Having Joy in our lives

The joy of the Lord is my strength. I look at this phrase and apply it this way. When I’m not feeling connected to God and the cares of the world begin to overwhelm me, this is usually a sign that I need to get closer to God. My ultimate joy and state of well being comes from my relationship with him. Pleasing him.
When I try to fulfill the word of God in my life and minister the word of God to others, joy and satisfaction of living comes. I try to live my life as close to the word of God as possible. How do I do that? I take the commands of God and try to find away to perform one or more of them every day. I purpose in my heart to try to do these. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m premeditated in my efforts to make a difference in my life, someone else’s life, my neighborhood, my work place, my church, etc.
I look for opportunities and then premeditatedly act. I know I’m probably still not making it clear. My joy comes from seeing God move in other people’s lives. I know people pray for God to move in our services at church and he can and will. But I want to see God move outside the church, out in the world that he created, for the people he loves and desires to come to him or to come closer to him then they are. You know, you can’t get too close to God.
The motto of our church is to love God and love people. A great motto only if we do it. The Boy Scout motto was “Be Prepared”! Another great motto, if they really practice it.
Jesus said that the Law and the Prophets was fulfilled in two Commandments: “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and all your strength. The second commandment is like unto it: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
Now think about the ways that you can love God and write them down. Then think about the ways that you can love your neighbor as yourself and write them down. Now purpose in your heart, that everyday your going to try to perform one of the things that you have written down. I guarantee you that when you start fulfilling these things in your life, that your joy will be full. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you one important thing. There are at least 24,000 different ways to love your neighbor as yourself. So lets go out and get some joy in our lives.

Knowing God

Knowing God, is like knowing people. I can truthfully say, that I know Pastor Flattery. Jon can say, I know Pastor Flattery, better than you. Why? Because he has known him longer than me, been closer to him than me, experienced him more than me. These are all true. The closer we are to someone the more we know about them and the more they know about us. God, on the other hand, knows everything about us, without us being close to Him because he is God. The scary part about that type of relationship is that even after knowing me, He (God) still loves me and desires to have fellowship with me. Sometimes from our position in the relationship, we don’t desire God as much as we should, or as much as He would desire us to.
Many Christians only know God from reading the scriptures and you can learn a lot that way, but that is not having fellowship or intimacy or closeness. I know God is with me all the time, but I don’t experience His closeness all the time or as much as I’d like.
The times I have experienced God and His presence have been life changing to say the least. I’ve experienced deliverance from drugs and alcohol abuse, deliverance from occult practices, I’ve experienced God as my healer, He has supernaturally supplied the needs of myself and my family. I have been blessed and touched by God in so many ways.
Now I know people who have experienced God, (the same God I’m talking about) in a totally different way, but just as personal. God is not a respecter of persons. God reveals Himself to those who truly believe that He is. And he rewards those that diligently seek Him. I fell, that I fall way short of the Patriarchs’ of the Bible, but I have a desire to know God as they did. A simple understanding and a trusting relationship, a knowing in my knower that He was and is and is to come. I have experienced God as He has revealed Himself in His word. Experience will hold on longer than knowledge alone. Experience has to line up with the revealed knowledge of God in His word.
I can know and find out everything I want to know about Pastor Flattery and Jon. But I’d rather know them, for myself and experience them for myself, and that is something nobody can take away from me. I have first hand knowledge and experience. I know for myself now, what is true.
Know God because He already knows you and loves you anyway. Be Blessed in Him.

Spiritual Courage

Spiritual courage, is to stand in the face of adversity with full confidence that there is victory at the end of the battle and rewards at the end of the war.
Everyday we’re involved in spiritual battles that are meant to discourage us from continuing our journey in Christ and to abandon hope in our Savior. Discouragement can come in big and small packages. Like Pastor said Sunday our adversary knows us quite well and knows what packages to deliver. For the most part, I believe that some people believe in God, just like they believe in the devil. Yes, both God and the devil exist, but neither one is really that concerned about me. That kind of thinking could not be further from the truth. That is where the spiritual warfare comes in. The battle lines are drawn. The armies are formed and there is a world to be conquered. By the way, we out number the enemy two to one.
God desires that no man perish and the devil like a roaring lion goes about the earth seeking whom he may devourer. There is a spiritual battle over every soul. The devil takes some willingly with no fight on their part and others he meets with resistance. Everyday there is reaping on both sides. For the fully devoted Christian, the battles are more intense like Pastor said Sunday morning. The temptations can be relentless and sometimes unbearable. Sometimes they are so strong we succumb to their power and fall. The greatest tragedy of someone falling to temptation, is not getting back up (repenting) and continuing the fight. Speaking from personal experience, I can truthfully say sometimes it’s nice and easy to just lay still and play dead. I’ve been so tired sometimes in my Christian walk that I just want to lay still and just play dead, so I could rest. I thank my God that He didn’t let me entertain these thoughts for to long. If you lay still for too long, soon or later someone will come around and make sure your dead, by giving you the final blow that you won’t recover from. I’ve seen Christians fall and not get back up, because it’s easier to stay down. They were disillusioned in their faith, because it was faulty. They were taught wrong. The word of God wasn’t the Standard to live by or the moral code to guide their lives. They forgot and I forgot that it’s not my battle, but the Lords battle. I’m just a solder. That’s why it is so important for you to read and understand the word of God for yourself, relying on the Holy Spirit to teach you.
Why do we as Christians do what we do? On what do we base our actions on? I can’t believe some of things that are debated in Christianity today as being acceptable or unacceptable. It takes spiritual courage to go against what your Christian peer group is dictating. I’m not just talking about teen peer pressure, their adult peer pressure. We all attend the same church and we all might be members of the same denomination, but our beliefs and opinions on the basic teachings of Christ are very different. Basic beliefs are being brought into question.
Creation vs. Evolution, six day creation, Adam and Eve in the garden, Noah and the Ark, the 10 plagues brought on Egypt, parting of the Red Sea, the battle of Jericho, Virgin birth of Jesus, Jesus life on earth, Jesus death and resurrection, Jesus soon return.
No matter where you stand on these important Biblical truths, it takes spiritual courage to stand whether your right or wrong. I’d prefer to be on the right side of my beliefs. What I have read and seen in history, is someday we might be asked to renounce our beliefs. Would you be willing to die for any of your beliefs as they stand right now. Like I stated above, Christianity today is a belief system that is changing with every wind of doctrine. The Early Church fathers died for what they believed and today we’re discussing the relevance of those same beliefs. In the Original Covenant (Old Testament) you could tell a Jew from a Gentile by the way they lived. In the Early Church, you could tell a Christian by the way he lived. Today you can’t tell the church from the world, because for the most part we are all living the same. It takes spiritual courage to be truly different (not weird) and adhere to a lifestyle that Jesus has called us all to. A life style where we deny ourselves and look after the interests of those around us. To truly love God and to love His people. This lifestyle is hard, it demands discipline and commitment. Most of the time there is no reward, for our immediate gratification. We’re ask to lay our lives down, and to pick up a cross daily and to follow Him. He promised us hardships, persecution, abuse. And for those that endure, life everlasting. Where do you stand on the battle field? Are you ready to fight or are you playing dead? Look to our King, look to Jesus and he will give you courage, to stand against all the evil tricks of the devil. Be strong and be courageous in Jesus Name. At the end of the book it says we win.

Making a Living

Career, occupation, job are all different ways of expressing, how we make a living. Scripture commands us as males, to make a living for our families. If a man doesn’t supply the needs of his own family, he is worse then an infidel (unbeliever). In today’s society, both husband and wives work outside the home to supply the basic needs of the household. Some literally have two jobs each. In some families both husband and wives work outside the home (again, some have literally two jobs each) to supply the extras (a bigger house, the luxury car, jet ski’s, motorcycles, snowmobiles, expensive clothing and jewelry, etc.). Most of which is being paid for on installment plans.
In Judaism and early Christianity the family was the center and reason for everything that was done. Raising a family today is not always done by the parents. State licensed Child Care, state licensed Child Care in someone else’s home (That’s really scary, if you don’t know the people), the neighbor lady (also, scary for the same reason). Why? Both parents have jobs, or their careers or professions. Who’s values are being imparted to our/your children/grandchildren? Not yours and mine. I’m not knocking this, because my wife and I were in this boat too. It was a choice that I regret. If I had to do it again, knowing what I know now, I would do things a lot differently. Hind sight is always better. I think we need to rethink what a Christian family should look like and work towards it.

______________Everything above this line is my soap box. Sorry _________________

I believe what pastor is saying is true. If have a job, an occupation, or career, it should be doing something that is fulfilling. The nine steps are a good guideline to start with. But some people don’t have this option in life. Life is coming at them to fast. They can’t just to sit back and analyze their situation, when there is a financial need right in front of them. God’s word commands us to make a living for ourselves and our families. I believe individuals need to become stable first in their finances and then start looking for the ideal. Some Christians allow job after job to pass them by looking for the ideal. Then, they become dependant upon the church and/or other people to supply their most basic needs. They could be supplying their own needs, but don’t, because they feel that, this job is beneath them or it doesn’t pay what they think it should. God supplies the means and we accept the means he supplies.
Every job that I have had in my Christian life, God has given me. I had to put in the effort to apply, to interview, to follow up. None of them fell out of the ski. God put me in each job for a specific purpose and time in my life and then moved me on to something different, until I landed where I’m at.
I’ve been in the Fire Service for thirty years. Boy, saying that makes me fell old. Anyway, I didn’t desire to be a firefighter. I was out of work and was given many jobs to choose form all at one time. I chose to be a firefighter because I grew up in Pennfield, I knew the township like the back of my hand and I knew I could do the job. Why? Oh this is too easy. “Because, I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”. You know, when I got saved and started reading God’s word. I was dumb enough to believe that verse literally. I’m still that way today (dumb enough to believe Gods word). But, I still didn’t desire to be a firefighter. I applied, I interviewed, I followed up. I got the job and it turned into a career. So, if I didn’t want to be a firefighter, why did I take the job? I had a responsibility to my wife and children to earn a living. This job paid the best at the time. It had potential to last a long time (and did).
I’d been working since I was 13 years old. I’ve never been without a job for very long. That’s the way I was raised. I was brought up to do, whatever it took, to meet the needs of my family. If I lost my job today, I’d have another one in a few days. Why? The Lord will supply the means, as long as I accept the means he supplies. It’s the Lord that supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory. My job or career is just the means.
Does God want me to better myself? Yes. But maybe not in the way you might be thinking. The most important thing to God is your relationship with him. He will not open a door for you, knowing that it will hurt your relationship with him. That’s not to say that we can’t pry some doors open on our own. But when we do, it can lead to our own undoing. What profits a man to gain the whole world and loose his family?
(My Paraphrase)
Then you have the supernatural. He can and he will supply your needs supernaturally. Yes, but that is not the norm. Again it’s a means. When we walk past doors that God has opened for us and ignore them or think we’re too good to walk through them, then don’t look to God to do something supernatural.
The happiness that we have in our jobs or careers, should come from knowing that we are where God wants us to be and doing his will where we’re at. Peace with contentment is great gain.

Having joy in your life!

This really may sound over the top to some people and maybe it is. Maybe I’m waaaay out in left field. No matter, this is how I choose to live my life in Christ. On any given day, I find myself being consumed with desire to know more, to experience more and communicate more, with and about my God, my Lord and my Savior. I don’t have a lot of outside interests. I’ve been told and admit that I don’t have a life, outside of Christ. There’s a lot of things that I like to do and there’s one thing, that I really like to do. That’s to be around people that love God and love to talk about Jesus. That is my joy! I thank God that my fishing partner is a Christian, because I get the best in life, all at once when we go fishing.
For the most part, our lives are mundane. When I look at all the great men and women of God, in the Bible, we’re seeing them in just short glimpses of their lives. When they weren’t being used mightily of God, guess what? They lived mundane lives just like us. I hear people say all the time, that they want to see a move of God in their lives, or in lives of their children, in their church or wherever. Well guess what? If you want to see a move of God, the only way your going to see it, is to be apart of it. We have to put ourselves, into a position to be used of God and then we will see a move of God through our own lives. I really get geeked (I never thought I’d use a word like that, but it expresses how I feel), when I hear about someone being healed or someone being delivered from a life controlling substance or lifestyle. God is moving He’s doing stuff in peoples lives. God desires to do great things in people’s lives everyday, every minute of the day. But, who will go? Me, me, me, use me, send me Lord! But, we’re all caught up in the mundane, the day to day grind of life. We’re beat down and beat up. We sometimes don’t know which end is up. There is no joy in living like that. God is saying to us in a still small voice, “I have someone with a need”, “I have something for YOOU to do”, Will you go? But with the loud music blaring, the world drawing us in every direction, we miss an opportunity to see God move in another individual’s life by our own hand. Yes, by your own hand. Why do you think He gave you two of them for? We miss the Joy. I don’t like to miss out. I don’t want to miss out. That’s why Joy is a choice. You can be where God is or where God wants you to be, or you can be doing something else and miss out. I love my T-Group, Sunday Mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday night, Thursday morning prayer (when I can go), did I say I loved T-Group? Yes, you probably figured it out by now, I’m freaked out on Jesus. Someday I’ll tell you why I’m this way. It might surprise you.
My Mom wasn’t a Christian until the last days of her life. She couldn’t understand why I was the way I was, and still am about my faith in Christ. She used to tell me that I would wear my welcome out with my friends, because we were always together everyday. Well, in the natural, that may be true. But in Christ, we have a friend that is closer than a brother. He will never leave us, or forsake us. After what He has done for me, I’m sticking to Him like glue. To have the joy, like God wants me to have, I can’t have a casual, relationship with Him. I know He wants all of me, so I want as much of Him as I can get. You can have as much of God as you want. Stop and think for a minute. Do I have all of God that I want? Do you think you have enough? If you don’t have joy in your life, I can tell you right now, you don’t have enough of Jesus. I still need more.
Here’s a thought for you who think you can stay at home and serve God. Jesus said that wherever two or more are gathered in his name, He will be in their midst. Husbands and wives only count as one. That’s one of God’s goofy math things. You are a vital part of His body. You are in need of the body, as much as being needed by the body of Christ. Why? So your joy may be full. There is no better way to get joy and keep your joy, than to be around Gods people and see Him work in their lives and yours. I hope you all fine the joy and peace that passes all understanding. See you at a gathering!

Scriptural Christain Leadership

The Lord, grants the desires of our hearts. Pastor desires to attain the attributes of some of the greatest servants of God in scripture. We need to be as desirous of these things also. God will grant the desires of our heart, but as I’ve learned this week, God only answers half of our prayers concerning matters such as these.
On Wednesday nights my wife and I have been going through a great series entitled “A Heart Ablaze” by John Bevere. One night, after the video portion of the class was over, we had a discussion on how to reach the spiritual potential that God has for each of us. Someone brought up the life of a man called Smith Wigglesworth. Wigglesworth was a great man of God, and he was used mightily by God in his day. As we discussed this man’s life and you can read about him yourself, we found a pattern of living. Like other great men and women of God, these lifestyles beg to be imitated. Wigglesworth, like Paul and many other spiritual leaders had a life style that pleased God. A life totally devoted.
When we pray and ask God to bring theses attributes into our lives, like Pastor has, God expects us to meet Him half way. As we dedicate ourselves to Him and put 100% effort into our walk, like these men did, God will do the other half. Paul made a state worth repeating. Follow me as I follow Christ. Like Paul we are to be imitators of Christ.
Two types of leadership in the church of Jesus Christ today, need to be looked at and see where they stand scripturally. Jesus stated. That if ones desire’s, to be great in the Kingdom, he/she must become a servant. Jesus went on to say, that if one desires to become chief in the Kingdom, he/she must become a servant of all. That’s Jesus definition of leadership. We can see this modeled in the Apostles and in life styles of every major figure, in every move of the Spirit in the last 2000 years.
The other type of leadership is organizational. Organizational leadership can be sterile, insensitive, exclusive, elitist. Notice! I said can be. We can see what this type of leadership (Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes) did in Israel during Jesus day and what this type of leadership has done in the church of Jesus Christ in our modern day. No wonder we have so many out of church Christians.
This is not what Jesus had in mind. He wants his church to be an Organism. One in which all the body is working together for the common good. Where there is inclusiveness, oneness and unity. Where everyone is nurtured and encouraged to attain their full potential in Christ.
Jesus proved that one doesn’t need a title, to be recognized as a leader. One day he asked his disciples, who the people said he was. They replied, some say your John the Baptist, some say Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets! Then Jesus asked. Who do you say that I am? Peter stated. You are the Christ. Jesus life style set him apart as being someone, that the people recognized as being very connected to God. Some probably recognized the spiritual traits of one of the past prophets from hearing the scriptures. Peter recognized him as the Christ, because the Father revealed it to him. Why? Peter (with all his baggage) was seeking the Kingdom with all his heart. His lifestyle pleased God. God granted the desire of his heart. God will do the same for us.
We’re all servants of the most High God. Some, like Pastor, have a position of responsibility. With position always comes responsibility. All of us have our portion in the Kingdom of God. We all have a purpose and a ministry to fulfill. We need to take our portion and the responsibility that comes with it seriously. The local body of Christ here at First Assembly, has organization and organism walking hand in hand. To Love God and Love People, this fulfills all the Law and the Prophets.

Attitude of gratitude

Of all the attitudes that the Lord regrets to see in us the most, is the attitude of ingratitude. We often don’t even think about all the things that go on in our lives during the course of a day, week, month and even a year. We’re so busy with the life that God has allowed us to have, that we forget big and small things that he does for us or allows to come our way.
We take for granted, that we wake up each day. The simple act of opening our eyes in the morning, and being able to see. Over the past few years, I’ve learned to be more appreciative of what God gives me on a daily basis. You see, in four years I’ve had two heart attacks. Not the fall down, call 911 type, but heart attacks just the same. I’ve got six stints in my arteries to keep them open. Believe me when I say, I’m very appreciative of every new day. I don’t take life for granted. I’ve been around and seen too many people have heart attacks and not make it. Not knowing where they went to spend eternity. They went just that fast.
Our lives after accepting Christ is the training time before we go to heaven. There’s not going to be any bad attitudes in heaven. And there’s not going to be any ungratefulness either. Some Christians think that God owes them something. That He’s lucky to have them in His kingdom. Oh the vanity and pride. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we gave up our rights to everything. We’re the one’s who messed our lives up. He bailed us out. He paid the price that we couldn’t pay. Some days we don’t even give Him a second thought. Not until our lives are falling apart again. And we cry out, “Jesus Help Me!” And He does, because He loves us and knows we’re but dust.
That’s a sobering thought. For anyone who thinks that they are somebody, your just dust, that God blew on, when he made you.
If we could develop an attitude of gratitude to God, the other attitudes I think would fall into line. You and I owe Him so much. How can we have a heart that follows after anyone else but Him.