, and one of them drank himself to death, and the other one, well I don’t know where he is.” And I say “Uh huh,”
and she says (now with tears filling the floor around us both) “I want to do what is right by Jesus. But my current boyfriend doesn’t know the Lord, and he drinks, and he does drugs (usually a dealer), but he takes real good care of our kids (Really?). So what should I do?”
To which I firmly and wisely reply, “Uh huh?”
Susie then says, “Devon, should I divorce my husband/boyfriend or are we even married since we just lived together for a year (known in Texas as common law marriage) before I got locked up this third time, since he’s out cheating on me anyway?”
To which I can only reply (by this time ready to cry myself), you guessed it, “Uh huh.”
Now let me remind you again, this is a conversation my partners and I have actually had with many women on many different occasions. I don’t think even “Super-Pampers” without all their current trouble in the press could even begin to clean this mess up. Now, can I ask you something? What would you say to this girl if she asked you what to do?
God bless you all, Devon.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Our Biggest Challenge: Fighting the Mask
One of our biggest challenges when dealing with offenders is fighting the masks they tend to wear to cover their true identities. Of course, this is not only true of incarcerated men and women, but is also true about most of us in general. It is, however, especially prevalent in the prison setting. Satan has had a firm grip on the mentality of most inmates for the duration of their lives, and when you bunch them all together under one roof, it is not easy to pry loose his strongholds in their minds. If we were to think about their thought patterns, and belief systems, and what it is going to take to shake them out of them it would be too overwhelming to even want to try. I know because I’ve made this very mistake. I have learned that it’s going to take all of us and then some working together, and we can’t leave out the most important Person of all in the equation.
“But God,” are the two biggest words in the Bible. When we factor in the power of our Lord and the power of His word, then we can all exhale and realize it isn’t all up to us, and we can press on knowing He can overcome all they have learned in their past lives. Our biggest ally in the fight against the mask is the pain that living with a mask has racked up over time for them. Once they see that their ways just aren’t working, and the pain of staying the same starts outweighing the pain of change, we as ministers of the gospel start seeing the sunshine coming from over the horizon. We start seeing them show up for class with enthusiasm and hope, instead of gloom and drudgery. Instead of them looking like your about to extract some of their teeth during class, they begin to ask questions, and want to know where this verse is and that verse is, and they want us to stay a little later and pray for them, and slowly but surely the word of God starts bearing fruit, tangible fruit, just like He said it would (imagine that). However, this does not happen over night, but it does happen if we hang in there long enough by loving on them, accepting them right where they’re at, staying faithful to them, and allowing room for their mistakes. Funny isn’t it, that sounds just like what our Lord has done for us (imagine that).
Be blessed this week as you reach out to anyone and everyone with love,
“But God,” are the two biggest words in the Bible. When we factor in the power of our Lord and the power of His word, then we can all exhale and realize it isn’t all up to us, and we can press on knowing He can overcome all they have learned in their past lives. Our biggest ally in the fight against the mask is the pain that living with a mask has racked up over time for them. Once they see that their ways just aren’t working, and the pain of staying the same starts outweighing the pain of change, we as ministers of the gospel start seeing the sunshine coming from over the horizon. We start seeing them show up for class with enthusiasm and hope, instead of gloom and drudgery. Instead of them looking like your about to extract some of their teeth during class, they begin to ask questions, and want to know where this verse is and that verse is, and they want us to stay a little later and pray for them, and slowly but surely the word of God starts bearing fruit, tangible fruit, just like He said it would (imagine that). However, this does not happen over night, but it does happen if we hang in there long enough by loving on them, accepting them right where they’re at, staying faithful to them, and allowing room for their mistakes. Funny isn’t it, that sounds just like what our Lord has done for us (imagine that).
Be blessed this week as you reach out to anyone and everyone with love,
Monday, April 26, 2010
Degrees of Separation
My partners and I are excited to be a part of the marvelous works that the Lord is doing at the Dawson St. Jail, where we manage three Christ-centered, faith-based dorms. This is an enormous task, and we don’t do it alone. We have many collaborators that help us, not to mention our enormous God and Father leading the way. Without Him none of it is possible.
We want you all to know that we can’t do it without your prayers and support. We are tremendously thankful to our congregations and leadership at the Skillman St. Church of Christ and the Duncanville Church of Christ. What a blessing it is to know that we are all reaching out to the lost, strengthening the saved, and helping God’s children re-enter the community that needs them to be changed and following Jesus.
Our goal is to separate them from their old ways of thinking, separate them form their old ways of behaving, and separate them from the results that they have always been getting which is incarcerated, which means separating them unto the Lord. The patterns of hurt and abuse as a result of not knowing who they are in Christ are devastating their families and the public.
This does not happen overnight as I’m sure you can guess. It happens slowly and steadily as we daily reach out to them with the love of God and the word of God. Our work will not be in vain; has not been in vain. Right now we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor from the past two years. We have many ex-offenders who are already out and still following the Lord as they struggle to stay on His path, and we are looking forward to many, many more. We are not however, satisfied by any means. There is still a lot of room for improvement, and with your help, we will continue to separate the gold from the dross by degrees as the Lord leads us on together.
We want you all to know that we can’t do it without your prayers and support. We are tremendously thankful to our congregations and leadership at the Skillman St. Church of Christ and the Duncanville Church of Christ. What a blessing it is to know that we are all reaching out to the lost, strengthening the saved, and helping God’s children re-enter the community that needs them to be changed and following Jesus.
Our goal is to separate them from their old ways of thinking, separate them form their old ways of behaving, and separate them from the results that they have always been getting which is incarcerated, which means separating them unto the Lord. The patterns of hurt and abuse as a result of not knowing who they are in Christ are devastating their families and the public.
This does not happen overnight as I’m sure you can guess. It happens slowly and steadily as we daily reach out to them with the love of God and the word of God. Our work will not be in vain; has not been in vain. Right now we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor from the past two years. We have many ex-offenders who are already out and still following the Lord as they struggle to stay on His path, and we are looking forward to many, many more. We are not however, satisfied by any means. There is still a lot of room for improvement, and with your help, we will continue to separate the gold from the dross by degrees as the Lord leads us on together.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Super Big Gulp
Oh brothers and sisters, do I remember the day that they came out with the "Super Big Gulp." Well glory, that was the finest day ever that I can think of as I look backwards through the annals of time. It was 44 ounces of pure delight. A glass (plastic cup) so tall I had to hold onto it when I rounded the corner in my, graduation present, SUV. If I didn't, it would slowly lean over and fall to the car mats like a giant timber just cut in the woods. What a huge fountain of sticky mess it would spill into my floorboards, right-side as I turned left or left-side as I turned right. I only had to clean that up a couple of dozen times before I finally caught on. You could actually take a bath in the amount of liquid that giant cup would hold. I know because I've done it, at least once.
You want to talk about a thirst quencher, on a hot summer day in Texas just one "Super Big Gulp," and one .89 cent re-fill would cover 12 hours easily. I think there was even a height limit for the purchaser of such a tall order. If the cup reached your waist while you were standing straight up then you had to have an older sibling or guardian carry it out of the store for you. Oh, do I remember those days. It was man's ultimate answer for the thirsty.
Well, King David had a thirst but it was a spiritual thirst, a deep longing for the goodness of God. Here is a snapshot of a hot day in the the life of the king. "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:12-13)
The young king is right in the middle of a glorious song to his God. He is replaying in prose the wonderful ways of the Lord that he has been experiencing recently as he is delivered from one battle (obstacle) after another in life. Oh the power of remembering the victories that the Lord Jesus has brought to us in our own lives. What great heights they can lift us too when we dwell on them. How well it will serve us to remember the goodness of God in our pasts, to strengthen us for the fights (obstacles) that are sure to come in our futures.
I can just see David in my sanctified imagination. I can hear him on his knees crying out to the Lord. "I know what you want Lord. You want to pour out your goodness and love on your children. So I tell you what I will do in repayment for your generosity. I'm gonna (southern draw added by author) drink deep of your cup of salvation. I'm gonna love love, I'm gonna enjoy joy, I'm gonna rejoice in rejoicing, I'm gonna hope in hope, put my faith in faith, and gently be gentle. I'm gonna give myself to giving, I'm gonna meditate on meditation of your word, I'm gonna trust in trusting, I'm gonna witness to the power of witnessing, and I'm gonna stand firm in standing. I'm gonna take a super big gulp of all you died to give me, and I'm not gonna stop until you bring me home."
King David is right; So please remember the price that Jesus paid to give us salvation, and all the benefits that came with it, and enjoy them to the fullest.
You want to talk about a thirst quencher, on a hot summer day in Texas just one "Super Big Gulp," and one .89 cent re-fill would cover 12 hours easily. I think there was even a height limit for the purchaser of such a tall order. If the cup reached your waist while you were standing straight up then you had to have an older sibling or guardian carry it out of the store for you. Oh, do I remember those days. It was man's ultimate answer for the thirsty.
Well, King David had a thirst but it was a spiritual thirst, a deep longing for the goodness of God. Here is a snapshot of a hot day in the the life of the king. "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord." (Psalm 116:12-13)
The young king is right in the middle of a glorious song to his God. He is replaying in prose the wonderful ways of the Lord that he has been experiencing recently as he is delivered from one battle (obstacle) after another in life. Oh the power of remembering the victories that the Lord Jesus has brought to us in our own lives. What great heights they can lift us too when we dwell on them. How well it will serve us to remember the goodness of God in our pasts, to strengthen us for the fights (obstacles) that are sure to come in our futures.
I can just see David in my sanctified imagination. I can hear him on his knees crying out to the Lord. "I know what you want Lord. You want to pour out your goodness and love on your children. So I tell you what I will do in repayment for your generosity. I'm gonna (southern draw added by author) drink deep of your cup of salvation. I'm gonna love love, I'm gonna enjoy joy, I'm gonna rejoice in rejoicing, I'm gonna hope in hope, put my faith in faith, and gently be gentle. I'm gonna give myself to giving, I'm gonna meditate on meditation of your word, I'm gonna trust in trusting, I'm gonna witness to the power of witnessing, and I'm gonna stand firm in standing. I'm gonna take a super big gulp of all you died to give me, and I'm not gonna stop until you bring me home."
King David is right; So please remember the price that Jesus paid to give us salvation, and all the benefits that came with it, and enjoy them to the fullest.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Vision of Grace
A few words of love from our Father to you:
I comprehend you in all your complexity, no detail of your life is hidden from Me, your Savior. I view you through eyes of grace, so do not be afraid of My intimate awareness. Let Me describe what I see...you look regal, for I have clothed you in My royal righteousness. You also look radiant, especially when you are gazing at Me. In fact, you delight Me so much that I rejoice over you with shouts of joy! This is how you appear to Me through My vision of grace. (Dear Jesus--Devotions with the Lord, by Sarah Young)
"The Lord your God is in your midst...He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
I comprehend you in all your complexity, no detail of your life is hidden from Me, your Savior. I view you through eyes of grace, so do not be afraid of My intimate awareness. Let Me describe what I see...you look regal, for I have clothed you in My royal righteousness. You also look radiant, especially when you are gazing at Me. In fact, you delight Me so much that I rejoice over you with shouts of joy! This is how you appear to Me through My vision of grace. (Dear Jesus--Devotions with the Lord, by Sarah Young)
"The Lord your God is in your midst...He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Lemonade Stand
Do you ever feel like your going through something strange in your life? Is there a certain situation that your dealing with right now that is affecting your peace? Well, if there is, then you are not the only one. We all get blindsided by things we just can't make sense of from time to time. These bad omens, for lack of a better term, are inherent to the world we live in. But only if we are striving to do things God's way.
In the days of the Apostles, Peter encouraged his brethren with, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be also glad with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:12-13) I must admit that this is a hard saying. Of course, it is not hard to understand, but hard to do. The first thing I noticed while reading this passage was that Peter is talking to Christians. He is talking about a fiery trial which is happening to them which will lead to the glory of God. These trials are always a result of wanting to please God. If we weren't looking to genuinely live out our faith then we wouldn't be facing any strange trials. We could continue on living the low-life of ease and comfort without any thought of becoming better testimonies to the power of God. But that is not what I want, and I'll bet you don't want that, either. Who wants to stay a toddler all of their lives? No, we need to grow up, and going through fiery trials seems to be the means by which that happens.
The glory of God should be the highest aim for all that we do in this life. But let's face it, it's definitely not going to be the easiest thing we do here. Peter does afford us a great encouragement when he reminds us that anything we go through as a result of following the Lord in obedience, will result in heavenly reward. I am reminded that Jesus most certainly did not feel like going to the Cross that dark day, on a hill outside of Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, I'm sure if there was any other way to accomplish His mission of rescuing us from our sins, He would have welcomed any suggestions. But the truth is, there was no other way, and so He carried on his assignment right through all that pain and suffering. The Bible teaches us elsewhere, that Jesus pressed on through the Cross despising the shame because of the joy that was set before Him. (paraphrase)
We too, need to press on through whatever fiery trial that God has allowed in our lives because of the joy that overcoming it will result in. I have found that when I am going through something that seems strange and uncomfortable, as a result of doing what is right, that it is always a good idea to take my mind off myself and put it onto others. Reaching out to others while you are hurting is a great way to soothe the suffering, and reveal the glory of Christ in your life. I mean it, if we would remember how much God loves us, there is nothing we couldn't trust Him to help us through. It is His joy to see us press into Him by suffering for Christ, as Jesus suffered for us. There needs to be a family resemblance at some point in our lives, and we never look more like our Father than when we suffer strange things for doing what is right.
So next time you find yourself holding a bunch of lemons, why don't you just decide to take a "lemonade stand," and not give up, or give in. But instead, ask your loving Father to help you turn those lemons into lemonade. And do what Jesus would do, which is press on through, by bringing joy to others and God.
God bless you this weeek and remember, "If you don't stand for anything, you will fall for everything."
In the days of the Apostles, Peter encouraged his brethren with, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be also glad with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:12-13) I must admit that this is a hard saying. Of course, it is not hard to understand, but hard to do. The first thing I noticed while reading this passage was that Peter is talking to Christians. He is talking about a fiery trial which is happening to them which will lead to the glory of God. These trials are always a result of wanting to please God. If we weren't looking to genuinely live out our faith then we wouldn't be facing any strange trials. We could continue on living the low-life of ease and comfort without any thought of becoming better testimonies to the power of God. But that is not what I want, and I'll bet you don't want that, either. Who wants to stay a toddler all of their lives? No, we need to grow up, and going through fiery trials seems to be the means by which that happens.
The glory of God should be the highest aim for all that we do in this life. But let's face it, it's definitely not going to be the easiest thing we do here. Peter does afford us a great encouragement when he reminds us that anything we go through as a result of following the Lord in obedience, will result in heavenly reward. I am reminded that Jesus most certainly did not feel like going to the Cross that dark day, on a hill outside of Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, I'm sure if there was any other way to accomplish His mission of rescuing us from our sins, He would have welcomed any suggestions. But the truth is, there was no other way, and so He carried on his assignment right through all that pain and suffering. The Bible teaches us elsewhere, that Jesus pressed on through the Cross despising the shame because of the joy that was set before Him. (paraphrase)
We too, need to press on through whatever fiery trial that God has allowed in our lives because of the joy that overcoming it will result in. I have found that when I am going through something that seems strange and uncomfortable, as a result of doing what is right, that it is always a good idea to take my mind off myself and put it onto others. Reaching out to others while you are hurting is a great way to soothe the suffering, and reveal the glory of Christ in your life. I mean it, if we would remember how much God loves us, there is nothing we couldn't trust Him to help us through. It is His joy to see us press into Him by suffering for Christ, as Jesus suffered for us. There needs to be a family resemblance at some point in our lives, and we never look more like our Father than when we suffer strange things for doing what is right.
So next time you find yourself holding a bunch of lemons, why don't you just decide to take a "lemonade stand," and not give up, or give in. But instead, ask your loving Father to help you turn those lemons into lemonade. And do what Jesus would do, which is press on through, by bringing joy to others and God.
God bless you this weeek and remember, "If you don't stand for anything, you will fall for everything."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
James Study Notes Continued/1:4-16
In verses 4-16, the author reminds us that (1) we need patience to help us now and in the future.
(2) When we are not sure of the right path to take in a given situation we should ask God for wisdom, and then consider His word and the counsel of mature and godly people for God's answer to that request, without worrying that the Lord will be disappointed that we have to ask.
(3) Once we have the good wisdom, we need not doubt its effectiveness and continue on in obedience to it.
(4) Verses 9-11 remind us that we are mortal and only have a limited time in this earthly realm to learn the ways of God and to treat people with respect and kindness no matter our station, or theirs in life.
(5) Keep fighting the good fight of faith against the temptation to do evil that we may be crowned with a good and honorable life in front of all to see (v. 12).
(6) We are not to say that God led me into an evil act because He doesn't do that. Our own inner desires if left unchecked will hurl us into situations that can be sin or a chance to overcome and bring endurance.
(7) Verses 14-16 identify the pattern of sin for us, and if we will identify it as it begins to happen then we can take the steps necessary to short circuit the process and get out of the temptation by resisting and enduring. Every temptation is a test to do the right thing just as much as it is to do the wrong thing.
To be continued...
(2) When we are not sure of the right path to take in a given situation we should ask God for wisdom, and then consider His word and the counsel of mature and godly people for God's answer to that request, without worrying that the Lord will be disappointed that we have to ask.
(3) Once we have the good wisdom, we need not doubt its effectiveness and continue on in obedience to it.
(4) Verses 9-11 remind us that we are mortal and only have a limited time in this earthly realm to learn the ways of God and to treat people with respect and kindness no matter our station, or theirs in life.
(5) Keep fighting the good fight of faith against the temptation to do evil that we may be crowned with a good and honorable life in front of all to see (v. 12).
(6) We are not to say that God led me into an evil act because He doesn't do that. Our own inner desires if left unchecked will hurl us into situations that can be sin or a chance to overcome and bring endurance.
(7) Verses 14-16 identify the pattern of sin for us, and if we will identify it as it begins to happen then we can take the steps necessary to short circuit the process and get out of the temptation by resisting and enduring. Every temptation is a test to do the right thing just as much as it is to do the wrong thing.
To be continued...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Re-Gift
In our culture today we have a practice known as "Re-gifting." Re-gifting takes place when someone gives you a gift, and then for whatever reason, later on you turn around and give the gift as a gift to someone else. I have heard about this process before, but had never actually been a part of it until the other day. I had a very nice gift given to me last Christmas, but it was a little "High-Tech" for me. I have been in an ongoing search all year since then for the right person to give it to. Well, last week I found that person, and they were really thrilled to receive the very nice gift. It was almost like that gift was made especially for them.
In the same way our Bibles teach us that our bodies are for the Lord, and the Lord for our bodies. We were created especially for each other. Isn't that a wonderful thought? The Lord actually enjoys our company. Jesus actually loves being around us. He says in His word that we are to enjoy Him that He may enjoy us. I find that very comforting to know.
Our Father has also placed within us some very special gifts and talents. For the most part we should have at least some clue to what those gifts are, but in some cases we might not know until we let the Lord lead us into situations that will bring out the need for them. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and as we follow Him He will most certainly want to use those gifts that He bestowed upon us.
You see, I don't think that the gifts were necessarily given to us for us. They were given to us to help fulfill the purposes and plans that God has for our lives. And His purposes and plans always have to do with others. God is a Savior by nature. He is always looking for the lost, strengthening the saved, and calling for the deaf to hear. More than likely your gifts and talents are going to be used in one of these areas, but only if you "re-gift" them back to God. These are kingdom gifts and will only be fully maximized when utilized by the Holy Spirit.
So I would encourage you at the beginning of this new year to re-gift you and your gifts back to the Lord, that He may in turn re-gift you and your gifts back to the community around you. All for His purposes, His plans, and His glory.
God bless you, and may 2010 be a wonderful adventure between you, the Lord, and others.
In the same way our Bibles teach us that our bodies are for the Lord, and the Lord for our bodies. We were created especially for each other. Isn't that a wonderful thought? The Lord actually enjoys our company. Jesus actually loves being around us. He says in His word that we are to enjoy Him that He may enjoy us. I find that very comforting to know.
Our Father has also placed within us some very special gifts and talents. For the most part we should have at least some clue to what those gifts are, but in some cases we might not know until we let the Lord lead us into situations that will bring out the need for them. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and as we follow Him He will most certainly want to use those gifts that He bestowed upon us.
You see, I don't think that the gifts were necessarily given to us for us. They were given to us to help fulfill the purposes and plans that God has for our lives. And His purposes and plans always have to do with others. God is a Savior by nature. He is always looking for the lost, strengthening the saved, and calling for the deaf to hear. More than likely your gifts and talents are going to be used in one of these areas, but only if you "re-gift" them back to God. These are kingdom gifts and will only be fully maximized when utilized by the Holy Spirit.
So I would encourage you at the beginning of this new year to re-gift you and your gifts back to the Lord, that He may in turn re-gift you and your gifts back to the community around you. All for His purposes, His plans, and His glory.
God bless you, and may 2010 be a wonderful adventure between you, the Lord, and others.
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