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!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
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?
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?
Monday, June 11, 2007
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!"
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!"
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
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.
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.
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