Monday, September 27, 2004

Words Fitly Spoken

Proverbs says that words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pitchers of silver. I'm not sure how practical gold apples are in silver pitchers, but I believe that Solomon is saying that there is great value in words spoken at the right time with the right motive and proper demeanor. The following are phrases that I have come across in the recent past that in one way or another either brought life to me or at least sharpened my understanding of something.

1. Who I am reflects where I come from
2. Whenever a man is ready to uncover his sins, God is always ready to cover them...Proverbs 28:13
3. If you can't be a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning
4. Our level of love must equal our level of discernment (grace and truth).
5. Expert....x = has been; spurt = a drip under pressure.
6. Look to the Word of God to determine my behavior, not justify it.
7. Testimonies come after passing tests.
8. First have the promise, then hope. Then faith will come.
  • Faith works by love.
  • Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
  • We must have love and hope for faith to work.

Saturday, September 25, 2004

Road Rage

So, I am suseptable to such behavior. I am a fairly level headed person. Neither my wife, nor my kids have really seen me "loose it". Why is it that a stranger that is seen for only seconds on a three lane highway, can gain control of my emotions so quickly and violently? Why is it that driving at 70 mph can put someone into a tailspin because I choose to stay four car lengths behind the one in front of me. I was ready to do my Kung Fu thing today. I would have failed miserably though because I was too emotional.

I've quoted in my seminars that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. I've reminded people of Viktor Frankels words, "...no one makes us feel angry....we choose to be angry." So there it is!!! Why did I choose to be angry at that young whipper snapper? Why did I feel I needed to retaliate? I was insulted! Yes! But, so what....I don't even know the person. Why should I even care? Is it my pride or my honor that is at stake? ......most probably, my pride.

Thats it. I'm sure it is. Usually when pride raises its head, it is ugly. And, I can't say I was real proud of my actions on the road today. So much for the spirit-filled and spirit-controlled life. Even if it is my honor at stake, Jesus didn't feel he had to protect his honor on the cross. So, where does that leave me....with my need to protect mine?

Friday, September 24, 2004

The Ghost and The Darkness

We were having prayer at the church tonight. We were repenting from the slackness in our lives and in the life of the church in America. Something came to my mind while praying and felt that somehow the Lord was communicating something to me.

I began to think about the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness", a true story that took place in the late 1800’s in southern Kenya. In March 1898 the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in East Africa. Over the next nine months, two large male lions killed and ate nearly 140 railway workers. Crews tried to scare off the lions and built campfires and thorn fences for protection, but to no avail. Hundreds of workers fled Tsavo, halting construction on the bridge.

Before work could resume, chief engineer Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson (1865-1947) had to eliminate the lions and their threat. After many near misses, he finally shot the first lion on December 9, 1898, and three weeks later killed the second. The first lion was nine feet, eight inches from nose to tip of the tail. It took eight men to carry the carcass back to camp.

The construction crew returned and completed the bridge in February 1899.

"Tsavo" means "place of slaughter" - the lions there are abnormally large, have maneless males, and are historically known as man-eaters.
Why did the Tsavo lions become man-eaters. Two factors may have contributed to their unusual diet. In the 1890s, an outbreak of rinderpest disease killed millions of zebras, gazelles and other African wildlife. Lions had to look elsewhere for food, and attacks on humans increased across the continent.Poor burial practices may have also contributed to the Tsavo tragedy. Railroad workers who died of injury or disease were often poorly buried, or not buried at all. A scavenging lion coming across this easy meal might start going after live humans.

The question for me is, "Why did this story come to my mind in the middle of a prayer time?" I haven’t seen the movie in years. I had to go on the internet to find the name of the movie.

I began thinking about the one who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour - the devil. That takes care of one of the lions. But, what about the other? I had been prompted to pray for forgiveness for operating at times out of the spirit of fear. It seemed that the Lord was saying to me that the second lion is the spirit of fear which can also be represented by insecurity, intimidation, paranoia etc... These two lions work together in creating a "Tsavo" or "slaughter" in our lives.

The spirit of fear is very seldom recognized as the root problem for many of our sinful, (what I’d like to call) “white collar crimes”. There are the sins of the flesh that are glaring, but then there are the sins of unbelief and fear that cause us to live a life that is void of hope.

This horrendous lion of fear causes us to take matters into our own hands even in ministry. Sometimes our own way of doing things lead us to the temporary success of security, prosperity and comfort, and in ministry, possibly even blessing people and finding that people are being saved by our efforts. But, the work of the Holy Spirit gets derailed. The spirit of fear will cause us to focus on self-preservation, often at the cost of peace with others. The spirit of fear will cause us to settle for less than what God has intended for our lives. The end result will be a mixed bag of spirit and flesh which will often be a disappointment. We yield to this spirit of fear and don’t even recognize it as sin. It is like a “Ghost” .

It is a devastating lion though, just as “Darkness” (satan) is, when we yield to it. And just as the these two real lions in Kenya were able to stop a railroad project in 1898, even so, the Lord’s project on our lives will slow and come to a stop if we don’t kill these two lions in our life.

The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think. His promises are true. Hope must arise in us so that faith can be the mode of our life. Jesus Christ desires that we know him powerfully. His desire is to live through us. Fear cannot live where faith flourishes. We must be overcomers in this area of our lives.

Friday, September 17, 2004

I Met God In The Morning

I Met God In The Morning

I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best,
And His presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them
Brought to us a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I, too, had loosed the moorings,
With the Presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek God in the morning
If you want Him through the day!
Ralph Spaulding Cushman

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Faithful Sayings

Knowing and meditating on what God emphasizes in His Word has given me focus and direction many times. Recently, I came across this phrase "faithful saying" used by Paul to his son in the Lord, Timothy.

1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV) says,

" This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am
chief."

1 Timothy 1:15 (The Message) says it this way,

"Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof--Public Sinner Number One--"

I can take this to heart! I can bank on it! I can be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is in the business of saving sinners like me!! I have been saved but He is still saving me, and I shall be saved! This is His business and He will complete to the day of Jesus Christ. Amen!! I have been delivered, I am being delivered and I shall be delivered. I only need to yield to His work in my life!!


Another faithful saying, 1 Timothy 4:8-10 says,
"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach,
because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."
I like the way The Message says it,
"Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers."
Lord I need to bank more on you and take to heart the fact that as I discipline myself in your life and anointing, I can be assured that You are doing your perfecting in my life, even though I don't see it.

Another faithful saying is found in 2 Timothy 2:11-13

"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."

So, Lord I can bank on it, consider it totally true, that I must die in order to live. There is no getting around it. If I want to reign with you Lord, then I should not be surprized that suffering of some kind will come. There is no getting around it......because it is a faithful saying!!!

Well, wouldn't you know....another faithful saying that I can bet my life on!! Titus 3:8 says,

" This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou
affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."

How does The Message translate it?

"You can count on this.I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone."

Well, there it is....black and white as can be....how can someone argue with that? It's been said in the Word and it has been emphasized. New Testament stuff.....through and through!!


Wednesday, September 15, 2004

House Church

This is my first blog which finds me reading the book "House Church Networks" by Larry Krieder. I read this quote today by C.T. Studd:
"I do not wish to live 'neath sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
That speaks volumes to me!!

Krieder then says, "The main purpose for every house church must be to rescue people from the brink of hell. Otherwise, the house church becomes a social club without any power."

I don't agree with his thinking here. Making evangelism the primary purpose of house church may keep it from becoming a social club but it may also keep it from koinonia and other important "body life" dynamics.

He continues......

"The Lord gives us power to be witnesses, not to sit around and enjoy nice comfortable "bless-me" meetings."

This smacks of sarcasm I understand what he is saying here but something about it does not sit right with me. It is a "knowledge" statement, not a "life" statement.

But, C.T. Studd's quote still resonates.....