Handeling Our Enemies

Genesis 42:6-8

Imagine what it must have been like for Joseph to see his brothers for the first time since they sold him into slavery. All of the emotions and memories flooding back at one time. Have you, or do you have, someone in your life who has so terribly mistreated you that the very thought of them causes you to become sick to your stomach or overwhemingly angry. Joseph at this moment, because of the power he now has in Egypt, could have had all of them arrested and sentenced to death. He had the ability to repay them for all that they had before done to him. However, we find that revenge is not what God wants us to act on. Those who are really close to God's heart can't find it in them to make others "pay." They find a compassion within themselves that comes from the Holy Spirit.
The Bible tells us in I John 1:7 that we are to walk in the light as He is in the light. In other words, we are called to walk or live as Christ lived on earth. Jesus once told his disciples to love the one's who hated them and to pray for those who used them. What a concept! To actually treat someone who has done us so much wrong as if they had blessed us! Now realize, you or I either one can do this in our own selves. We need the Holy Spirit working in us to accomplish this. Philippians 2:13 says, "it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure." It is the Holy Spirit who must change the way we think and do things.
So, how did Joseph respond to seeing his brothers for the first time? The Bible says that he wept. After hiding his identity and putting them through a few things in order to get them to bring the whole family down to Egypt, he not only made sure that they were fed, but that they also had fields to raise their animals. He told them that he knew that they had meant evil for him, but that God had turned it out for good. He looked not at that one moment that caused his life to go on a downward spiral, but at the whole picture. The problem with most of us is that we tend to look at moments in our lives instead of the whole. God works in the whole. The Bible says that ALL things work out to the good. God takes all of the moments in our lives, both good and bad, and causes them to become a beautiful life. There are people in your life that you are avoiding because they have done you wrong. You do everything possible to forget that they exist, but Jesus came to rescue His enemies. We were at one time enemies to the love of God, but Jesus came while we were sinners, or enemies, to rescue us. Start praying for your enemies. Start looking for ways to reach out to them. Perhaps the Holy Spirit can use you to "feed" them the Bread of Life and see them give their hearts to the Lord.
Father God, I come to you this morning and I thank you for all of your blessings. I thank you that even though we could not get to church this morning, you have made ways for us to communicate and share the Word. I pray that you will help us to walk as you have walked. I pray that you will help us to deal with our enemies as you would and have. Give us the strength to be what you have called us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

Snow Day!

Actually it is an ice day mingled with a little bit of snow. Here in Rock Hill, SC we have actually gotten some winter weather. Now that most of us will be shut up in the house today, how will we spend it? Some of us will make soup and just lay aroung. Some of us will play games and watch movies, and a few may even get outside for a little while. All of those things are great, and I will probably do a little of all of them. However, I challenge you to use this "down" time as an opportunity to spend a little extra time with God. We have been given this blessed opportunity to slow down today and rest. God has given us the time to just relax today and unwind. Some of you have been praying for God to help you give Him more time in your day. Here is your chance. Take some time today to curl up with your Bible and pray. Meditate on what you read and let the Holy Spirit speak to you. Enjoy your day and God bless.

Leaders in Training

Yesterday I posted on what I call the "leadership issue." I know that I may have sounded frustrated, but really I'm not. I realize that at the core, we all want the same thing, and that is to be used by God. Some have been called and some have been called to follow. Today, I want to speak to those who are leaders in training. I feel like I most identify with this level. Because of my position as senior pastor, I am a leader. However, I know that I have not arrived yet and that there is much to be learned. When I read in Genesis the story of Joseph, several things come to mind that I want to share today. First, don't get ahead of yourself and tell everybody what you feel the Lord is going to do in your life. When Joseph acted like this it brought resentment upon him from his own family. The Bible tells us that when Mary heard different things about Jesus from the angels and the shepherds, that she kept them to herself. We don't always have to talk when the Lord does. Second, expect some of those close to you to turn their back. Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers. They did not understand the fathers favor on him and they were jealous. Sometimes when others in the church see God's favor on you it will cause them to become jealous and act out. Third, suffering comes before success. Before Joseph could fully step into his destiny he suffered. More lies were told on Joseph and he ended up in a prison cell. Yet no matter what happened to him and no matter how low life got, he kept his faith in God and what God had told him. Because of this, God's favor was with him in the well, as a slave, and in the prison. Suffering helps to build our faith and trust in the Lord and His promises. To all of you who are in this training mode, walk it out in faith and let the Lord be your Teacher. God bless

The Leadership Issue

I am a young guy by most standards. I am 30 years old and have been in ministry for 11 years now, 6 of those as senior pastor at Friendship Church of God. I have noticed a trend among guys my age in ministry. They don't like leadership. They seem to have a hard time with the "older" guys who lead our movements. They seem to always have a better model of ministry that they believe would work better, and in some cases it may. However, we must remember that the Bible teaches us that all authority is given and granted by God. I hear guys talk about how long some have served and that they need to get out of the way so someone else can take the position. What they really mean is "get out of my way!" They fail to realize that those who lead us have gone through the same process that some of us are now going through. They also fail to realize that just because "they" want to be in leadership, doesn't mean that God wants them too. I may sound like I'm on a soap box today, and maybe I am, but I believe that we should follow the model in the Bible of Elisha who patiently waited on Elijah and even when it was time for Elijah to leave and Elisha to take over, Elisha was broken hearted and did not want his mentor to go. He was known as the man who "watered the hands of Elijah." The disciples were trained by Jesus himself to do "greater works" than what He had done, but at the ascension of Christ they too were broken hearted at the departure of their leader. They loved their leadership and Christ exalted them for it. The way to the top is not to push someone else out of the way, but to humbly serve and respect. I say, sit at the feet of Jesus and let His will for you play out. But what do I know, right. Have a great day and God bless

Out of Joint

Have you ever had a bone get out of joint? I have. I have always loved playing basketball, and one of the most common injuries probably a jammed finger or getting something knocked out of place. Whenever you suffer from one of these injuries the pain can effect the whole body. I remember the first time I jammed my finger, I thought that I had broke it. The pain was horrible and it started swelling immediately. I thought about that this morning and how that when we get out of God's will for our lives it has the same result. Whenever we are outside of God's plan for us it causes us "pain" in all areas of our lives. We get totally uncomfortable and easily frustrated at everything. In so many words we become miserable. Perhaps that is what is wrong with some of us. We have been unhappy for a while and can't seem to figure it out. We have been frustrated and can't explain it. We are not happy in our relationship with God and don't know what to do about it. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13 that we are to examine ourselves and see where we are in the faith. We should examine our lives and give ourselves a spiritual "physical" to see what exactly is out of place. Get back in place today and watch the joy of the Lord fill your life. God bless.

Give It Your Best!

How much effort do you put into serving God? How much effort do you put into your job, or your marriage, etc? I went to watch my son play basketball this morning. He is on a 4 year old team that doesn't know all of the rules yet or how to really play the game. However, they knew enough to play and even made some baskets. During the game the coach served as the refs and gave constant instructions to the kids as they ran up and down the court. No matter whether they scored or turned the ball over, they were having fun. They were giving it their all. As I came home and began to think about the game, the Holy Spirit began to teach me. No matter how old we get, we are still learning. No matter how long we have been serving God, we are still learning. No matter how long we have been married, we are still learning. We never stop learning. To stop learning is to stop growing and caring. I did a funeral for a godly man this past week that was 91 years of age and he constantly told me he was still learning. As we go through life we have a coach/ref that is going up and down the court with us giving us instructions and keeping us in check as far as the rules go. He is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that He would not leave us alone, but would send the Holy Spirit to go with us in this life. That doesn't mean that I won't make mistakes as I go, but it does mean that when I do, He is there to help. This morning as the kids were playing, they sometimes dribbled the ball and sometimes they kicked it. Whatever they were doing they gave it there best effort. That is my word to you today. Go give God your best. Go give your marriage and your family your best. Go to work or school this week and give it your best. God bless

Making a Difference

How are we making a difference in the lives of those around us? In Matthew chapter 8, we find that everywhere Jesus went, He was make a huge difference. Not only were individual lives changed, but in one instance, a whole area was affected. As I read this, I began to think about how that is how we are to be as well. We are the ambassodors of Christ. We are His representitives here on earth. We are to be His hands and feet. Jesus still wants to reach the lost, feed the poor, heal the sick, cast out devils, and restore the broken hearted around us. Every where we go, there are hurting people. There are those who really need to know that Jesus can do for them what He did for those in the Bible. He has not changed. However, He is looking for those who will allow Him to work through them. Do we have the kind of sold out relationship with Christ that will allow Him to use us as He wants too? Do we have the faith to follow Him anywhere to do His work? Do we think of others before we think of ourselves? As you go through this day, ponder those questions and let us start making a difference for Him. God bless