In times of trouble where do you put your trust? In times of plenty where do you put your trust? We know the old song trust and obey, but sometimes we fail to go that far with God. FAITH = Trust and Obey. Faith is supported by action. When faith is inactive it is a dead faith. Where faith is dead, situations are dead. You will not have an active faith, and dead circumstances. why? Because faith always alters circumstances. Is there a mountain in your way? Jesus talked about how to deal with mountains.
Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Speak to that mountain to get out of your way. How? By faith. When the three Hebrew children refused to bow to the idol that the KING made, they risked their very lives to honor God's commands. Their hope and trust was fixed completely upon God. When Daniel opened up the window to pray to God, he was breaking the KINGS command and he risked his very life to obey God's commands. These men committed all they had to God, so God committed all he had to them.
In counseling with people, by far what I see is that people disobey God's commands, get themselves in a mess, than they want immediate resolve from God. I see many more people who get themselves into a mess by disobeying God instead of people who get into a fix because of their obedience to God. Always the miracle working power of God is working with those who have OBEYED God, not those who have disobeyed. If you have gotten yourself into a messy situation because you have disobeyed God, don't expect an immediate deliverance. The laws of reaping what you sow does not go away because we turn to God and ask him to fix our mess of disobedience. Always when God delivered people who get themselves into a mess because of disobedience repentance was required. Repentance does not mean, "Sorry I got caught and have circumstances." Repentance is a brokenness of heart, that is a true shamefulness regarding sin. When you truly repent of sin, you are determined to serve God if he gets you out of the mess you made or not.
In the good times, God wants us to trust him. In the bad times, God wants us to trust him. When trials come, God wants us to trust him. When we are prosperous, God wants us to trust him. Is he just the God of your troubles, or have you made him your trust no matter what the situation or the circumstance.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Take this old world just give me JESUS
We have been talking about our soul, and where our soul places it trust. I cannot express to you today how many people I see in the USA that is placing their trust in money and possessions. For Jesus himself said, "You cannot serve both God and money." Do we take that seriously? Half the stuff that we got bills on, we don't even need. Half the gadgets that we spent our cash on breaks within a few months. Are we walking in wisdom, or are we walking in lust for possessions? I heard an evangelist say something to this effect, "If you have a car that is a hand me down, you are making God look bad because of you being poor." So we think that we have to go out and borrow beyond our means to make ourselves 'LOOK BETTER?' Jesus said this of the Pharisees of his day.
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness
Here is the truth that we as Americans like to ignore. More than 1/3 of the world lives on less than 2.00 a day. If you have a roof over your head and food on your table you are in the top 20% of the richest people on the planet. When the Bible talks about rich people, count yourself in that number America. You don't believe me that you are rich? Go live in Mexico, or China. Work the jobs that they work for the pay that they get and try to live on it for a while. You will want to be back in the USA very quick. So, as rich people what do we do? We spend all we have, then we borrow and spend some more. Than we declare bankruptcy, play down our debt, and then in a few years borrow and spend some more. And, God is pretty sick of it all. There is a whole world of lost, dying, phobic, depressed, clinically sick, addicted, suicidal people out there, and what do most of our preachers want to talk about, money, prosperity, finances, reaping and sewing in money matters, tithing. Don't get me wrong, all of that is part of the Bible, but when we spend 15 minutes out of a 30 minute program EVERYDAY talking about these things we have brought about our own desires, because we are hungry for more wealth and finances.
God is interested in your heart. God is interested in your mind. God is interested in your health. God is interested in your speech...and he isn't interested in those things so that he can do something as insignificant as prosper you. Someone is thinking, "insignificant." Yes, it is insignificant because it is of this world, which is currently passing away. Hello. You can't take it with you when you die! He is interested in you so that he can fellowship with you. He wants to be more than a banker in the sky regulating your giving and receiving. He wants to know you intimately. There are those in the body of Christ that would have you believe that maturity in Christ means you are wealthy and prosperous and abounding in financial gains with no lack. Jesus is the WEALTH of the gospel. My treasure is that I have him. Yes, he has blessed me financially, with abundance, no lack, every need met...but that isn't what I wanted in life. I wanted to KNOW him and the POWER Of his resurrection and I have chased hard after Jesus all my life. All the blessings and provisions in my life was just what he gave me of his own design. I never sought those things, I sought him first, and his kingdom, and he decided to give me provisions, that was his choice, what he did, not what I desired, cause I only desired God...I just want to know him, to know his peace, to have his presence on my life, to walk with him, and to talk with him. I want HIM, God is my treasure, he is my abundance, he is my wealth, he is my good fortune. You can take this old world, Just give me JESUS!
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness
Here is the truth that we as Americans like to ignore. More than 1/3 of the world lives on less than 2.00 a day. If you have a roof over your head and food on your table you are in the top 20% of the richest people on the planet. When the Bible talks about rich people, count yourself in that number America. You don't believe me that you are rich? Go live in Mexico, or China. Work the jobs that they work for the pay that they get and try to live on it for a while. You will want to be back in the USA very quick. So, as rich people what do we do? We spend all we have, then we borrow and spend some more. Than we declare bankruptcy, play down our debt, and then in a few years borrow and spend some more. And, God is pretty sick of it all. There is a whole world of lost, dying, phobic, depressed, clinically sick, addicted, suicidal people out there, and what do most of our preachers want to talk about, money, prosperity, finances, reaping and sewing in money matters, tithing. Don't get me wrong, all of that is part of the Bible, but when we spend 15 minutes out of a 30 minute program EVERYDAY talking about these things we have brought about our own desires, because we are hungry for more wealth and finances.
God is interested in your heart. God is interested in your mind. God is interested in your health. God is interested in your speech...and he isn't interested in those things so that he can do something as insignificant as prosper you. Someone is thinking, "insignificant." Yes, it is insignificant because it is of this world, which is currently passing away. Hello. You can't take it with you when you die! He is interested in you so that he can fellowship with you. He wants to be more than a banker in the sky regulating your giving and receiving. He wants to know you intimately. There are those in the body of Christ that would have you believe that maturity in Christ means you are wealthy and prosperous and abounding in financial gains with no lack. Jesus is the WEALTH of the gospel. My treasure is that I have him. Yes, he has blessed me financially, with abundance, no lack, every need met...but that isn't what I wanted in life. I wanted to KNOW him and the POWER Of his resurrection and I have chased hard after Jesus all my life. All the blessings and provisions in my life was just what he gave me of his own design. I never sought those things, I sought him first, and his kingdom, and he decided to give me provisions, that was his choice, what he did, not what I desired, cause I only desired God...I just want to know him, to know his peace, to have his presence on my life, to walk with him, and to talk with him. I want HIM, God is my treasure, he is my abundance, he is my wealth, he is my good fortune. You can take this old world, Just give me JESUS!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Trust and Obey
We have been studying the heart of man, because there is nothing more important in your life than the condition of your spiritual heart. If you invite Jesus into your heart he doesn't want to share your heart with anger, jealousies, lust and pride. The issues of life doesn't come from your circumstances around you, they rise up out of the issues in your heart. Today we are going to look at our trust. We love with our heart, but we trust with our soul. Have you ever heard the comment, "he is a trusting soul." It is with your soul, the decision of your will that you place your trust in something. By far the number one reason that people miss God is because their heart is cluttered with things that do not need to be there. The second most important factor that I see, is our soul, and where we place our trust.
Exodus 14
21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Moses and the children of Israel had their backs up against the sea. When your back is up against the wall, what is your fall back? Moses only had one fall back, and that was God, and if God didn't come through, they were GONNERS. The problem with us today is that we have way too many fall backs.
Just imagine the average church today in a no win situation like Moses was in. The sea in front, the armies of Egypt in behind. Can you imagine the committee that would be nominated to 'research' the problem. Can you imagine the dollar amounts that they would bring before the board to resolve the conflicts. What are some of the typical solutions that you see in churches today.
(1) Lets borrow 100 millions of dollars and build us a bridge across this big red sea.
(2) Lets study the possibility of getting equipment to dig under the sea, wouldn't it make a good aquarium for later generations, we could make money on admission, so on and so forth.
(3) Lets send a committee over to the Egyptians and convince them that our God is the same God as their god.
(4) Let's have a prayer meeting once a week, and really seek God to do something about this situation.
(5) Let's just speak a positive confession, quote scriptures over this water, and be the first positive faith church of the Red Sea.
(6) Let's just get rid of this Pastor, who lead us to this difficult place and get a new leader (well, they actually did want to do this but it was the wrong answer.)
Can you see that these are all things that we do in our churches today, and what are they? They are all 'OPTIONS' that we think we have instead of following God's plan of faith, and trusting in HIS divine power. And in our own lives, we try to do similar options to our problems and we negate the power of God to do what we think we are able to do, instead of trusting God to do what we are unable to do.
Moses said to them, stand still and see the power of God. Meanwhile, Moses got serious and began to pray. God said to Moses, "why are you crying out to me for? Stretch out your rod over the sea, and tell the people to move forward." The dependence was upon God's power, and man's faith. What do you need to move that mountain? a loan from the bank? a quotation of scriptures and prayer? A job? Transportation? A new relationship? for people around you to change? All you need is faith! Faith comes when we hear God, and the miracle comes when we faithfully obey! Our trust must be in Christ Alone!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
In all things be content
We are going to continue to talk about the heart today. The condition of your physical heart is one of the most important things to your body. The condition of your spiritual heart is one of the most important things to your soul. The book of proverbs says to guard your heart because out of it comes the issues of life. You can have two people go through exactly the same thing, for instance, Job and his wife went through the same trial together. Job responded in faith, she did not respond with faith. It is the same way in life today. Two people can go through the exact same thing as someone else, and it may completely devastate one and not really bother the other at all. Why is that?? It is because no matter what you are going through it is only as bad as it seems to your heart. If someone does better than you, it will seem really BAD to your heart if jealousy if alive and well inside of you. If someone does something you do not like, it will seem really bad to your heart if you are trying to control everything. If you have to struggle day by day to make ends meet, it will seem really bad to your heart if you desire easy living or the comfort of wealth. Why is it that two woman can have the exact same dress and one of them is happy to have clothes and the other is embarrassed of it? It is because one of them has pride in her heart and the other does not. When you begin to learn that it is not the things that you go through that make you unhappy, you will begin to learn how to live this life with contentment. When you begin to learn that hard times, or bad circumstances is not what makes you miserable, but, it is your OWN heart you are beginning to understand.
Paul said, in Philippians 4 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
He said I have LEARNED to be content. So we see that being satisfied and peaceful does not come from outward circumstance, but from an inward training of the heart to find contentment. The more jealousy you have in your heart, the hard it will be for you to walk in contentment. The more ease of comfort you desire in life, the harder it will be to live in contentment. The more greed and anger and desire for things you have in your heart, the harder it will be to find contentment. The more you want to control others, or situations around you, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. The more you want to be loved and respected, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. Do you have a heart that WANTS WANTS WANTS? Than you are going to spend a lot of miserable days on this earth! When I live to love God with all my heart, and to love my neighbor as myself, the selfish desires and motives of my heart begin to lose their hold as I repent and yield to the Spirit of God in my life.
What does that mean for you when you can learn to be content no matter what the circumstances? IT means that no matter how bad of a situation that you find your self in, you can be content, peaceful, joyful, happy, ready to give and receive love. It means you are free, free to love as God loves.
The book of Timothy says: And having food and clothing let us be with these things content.
The book of Hebrews says: Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
When we are looking at our circumstance, our problems, and the people who are around us, and we are demanding that they change so that we can get some peace and contentment we are missing the power of God. The power of God is that he can give you CONTENTMENT and JOY no matter what you GO THROUGH, just like Paul and Silas thrown in jail. Then those people that are making your circumstances so bad will see you having peace and contentment of God, no matter how badly they try to destroy you. And then they will understand that God is REAL and that he is with YOU. We keep begging the power of God to change others, first, you must let the power of God change YOU. It is amazing that when I change, my circumstances don't seem so bad, and others begin to change with me as well.
Paul said, in Philippians 4 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
He said I have LEARNED to be content. So we see that being satisfied and peaceful does not come from outward circumstance, but from an inward training of the heart to find contentment. The more jealousy you have in your heart, the hard it will be for you to walk in contentment. The more ease of comfort you desire in life, the harder it will be to live in contentment. The more greed and anger and desire for things you have in your heart, the harder it will be to find contentment. The more you want to control others, or situations around you, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. The more you want to be loved and respected, the harder it will be for you to find contentment. Do you have a heart that WANTS WANTS WANTS? Than you are going to spend a lot of miserable days on this earth! When I live to love God with all my heart, and to love my neighbor as myself, the selfish desires and motives of my heart begin to lose their hold as I repent and yield to the Spirit of God in my life.
What does that mean for you when you can learn to be content no matter what the circumstances? IT means that no matter how bad of a situation that you find your self in, you can be content, peaceful, joyful, happy, ready to give and receive love. It means you are free, free to love as God loves.
The book of Timothy says: And having food and clothing let us be with these things content.
The book of Hebrews says: Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
When we are looking at our circumstance, our problems, and the people who are around us, and we are demanding that they change so that we can get some peace and contentment we are missing the power of God. The power of God is that he can give you CONTENTMENT and JOY no matter what you GO THROUGH, just like Paul and Silas thrown in jail. Then those people that are making your circumstances so bad will see you having peace and contentment of God, no matter how badly they try to destroy you. And then they will understand that God is REAL and that he is with YOU. We keep begging the power of God to change others, first, you must let the power of God change YOU. It is amazing that when I change, my circumstances don't seem so bad, and others begin to change with me as well.
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