Spinning

Re-read Mark chapter 14 when Jesus walked on water. And go to Living Hope Church if you want to recap what was said in the message by Carlton Matthews on Sunday.

I was once told in the world of business, “don’t walk on water boy, cause once you do people will expect it of you.” Well, I know I always did my best when I went to work but I don’t think that my efforts ever came close to the physics bending miracle of actually walking on water.

What did they mean? Well the phrase was referencing something out of the ordinary. Something extra-ordinary, something supernatural; not natural. All of us desire to see, experience something like this in our lifetime. Yet the kicker is the consuming nature of normal life.

Our circumstances in life easily consume us and keep us from seeing the road ahead clearly. We stumble like a person with little strength left and totally disorientated. I watched a documentary on how men are selected to become Green Bret’s (One of my uncles was one-I respect that man!) and I was amazed how quickly these soldiers were broken. One by one they voluntarily disqualified themselves. What was breaking these harden warriors down? The drill instructors were not screaming in their faces, no they had found a better way to break a man down. They would change their circumstances around, having them role around on the ground and line up and role and pick up a 1,000 pound log and drop it and roll around again. You think, “ahhh-that’s nothing!” Well it was something because many men stronger and better than us where crawling out of that pit of disorientation – broken!

Peter found himself in a similar situation. Focusing on Christ, his life, purpose and direction were clear. But the wind and waves reminded him of his past. He thought “I can’t do this, I can’t walk on water”, reason began to take hold. I could imagine it was even more difficult for Peter being a fisherman. He knew all there was about water, waves, boats and the dangers of the open water. His knowledge took over and his faith took a back seat. And as that transfer occurred his feet simultaneously began to surrender to the waves.

Stop trying to find yourself, lose yourself in the sight of Jesus. We do best when we lose our pride and find His eyes. Fix your eyes on Jesus only in this life! There is nothing, and I mean nothing that will compare to the vision you see when you look into His eyes. Whisper His name, Jesus, call out His name, JESUS, shout out His name JESUS!

“Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:25)

God is Risky

Re-read Mark chapter 9 when Jesus cast out a demon. And go to Living Hope Church if you want to recap what was said in the message by Pastor Paul on Sunday.

I can’t recall a single conversation in person, on TV or over the internet in which a person denied the existence of evil. All it takes is a very elemental look at the world to see that evil is real and a very present danger. Yet, often we live our lives as if it does not exist. We tend to care less about it, will let it in our own lives and often will pay money to be entertained by it! Until that evil comes for us.

It is then we discover the true nature of evil. That it is not a side-show actor or a great life coach, but a destructive force that lays waste to everything it comes into contact with.

Satan is the leader of evil, he is evil and all his desires lend evil. He is a liar, deceiver, destroyer of all things good and Godly. It is his desire to devour you in anyway you will let him. Now don’t get too high on yourself thinking that you are the conquering prize satan is after, you are just a means to an end.

Satan’s real desire is to hurt God Himself. Yet he knows there is nothing in his power he can do to hurt God. Our God is too powerful and Holy to overcome, it’s impossible for satan to beat God. So what does he do?

He gets back at God through you! See, the only way that satan can hurt God, break His heart and try win a spiritual battle is through you and me! If satan and his demonic forces can cripple us emotionally, spiritually and even physically then he can hurt God. God loves us so much that it breaks His heart when we hurt. It wrenches His emotions when we disobey and feel the full impact of the evil we let into our lives. It causes God to take risks.

Did you ever think about that? That God took a risk? Yes He did. He sent is only Son on this earth to die for Sin. To go toe to toe with evil and conquer it all so that you and I can decide which side we will follow. It’s a risk, because even though God has done everything required to open the door to holiness and wholeness we still have to choose to walk through it and to continue to walk with Him. It’s risky when you don’t force someone to do something.

So it is right there, in the mind of man, that satan and evil actually has a chance to win. It’s there in the risk that evil has an even shot at victory. It will never take down God, but evil will destroy many people in the process. I encourage you to never be a willing partner to evil, don’t let it take you down. Resist it from your life and cast it out. Now that’s a miracle!!!

“…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15)

“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13)

Running on Empty

Re-read John chapter 2 for Jesus' first miracle. And go to Living Hope Church if you want to recap what was said in the message by Pastor Paul on Sunday.

Jackson Browne wrote a song I still remember in my formative days growing up. It was called “Running on empty”. You probably remember it too and if you don’t you are googlein’ it now. I suggest it as a ringtone, it’s got a great chorus.

Anyway the song says: “Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels, Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields, In sixty-five I was seventeen and running up one-o-one I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on

Running on, running on empty, Running on, running blind, Running on, running into the sun, But I'm running behind.”

So many people I know are just like this. I was just like this. The song describes the biggest dis-ease on the planet. It kills more people each year than all top 10 killer diseases of Malaria, Measles, HIV/AIDS… It is the disease of being empty on the inside. It drives us to do things we know are not right, to say things that we will regret later. Often the very presence of it keeps us from finding our healing. Like a Chinese finger puzzle, the harder you pull the tighter the grip of running on empty becomes.

See that is why in Christian circles they call them “lost”. That is because when we strive for life outside of Jesus we get lost. No matter how hard we try no peg will fit into the Jesus hole. Cars won’t, friends won’t, money won’t, religion won’t, even trying to offend God won’t. You can run, you can run hard, fast and far, but when you get to the end of your breath and strength, Jesus will be the one there handing you the cup of water.

I suggest you stop running and instead start reaching! Reach higher, reach farther, reach in faith; reach to the SON!

The song continues: “Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive, Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive, In sixty-nine I was twenty-one and I called the road my own, I don't know when that road turned onto the road I'm on…”

Instead of trying to keep your love alive in the things of this world, let your love go and accept Christ’s love! When you do, confusion clears, years compound and the road you travel is one that you can be sure will bring life!

But wait there is more, the song continues: “Everyone I know, everywhere I go, People need some reason to believe, I don't know about anyone but me, If it takes all night, that'll be all right, If I can get you to smile before I leave.”

What passion! A man trying to get a girl to smile, so He can believe again in life again! Sacrificially driven to find purpose, a man focused on one goal. He is running, running on, running on empty.

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!” (Matthew 18:7)

Jesus tells us that He is sorry for those that set their hearts on the things of this world, He feels your pain and the pain of all the years of running on empty. Will you stop and find your rest and salvation in God? Will you read this and still keep running? I do pray and hope in a tangible God you won’t!

Cluttered Lives

Church today seems to be in a state of disrepair. Makeovers seem to be what is on the menu. Clutter abounds in the many programs and opportunities churches offer today. What is funny is that it is not in the amount, but in the placement of them that creates or clears clutter. I have seen churches with few things that are cluttered, and churches with many things that are simple.

It seems counter-intitutive but it just is a clue to a deeper principle. The principle is that in God’s kingdom process reigns. There is a guy you need to get to know, his name is Hezekiah. He is a process guy. Called by God to lead the Israelites back to the God’s heart he had to start by getting rid of the clutter in the kingdom. His story is recorded in 2 Kings chapters 18 -20, 2 Chronicles chapters 29-33. In 2 Kings chapter 18 he starts off by throwing out the pagan idols (I can already hear the church leaders giving a rebel yell). He takes out the godless clutter better than any first person shooter game of today. He removes the competing objects of attention and affection. And all the church leaders where happy he had the guts they did not have.

But the next part of the process was shocking. He broke the bronze snake Moses held during their exodus.

(2 Kings 18:4) “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan)”

He did not just accidently break it or lose it he shattered something that God had instructed Moses to make, something that had been a symbol of their freedom, of God’s provision and protection. It was the source of the salvation from the snakebites recorded in Numbers 21:6-8.

“He got rid of it because it was clutter. It was clutter because people worshiped it. It took attention away from the real savior. Bronze was worshiped. A fake snake was adored. What was once a good thing became an idol. It got in the way of their worship to God. The tool for worship became the object of worship.” (Simple Church Book)

We have to be willing to let the things of our past go! Not just the junk that we disdain but also the things that brought us great memories. I am sure the Israelite's did have good times and good memories of Egypt. Most likely it was those good times that caused them to grumble against Moses when things got tough. They said “I wanna go back!!! I liked it better back there, I liked it better in slavery!”

What kinda crazy talk is that? It’s clutter talk, talk that says I like my clutter more than I like my God. So much I will offer my clutter to God instead of accepting His offering through Jesus Christ. I want my clutter more than I want God.

(Matthew 24:4) “Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you…”

BTW, that includes you. As you go through the Holy Spirit’ process of being made Holy we have to stay humble, pliable, flexible. Let Him remove the clutter from your life!

(Joshua 24:21) “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Money, Sex & Power

What are the things that trip you up in life? If you took the time to list them, what would they be? Would you be honest and list the really deep issues or would you just skip off the surface and take a casual approach? The reality of it is that even with the best intentioned approach we can find ourselves being tripped up, caught by an unseen enemy.

When the happens to me I ask myself, “where did that come from?” “Man that thought was random, that urge was totally wrong!” I begin to create my list and often fall short of getting the answers. I am so thankful that the ½ brother of Jesus figured it out.

(James 4:1-3) “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Desires that come from within me, well that means that the majority of things that trip me up are my fault not others! So what is yours? Money, sex, power, addiction….

“The surest symbol of a heart not yet fully subdued to God and His will is going to be found in the areas of money, sex and power: in wanting these things for ourselves. The surest symbol of spiritual earnestness will be in the checkbook, the affections and the ego-drive surrendered to Him. A disciple must have discipline. He must not be afraid of being asked by God for some of the time, the money and the pleasure he has been in the habit of a calling his “own.” This does not mean that there will not be time for the family and time for some healthy diversion. But it does mean that we are never---on vacation, or wherever we may be—exempt form our primary commitment to Him.” Samuel Shoemaker

Many people mistakenly think that by going to church it will help them with their desires within. The problem is that church is only the mechanism brings out and enhances the Christian. It does not change the Christian, only Jesus changes the sinner to a saint. And only He can perform the spiritual surgery you need in order to overcome and be called one of His disciples.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)