"If you don’t have a vision, then your reality will always be determined by other’s perceptions." -- Melanee Addison
The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Here are a couple of other translations of that verse.
“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18 (NIV)
“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)
Vision is a big word in our world today. It is a word very common in the church and in business. People are drawn to people with vision. People who have a picture of what they want for their life, their company, their business, their country, etc. Right now we are trying to determine the vision of the plethora of candidates we have on both sides of the aisle for President of the United States. Everybody needs a vision to be successful in life.
Let’s take a closer look at the above verse. The King James rendering says that we “perish” without vision. That’s strong language... but not too strong because it is true. The NIV says vision brings restraint (another word would be discipline) to our lives. The New Living Translation says that vision is “divine guidance” and brings restraint to our lives or “keeps us from running wild.”
The primary purpose of the Scripture here is to communicate that we all need a personal revelation of God that we know leads to a personal relationship with Him leading us to know and keep the spiritual laws He has set in motion. Living outside those laws brings pain and destruction. If you don’t know Jesus Christ now is the time. Invite Him into your life today with His vision for your life and begin living by His laws designed to cause you to succeed in life.
Vision is also a sense of purpose, a knowing where you are headed and a picture of what it will look like when you arrive. Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychologist who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany. Frankl made a startling discovery about why some survived the horrible conditions and some did not.
He looked at several factors - health, vitality, family structure, intelligence, survival skills. Finally he concluded that none of these factors was primarily responsible. The single most significant factor, he realized, was a sense of future vision - the impelling conviction of those who were to survive that they had a mission to perform, some important work left to do.
Survivors of POW camps in Vietnam and elsewhere have reported similar experiences: a compelling, future-oriented vision is the primary force that kept many of them alive.
A vision, a sense of purpose beyond today is necessary for success in any venture in life. When you have no vision you are scattered, running in too many directions, instead of focused and disciplined. People who are poor financial manager have no vision for their lives so they spend all they make and then some and have little to show for it.
Here’s what I know. God has a vision for my life and your life. If we will simply ask Him to reveal it to us He will. It begins by accepting His vision that we be in right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Turn to Romans 10:9,10 today. Acknowledge Jesus’ power to save, repent of your sins, and invite Him into your life today. Then begin to open your heart to know what He wants for you in this life as you prepare for the life to come. But remember that vision without action is only a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to know and develop, with Your guidance, a vision for my life. Help me to understand that I have purpose in life and to live out that purpose with Your help. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Friday, June 8, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Renew Your Mind
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:1-3 (NIV)
“...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It did not say “transformed by some supernatural force” or “transformed by someone who loves you” or “transformed by changing jobs” or “transformed by losing weight” and the list could go on and on. We all know people who have changed jobs and for a while they were different, but then they fell back into the same patterns as before or people who lost a great amount of weight and for a while they were different but then you see them a year or a few years later and they are like they were. The reason is that they only changed what they DID for a while and never changed the way they THINK... the renewing of the mind.
The word “renew” in that Scripture is from a Greek word that means literally “to renovate.” The word for “transformed” is “metamorphoo” from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” Metamorphosis is what takes place when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It is transformed from a wooly, creepy, worm that crawls at a snail’s pace to a beautiful butterfly, brilliant with color, flitting around with such speed they are difficult to catch. That’s transformation!
Yet Paul says that we can be transformed, be so changed that the new hardly resembles to old, by renewing, renovating our minds. Now, there is both the act of our will and the help of the Holy Spirit involved here. The Holy Spirit helps us, but He waits for us to by an act of the will begin to change the way we think. Some of you getting this spend way too much time berating yourselves for your mistakes. “I am so stupid” or “How could I be so stupid to to that or think that or allow this to happen?” or “I am just not smart enough” or “I am just not pretty enough” or “I am just not quick enough.” Well... you get the point. Stop that! Renovate your mind. Fill it with God’s word. Fill it with uplifting conversation. Fill it with thoughts of who you are in Christ. Stop hanging out with people that talk negatively all the time. Renovate! Renovate!
“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
I am amazed at how often the Bible tells us to do things that we ask God to do for us. He will help us through the power of the Holy Spirit, but there are just some things we must do. Notice in the Scripture above, “Throw off” and “Let the Spirit” and “Put on.” Admonitions from the Holy Bible that all depend on our action and our decisions. What needs to change in your mind, your thinking?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the powerful help of the Holy Spirit to aid me, but I realize today that His help only follows by actions and decisions. Today, I decide to be a stronger, better person in my life. I am changing, renovating my mind... the way I think and the attitudes I have. I anticipate Your supernatural participation as I become what and who God has planned for me to be. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
“...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It did not say “transformed by some supernatural force” or “transformed by someone who loves you” or “transformed by changing jobs” or “transformed by losing weight” and the list could go on and on. We all know people who have changed jobs and for a while they were different, but then they fell back into the same patterns as before or people who lost a great amount of weight and for a while they were different but then you see them a year or a few years later and they are like they were. The reason is that they only changed what they DID for a while and never changed the way they THINK... the renewing of the mind.
The word “renew” in that Scripture is from a Greek word that means literally “to renovate.” The word for “transformed” is “metamorphoo” from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” Metamorphosis is what takes place when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It is transformed from a wooly, creepy, worm that crawls at a snail’s pace to a beautiful butterfly, brilliant with color, flitting around with such speed they are difficult to catch. That’s transformation!
Yet Paul says that we can be transformed, be so changed that the new hardly resembles to old, by renewing, renovating our minds. Now, there is both the act of our will and the help of the Holy Spirit involved here. The Holy Spirit helps us, but He waits for us to by an act of the will begin to change the way we think. Some of you getting this spend way too much time berating yourselves for your mistakes. “I am so stupid” or “How could I be so stupid to to that or think that or allow this to happen?” or “I am just not smart enough” or “I am just not pretty enough” or “I am just not quick enough.” Well... you get the point. Stop that! Renovate your mind. Fill it with God’s word. Fill it with uplifting conversation. Fill it with thoughts of who you are in Christ. Stop hanging out with people that talk negatively all the time. Renovate! Renovate!
“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
I am amazed at how often the Bible tells us to do things that we ask God to do for us. He will help us through the power of the Holy Spirit, but there are just some things we must do. Notice in the Scripture above, “Throw off” and “Let the Spirit” and “Put on.” Admonitions from the Holy Bible that all depend on our action and our decisions. What needs to change in your mind, your thinking?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the powerful help of the Holy Spirit to aid me, but I realize today that His help only follows by actions and decisions. Today, I decide to be a stronger, better person in my life. I am changing, renovating my mind... the way I think and the attitudes I have. I anticipate Your supernatural participation as I become what and who God has planned for me to be. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Monday, June 4, 2007
Strength for the Storms
It seems these days in DFW it rains everyday. Is this the South Central United States or have we moved to the Northwest? Somedays I feel lost. But we all no that in August we’ll be ever so grateful for the rains we have had in surplus. It’s just that it seems right now the storms will never stop.
Life feels that way sometimes doesn’t it. We wonder, “Will they ever stop?” Mark Twain and a friend walked outside one day in the rain. The friend said, “You think it will stop?” Mark Twain replied, “It always does.”
It’s true about the storms of life too. They never last forever. I am one who sleeps well and often do not even know about storms when they come in the night until the next morning. Jesus slept in storms too. In Gospel of Mark chapter 4 the story is told of Jesus sleeping in the back part of the ship and a storm blew in. The disciples were afraid and woke Him, saying, “Don’t you care that we are about to perish?”
Now, why would they wake Him except because they believed He could do something about the storm? It becomes apparent that was not their expectation at all when after He did still the storm the Bible says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’" Mark 4:39-41 (NIV)
They were afraid in the storm and now they were terrified because Jesus stilled the storm. Tough bunch to please weren’t they! The truth is that Jesus is with us in all the storms of our life.
My friend Richard Exley wrote a book titled “Strength for the Storms.” He’s written many books but this one is at top or at least near the top of my favorites. I think it is because we all have storms no matter who we are. Richard writes in his book, “There are some who believe that God sends the storms in our lives, but I cannot conceive of our loving heavenly Father doing something like that. Perhaps He allows them to come. For certain, He redeems them—that is, He touches them with His Spirit, transforming them into instruments of grace that work for our eternal benefit. Of course this does not make the troubles we suffer painless, but it does give our pain purpose. Now instead of viewing pain as an enemy to be overcome, we see it as an ally.”
The storms blow and we see the damage, but He takes the rain and fills the lakes so that in the drought we have water we need. Jesus redeems our pain and turns it to good. Whatever storm you are in just remember it will stop, it always does and begin to look for the hand of God redeeming your storm.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me strength for the storms of life and faith to see Your blessed hand at work making them something blessed and profitable in my life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Life feels that way sometimes doesn’t it. We wonder, “Will they ever stop?” Mark Twain and a friend walked outside one day in the rain. The friend said, “You think it will stop?” Mark Twain replied, “It always does.”
It’s true about the storms of life too. They never last forever. I am one who sleeps well and often do not even know about storms when they come in the night until the next morning. Jesus slept in storms too. In Gospel of Mark chapter 4 the story is told of Jesus sleeping in the back part of the ship and a storm blew in. The disciples were afraid and woke Him, saying, “Don’t you care that we are about to perish?”
Now, why would they wake Him except because they believed He could do something about the storm? It becomes apparent that was not their expectation at all when after He did still the storm the Bible says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’" Mark 4:39-41 (NIV)
They were afraid in the storm and now they were terrified because Jesus stilled the storm. Tough bunch to please weren’t they! The truth is that Jesus is with us in all the storms of our life.
My friend Richard Exley wrote a book titled “Strength for the Storms.” He’s written many books but this one is at top or at least near the top of my favorites. I think it is because we all have storms no matter who we are. Richard writes in his book, “There are some who believe that God sends the storms in our lives, but I cannot conceive of our loving heavenly Father doing something like that. Perhaps He allows them to come. For certain, He redeems them—that is, He touches them with His Spirit, transforming them into instruments of grace that work for our eternal benefit. Of course this does not make the troubles we suffer painless, but it does give our pain purpose. Now instead of viewing pain as an enemy to be overcome, we see it as an ally.”
The storms blow and we see the damage, but He takes the rain and fills the lakes so that in the drought we have water we need. Jesus redeems our pain and turns it to good. Whatever storm you are in just remember it will stop, it always does and begin to look for the hand of God redeeming your storm.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me strength for the storms of life and faith to see Your blessed hand at work making them something blessed and profitable in my life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
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