It's a New Day

Here we are at the close of another year with so many things which have happened. I'm sure we all can go over a laundry list of the highs and the lows. Some really fond memories, and others which we would gladly lay to rest, never to remember. Regardless of what your year has been like, the truth of who our Father in Heaven is, remains unchanged. His mercy, grace, faithfulness, power, love, kindness, and the fullness of His character continues without ceasing year after year, generation after generation. Realizing this, what we ought to strive for as we close the chapter of one year to begin yet another is to walk faithful as our Father does each day.

If this year has been great as far as personal goals and accomplishment or whether you fell short in these areas, your main goal should still be to emulate the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. The writer of Hebrews encourages us in chapter 4 that 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts' (Heb. 4:7; Psalm 95:7-8 - NKJV). There is a fresh opportunity each day to either continue in faithfulness or repent and get on the road of faithfulness. Yahweh our God is the epitome of a Father, in that He desires what is best for us and will provide us with every resource we need to succeed in His plan (not our plan). In Him we live and move and have our being and His divine nature has already been deposited in us by the Holy Spirit (Acts 17:28-29 - NKJV). Considering this, let's embrace the ability that God has given us to become more and more like Him in all we do. Don't limit yourself to the calendar year as a new beginning in these things, but realize that each day the mercy and grace of God is new. Remember the word declares 'now is the day of salvation' (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Everyday is a new and fresh opportunity to walk in the fullness of God's purpose for us as individuals and the corporate destiny that He has established for His church.

Entering into a new year is a great and wonderful experience, but never feel as if you're limited to what you can accomplish within a calendar year, but realize that every day is a fresh opportunity to know the Father, obey His word and accomplish His plan. So as we wrap of 2008, let's make the decision to not limit God's plans for us to the calendar year of 2009, but let's allow His purpose to consume us every day of our lives and not just during a certain time period. Set goals and have aspirations for 2009, but let those pale in comparison to the way in which you embrace the wisdom and instruction of the Lord and live by every word that proceeds from His mouth each day (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4). Make it your aim to live every moment realizing that truly, it's a new day!

Continue in His Word

I would like to encourage you with something that was freshly brought to my attention by our guide, the Holy Spirit. The reminder came from Jesus' words in John 8: ...If ye continue in my word, ye are my disciples indeed (John 8:31 - KJV). I specifically used the King James in quoting this verse because of the power of saying that we must 'continue' in His word. With that stated, I must reference the the verse that follows, which is the one most people know: ...Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

Now, I'll be candid and say that verse 31 is often not quoted with the subsequent verse (which generally gets all the attention and lots of amens if you're speaking to a group). In fact, many times, people can quote 'the truth will make you free', but we don't see any of the responsibility that rests on us to obey the word of God which brings liberation. The very core of what it means to be one of Jesus' disciples is to keep His word, but funny enough, we don't quote this nearly as often as we quote the verse about freedom, even though the qualifier of being a true disciple and walking in freedom is 'continuing' in His word. Much of that stems from our society's desire to have the good fruit without having to plant the seeds and tend the crops. In short, we enjoy receiving benefits without having to put in time and effort. This is why freedom often seems to elude us in certain areas of our lives.

It would be nice to shout freedom and confess it with our friends during church, in our homes, or even in the streets, but what Jesus said would make us true disciples and in turn make us free was not confessing, but continuing. Continuing in what? His word. That is the end all be all for freedom entering into the life of the true disciple. By repentance and confession of Christ we are able to enter the Kingdom, but our continuance in His infallible word is that which will keep us there, and keep us living in freedom. That revelation must be a foundational stone in our life of faith. One that is not only to be acknowledged, but to be built upon continually. It is only then that we will see the true power of His word unleashed in our lives. It is only then that we will know the truth, and that truth which we know will make us free.

Life might be busy, tough, tiring and a host of other adjectives that we could conjure up with enough time and maybe a friend (or spouse like I have) that was an English major. Regardless of this reality, there is a greater reality which is that of God's Kingdom. And with that in mind, true discipleship and freedom are ours if we will be faithful to 'continue' in His word.

Thank You

This post in very simple and is quite literally summed up in the title, 'Thank You.' So much to worry about, so much to consider, so many things going wrong, but as so much is seemingly falling apart, let's remember the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father. Paul gave us a simple and straightforward answer for the temptation to be ungrateful in Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things

[are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are]

pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things

[are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy--

meditate on these things. (NKJV)

Thanksgiving is not about everything being alright, because most times at least a few things are not. Thanksgiving is about knowing that regardless of what's going on, God's kingdom is advancing and we get to be a part of it. It's about looking for the noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy things that are of a good report. It's about seeing the record of our God's power and faithfulness in all things, especially in our lives. It's about knowing that He is always worthy of all thanks and praise to Him for every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).

So this thanksgiving, and every day you live, have an attitude of gratitude, a grateful heart, and always be ready to bless the name of our Lord for his faithfulness and mighty acts toward us as His children. With that in mind, let the praise that comes from your mouth always be filled with those two special words: Thank You.

All Things Work Together for Our Good

Sometimes as we look at life's circumstances, trials, situations and challenges, Romans 8:28 can seem like not much more than wishful thinking. When crises and tough situations meet us in this life, it truly is a time when whatever can be shaken, is shaken. Our finite minds can only comprehend or see a part of the big picture that Father God is painting so flawlessly and beautifully. There is no doubt that the challenges we often face in life can seem so difficult and insurmountable, but remember the promise of the Word as Jesus told us in Matthew 19:26, 'with God all things are possible.' This one short statement is colossal in it's impact upon our lives, primarily in our faith and how we live according to that faith.

If we confess and believe that God is the creator of the universe, the sovereign ruler of all things, the giver and sustainer and life, the source of every good and perfect gift, then we must conclude that he is infallible and all-powerful. When we come into a realization of who He is, suddenly, any circumstance or situation becomes incredibly small and insignificant in light of His grace, mercy and eternal power. When the Apostle Paul declared, that all things work together for our good, he had to realize that in light of tough situations and circumstances, believing this statement was a tall order. The great thing about Paul is that he was certain of the greatness and power of Father God which would eclipse anything that we would ever face. So much so that he would go on in that very same chapter (Romans 8:29-39) to declare that NOTHING could separate us from the love of God.

It may seem like a tough road sometimes, because it is. It may see like it's a losing battle in the natural, because it is. It may seem as if there is nothing you can do, because you can't, but it's in that place that the true revelation of who He is in your life will come. When you're at the end of yourself and you've done all you can do, that is point at which you'll realize that His grace is sufficient for you because his strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). No matter how it looks in the natural, remember, trust in the Lord and know that all things work together for our good.

Let the Church Rise

In the current political landscape and the economic turmoil that is brewing in our nation, it can be a bit discouraging to look at what is taking place in the public arena (politically speaking). If we have anything within us that trusts man above Father God, the temptation to give in to fears, frustrations and false pretences can quickly become the course of action we choose. The mantra of many in our society, sadly including much of the church, is that if we fix civil government that all our problems will be dissolved, we will all be provided for and that the world will be a wonderful place to live in. I will be candid by saying that I don't believe that fixing civil government will remedy man's problems. The government that needs to be fixed is that of the individual, the family and the church. When the church rises as Jesus commanded us to - filled with individuals and families governed by God's word - that will be the hope and change that is necessary for our nation and the world at large.

Jesus told us that "you are the salt of the earth" and "you are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:13-16). The hope of the world rests in His church, not the civil authorities. It has been our error to allow the current state of affairs that exalts civil government above God's authority. The great news in this is that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8). He has not only provided mercy for us to be forgiven, but grace to walk out every purpose and plan that has been ordained for His people. Now is as good a time as any for us to take our place, not as the lamp under a bushel, or the salt that's lost it's flavor, but as the shining beacon of salvation for the nations, pointing to our mighty savior. As the house that has submitted itself to be judged by the word so that we can fulfill the command to baptise and disciple the nations according to His truth. The house of true hope and change that would bring about repentance from dead works to turn toward the way the truth and the life. The culture that will be involved in, and impact every area of life, including the political arena.

Let us rise up and take our place not just by being vocal during the election season, but by being the voice that speaks loudly even when we don't say a word. As Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we must trust in the lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, acknowledge Him in all our ways and HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS. Now is the time and the season for the true Church of Jesus Christ to arise in spirit and truth to reflect His glory and disciple the nations. Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and causes His word to be diffused through us in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Now is the time, now is the season to let the Church rise!

Keepers of His Word

As I was reading some passages from Psalm 119 this week, I came across a verse I had read many times that never before spoke to me in the way it did on this particular day. In verse 101, the psalmist makes an incredibly profound statement that I have missed for many years. In the midst of declaring an endearing love and adherence to the word of God, a steadfast commitment to the truth of God, many statements about the benefits of keeping the statutes and judgments of the Lord, the psalmist says, 'I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.' (Psalm 119:101 - NKJV) A seemingly simple statement that has eluded me in it's depth for quite some time. The purity of what the psalmist writes here in not just that he would turn away from actions that are sinful, but that he would 'keep' the word of god. The action of restraining his feet from evil was in order that he would 'keep' the word of God. Often we stop at not sinning as the final accomplishment in keeping His word, but the truth is that keeping the word of God is much more than just a statement of not sinning or turning from a wicked path. It is allowing the seed of the word to grow within us, producing His purpose. Keeping speaks of: holding as one's own; continuing in; maintaining; adhering to; to have the care, charge, or custody of (these are just a few of the definitions for this word). When the psalmist said that he would 'keep' the word of God it was much more than a simple following of do's and don'ts, it was reaching a place of holding the word of God as something dear that we had been entrusted with in order that we would accomplish it by the grace of God. The result of this type of mindset is that there will always be a tangible manifestation of the inward workings of the Father's word and His Spirit. This takes us far beyond not having sin in our lives as the final goal, to the place of the realization of God's destiny for us. The cry of this verse is not just one of, I'll remain pure at all costs, or I'll not go in the way of unbelievers, but the deeper cry is, I will remain pure and set apart to the end that your word will produce in me what it was sent to do; believing that the very utterances of God will prosper in what they were sent to do (Isaiah 55:10-11). Not just keeping us from sinning, but releasing us to establish His kingdom in every area of our lives and in our world at large.

Today, keep your heart with all diligence (Prov. 4:23), be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2), but remember to do these things not just for the sake of remaining pure or sin-free, but for the sake of his purpose, plan and promise being established in and through our lives as we keep His word.

Worship Defined

Someone sent me this video yesterday and I believe it eclipses anything that I had to say to you for today. This is certainly one of the most powerful video presentations I have seen to date.


Be challenged, encouraged and impacted as you watch.

Harvest is Coming

As we've just enjoyed another time of sowing seed financially in our house, I wanted to delve into this topic a bit and stir our faith. My desire is that we would realize, to the fullest extent, that the words spoken by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:7 are the absolute truth: "God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." The power of this statement uttered by Paul is that it holds true whether we're dealing with positive or negative actions. Acts of kindness, giving money, loving someone, forgiving others and serving others are all excellent opportunities to declare our faith and love for our God and others. These acts will produce a great harvest of the same, and even more, back into our lives. In contrast, sinful actions, disobedience, unkindness, selfishness and unforgiveness are certain to produce a harvest as well. Even though we sometimes wish that only positive actions produced a harvest, the reality is that everything we do is a seed sown which will inevitably have its day of being harvested. Just like the farmers bringing in the stalks of corn, bales of wheat and other crops, we will undoubtedly "reap in due season if we don't lose heart." (Galatians 6:9)

As I bring this short post to a close, my desire for us all is that we take seriously the reality of seedtime and harvest. In our service to one another, in our examination of our lives, in our obedience to the word of the Father, in our giving, in all things let us sow good seed, not lose faith and expect the harvest (a.k.a. return on our investments) to come in the timing that God establishes.

Excuse Me

Lately I have been more stirred to eliminate any form of excuse from my life due to the climate of our nation. It seems that more and more people, Christians and non-Christians alike are willing to shift blame for their circumstance, their socioeconomic status, spiritual growth or lack thereof (this list could go on and on for days, but I won't do that to you) onto someone else. With busy schedules, responsibilities and unexpected difficulties we face, it can become incredibly easy to buy into the thought process that says, "It's not my fault" or "I couldn't help it" or "With everything I have going on, I just couldn't do it." We seem to have excuses for everything that we don't accomplish or things that we simply choose not to do. With all of these thing considered, I have been freshly stirred by my friend Jim McKenzie to examine myself in the area of personal responsibility. [Take a look at this post if you have some time, it's a great read, full of fun satire: http://revolutionaryparenting.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-was-going-to-write-my-blog-but-i.html]

In light of personal responsibility, the fundamental question I believe we need to ask ourselves before we ever make an excuse for something is: Was there any way I could have positively affected this situation? It could be about being on time, being debt free, avoiding a temptation that the enemy places in front of you, helping someone, finishing a book, studying your Bible, praying for someone, encouraging someone, spending time with a friend or loved one, or a host of other situations. Regardless of what is, we must be willing to allow the responsibility for something we could have avoided or changed to fall squarely in our lap. By doing this we become those who truly take dominion as God called us to in Genesis 1:28. Until we have that mindset, excuses will plague us throughout life and lead us into a place of mediocrity. Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean living in a place of continual defeat and discouragement because we beat ourselves up about all of the things we've failed in. Instead, we take the 'high road' as a certain smiling preacher from Texas often says. Rather than succumbing to mediocrity, we strive for excellence and the extraordinary. We can be like Paul as he spoke in Hebrews 6 when he said, "...we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation..." We must be confident of better things concerning ourselves and those around us and take responsibility to apply the word of God to our lives by the leading of His Spirit in order to see them fulfilled.

The great thing about living in God's Kingdom is that there is no question about God's heart for us. In Jeremiah 29:11 he tells us that his plans and thoughts for us are good. To give us a hope and a future. We also know that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Therefore, I humbly submit to you that excuses should not be a part of how we live. God has not only called us to great things, but graced us to accomplish them. Excuses aside, be all that He's called and graced you to be so that you can honor and glorify Him with every part of your life.

What are You Looking At?

Today's blog title is often posed as a negative question. We'll hear this statement uttered when a person feels as if they're being singled out or potentially mocked because someone is looking at them in a funny or strange way. I, however would like to take a different approach to this question and pose it as a point of life introspection. In your daily life, in your work, in your ministry, in all you do, the question is: What are you looking at? Do you look at circumstances? Examples from the world? Goals that society tells you are worthwhile? A negative image of yourself? A limitation of what you can accomplish? My proposition for you today is today is to look away from all of these things and to look to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2 - NKJV).

So much of our lives can be driven by what we see, which often leaves us falsely secure, misled and eventually discouraged just to name a few. Rather than taking the course of being visually driven by the world around us, we must embrace the challenge to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. The reality of that statement is that all of what we look to Jesus for will be found in the word of God. Those words, both written and spoken, will set us apart from those who are driven by the imagery they take in with their natural eyes. Father God spoke to us in Deuteronomy 8:3 saying that "... man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. That statement was also echoed by Jesus in Matthew 4 when He was tempted by Satan. Even Jesus, in a moment of temptation, due to what he saw with His eyes, declared that the source of life does not come from what we see and partake of, but the words of life that we receive. The true manifestation of looking to Jesus is not about what we see with our natural eyes, but the word we hear and obey.

Regardless of what we see with our eyes, we must be willing to take a deeper look at life through the lens of scripture and the discernment by the Holy Spirit within us. This will always ensure that we are embracing what Father God has to say so we can be certain that we are walking in His ways and not a worldly counterfeit. As the old hymn says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace (Helen H. Lemmel)

Remember, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith so who better to look to for guidance and direction in all things.

Remain Steadfast

Here we are in a day when so many people are quitting. It's sometimes difficult to look around and be encouraged as a believer because the order of the day for so many is to quit what they once held dear. Whether it be walking in purity, being faithful to the House of God, studying the Bible diligently, praying passionately or simply believing that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, the enemy has effectively caused many believers to drop their hands and give up the fight. The scary thing for many people is that they don't even know they've given up the fight, they just have a list of justifications as to why they stopped doing what was once so important. My simple encouragement for you this week is to never stop, never quit and to remain steadfast in the things that God has called you to do. Whether it's one of the things I listed earlier, or something more specific such as a ministry you know that He's called you to, don't quit. Father God has never quit anything and we are made in His image so let's be like our Daddy and stay the course in all we do. There will be days when it's not as exciting, it looks more fun to do something other than what you're destined to do, it's painful and difficult, or you simply don't want to. It's in those moments where I remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15. He encouraged them about the victory over death that had been given to us as believers through the work of Jesus Christ, and then he went on to drop the Holy Ghost bomb on them in the final verse of the chapter:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58 - NKJV)

What an incredibly summative statement on how we should walk out our lives in faith and purpose. Be immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord, being certain that YOUR labor is NOT in vain! We serve such an awesome Father and Creator that our response should be to emulate Him by being consistent, unwavering, unchanging and faithful to what He has called and enabled us to do.

I'll leave you with the words of my middle school track coach, James Calvin Moore, who was a faithful man of God who went on to Heaven a few years ago. One day at a practice when we were all tired and not in the mood to work out, he looked us all in the eye and said words that I will never forget: "If you only work hard on the days you feel good, you'll never make any progress." Those words have been with me throughout my life as a prophetic reminder to remain committed to the things that God sets before me to do. In light of that, I pass those words on to you today in the hopes that you too will lay hold of the grace of God to remain steadfast in Him.

Have a great, prosperous and blessed week in all you do!

Thankfulness

It's hard to believe that seven years have gone by since our nation was devastated by the 9/11 attacks, but it's true. It seems like yesterday when you consider the images of destruction, crying loved ones, grieving friends and a nation brought to it's knees by tragedy. So much happened so quickly and so many people were gone from this life in a matter of moments. In light of that reality, I just wanted to take some time to remind us all to be thankful.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the cares of life and the difficulties that we all face, but nothing can make you stop and think about what you have to be thankful for like the reality that you could be gone from this earth in an instant. Many of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack of 2001 didn't have a chance to look at their lives and be thankful that they had family, freedom, a well-paying job, an opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ in a free nation, and so many other things. In just a few short moments, it was all gone. Let's be people who don't need tragedy to cause us to fall to our knees and thank God or cry out to Him. Let's remain in that place continually.

Remember what King David said in Psalm 34:1 - 'I will bless the lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.' So whether it's good or bad, let's bless His name. Whether we're happy or sad, let's bless His name. Whether we're rich or poor, let's bless His name. Whether the day went well or it was just plain horrible, let's bless His name. He is our unchanging and faithful Father who never leaves us, or forsakes us. He causes His face to shine on us and when others might turn away from you, He never will; any turning away is always on our part. So in light of these things, let's never let a moment go by that we're not thankful for who Father God is, what He's done, and what He's going to continue to do in your life.

Until next time, have a day full of thankfulness to our Heavenly Daddy!!

Be at Rest

So many things going on. So much to do. So many responsibilities. An event here, an event there. Taking care of kids, studying, working, planning. The list goes on and on and so often we can be caught up in the laundry list of tasks, opportunities, events and responsibilities that life throws at us. What I want to remind us all of this week is that in the midst of the storm, there is always the peace of God.

In Matthew 8, when Jesus spoke to his disciples in the midst of the storm, he wasn't frantically trying to muster up faith within them or calm them down. Interestingly enough, he really wasn't even interested in stopping the storm; if you'll recall, he was asleep. Asleep! In the middle of massive storm! How?! Plain and simple, he knew in whom His trust was placed: the Father. Jesus gave us a clear example of having peace in the midst of the storm, but we also see in his life that the priority was already set for Him to be at peace when the storm came. In the midst of everything he continued to pray, seek the Father, and know His will. That's the challenge that lies before us as 21st century, believers in the American church. We must learn to put aside the distractions and look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

As you go about the task and responsibilities and even the fun things in life, don't lose your focus. By maintaining your focus the promise of the word is that the peace of God would guard our hearts and minds. Why? Because we rest in knowing who He is and who we are in Him. That scripture (Philippians 4:6-7) begins by telling us that if we would '... by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make our requests known to God...', then the peace that passes understanding would guard our hearts and minds by Christ Jesus. Making our requests known to God with thanksgiving in this verse shows that we realize that all we have need of is in Him and that if we're in Him, we'll ask the right questions, desire the right things and line up whatever in our lives is out of step with His will, according to His word.

In the midst of any storm that comes, whether it seems to be good or bad, be at rest. Not because you sit down to do nothing, but because you cease from your works to lay hold of His. In so doing, the peace of God will truly guard your heart and mind.

Preparing for Worship (by Debra Walters)

In order to be adequately prepared to worship, we must look at praise and worship as a lifestyle, not as a genre. We worship in many ways: through relationships, through our giving, at work, and through our actions. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

The praise that emerges from our actions should match, if not exceed, the praise that comes out of our lips. Our lives should continuously be a song of praise. That song of praise is a reflection of a heart of gratitude; gratitude for life, forgiveness, and for each new thing that God does daily in our lives. (Matt. 12:34b “Out of the Overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”) By reminding ourselves daily of the goodness of God, our hearts will be filled with gratitude and ready to worship at any time. Focusing on Him, instead of on ourselves, helps us achieve that heart

We must make a conscious choice to worship, understanding that we have a big God who wants our worship. We have to recognize that praise does not depend on how we feel (which changes), but on who He is (which does not change). Therefore, our praise should always be great because He is always great.

What are some reasons to worship? You are alive and you know Him. That is reason enough. As I see others navigating life confused and unable to understand God, I am thankful that I know him. Last night, as we were taking a drive, Eric and I were discussing our family’s events of the past year (the birth of our son and loss of an income). At one point I asked him, “Can you imagine going through this without God?” NO WAY! God is the only reason we stand. (Psalm 103 “Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits.”)

Should preparing our hearts to worship take three days of soul searching and reflecting? No. Is it an uber (super or ultra) spiritual experience? No. We should live in such a way that at any time we can go on and on about the faithfulness of our Daddy. Let’s live a life so simple and distraction-free that we can remain aware of who God is, being ready and willing to humble ourselves and pour out our lives in praise. Understanding where we could be and who we would be if it were not for His grace. That is reason enough to shout, cry, jump, and just all-out express ourselves!

Let’s prepare our hearts not just for Sunday worship, but for continuous worship. What we do publicly on Sundays is just a small spec of the life of worship, not the epitome. If we learn to live a life of worship, our job on Sunday will be as natural as breathing.

Self-Discipline

The topic of self-discipline is not high on the priority list for most of us as believers, but it's one of the keys to fulfilling the purpose of God. Often times we hear that topic mentioned and most of us immediately think of an army drill sergeant, a combat soldier, a world class weightlifter or gymnast, etc. Our thoughts are correct that these are people with great self-discipline, but we need to receive that same spirit when it comes to the Kingdom of God. The reality about most of us is that when we choose not to walk in self-discipline, we are left to be disciplined from an outside source.

Consider a child who disobeys. Due to immaturity and the sin nature a child needs to be disciplined and corrected on very basic issues that we all would agree on: respect others, obey God, obey those in authority, don't steal, don't write on the wall with crayons :-), etc. Without this external discipline, children won't get to the point of self-discipline in these areas. Over time our expectation is that through external discipline, children will come to self-discipline. Come on, how many of you really expect a co-worker to throw a tantrum with the boss, take a highlighter and start writing notes on the wall or show up to work an hour late because they were enjoying a TV show and some really good cereal. Clearly, self-discipline is much more than a 5am workout, boot camp, a weightlifting regiment or being obcessive compulsive about everything. It encompasses every area of life and includes things like making the decision to do the right thing, accomplishing necessary tasks, remaining faithful to the commitments you've made, and most of all obeying the word of God. Jesus made a powerful statement in John 8:31-32:
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My
disciples indeed.
32"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (NKJV)

By calling the 12 disciples what he did - DISCIPLES, and then saying in Matthew 28:18-20 that they were to go and make disciples (you and I), discipline was forever established as a characteristic that followers of Jesus Christ should have. Jesus knew that He was going to pour out the Holy Spirt which would empower us to do all that he had called us to do, so when He spoke those powerful words in John 8:31-32, He didn't ask us to do an impossible thing. What he was calling us to do was to bring our flesh under subjection so that we could abide (continue) in His word in order to be true disciples and then come to know the truth and it would make us free. Free to do what? I dare say that the 'what' is His will.

Realize today that God's purpose is there in each of our lives, but the step of self-discipline must be taken to fulfill it. Never allow yourself to be one who needs a lot of outside maintenance. Choose to be low-maintenance and high impact. God has given us his Spirit to guide us and direct us in all things and thankfully if we ever get off track, we have the family of God to help keep us on the straight and narrow. Rejoice that God can provide outside forces such as brothers, sisters, leaders, pastors, etc. in order to help you maintain discipline, but always look to be self-disciplined by the power of Holy Spirit. Greater fruit always comes when we choose the path of obedience and discipline without having to be nudged back onto the path by others. We accomplish more when we don't have to spend a lot of time being corrected. Better to hear the word and obey the first time than to walk in error and waste time that can never be recaptured.

My word in short: embrace the grace to be self-disciplined.

Returning Soon

Sorry I didn't put out any fresh material this week; I was on vacation with my family in south Florida. Look for more encouraging and challenging words next week.

Have a great day!

Grace and Truth - Keep the Balance

So there I was on Monday after a late dinner, trying to stay awake to avoid heartburn and indigestion from eating at 11pm so I decided to turn on some Christian television. Hopefully I could not only stem the onslaught of indigestion, but also be encouraged and challenged at the same time. Much to my surprise, Pastor Brian Houston from Hillsong Church in Australia was on. Since I rarely catch him on TV, I was interested to hear what he was speaking about. The series he was teaching was called 'An Empowering Culture'. The specific segment he was speaking on dealt with the balance between grace and forgiveness & challenge and truth. This is a subject that is always near the top of my list so he immediately had my attention. As I begun to hear his teaching on the subject he spoke about how we can never allow ourselves to create an environment as leaders or in our individual lives that is out of balance in this area. We should never walk in all grace and forgiveness or all challenge and truth, but in a balance of the two. Now that sound like a tough balancing act, but it is exactly what Jesus walked in. With that in mind, let's take a closer look.

When John speaks of Jesus' coming to Earth, he says that the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17 - NKJV). This does not discount God's law because clearly Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-19). What that shows us is that the truth would be brought to light through Him and that He would provide us the grace to walk in that truth. We must never come to the place of 'greasy grace' as a certain pastor I know often says, but we must also not be in the place of hellfire and condemnation for all either. Just as Jesus did, we dispense mercy, grace and forgiveness, but at the same time walk in an uncompromising standard of truth.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, it is essential to apply this not only to those we come in contact with, but in our own lives first. We must be able to receive grace and forgiveness to not be condemned, but at the same time walk in the uncompromised truth. So many in our society and even in the church today get the two areas out of balance. They want to have the freshly kindled fires of hell waiting for all of the trespassers or they want to say 'it's alright, God understands', never holding up a standard of truth. Imbalance in these two areas is not God's desire for us. He wants us to follow the example given to us by Jesus Christ. An incredible picture of this came when Jesus encountered the woman who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11 - NKJV). As He stood up for this woman with grace and forgiveness, he was able to turn away her accusers and save her life, but I'm always intrigued by what he said to her as they parted ways: 'go and sin no more.' Funny that he didn't say, 'it's okay, I know you're going to sin again', 'do whatever feels right to you', 'do what your inner sense tells you' or any other type of statement that would justify her sin and wrong-doing. Instead, Jesus does what in our natural minds is unthinkable, he raises the banner of truth uncompromisingly during a time when many of us would think it was insensitive. I could hear the voices of today's society and political arena saying, 'can't you show some kindness', 'you don't know what she's been through', 'don't judge her', but the reality is, Jesus understand the balance between grace and forgiveness & challenge and truth. He knew that if he didn't challenge this woman to break the cycle, nothing would change. He knew she would be in the same broken, condemned, outcast state again if she didn't follow a new path. Her future was bright through his grace and forgiveness, but to receive it she needed to embrace the challenge to walk in truth. So that's just what Jesus did, dispensed grace and mercy freely while continuing to champion the cause of truth. This is what will bring true, lasting, world-changing fruit in our lives.

With our eyes fixed on Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith, let's embrace the grace and forgiveness that He's given us, but let's also receive the challenge that the truth of God's word brings into our lives so we can become all that we're called to be.

Welcome!!

Welcome to the Worship for Life blog. I hope this will be a great resource for encouragement, study, strenthening in the Word and Spirit, and equipping for what God has called us to do. Look out for this week's word tomorrow. See you soon.