Just a Thought

IF God wants you to be happy - healthy, wealthy and wise - then one might assume that those things are the mark of God's blessing. One might also assume that the lack of those things mean that God's blessing is absent, and therefore, " there is sin somewhere...."

But that premise is WRONG. God's Word shows us that God values holiness far above your happiness, and that true joy can overwhelm your less-than-desireable circumstances.

The fact is: sometimes God wants you miserable, and there He will work in the brightness of HIS glory instead of in the shadow of your success.

For instance, Job was pretty miserable for awhile, and God worked through it to bring his three friends to the Lord. Job 1:22, "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

Psychology does not solve man's problems, because the problem is deeper than psychology. Psychology can only hope to change man's behavior, whereas the change that is required is a heart change.

Psychology is too shallow to fix the problem; only Christ can change the heart, and then produce the fruit of changed behavior. Psychology treats the symptoms, but not the problem itself.

Matthew 12:35, "A good man out of the good treasure of the HEART bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

Luke 6:45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his HEART bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his HEART bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the HEART his mouth speaketh."

If you have never trusted Christ to save you and change your heart, contact me and I will show you from the Bible how to do so.

The Gospel is NEVER to become a social gospel, meaning that we put away the preaching and teaching the Word of God in favor of doing good works and make people's temporal lives better.

The Gospel is ALWAYS about preaching the death burial and resurrection of Christ, because that is what makes the eternal difference. Without the foundation of Jesus Christ making you a new creature, all the social things that you can do are temporary at best. However, as a church planter, I am constantly reminded that we are saved to do good works through the power of the indwelling Christ (Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 2:10). The simple truth is that we cannot reach a world that we never touch and that preaching does no good when there is no one there to hear it. Being a helping hand to people who need it often builds a bridge of relationship that allows the preaching to become meaningful to them. LIVING the Word of God by reaching out to others in a tangible way provides the conversation to introduce Christ.

We need only to look at the example of Christ; while He never preached or taught a social Gospel, He sure helped a lot of people, so much that John said that the world itself would not be able to contain all the books that could be written to describe all that Jesus did (John 21:25).

"And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. " Galatians 2:9-10

I just had the kids pull a shirt that I wanted to wear out of the washing machine that hadn't been started yet. It must be clean, right, because it was in the washer?

Thousands of people will go to church tomorrow on the same basis - hoping that being in the proximity of cleansing will make them clean. It doesn't work that way. Christ's blood must be applied personally to be effective.

Receive Christ personally. Walk with God personally. Then church will make a difference - both TO you, and THROUGH you.

Being where you are supposed to be keeps you from accidentally falling into sin. Doing right is the solution to "I didn't mean to..."

Sometimes ministries become like the parking lot that I'm sitting in - highly specialized. By the time I found a parking spot that was not designated for someone (loyalty members, online orders, handicapped, veterans, families, etc), I'm pretty sure that I was in the next county.

If we're not careful in the ministry, we will become so targeted in our specialties and outreach, that we drive away the one who simply wants to learn to have an old- fashioned, daily, step-by-step walk with God.

May we be able to say with Paul in Acts 20:26-27, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. (27) For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."

Reading through the book of Job reminds me of some threads that you can read online, where 1 guy makes a Biblical point, and a bunch of other "preachers" chime in to destroy him. The only difference is that, back in Job's day, they were man enough to say it to his face and not hide behind a keyboard. I'm pretty sure I've seen this exact statement, by Job's wicked friend posted, as a response on some Facebook thread:

"For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth." Job 11:4-6

We can praise the Lord, simply because of Who He is. It doesn't matter what is going on in my life - God is still good. That is His nature. And, since that is His nature, I can trust that all that He does in my life will be good for me as well. While waiting on Him for the outcome, I can praise the LORD, for He truly is great, and high above anything else that can be compared to Him.

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. ... For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (Psalm 135:1, 5-6)