You’ve probably heard the story about the little boy who woke up in the night because he fell out of the bed. His mother heard what happened and came running to his room. As she helped him back into bed she asked him, “What happened that you fell off the bed.”
His reply was childish and loaded with simple childish wisdom. He said, “I guess I tried to sleep to close to where I got in.”
We do that with our Christian lives. We get in and then years later we are still hanging on to the edge and wondering why we fall out so often. The good news is because God loves us He is always there to pick us up and help back to where we were. But think about it with me. My mom easily helped me back in bed when I was a child. I learned really fast that the safe place is as far away from the edge as I can get so she didn’t have to help much.
But how about our spiritual lives, our personal relationship with Christ? Where are we living? How far are we from the place we got in. Have you grown, matured? How about your prayer life? How about your loyalty to church? How about your giving? How about your love for others? Do you still let little things get to you like you used? How about your habits? Have you replaced those bad habits with disciple habits? Have you moved away from the edge?
Sometimes we make the mistake of portraying God as this non-emotional being that speaks in monotones. But God made us like Himself so He must display emotions from time to time. In fact, He gets angry and experiences joy. I think on this topic He does what we do with our friends when they act immature. We look at them and say with frustration, “OH, GROW UP! Think God ever looks at us says, “OH, GROW UP!”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I DO want to grow up in my relationship with You. I never want to stop growing or stop learning more about You. I never want to stop getting to know you better and better. Forgive me for my laziness in staying too close to the edge. Help me as I make the choice to move forward in You. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Monday, March 12, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Big Giant or Big God?
When the Nation of Israel began to occupy the Promised Land, the first thing they faced was giants. You generally run into a "giant" prior to possessing your promise. Giants are representative of obstacles that stand between your and your destiny. Giant problems are the test in life that you must overcome or pass in order for you to receive your promotion. Giant problems are a last desperate effort by the enemy to turn you around before you occupy the place God has called you too. These problems can take the form of health issues, financial difficulties, legal, personal, spiritual, job change or loss, cars breaking down, family and/or marital difficulties, and the list goes on.
Did you ever try to imagine what David must have felt the moment he actually faced the giant? It had to be easier standing with the troops and watching the giant at a distance. I simply have to believe, because after all David was human, that there was a moment, at least, when he faced the giant that it seemed to have grown, doubled or tripled in size. All our giants, whatever they are, seem intimidating and appear impossible to defeat and so we must have God’s help to take them out.
How you handle your giant problems will determine whether you settle for less or experience what God has for you. Fortunately, there was at least one person in nation of Israel that believed God instead of being intimidated by what they saw. The rest of the army, even its general, saw a giant so big they couldn’t defeat it. David saw a giant so big he couldn’t possibly miss the target.
What are the giants in your way, keeping you from being everything that God wants you to be and having what He wants you to have? Is it your past? Is it some fear? We’ve talked about both of those over the past two weekends in the Facing Your Giants series. Is it some life controlling habit? That’s what we’ll talk about this weekend, but life controlling habits are more than drugs and alcohol. You’ll be surprised the addictions that control our lives. Don’t miss it. Next week will be “The Money Pit.” It is a giant that keeps us from accomplishing what God wants us to do. Then we close the series with “Beating Bitterness” maybe the biggest giant of all. Let’s face those giants! Let’s take them down! Let’s cut off their heads and claim what God has for us!
The Israeli army saw the size of the giant. David saw the size of his God. Fear magnifies the giant. Faith magnifies our God. May I tell you, “Your God (if He is the same God I serve) is big enough to take out any giant in your life.” The promise is on the other side. The healing is just on the other side of the giant. The new job, the help for your marriage, the freedom from the power of addiction is all just beyond the giant that blocks your view of everything else. Face it. Take it out. Possess the promise.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the ability to see beyond the moment of fearful encounter with the giant in my life to the promise I have of your great power and love and forgiveness. Give me the courage to face my giants and conquer them to possess what You have already prepared for me and given to me. Help me by faith to see the giants conquered and laying helpless on the ground instead of looming over me, leering at me, and filling me with fear. Today I face my giants to possess my promises. AMEN.
Blessings!
Did you ever try to imagine what David must have felt the moment he actually faced the giant? It had to be easier standing with the troops and watching the giant at a distance. I simply have to believe, because after all David was human, that there was a moment, at least, when he faced the giant that it seemed to have grown, doubled or tripled in size. All our giants, whatever they are, seem intimidating and appear impossible to defeat and so we must have God’s help to take them out.
How you handle your giant problems will determine whether you settle for less or experience what God has for you. Fortunately, there was at least one person in nation of Israel that believed God instead of being intimidated by what they saw. The rest of the army, even its general, saw a giant so big they couldn’t defeat it. David saw a giant so big he couldn’t possibly miss the target.
What are the giants in your way, keeping you from being everything that God wants you to be and having what He wants you to have? Is it your past? Is it some fear? We’ve talked about both of those over the past two weekends in the Facing Your Giants series. Is it some life controlling habit? That’s what we’ll talk about this weekend, but life controlling habits are more than drugs and alcohol. You’ll be surprised the addictions that control our lives. Don’t miss it. Next week will be “The Money Pit.” It is a giant that keeps us from accomplishing what God wants us to do. Then we close the series with “Beating Bitterness” maybe the biggest giant of all. Let’s face those giants! Let’s take them down! Let’s cut off their heads and claim what God has for us!
The Israeli army saw the size of the giant. David saw the size of his God. Fear magnifies the giant. Faith magnifies our God. May I tell you, “Your God (if He is the same God I serve) is big enough to take out any giant in your life.” The promise is on the other side. The healing is just on the other side of the giant. The new job, the help for your marriage, the freedom from the power of addiction is all just beyond the giant that blocks your view of everything else. Face it. Take it out. Possess the promise.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the ability to see beyond the moment of fearful encounter with the giant in my life to the promise I have of your great power and love and forgiveness. Give me the courage to face my giants and conquer them to possess what You have already prepared for me and given to me. Help me by faith to see the giants conquered and laying helpless on the ground instead of looming over me, leering at me, and filling me with fear. Today I face my giants to possess my promises. AMEN.
Blessings!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
I Am Amazed
There are some Scriptures in the Bible that absolutely amaze me.
Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” (NIV) A sparrow worth ½ cent, but God is so aware and cares so much not one of them dies without God giving the okay! How many sparrows die in a year? I don’t know for sure. I heard that there are 6000 species of sparrows. 15 million sparrows invaded Sweden one year. It’s the first bird to chirp in the Spring. In the state of Iowa sparrows eat up 800 tons of grain a year. Those farmers won’t pay tithes, don’t want the church to have it so God feeds His birds with it. But I don’t know how many die in a year. Let’s assume something really reasonable. If 15 million invaded just Sweden one year I can’t imagine how many must be in the world. So it is probably very conservative to assume that one million die in a year. That means that every 32 seconds a sparrow somewhere in the world dies and the Bible says not one of them falls from the sky (dies) “apart from the will of God.” Not just that God knows about it, but He give consent to it!
Another amazing Scripture. 1 Praise the LORD... He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalms 147:1-4 (NIV) Some days it is a challenge for me to remember my own name, and God knows the name of every star! On a clear night you can see 6000 stars without the help of telescope or other instruments. God knows all their names! Scientists estimate that there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Multiply that by 10 to the power of 12 to estimate the number of stars in the universe. God knows their names!
You think... maybe... if God controls the life span of insignificant, even annoying sparrows... if not one of them falls to the ground without His permission... if God determines how many stars are in the universe, names them, and REMEMBERS their names... just maybe He is aware of what is going on in our lives (His prize creation) and cares deeply about what is happening to us... you think... maybe... just maybe?
I think, YES! He cares, He knows, nothing about us escapes His attention and care. We can trust Him, but trust Him we must. We can’t control Him, question Him, doubt Him, get angry at Him, throws things at Him (I guess we can, but we shouldn’t). We just need to TRUST Him.
Here’s another Scripture that amazes me. I was amazed to find out that anything could cause God to be amazed. God, who knows everything, controls everything, created it all is amazed! Listen, “And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him. Isaiah 59:16 (AMP)
God, knowing that He stands ready to hear and answer the prayers and intercession of His people is amazed when we go through life struggling, battling the elements of life and fail to pray, to intercede. We should be amazed that we are so slow to ask of Him. He did tell that if we’d ask we’d receive. James tells us that we do not have because we do not ask. Let’s get busy doing what is most effective, most important. PRAY.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for thinking you have forgotten us when You care so much about a little sparrow, but consider us much more valuable. Forgive me for questioning Your care and concern when you even remember the names of stars. Surely you have not forgotten mine and where I am. Forgive me for worrying and not praying, for waiting until the moment of desperation to pray. Today I am thanking you for the comfort I have in knowing that You know and care, and the confidence I have that I can pray and be heard in heaven. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” (NIV) A sparrow worth ½ cent, but God is so aware and cares so much not one of them dies without God giving the okay! How many sparrows die in a year? I don’t know for sure. I heard that there are 6000 species of sparrows. 15 million sparrows invaded Sweden one year. It’s the first bird to chirp in the Spring. In the state of Iowa sparrows eat up 800 tons of grain a year. Those farmers won’t pay tithes, don’t want the church to have it so God feeds His birds with it. But I don’t know how many die in a year. Let’s assume something really reasonable. If 15 million invaded just Sweden one year I can’t imagine how many must be in the world. So it is probably very conservative to assume that one million die in a year. That means that every 32 seconds a sparrow somewhere in the world dies and the Bible says not one of them falls from the sky (dies) “apart from the will of God.” Not just that God knows about it, but He give consent to it!
Another amazing Scripture. 1 Praise the LORD... He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalms 147:1-4 (NIV) Some days it is a challenge for me to remember my own name, and God knows the name of every star! On a clear night you can see 6000 stars without the help of telescope or other instruments. God knows all their names! Scientists estimate that there are 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Multiply that by 10 to the power of 12 to estimate the number of stars in the universe. God knows their names!
You think... maybe... if God controls the life span of insignificant, even annoying sparrows... if not one of them falls to the ground without His permission... if God determines how many stars are in the universe, names them, and REMEMBERS their names... just maybe He is aware of what is going on in our lives (His prize creation) and cares deeply about what is happening to us... you think... maybe... just maybe?
I think, YES! He cares, He knows, nothing about us escapes His attention and care. We can trust Him, but trust Him we must. We can’t control Him, question Him, doubt Him, get angry at Him, throws things at Him (I guess we can, but we shouldn’t). We just need to TRUST Him.
Here’s another Scripture that amazes me. I was amazed to find out that anything could cause God to be amazed. God, who knows everything, controls everything, created it all is amazed! Listen, “And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him. Isaiah 59:16 (AMP)
God, knowing that He stands ready to hear and answer the prayers and intercession of His people is amazed when we go through life struggling, battling the elements of life and fail to pray, to intercede. We should be amazed that we are so slow to ask of Him. He did tell that if we’d ask we’d receive. James tells us that we do not have because we do not ask. Let’s get busy doing what is most effective, most important. PRAY.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for thinking you have forgotten us when You care so much about a little sparrow, but consider us much more valuable. Forgive me for questioning Your care and concern when you even remember the names of stars. Surely you have not forgotten mine and where I am. Forgive me for worrying and not praying, for waiting until the moment of desperation to pray. Today I am thanking you for the comfort I have in knowing that You know and care, and the confidence I have that I can pray and be heard in heaven. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Time
“Something will master and something will serve. Either you run the day or the day runs you; either you run the business or the business runs you.” – Jim Rohn
Either you conquer your fears or your fears will conquer you. Either you overcome worry or worry will drain you of energy you need to live and serve. Either you will be in control of life or life will run you ragged. I see it often and you do too. People have that “opportunity of a lifetime.” This is their chance to make in life, to accomplish their dreams, to make their million, the chance to be in control of their life. Only to watch them become consumed by the new business venture or opportunity and see their “life” fade away into the oblivion of activity.
I often hear people say (and I have said as well), “I know I need to ______________ but I just don’t have the time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (NIV) So the real answer is not that we “don’t have time” for whatever. It is simply a matter of having spent the time on something else. If I do not have time to do something that I should be doing then I am spending my time on something I should not be doing. Let’s face it, we cannot do everything so we must determine what we SHOULD be doing and do it. Someone said, “Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.”
Time is like money in this sense. When you spend it, it’s gone. You only have what it may have purchased and that will either wear our or lose our interest. If you invest it you have the money invested plus what it will produce.
Time is however different than money in this sense. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time. When it is passed it is gone and can never be retrieved or replaced. As we begin this day we all have the same time to use, waste, or invest.
I find that it helps me immensely in the use of my time if I begin the day (the investment of my time) by giving the first part of the day to prayer and meditation on the things of God. Prayer, just spending time with God and listening to Him as He speaks by impressions to my heart or speaks to me through the Word, the Bible, or through others.
The way that I begin the day sets the tone and even the course for the rest of the day. So, those first few minutes are key to the rest of the day. How I invest them determines how productive I will be.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be a wise investor of time. Help me balance my life in work and worship, rest and play. I want the way I spend my time, my life to honor You and please You. Give me clear vision today to know what You want me to do. Give me great courage to do just that and avoid, say “NO,” to the time robbers. I have limited time and do not have time to mourn over lost time. Help me move on from here turning failures into lessons and do the very best that I can with Your divine help everyday. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Either you conquer your fears or your fears will conquer you. Either you overcome worry or worry will drain you of energy you need to live and serve. Either you will be in control of life or life will run you ragged. I see it often and you do too. People have that “opportunity of a lifetime.” This is their chance to make in life, to accomplish their dreams, to make their million, the chance to be in control of their life. Only to watch them become consumed by the new business venture or opportunity and see their “life” fade away into the oblivion of activity.
I often hear people say (and I have said as well), “I know I need to ______________ but I just don’t have the time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (NIV) So the real answer is not that we “don’t have time” for whatever. It is simply a matter of having spent the time on something else. If I do not have time to do something that I should be doing then I am spending my time on something I should not be doing. Let’s face it, we cannot do everything so we must determine what we SHOULD be doing and do it. Someone said, “Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.”
Time is like money in this sense. When you spend it, it’s gone. You only have what it may have purchased and that will either wear our or lose our interest. If you invest it you have the money invested plus what it will produce.
Time is however different than money in this sense. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time. When it is passed it is gone and can never be retrieved or replaced. As we begin this day we all have the same time to use, waste, or invest.
I find that it helps me immensely in the use of my time if I begin the day (the investment of my time) by giving the first part of the day to prayer and meditation on the things of God. Prayer, just spending time with God and listening to Him as He speaks by impressions to my heart or speaks to me through the Word, the Bible, or through others.
The way that I begin the day sets the tone and even the course for the rest of the day. So, those first few minutes are key to the rest of the day. How I invest them determines how productive I will be.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be a wise investor of time. Help me balance my life in work and worship, rest and play. I want the way I spend my time, my life to honor You and please You. Give me clear vision today to know what You want me to do. Give me great courage to do just that and avoid, say “NO,” to the time robbers. I have limited time and do not have time to mourn over lost time. Help me move on from here turning failures into lessons and do the very best that I can with Your divine help everyday. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Monday, March 5, 2007
Life and Risks
The message I shared at LIFEchurch yesterday was about Facing Your Fears. Then this morning I picked up my devotional by Max Lucado read the following:
“Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them.” Luke 17:33
“There is a rawness and wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don’t listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won’t feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it’s to live.
“Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe...
“Or you can hear the voice of adventure–God’s adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God’s impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn’t safe, but what it?” — Max Lucado in “He Still Moves Stones”
I don’t believe in “coincidence.” Thanks, Max, for the confirmation of the message. Life is about risks. The level of risk changes from day to day, decision to decision, but they are all about taking risks. To do that you have to stare down your fears.
Remember, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
What is God challenging you to do? Go for it! You can trust Him!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to live my life to the fullest in You. Help me today to conquer the fear that keeps me from taking the steps necessary to experience that full life. I give up my fears for Your dreams, Your plans, Your opportunities for my life today. Thank You for giving Your life so I can have this life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
“Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them.” Luke 17:33
“There is a rawness and wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don’t listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won’t feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it’s to live.
“Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe...
“Or you can hear the voice of adventure–God’s adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God’s impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn’t safe, but what it?” — Max Lucado in “He Still Moves Stones”
I don’t believe in “coincidence.” Thanks, Max, for the confirmation of the message. Life is about risks. The level of risk changes from day to day, decision to decision, but they are all about taking risks. To do that you have to stare down your fears.
Remember, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
What is God challenging you to do? Go for it! You can trust Him!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to live my life to the fullest in You. Help me today to conquer the fear that keeps me from taking the steps necessary to experience that full life. I give up my fears for Your dreams, Your plans, Your opportunities for my life today. Thank You for giving Your life so I can have this life. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
Friday, March 2, 2007
Transformation through Tribulation
“Lincoln wrote the greatest speech ever delivered in the English language, on the back of an envelope, a few moments before it was delivered, yet the thought back of that speech was borne of hardship and struggle.
“All down the road of life you will meet with obstacles, many of them. Failure will overtake you time after time, but remember that it is a part of Nature’’s method to place obstacles and failure in your way.
“Every time you master failure you become stronger and better prepared to meet the next one. The moments of trial will come to you as they come to all at one time or another. Doubt and lack of faith in yourself will cast their dark shadows over you, but remember that the manner in which you react under these trying negatives will indicate whether you are developing power or slipping backward.
“And this, too, will soon pass away.” Nothing is permanent, therefore why permit disappointment, resentment, or a keen sense of injustice to undermine your composure, because they will soon eliminate themselves.
“Look back over your past and you will see that those experiences of yesterday which bore heavily on your heart at the time, and seemed to end all hope of success, passed away and left you wiser than you were before.
“The whole universe is in a constant state of flux. You are in a constant state of change. Evolution is removing the wounds left in your heart by disappointment. You need not go down under any difficulty if you but bear in mind that ‘this, too, will soon pass away.’
“I looked back at my heavy load of grief and worry which crowded the happiness out of
my heart only yesterday, and lo! they had been transformed into stepping stones of
experience over which I had climbed higher and higher.”
Source: Napoleon Hill’’s Magazine. September, 1921. Volume 1, number 5, page 9.
In Genesis, in the Bible, there is an intriguing story of a man named Jacob. He was at a moment in his life when everything he had ever faced was suddenly coming down upon him. He was about to face an angry brother that might well want to kill him. At this moment he cries out to God for help. In his praying the Bible says that he literally wrestled with “a man.” Some believe it to be an angel, some believe it was the pre-incarnate presence of Jesus. Nevertheless, Jacob knew this was a supernatural moment and he refused to give up. Read what the Bible says in Genesis 32:24-28 (NIV),
“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’
“But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’
“The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’
“‘Jacob,’ he answered.
“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.’"
The real significance of this struggle can be missed here if we are not careful. This was more than a name change. It represented a transformation of a life. “Jacob” means deceiver or supplanter. “Israel” means literally “a prince with God.” Jacob had been a deceiver in his life, but he had come to the end of himself till now all the struggles, all the pain, all the disappointments had evolved in his life to this moment that he becomes “a prince with God.”
All of this to say that God wants to take the whole of your life... your failures and successes, your pain and problems, your disasters and disappointments, whatever you have experienced in life and use it to transform your life and character into something great and powerful. Don’t give up. Don’t let go. The key to Jacob’s victory was that he “struggled and prevailed.” Too many just struggle and give up too soon. Prevail!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I do not ask to be delivered from my challenge. I only ask for the strength and courage to struggle and prevail. That is my prayer today. AMEN
“All down the road of life you will meet with obstacles, many of them. Failure will overtake you time after time, but remember that it is a part of Nature’’s method to place obstacles and failure in your way.
“Every time you master failure you become stronger and better prepared to meet the next one. The moments of trial will come to you as they come to all at one time or another. Doubt and lack of faith in yourself will cast their dark shadows over you, but remember that the manner in which you react under these trying negatives will indicate whether you are developing power or slipping backward.
“And this, too, will soon pass away.” Nothing is permanent, therefore why permit disappointment, resentment, or a keen sense of injustice to undermine your composure, because they will soon eliminate themselves.
“Look back over your past and you will see that those experiences of yesterday which bore heavily on your heart at the time, and seemed to end all hope of success, passed away and left you wiser than you were before.
“The whole universe is in a constant state of flux. You are in a constant state of change. Evolution is removing the wounds left in your heart by disappointment. You need not go down under any difficulty if you but bear in mind that ‘this, too, will soon pass away.’
“I looked back at my heavy load of grief and worry which crowded the happiness out of
my heart only yesterday, and lo! they had been transformed into stepping stones of
experience over which I had climbed higher and higher.”
Source: Napoleon Hill’’s Magazine. September, 1921. Volume 1, number 5, page 9.
In Genesis, in the Bible, there is an intriguing story of a man named Jacob. He was at a moment in his life when everything he had ever faced was suddenly coming down upon him. He was about to face an angry brother that might well want to kill him. At this moment he cries out to God for help. In his praying the Bible says that he literally wrestled with “a man.” Some believe it to be an angel, some believe it was the pre-incarnate presence of Jesus. Nevertheless, Jacob knew this was a supernatural moment and he refused to give up. Read what the Bible says in Genesis 32:24-28 (NIV),
“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’
“But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’
“The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’
“‘Jacob,’ he answered.
“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.’"
The real significance of this struggle can be missed here if we are not careful. This was more than a name change. It represented a transformation of a life. “Jacob” means deceiver or supplanter. “Israel” means literally “a prince with God.” Jacob had been a deceiver in his life, but he had come to the end of himself till now all the struggles, all the pain, all the disappointments had evolved in his life to this moment that he becomes “a prince with God.”
All of this to say that God wants to take the whole of your life... your failures and successes, your pain and problems, your disasters and disappointments, whatever you have experienced in life and use it to transform your life and character into something great and powerful. Don’t give up. Don’t let go. The key to Jacob’s victory was that he “struggled and prevailed.” Too many just struggle and give up too soon. Prevail!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I do not ask to be delivered from my challenge. I only ask for the strength and courage to struggle and prevail. That is my prayer today. AMEN
Thursday, March 1, 2007
What's Your Spin?
In our world today we use the word “spin” when we talk about the news and how a particular person, network, newspaper, or reporter presents a new item. Seldom does anyone just report the news as a true journalist, but they must spin it to fit their personal bias or philosophy. Because each of us has a personal value set it is difficult if not impossible to hide that in whatever we do. I am not sure if the following story is true or not, but it does illustrate my point.
An amateur genealogical researcher discovered that his great-great uncle, Remus Starr, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription:
"Remus Starr; horse thief; sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887; robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives. Convicted and hanged 1889."
In a Family History subsequently written by the researcher, Remus's picture is cropped so that all that's seen is a head shot. The accompanying biographical sketch is as follows:
"Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include the acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."
We do this with the Bible if we are not careful. We do have to take the Scripture and apply it to our world and our culture. But the message is the same, the laws and principles of life are still the same for us here and now as it was to them then and there. We like to take the fun, positive, enjoyable parts of the Bible and ignore others or try to explain them away. For example, Romans 6:23 tell us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV) We have no difficulty talking about eternal life, heaven, mansions, streets of gold, etc., but seldom do we address the fact (and it is a fact) that there is eternal punishment for those who do not accept this “gift of God” but live in sin and selfishness to end of their lives. Heaven is a real place, and Hell is a real place. Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (NIV) Revelation 21 gives a beautiful description of heaven and then, a graphic description of hell. Both are God’s word and equally true.
The promises of God’s word are true (when they were written and today). He has not changed. I often hear people say, “That was for them. That doesn’t apply to us today.” How confusing is that! Who determines what God meant for them only and what did He desire for all of us through all generations. My God does not cause confusion. On the contrary He makes everything so simple a child can understand it. He declared in Isaiah 53, “By his stripes we are healed.” That is a promise still valid for us today. God did not put a time line on the promise. Neither did He it to “spiritual” healing. In fact, Peter quoted that Scripture in 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (NIV) Peter considered it a work that was done then when Jesus suffered and died for us.
My point today is, Don’t try to “spin” the Scripture. Just read it, believe it, and apply it to your life. His promises, His word, His principles, all of them, are still true today. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken BY US to the glory of God. (Emphasis mine) (NIV) God is simply saying that His position on the promises made has not changed. The only missing ingredient is our “Amen” of agreement and submission to Him. Put your “AMEN” to his Word today and live it, experience it!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I reaffirm my faith in Your Word today. I believe as I used to sing as a child, “Every promise in the book is mine, Every chapter, every verse, every line...” Help me to live my life by Your Word and in Your Word. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
An amateur genealogical researcher discovered that his great-great uncle, Remus Starr, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription:
"Remus Starr; horse thief; sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887; robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives. Convicted and hanged 1889."
In a Family History subsequently written by the researcher, Remus's picture is cropped so that all that's seen is a head shot. The accompanying biographical sketch is as follows:
"Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include the acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."
We do this with the Bible if we are not careful. We do have to take the Scripture and apply it to our world and our culture. But the message is the same, the laws and principles of life are still the same for us here and now as it was to them then and there. We like to take the fun, positive, enjoyable parts of the Bible and ignore others or try to explain them away. For example, Romans 6:23 tell us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV) We have no difficulty talking about eternal life, heaven, mansions, streets of gold, etc., but seldom do we address the fact (and it is a fact) that there is eternal punishment for those who do not accept this “gift of God” but live in sin and selfishness to end of their lives. Heaven is a real place, and Hell is a real place. Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (NIV) Revelation 21 gives a beautiful description of heaven and then, a graphic description of hell. Both are God’s word and equally true.
The promises of God’s word are true (when they were written and today). He has not changed. I often hear people say, “That was for them. That doesn’t apply to us today.” How confusing is that! Who determines what God meant for them only and what did He desire for all of us through all generations. My God does not cause confusion. On the contrary He makes everything so simple a child can understand it. He declared in Isaiah 53, “By his stripes we are healed.” That is a promise still valid for us today. God did not put a time line on the promise. Neither did He it to “spiritual” healing. In fact, Peter quoted that Scripture in 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (NIV) Peter considered it a work that was done then when Jesus suffered and died for us.
My point today is, Don’t try to “spin” the Scripture. Just read it, believe it, and apply it to your life. His promises, His word, His principles, all of them, are still true today. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken BY US to the glory of God. (Emphasis mine) (NIV) God is simply saying that His position on the promises made has not changed. The only missing ingredient is our “Amen” of agreement and submission to Him. Put your “AMEN” to his Word today and live it, experience it!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I reaffirm my faith in Your Word today. I believe as I used to sing as a child, “Every promise in the book is mine, Every chapter, every verse, every line...” Help me to live my life by Your Word and in Your Word. AMEN.
Blessings!
Pastor Roger
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