Fighting for the Faith

For the last few days we have been focusing on faith. The Bible says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen." The Bible says that "without faith, it is impossible to please God." Faith is the rock Jesus spoke of when He said, "upon this rock will I build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail." I John 5:4 says, "and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Faith is important. I want to continue the thought on faith again today by declaring to you that it is time for us to fight for the faith.
The Book of Jude tells us that there are those who have come into the church that are out to destroy or change the faith that we have. We must notice that times have changed. As we enter the holiday season, many of us will notice the change in the approach that stores take to Christmas. Instead of wishing you a "merry Christmas", you will get "happy holidays" or "merry x-mas." The thought that we need to be more socially acceptable has not only entered commercialism, but also the church. Gone are the days of singing "There is Power in the Blood" or preaching of the crucifixion of Christ. We are now hearing songs and sermons that do not challenge us to give up our sinful ways, but rather encourage us to just be happy and enjoy life. It is time to fight for the faith. Jude says that we as Christians must "remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul declared to the Corinthian church that he would not preach anything to them but "Christ and Him crucified." When we change the message, we change the outcome. If we are going to overcome this present age, then we need the blood of Jesus. If we are going to combat the forces of darkness and push back the Devil, then we need to be armed with the Word of God and be full of the Holy Ghost. I urge you today as Jude did so many years ago, "contend for the faith." God bless

Which One Are You?

I have been reading the epistles of John this week and as I read 3rd John this morning I came across something very powerful that goes with our blog theme this week. In 3rd John, the Apostle John is writing to a friend by the name of Gaius. In his letter he tells Gaius how proud he is of his efforts to minister to those of the faith and to be of service to them. He informs Gaius that because of his efforts to show hopitality to all, his faith has been made visible. Then he writes concerning a man named Diotrephes who is doing the total opposite of Gaius. Instead of recieving others and showing them hospitality, he has turned people out and has even hindered others in the church from helping those in need. This man, Diotrephes, had a control problem and always had to have his way. He claimed faith, but his life showed something else. You see, faith does not seek to be served, faith seeks to serve. True faith is not about me, but about others and how I can show them Jesus. So, who are you? Are you like Gaius, the one who helps others without complaint? Or, are you like Diotrephes, who only looks out for himself? Let's chew on that a while and let the Holy Spirit help us today. God bless

Compartmentalized Faith

As we discussed yesterday, faith is have evidence. There should be something noticably different about someone with faith in Christ. I want to talk this morning about the danger of putting your faith in just a certain area of your life.
In a house there are different rooms. These rooms each serve a different purpose. The kitchen is for the preparing of meals. The living room is for the gathering of family and friends for relaxation and fellowship. The bedroom is for resting and sleep. We compartmentalize these rooms for these purposes. The problem is, we are doing this with our faith as well. In our lives, we are putting our hobbies in a certain place, our friends in a certain place, our spouse and kids, and so forth. Faith, however, is meant to spill over into every place of our life. The only way my family will benefit from my faith is if I allow faith into that place in my heart. The only way my friends, work, etc., will benefit is to allow my faith to impact those areas. Faith is not something to store away for a rainy day. It is meant to take over your whole life. Let faith out today and walk in it. God bless

The Evidence of Faith

How does the world know that you and I have faith in Christ? Are there noticable differences between us and those who do not profess Christ? You see, real faith produces fruit. The fruit is the evidence that a seed has been planted. The seed is the Word. Here is how it works: 1) a sower (Christ) plants a seed. 2) the ground (you) recieves the seed. 3) with good soil and good water supply, the seed begins to grow. 4) as the seed grows into a plant and the plant or tree matures it will begin to bear fruit.
This is how faith works. You recieve the Word into your heart and as it grows it will produce faith and the faith will produce the works. If you are truely in Christ, then there should be evidence. The evidence will be in the words that you use, in how you treat others, and in how you live out your life. So, I will ask again, "How does the world know that we are disciples of Christ?" If I use foul language when the Bible teaches us not to do so, how does that show my faith? If I engage in activities that are worldly, how does that show my faith? It is time to REALLY be disciples of Christ. This means that I am to come out of the worlds way of doing things and let Christ be LORD of my life. Its not my life to live anymore. I have surrendered it to Him. I am crucified with Christ and the life that I live, I live through faith in Him. Isn't that what Paul says to us. We are to be virtually dead. How would Jesus like to live through you today? Have you asked Him? Take a moment this morning and surrender this day to Him and let Him have control. God bless

Do Not be Afraid

As I sit at my computer this morning the words "do not be afraid" ring out in my Spirit. I feel like this if especially for someone today. In Psalms 3:6, David says "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about." David felt like the whole world was against him. He felt like his enemies out numbered him. He was in a place where fear was attempting to get a hold on him and shut him down. You see, that is how fear works. Its attempt is to stop you from being what God has said for you to be. It is meant to handicap and cripple you. Fear is of the Devil. It is part of his three-fold attack. To steal, kill, and destroy, he has to use fear. The Bible tells us that fear is not from God. He gives us peace, love, and a sound mind. I want you to know today that you do not have to be afraid right now. Whatever you are going through, God will bring you through. Psalms 3:8 says, "Salvation (deliverance) belongs to the Lord." Your deliverance is in God's hands today. Call on Him and He will ease your fears. God Bless

Where Do You Worship?

I am going to revisit yesterday's theme and take it a step further. We are to remember what God has done for us because that is our testimony, however God does not intend for us to live there and never experience anything else in Him. Today I want to look at John 4:19-24. The Bible gives account here of an interaction between Jesus and an unamed woman from Samaria. In these verses The woman ask's Jesus where is the correct location of worship. The Jews claimed that the proper place was in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and the Samaritans claimed it to be a mountain in Samaria. Jesus responds by saying, "true worshippers worship in Spirit and Truth." In other words it doesn't matter. Some of us say that we can only worship in certain environments or in certain situations. We can only worship at certain times and locations. This is false worship. The reason I say that is because the reason behind our worship is wrong. With that attitude we are making it about us and not about God!! True worship is not dependant upon a certain location, time, environment, etc. It is in Spirit and Truth. It is all about God and God is everywhere at all times. Worship is not about a particular time of the week. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is everything that I am supposed to do. Do not get stuck upon a traditional mountain today. Worship to God is meant to be FREE. It is to be spontaneous and powerful. Do not allow it to be in a box. The Jews and Samaritans would not worship anywhere but in their traditional places and it caused them to miss a move of God. The same is true for us today. When we limit our opportunities to worship WE miss out. Don't get stuck on the mountain of music, the mountain of preaching, or the mountain of attire. Come down from those places and worship God in Spirit and Truth. God bless

Moving On

Do not get caught up in the past!!! Yesterday we talked about the importance of building memorials around your monumental moments. It is important that we remember what God has done for us and in us. However, God does not intend for us to live there. In the book of Joshua, after they build the memorials they continue to move forward. Too many of us are still hanging around the memory of what God did back then. We still focus on the "I remember whens." In doing this we miss so much more that God has to offer. I feel the Holy Spirit challenging us to "move on" today. To pick up and get back on the road. I am thankful for what God has done, but I am anticipating Him to continue moving in my life.
Sometimes we are religious and don't even realize it. We, like Peter at the Mountain of Transfiguration, will see God do a work and then decide that that is where we need to pitch our tents and stay. That was not God's intention then and it certainly is not now. We get stuck in a certain form of worship and a certain form of singing or preaching, and we miss a whole other side of God. Some of us have been worshipping to the same tunes forever. We never branch out to something new and fresh that will challenge us and our faith. We have so memorized the songs that we can sing them without true worship even coming forth. The Bible says to sing a new song unto God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever branched out beyond your comfort zone? I am amazed at how many "Christians" I hear make statements about how they can't worship to this or to that. That's insane!!!!! Do you realize that God does not have a favorite style of music?! Do you realize that God does not have a favorite style of suit? Do you realize that God does not have a favorite style of preaching? What God desires are those things that will point to Him. If the Spirit of God is in it then go for it. Don't limit your worship to God. I challenge you to branch out today. Those of you who just love Southern Gospel, and by the way so do I, branch out today and worship to a different style. Those of you who love Hillsong or some other style, go back and worship to some of the old hymns today. Don't get boxed in. Mix it up. Catch the Devil off guard today and give God a "sacrifice of praise." God bless