Division within the Church…

From the Inspirational Study Bible

How many pulpit hours have been wasted on preaching the trivial? How many churches have tumbled at the throes of miniscuity? How many leaders have saddled their pet peeves, drawn their swords of bitterness and launched into battle against brethren over issues that are not worthy discussing?

So close to the cross but so far from the Christ.

We specialize in “I am right” rallies. We write books about what the other does wrong. We major in finding gossip and become experts in unveiling weakness. We split into little huddles and then, God forbid, we split again…

Are our differences that divisive? Are our opinions that obtrusive? Are our walls that wide? Is it that impossible to find a common cause?

“May they all be one,” Jesus prayed.

One. Not one in groups of two thousand. But one in One. One church. One faith. One Lord. Not Baptist, not Methodist, not Adventist. Just Christian. No denominations. No hierarchies. No traditions. Just Christ.

Too idealistic? Impossible to achieve? I don’t think so. Harder things have been done, you know. For example, once upon a tree, a Creator gave his life for his creation. Maybe all we need are a few hearts that are willing to follow suit.

(From No Wonder They Call Him Savior by Max Lucado)

Max Lucado then asks these questions:

What differences divide believers today?

What issues do you think Christians should not fight over? What issues are worth discussing?

What can we do to build a sense of unity in the church?

Why is a lack of unity harmful to the church?

How can believers remain unified when disagreements arise?

How can you help your Christian brothers and sisters focus on the common ground you share?

Vision of Two Women

I asked the Lord to give me some inspiration yesterday morning. I sat on my bed and opened my bible and began to read Daniel.

We are covering Daniel during our devotion time for the boy's youth program at church. When I was done reading I closed my eyes to relax and reflect but I must have gotten too relaxed because I must of dozed off when I saw this vision.

Vision of two women.
I saw a woman come into a house where another woman was. They were both wearing something that looked like togas. The woman who came into the house carried long silver like rods that were at least 7 or 8 feet long.

The two women went into a white room where the windows were covered but still let the natural light come in from the outside. The room had no pictures and was empty of furniture.

There the two women began to start their work, working on the rods and I got the distinct impression they were making a basket out of the long silver rods.

Then I opened my eyes and as I started to look for answers, I first thought of Moses in the basket but then I was reminded by the Spirit of the story in Zechariah 5

I would have just shared this vision with the church I attend and not shared it with my fellow Christians but I believe we all need to be aware of what is being prepared and what is happening.

Zechariah 5
Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, "Look up! Something is appearing in the sky."
"What is it?" I asked.
He replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain, and it is filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land."
When the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, there was a woman sitting inside it. The angel said, "This woman's name is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.
Then I looked up and saw two women flying towards us, with wings gliding on the wind. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew with it into the sky.
"Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel.
He replied, "To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on it's pedestal."

The Line to Cross

Our love for God has to be stronger then the dark forces that come against us. The vitality of Christ must always be the main focus in our lives. The more we walk in faith the more and greater the dependence upon God. Life is delicate, fragile and precious and it can only be satisfied and accomplished fully when guided and lived with God.

These are all great truths but I forget sometimes what it must be like for a person who doesn’t know God or doesn’t have a relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ.

The questions that must come in the quiet moments in that person’s life as they sit on a picnic table watching the waves roll in on the shore: What is my purpose? How can I get past this pain? Who is right and who is wrong when it comes to certain religions or should I just take a little of everything to make sure I am covered when I die?

The truth of a Christian life sounds foolish to a person who doesn’t know Christ Jesus but we as Christians know it often takes a lot of discipline to remain foolish in the eyes of others. We also know that our foolishness has paid off many times and has strengthened us in difficult times. Our lives speak to unbelievers or those on the fence. We don’t do the same things we used to do. The way we live out our lives is just “different”. People can see it in our eyes and faces and it is undeniable the joy we have when speaking about our God and our Jesus Christ.

We forget that the unbeliever and/or fence walker is still comparing themselves to the world and each other? We forget that they are still looking for something that is sufficient to take away the emptiness, loneliness, hurt, anger, depression and anxiety. We forget that they still look at Christianity as just another religion. We forget that they have a salad bar God, chosen and picked out to their likening.

And then we also wonder why they still look to a pastor or reverend to give their loved one a proper burial when they don’t seem to believe in God?

The point is they do believe in God. The point is they are looking for answers. The point is they are comparing themselves? The point is they can see a difference in a person with Christian values verses someone who doesn’t have Christian values. The point is they are looking for something to fulfill them and give them a real purpose in life.

The only thing is they need that line to cross. Where is that line?

We all remember that line. The day we gave our lives to Christ. Some of us crossed that line through hardship and difficult circumstances. Some of us just knew that it was the time to give our lives to Christ. Some of us found the end of ourselves and were fortunate to find Christ waiting there for us. In all instances Christ was that line. He was the one who we found as sufficient. He was the one who opened our eyes to a life that we were blind to before. He was the one we compared our lives to and found that we needed Him as Lord and Savior everyday of our lives. He was the one who gave us purpose and the love to reach out, a love that is beyond our understanding or ability. He is that truth and that fulfillment in life and through all good things grow, mature and last. He is the only one can provide you eternal life in Heaven instead of hell.

Jesus Christ is that line.

RECALL NOTICE -

The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Subsequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as SIN,
as it is primarily expressed.

Some other symptoms include:

1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this SIN defect.
The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs.
There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is
P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload
your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure.

Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) , for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will need to be scrapped
into the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.

Thank you for your attention!

Signed,
GOD

Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by "kneemail."

"For with God, nothing shall be impossible"
Luke 1:37
"Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goal".

Author of illustration (unknown)

Godly Jealousy

A great message by Michael Youssef:

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/leading_the_way/20080508/

Chasing the Wind

I recently read a blog that talks about when our faith is being challenged and it used the illustration by Jesus from Matthew 7:24-37.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”

I agree that if you build on any other foundation other then Jesus Christ your faith will crumble and crash to the ground in the storms and squalls of life but our faith should not just be a single sided matter of concern. Our faith should be partnership between Christ and us.

The foundation of our faith was not just given and chosen for us so we could build whatever we want to build on it. The foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ is given to us so we can accomplish all that God has planned for us.

Yes God has given us many desires, abilities and giftings but not used, constructed and mended together properly with the help of God they will all fall apart. And when it comes crashing to the ground you won’t just be scratching your head telling yourself that was a waste of time but you will be running to Jesus in agony, hurt and despair. There are many people in this world who don’t know God yet have been gifted with things God has given them and they build on foundation which is not Christ and they wonder why everything they do does not fulfill them. Some have just accepted these unsuccessful happenings or ventures as just a part of life but for you the believer in Christ Jesus it does not need to be that way!

(Ecclesiastes 2:11) says “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”

You don’t need to be left chasing the wind.

You see chasing the wind comes from human thinking and understanding and having no intervention or guidance from God.

Imagine if you will, God wants to build you a beautiful Arts and Craftsman home on the foundation (Jesus Christ) he has poured for you but you want to settle for a single -wide mobile home to park on it. You want to be settled and done. You don’t want to have to go through a lengthy construction process and struggles and costs that build a house. Nothing is wrong with a single -wide mobile home except if your spiritual home is built like a mobile home you might have some real problems when the real storms come and you may faultier and even fall away from your faith and Salvation in Jesus Christ.

Single-wide mobile home mentality is: It is a person who has at one time in their life "given" their life to Christ but has gone no further in their partnership with the Godhead (Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.). It is being selfish and single-minded. Obviously I am not talking about baby Christians here, I am talking about someone who's relationship with God is a one time act of surrender to the Lord and they have gone no further in their Christian walk. They don't study the word of God. They don't do anything to help their fellow man experience the love of Jesus Christ, and there is little difference between them and an unsaved person lost in this world except they may come to church on an occasion. Theses individuals biblical beliefs are weak at best. When faced with a challenge in their life, they immediately take the human route of understanding instead of the higher route which is to holdfast and trust in God. You say, Jeff, that sounds judgmental? I don't mean to sound judgmental. My objective is to show you, it is better have a relationship and partnership with God then a silent one and be lost. My concern for these individuals is if their is no inward or outward change than I wonder if they are saved or have fallen away to the allures and beliefs of this world. If so their souls are endanger.

The blueprints and building materials God has for you in life add more beauty and fulfillment then you and I can possibly imagine and they don’t include wheels and a hitch. They are permanent and long lasting. That mobile home of faith doesn’t have chance when the storms come to challenge and test your faith.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have-Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.”

God wants to help you construct that beautiful house of faith in your life that will withstand the storms, squalls, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and that fire on judgment day but in order for that to happen you have to make Jesus Christ the contractor of your life. You have got to stop your human thinking and reasoning and seek a heart of God.

1 Corinthians 3:17-20 “…For God's temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple. Stop fooling yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you will have to become a fool so you can become wise by God's standards. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "God catches those who think they are wise in their own cleverness." And again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are worthless."

Now the dangers of building by yourself: There have been times in my Christian walk where I thought I was doing God a favor by doing works and service by my own will power but all I did was slip into human thinking and understanding. My human thinking and understanding left me empty, tried, frustrated and worn out. And in the end I saw no point or meaning. It was fruitless and it got me in trouble with God.

It is a terrible thing to find out your efforts have been in vain…

It is probably just as bad as taking too many steps. You feel prompted to act in a situation and so you move in what you "think" God wants you to do but find out instead of taking just that one step God wanted you to take, you took five additional steps... and that is when you usually find yourself over your head in a mess that only God can straighten out.

And it’s hundred times worse when it’s not just yourself who are involved but others as well. You are left feeling like the only thing you can do then is apologetically, humbly; regrettably and even mournfully bow out of the situation.

Another danger of building by yourself is recorded in Matthew 7:21-23

“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.”

Meaning and purpose is useless without God. Just knowing the content about something is very different then living in the content of something. This is the same with God. We may know a lot of content in God’s word but it is very different when living out God’s word. All knowledge of content of God’s word (without God) is useless but knowing God’s word in hand with God is priceless.

Christ maintains and builds his church via the Holy Spirit. He is the foundation and with CAREFUL instruction from the Holy Spirit a person’s faith can be built to withstand all the trials this life has to bring. A peer faith is what God desires but a faith built by our understandings not Godly understandings is hard build on.

Guidance from the Holy Spirit is the assurance we won’t be left chasing the wind or find ourselves doing things unauthorized by God (Matthew 7:23).

Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me.” John 16:13-14

Every person who claims to be a Christian must look to God’s Holy Spirit for instruction in his or her lives.

The Holy Spirit gives us a spiritual birth. This spiritual birth helps us build upon God’s truths of Christ Jesus making them tangible for us not to just “know” but to put into practice in everyday life, everyday trial, everyday test, everyday challenge and everyday joy.

Yes the partnership with God brings fulfillment, Godly understanding, discernment and joy …so we don’t have to go chasing the wind. Ask God, "Lord am I truly living the life you want me to live?" Study the bible as you do this and ask God to build your assurance in Jesus Christ.

You will certainly be brought into challenges but challenges are good for us. They are faith boosters.

Rom 5:3	We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure.
Rom 5:4	And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.
Rom 5:5	And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

God won't give you anymore then you can handle and He will slowly build you a strong house of faith as you trust and follow in the Lord Jesus Christ. The storms will come but keep your eyes on God and see what He does. Others may even ask you how you can stand so strong and you can answer, "Because of all that the Lord has done and has continued to bring me through."

1Peter 1:7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

May God bless you in all of His truth!

Taken to Heart

Condemnation, fear, accusation, negative sentiment that isn’t from God but is taken to heart can really hurt you. It can strip you of your peace and make you feel physically burdened. Lord Jesus guard our hearts and minds, and restore those who have been hurt by things that aren’t true and aren’t from you. And we thank you in Jesus name. Amen.

Colossians 3:15-17
“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful heart. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

Max Lucado's Fear LESS Part 1 (Video)
http://maxlucado.com/fearless/message01.html

Max Lucado's Fear LESS Part 2 (Video)
http://maxlucado.com/fearless/message02.html