A Big Step

There is great treasure by your digging and sweating in this garden we live in. The book of Proverbs tells us in Pr. 12:24, “The hand of the diligent will rule…” and in Pr. 13:11, “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases” and again in Pr. 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Let me state a couple of quick things about work:

1. You are to work in reverence. In this we realize that the ability to work is God-given. It’s the grace of God that gives you the ability to work and make wealth. In other words, your ability to work, make money, and enjoy it is God-given. So work in reverence because it is from God. And reverence should naturally bring an attitude of thanksgiving.
2. When you work you need to work hard. The Apostle Paul teaches us in Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.” Don’t be lazy or a sluggard as Proverbs calls it. Believers work hard!
3. Work as unto God.Paul wrote to the slaves on the island of Crete in the book of Titus 2:10 to do their work “not pilfering (thieving) but demonstrating good faith (or the ability to be trusted) so that they might adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. The word ‘adorn’ is from a Greek word where we get our word cosmetic or to beautify. In other words, a hard worker beautifies his testimony by his labors.
4. Work as though it was rewarded by God. Work as though you were going to called to account because you will.
5. Work loyally to your boss. Paul said to the Colossians, “Submit to your masters” and then he said, “Not by way of eye service as men pleasers but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.” It is no act of great virtue to go behind your bosses back and slander him. Don’t sit around the water fountain and talk about your boss, deal with it appropriately or work loyally.
6. Do your work with excellence. Solomon said in Proverbs 22:29, “See a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Do your work rightly knowing for whom you do it. Let the glory of God inspire you to excellence! You don’t have to Davinci painting the Sistine Chapel to glorify God in your work. You can glorify God in any job you have simply by doing it rightly and with excellence.

Don't Be Discouraged

Discouragement is a feeling that comes upon many people at different times in their lives.
It can really do a work on people if we don’t get a handle on it. Let me help you with this right now.

The cures of discouragement:

a) The presence of God: David strengthened himself in God. Psalm 18:6- "having distress I called to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry came before him into his ears." To help overcome discouragement we need to deliberately get into the presence of God and tell him how we feel. Psalm 42:5,11- "Why are you downcast Oh my soul. Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him my Saviour and my God."

b) The people of God: David reached out to God’s people. He went to see Abiathar the priest. There is great strength in sharing joys and sorrows with other believers. If you are discouraged try encouraging someone else.

c) Be urgent in prayer to God: The devil uses discouragement as a device to turn us away from God. We can see it as something to turn us towards God and his resources.

d) Rely on the promises of God: David sought the Lord urgently in 1 Sam. 30:8 and was promised success. He believed the promise and saw success come. Believing God’s promises is an antidote for discouragement so we need to get to know them.

Are you discouraged? Keep the faith.
Are you down? Don’t quit now.
Are you sad? Stay strong.

When you’re discouraged change your thinking to thankfulness.
When you’re discouraged remind yourself of your Savior Jesus Christ.
When you’re discouraged search hard for a renewed purpose.

It’s only then you’ll discover a joy-filled faith and strength for this journey we call life.

Slander Not!

I was scanning through Proverbs 15 today and ran across verse 4 that says, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." I then began to think of the awful act of slander in the life of a believer. James 4:11 says, "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it."

The exposition of this verse teaches us that to ‘speak evil' means to slander or defame. James does not forbid confronting those in sin, which is elsewhere commanded in Scripture (Matt. 18:15-17; Acts 20:31; 1 Cor. 4:14; Col. 1:28). Rather, he condemns careless, derogatory, critical, slanderous accusations against others. Those who speak evil of other believers set themselves up as judges and condemn them. They set them selves above the law.

Again, this does not mean that believers can’t judge heretical teachings as the Berean’s did and were considered more honorable because they basically checked out what they heard taught. but is is challenging all of us who say we are true believers to watch our mouths.

No one is justified in slander. So if you're in the midst of speaking evil of a brother or sister in Christ right now, STOP, and repent. Let us all put a watch guard over our mouths and live like we are truly His disciples!

Desperate Reliance

I was reading in Proverbs 21:31 today the following: "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD." This is not condemning adequate preparation, but rather the reliance on it for victory instead of on the Lord. This has never been so true as it is my life right now as my wife Jana and I are planting The Harvest Church International.
I would like to add an adjective to the front of the word reliance and say that not only do I have a reliance on the Lord to help me carry out this vision, but it is a desperate reliance. Everyday, into the night, and sometimes in the middle of the night I am planning, and adequately preparing for what needs to be done in this church plant process. I can sit at my desk and research, read, listen, write, have meetings, etc., and all that is great to do, but no matter how much I try to do I know it won't get accomplished without the Lord's help. I can honestly say and admit that I desperately rely on His Wisdom, guidance and divine intervention to help me.
So I pray, and then I pray some more. I feel so compelled to pray and seek Him and talk to Him and stay close to Him in order to make sure that I am following His direction. This is His church and I want to make sure that I am adequately prepared, but that I am also mostly relying on Him.
But it should be this way with everything we do in life as a believer, no matter what it is, whether it's your job, your family, your finances, etc. We need to always be diligent about our plans and preparation, but we need to always have a desperate reliance on him to lead the way. Is that the way you are about the things in your life?

Our First Service!

My wife and I held our first church service this past Sunday, the 10th of June, for our new church plant, The Harvest Church. What a blessing it was to have folks join us in our home as we worshipped, prayed, taught the Word, and fellowshipped together. It is an amazing thing to experience the fruition of a dream come true.

I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone yesterday about how God will allow things to get a little shaken up in our lives, or should I say uncomfortable, as He is molding us, and preparing us for His perfect will. I can honestly say that I went through a time of schooling in his preparing me to plant this church. That's just the way it is, but in reality I or we shouldn't want it any other way, because we come out of it more ready to take our task on. We come out spiritually stronger and wiser and empowered to a much greater degree. Nothing that we do for God on a big scale is ever going to be easy. This church plant is bigger than me, but with God Jana and I can do it, because being in this place where we are now is when we can say, 'When we are weak, He is strong!"

No Giants, Just God

As my wife and I step into planting our church, The Harvest Church, I need to always keep the thought and truth before me of seeing God in all the situations that will arise and not the giants. As I read the account in Numbers 13 about the 12 spies that the Lord told Moses to send out to spy out the land I saw so clearly the need to adopt the attitude and perspective of Joshua and Caleb. The twelve came back from their assignment, ten with one perspective and two with a completely different perspective.

The ten saw the size of the grapes, and huge they were. They saw the land that God was going to give them, and that it was flowing with milk and honey (abundance of food). But then in verse 28 they said, "Nevertheless" and continued to speak fear, discouragement and doubt. They SAW the giants, and the strong people, and they lost God in their perspective and saw only the giants. Too bad, because their perspective cost them the chance to ever taste the grapes.

The two, Joshua and Caleb, they SAW the giants and the strong people too, but the difference was that God was right in the midst of their perspective. So when they saw the giants, they also SAW their God, the Deliverer! They said, Let's go up at once and take possession", not because they were stronger than the giants, but because the God they served was stronger than the giants.

I choose to keep that perspective as we plant this awesome, God ordained church. The giants may come, but I will keep God right in the midst of my perspective. I may see the giants, but right by my side is my God, my Deliverer, my Strong Tower, my Strength! I'm going to taste the grapes.

Doubt's Out

I thought about this today…I hate doubt, don’t you? It hits us at different times, but especially in the midst of taking the next big step in our life. We have all been there. Every true Christian has had their moments of doubt that try to creep in and capture their thoughts. But, you must shut the door and stop those thoughts. Let’s look at a definition that I found in the Wikipedia, free encyclopedia: Doubt is uncertainty in the context of trust (where it takes the form of distrust), action, decision or faith. It implies challenging some notion of truth in effect, or hesitating to take action on it due to concern that one might be mistaken. That definition does not paint a pretty picture of us when we doubt God in our circumstance, and this is what this is really about isn’t it? You’re dealing with something in your life and you find, even as a true Christian, you have doubt in your mind as to whether or not it will work out. So, in effect then, you doubt the fact that your God can help you right where you are.

James 1:6 tells us something about doubt: But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind…
He is saying in verse 6 that you must believe! You cannot doubt or distrust Christ because He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

So let’s turn this around now. A true Christian is absolutely certain that God will make good on every promise to help him or her in their circumstance. A true Christian has complete trust in God, a trust that dispels all doubt. The true Christian will praise Him for who He is and will know that they have the victory through trusting in Him. They will give their situation fully to the Lord and will step out of doubt and jump into total trust in knowing that He is in control.

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”—Psalms 9:10

Memorial Day

I want to take this opportunity to give thanks for all those soldiers who gave their lives in battle for this great country. I also want to offer prayers for all those families who have lost loved ones while serving our country in the armed forces. This day was set up as a 'holiday' for a reason, and that reason is to remember, but not just remember, but also to be grateful for their sacrifice.

So when you wake up Monday morning, maybe a little later than usual because you're off work or school, remember that you're not just to be thankful for a break from the office, or the 'ole grind, but that you are waking up in a nation where you have the freedom to follow your dreams.

So join with me today by saying, Thank you...we remember!

No Fear

I am in the midst of making a huge decision for my life, by stepping into and starting a new ministry venture. This is big for me and a huge step of faith, which of course seems to bring with it that temptation to let fear creep in. But as a true believer I don't have to walk in fear or let fear have any foothold in this process. I have learned the following and I want this to encourage you:
Fear within exaggerates the causes of fear without. In other words, your inward emotional fear can very well make the circumstances you ‘fear’ immensely bigger than they are and in reality what you ‘fear’ is not ‘worthy’ of any fear at all! If you let yourself walk in a timid, cowardly spirit, afraid of men, and of what they may say or do; you will allow yourself to be disheartened in or be deterred from the work of the Lord, which can include the preaching of the Gospel, sharing your testimony with a friend, opposing the errors of false teachers, starting a new ministry venture, and doing other aspects of ministry to which the Lord has called you.

You must connect with the realization that you have been given a spirit of POWER and that you as a true Christian are indwelt by the Spirit of God who is imparting this power, and this power has the ability to “cast out fear” from yourself. Please understand that God has already given you, a true believer, all the spiritual resources you need for every threat and trial. Isn’t that awesome! You have been given a power that is able to fortify you against reproaches and persecutions for the sake of Christ as well as giving you the ability to “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ!” No fear, just the indwelling power of the Spirit of God.
2 Timothy 1:7...“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”—ESV

Commit Your Plans to Him

Have you ever been in that period of your life when you are planning on doing something new, and big...a new vision, or dream that you have been planning? Well, I am in that stage of my life right now. I have done 'human' planning. I have researched, vision mapped, and wrote it down on a white board. I have sought counsel on it, talked to my wife about it alot, gotten advice on it, etc. All that is essential, and very necessary, but as a believer (one who believes in, lives for and serves Jesus Christ) there is a much more important step I need to take before I do anything like this, this step is found in Proverbs 16:3 which says this, "Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established."

There is a powerful truth that we find in the meaning of that word 'commit.' It comes from the root גָּלַל (galal, “to roll”). It literally means to "roll upon," as in rolling one’s burdens on the Lord. It tells of complete dependence on the Lord. This is done with a spirit of humility and by means of diligent prayer, but the plan must also have God’s approval.

So I am supposed to humbly and prayerfully roll “the works that I want to do” onto the Lord and He will fufill my righteous plans upon His approval! Well you know what, that is exacltly what I have done, and even did today again in my prayer time.

He is With Us

As we study God’s Word we realize that our God is not an impersonal, at a distance God. He is a combination of Transcendence, which means that His greatness is beyond our comprehension and Immanence, which describes His nearness to us. The greatness of the almighty God sends us to our knees in humility. But the goodness of God lifts us back to our feet in grateful, jubilant praise. The One who is above everything humbled Himself and became one of us (Psalm 135:5; Philippians 2:8). In knowing this and having these truths about God deep down inside of us, it should begin to fill you with a realization that God Himself is near to you, His child, and thusly cares deeply about you and for lack of better words, “has your back.” He watches over His own in a close relationship, and enables us to walk with confidence because we know that He is always with us, at all times and through all situations we face in our day.

The essence of Joy

My wife is a happy person. She is a consistently happy, encouraging, person. I admire that in her as it is a quality that is not frequently seen in people. She has an attitude of joy that is contagious. But, to catch true joy from someone else is not as easy as it sounds. Because the essence of joy is deeper than most think. The word translated "joy" in the New Testament refers to the joy of God passing through a Christian. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the LORD is your strength” and it refers to joy that is based on spiritual or religious factors. It is not a slaphappy silliness that is the result of positive circumstances, but the deep-founded joy of God. Spiritual joy transcends circumstances. It is a joy that remains when you are going through tough financial, spiritual, mental, emotional or physical times. It’s a kind of joy that brings a sustaining strength to you. Joy is not a result of favorable circumstances and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe. It should only be based on your relationship with God. So you can be around my wife and catch her happy attitude, and encouraging demeanor, but to catch joy, well, that is caught through your personal relationship with the Lord. It's there for you to have, but it's up to you to tap into it. I hope this helps you today.

Patience to wait

I was talking to a man in the gym yesterday who was struggling with the patience to wait for God's answer to his prayer for direction for his project. My immediate response was, "Oh man, have I been there before." Patience to wait...but as we wait, God is working out His perfect agenda in His perfect timing. Even the book of James tells us that patience, endurance, perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Sometimes it gets to a point to where we wonder if God even remembers, but let me assure you that God never forgets, and in His providential plan He is working all things together for your good. I am patiently waiting for answers in my life right now. I know He knows the best way to go and the perfect time to open the doors. So I perservere, wait, let patience finish its' work knowing that in the perfect time I will come through more mature, more complete, and with my answer. So take it upon yourself to walk in joy through times like these because your going to come out a stronger and better person in the end.

Good Advice

One thing I have learned is that not everyone who gives you advice has good advice! It is very important to listen to the counsel, wisdom and advice of those who have good 'understanding' as Proverbs 16:22 calls it. The advice of the understanding person brings blessing while the advice or correction of one who lacks understanding is useless. Unfortunately, I have learned this the hard way, but fortunately now I know better, and now I surround myself with those who I know have godly understanding, wisdom and counsel. If you walk with wise men you yourself will become wise, and in this case I am talking of wise people who are wise through living a life of true godliness. So today if you need advice make sure you get it from the right source. Remember, that wisdom rests in the heart of those who have 'understanding.'

Watch Your Words

I was reading today in Proverbs 15, and was really struck again by how important it is to let the words from our mouths be words that are pleasing, wise, and wholesome. I read things like, "Gentle words bring life and health"; "Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!"; "he (God) delights in pure words."; "The godly think before speaking"
Our words can do great damage or bring great healing and encouragement. So remember today to watch your words, and take the time to think before you speak. Look for an opportunity today to bless someone with the words from your mouth. An encouraging word at the right time can bring wonderful results in a persons life and day.

Kindness

I was reading in the Book of Proverbs this morning and read the following, "It's wrong to hate others, but God blesses everyone who is kind to the poor. " (Pr.14:21) It is such an important thing for us to always be aware of the potential needs of those who are less-fortunate. If it's important to God it should be important to us. I believe our first thought shouldn't be to see what we can get out of it, but how it can bless the other person(s). But, God does tell us that He will do something for you in return for your extended hand of love to someone else. That 'blessing' that we read He will give can come in many different forms, but the awesome thing about God is that He knows what we have need of better than we do. So, be aware this week of someone you might be able to be kind to. Those in need are all around us, sometimes we just need to slow down and listen.

on the rock

This being the first time I have ever blogged I suppose it would be appropriate to make my first one a Happy Mother's Day to all you hardworking Mom's out there. Take a rest today and enjoy this day that has been set aside for you to be honored for all you do for us crazy sons and daughters! :-)