Again Jesus



On Monday night, our “The Truth Project” group talked about the State. After watching the video clip, we discussed the health of the U.S. and the concerns we have on how the country is changing. I’ve been thinking about this and I must admit, I have not been praying for our country or the leadership. I have confessed this sin to God (He calls us to pray for our leadership). I’m praying that God leads our leadership (Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”) the way He wants them to go. If you allow yourself to think about what’s on the news everyday, it can make you depressed.

Evil in the U.S. is increasing on a daily basis. Murder, rape and child abuse are flooding America. Children are destroying schools and killing their fellow students. Terrorism has finally entered The United States of America. We watch the news; the anchors will gladly interview the Democrats and Republicans to find out the answer on how to solve these issues. The Liberals and Conservatives, and the racial and gender activists talk as though they know how to fix these problems. According to them, we need more sex education or less sex education, more sex or less sex, bigger government or smaller government, more restrictive laws or more lenient laws, and on and on. They tell us that if we just raise or lower the taxes, and build more prisons or release more prisoners, that America will just fine. We need more freedom, or we need to sacrifice some of our liberties. They all think that they know the answer, but they obviously can't all be right. The fact is that none of them are correct.

Unless, the Christ-followers do what we are told to do and pray for our country, we have nothing to complain about. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 (“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”), we are called to humble ourselves and lay aside politics (I heard it said best by Billy Graham that God isn’t for the left wing or the right wing; He’s for the whole bird.) and ask God to heal our country. We haven’t had a revival in our country in a very long time. After September 11, 2001, people went to church in large numbers but with in a few months everything was back to the norm. We need a revival in our country.

I heard it best said that the word “Revival” means “Again Jesus.” Our churches need Jesus again. We don’t need programs or campaigns to get people to come to our church. Church attendance means nothing if the people coming aren’t saved. We need our hearts broken for the lost around us; until we (as Christ-followers) have revival in our own hearts, how can we expect revival to happen in America. We need to get on our faces before God, and confess our sins and ask for God to break our hearts for our lost family members, neighbors, co-workers, and our communities.

Until we Christ-followers have broken and changed hearts, our country is doomed to go the way of the Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Great Britain, and other countries that God has put to the side by either destroying them completely or removing their power. Until we have Jesus Again in our churches, we can not do anything of good for our country. Pray that God breaks your heart.

Not My Eyes



I had a strange encounter on Friday in the gym’s locker room. A co-worker who goes to the gym at lunch like me made a comment about the lady who was working out in the free weight area with us on Thursday. He said that he was hoping she was back. I made a comment that I was doing stationary bike and would not be in the free weight area. He told me that I should change it up if she’s in there. I told him that the woman actually got on my nerves because before every set her trainer had her do, she would complain. Yes, she was easy on the eyes but I tried to not look (or stare) at her like this co-worker. My co-worker looked kind of perplexed because of my attitude. I told him that when I got married, I made a vow to respect my wife so I try not to look at other women even though I am not prefect I try not to stare at the women who work out with us. I could tell that this was an alien idea to him.

Jesus made it clear that if a man looks at a woman and lusts after her, he has sinned. In the eyes of God, if you daydream about having sex with a hot young thing you see in the gym; in the eyes of God you committed sexual sin. If I had stared at this woman yesterday and daydreamed about doing things with her, in the eyes of God I would be guilty of adultery. As a child of God (because of the blood of Christ) my eyes are not my own. My eyes belong to Him who owns me lock, stock, and barrel. Jesus paid for my sin debt and now I belong to Him. Just as I told my co-worker, I’m not prefect but I try to avoid staring and when temptation is there I ask God for help. Paul told Timothy to run away from youthful lusts and so I do. As in the movie “Monty Python Holy Grail” I yell in my mind, “Run Away! Run Away!”

I learned a song as a child that seems it up: “Oh be careful little eyes what you see. Oh be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.” God is everywhere and all knowing. He knows what can trap us and He always makes a way to escape temptation. If I couldn’t control myself yesterday and not look at the woman working out, I would have left the gym without lifting a single weight. I would rather go a day with out exercise than sin in the eyes of my Father.

Married dudes; you made a commitment to your wives. Be careful where you allow your eyes to wonder and where your figures to click on the internet. You lust after other women and fantasize enough and you may just fall to sexual sin. A thought can turn into action. Don’t even give Satan a toe hold or he will push his whole foot in. Just close your eyes.

The Wisdom Book



I make it a practice to read through the book of Proverbs once a year (sometimes twice). When I was 14 years old, I was encouraged to read the Bible by my pastor. When I got to Kings and read about Solomon and his God given wisdom, I asked God for wisdom. You see, I grew up with a reading disability. I was placed in a special school from grades 3 through 6. When I was put back into “regular school,” I was placed in the special needs (used to be called Special Ed) classes. Through God’s working, I was removed and place into the regular classes and made good grades. I even was given an award for a 4.0 average in Earth Science. Since I went through all that, I know whatever ability I have to learn is God given. I hold fast to this fact, and give God the glory for all my successes.

Proverbs has taught me a lot from my first readings of it. Reading Proverbs 16:32 (He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty) has shown me how to relate to people. If a person is upset, they lash out at the nearest person. If you do not reply back, they are stopped in their place. Answering kindness for rudeness or cruelty will be much more a punishment for the attacker because they feel foolish.

I’ve shared this with people when I can. One of our members shared with me that God brought this to his mind when a former high school classmate put a stupid comment about church on his FaceBook wall. He wanted to reply back quickly but remembered what I shared about the lessons learned from Proverbs in my last sermon. He waited and replied after asking God how he should respond.

James 1:5 is my life verse; “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” I am a witness of this verse being true. God is so faithful to His children. He will give us what we ask for. If you need wisdom and/or help with getting knowledge, ask and He will give it to you.

Memories



The last few days, the past have come to my mind. Through Facebook, I've reconnected with people I've thought of but not talked with in 10 years. Today, a young couple who were in our youth group in the late 1990's got married. Today was the first time in 6 months I've been back to the old church. I saw people I haven't seen in awhile. I talked with several old friends. It was a good time.

I have a lot of memories at the church where the wedding was held. I took a few minutes to myself and walked around. There were some changes but the memories are still there. I pray that God will give me more years to create more memories I can give back to Him. For His glory.

Calloused People



For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Matthew 13:15 (NIV)

Johanna Spyri grew up in Christian home and was tutored by the village pastor. Sadly, as she approached adulthood, she pulled away from the faith of her family. She moved to Zurich and gradually grew more calloused about the faith she learned as a child. In the grip of depression, she returned to the Lord and recovered her mental and spiritual health. Johanna soon began to write about her native Alps, stories that express Christian truth. Her most famous book, Heidi, describes a calloused old man who hadn’t been to church in decades. Eventually the tender witness of his granddaughter, Heidi, softened his heart, and he returned to the Lord with childlike wonder.

It’s easy to become calloused toward God and His church and to pull away from the faith. This is sometimes because of painful events, sometimes because of neglect, sometimes because of a willful choice. This type of spiritual callousness keeps out Gods love. If you’ve grown calloused, ask God to soften your heart so you can feel His love and rediscover the wonder of His grace. Maybe you are burdened for someone who has become calloused toward God. Hang in there and continue, as Heidi did, to love this person and pray for them to return to God.