WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU ARE IN GOD'S WAITING ROOM

But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. (Psalm 38:15 ESV)

I think that I'm a pretty patient guy - that is, until I have to wait for something.  It is then that I find out that I'm not as patient as I thought I was.  I've even prayed for "God to give me patience and for Him to give it to me right now."  As I look back on my life - it has been a series of events that have caused me to be "waiting" for many things.

There are other kinds of waiting. Waiting for the right job. Waiting for the right spouse. Here’s one: waiting for your spouse to finally become the person you want them to be.

Or, you might be waiting and wondering if you’re stuck in life and -- it (whatever “it” is) might never happen.

Have you ever realized that many of these situations are God’s waiting rooms.

They’re places along our trek through life where God says, "Wait here." And what looks like 10 minutes turns out to be 10 months, or even 10 years.

The Bible provides several instances of people who waited -- and waited --- for God’s next move.

Moses is a classic illustration. He herded sheep on the backside of the desert for 40 years before God returned him to leadership. The apostle Paul cooled his heels seven years before his ministry began.

And then there is Joseph who had to wait over 16 years before God begin to fulfill His promises in his life.

God had two objectives in Joseph's life - 1- to build his character and 2 - to test his character.  This is no different than you or I.  The more that you are used by God - the more that your character will be tested.

Thankfully, Joseph survived the character test.  He was falsely accused, imprisoned and forgotten in an Egyptian prison. He could have become very bitter toward God, but he didn't.  He could have become manipulative with the system but he continued to trust in God.  He could have forgotten and forsook the dreams given to him by God but he treasured them in his heart for "some day."  He didn't walk away from God and become bitter about a God who isn't faithful - he just waited.

So how did Joseph respond? And how could he continue to demonstrate the kind of character we’ve already witnessed? First,

1. Joseph Trusted God’s Character. (39:21-23)

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. (Genesis 39:21-23 ESV)

In these passages we see that "the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him.  We see that the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper."

Joseph believed in a God who is not only all-wise and all-loving, but all-powerful. The God he served did place his servants in circumstances that were harsh and unpleasant, but He also went with them, and He gave them His grace to endure it. Joseph’s dark days remind every one of us that believers will suffer and that God employs precisely those times to accomplish His purposes.

He’s not sitting in the corner pouting and whining. He doesn’t disengage. He’s doing good and staying "faithful."

2- Joseph Responded By Serving Others. (Genesis 40:4)

The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. (Genesis 40:4 ESV)

Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker offend Pharaoh. The details aren’t given. But they land in the same place Joseph is being held. And look at what verse 4 says, he took care of them, and they were in confinement for some time. The Hebrew word used is: he ministered, he served. It means to wait on and attend to. He met the needs of fellow prisoners. Later, after their dreams, they’ve got sad depressed looks. And he doesn’t ignore that: he makes it a point to ask them in v. 7, why are your faces so sad today.

We need to grasp this: this man isn’t consumed with himself. He doesn’t go through this hard time always asking “why me!!!??” He enters into it, he engages with His God, he senses God’s presence -- he’s no doubt spending time revisiting and meditating on God’s character -- and he responds accordingly. When you learn to trust in God’s character, yours will grow as well.

When the waiting begins, when the hard times come, let me urge you: get in God’s Word and grow your view of God’s character. Never assume the worst about God. Let Him mature you as you trust Who He is.

3- Joseph Remembered God’s Promise. (Genesis 40:8)

They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” (Genesis 40:8 ESV)

The two dreams of the butler and baker here in chapter 40 would have immediately brought to Joseph’s mind his own dreams. He had never forgotten his own -- that’s why he immediately tells them to recount theirs to him: why? Because he says in v. 8, interpretations of dreams belong to God.

Joseph’s unswerving confidence in God was based in God’s divine revelation. He knew that God had been the source of his dreams. And God had confirmed them to him again and again. He knew what Peter would later write: God is not slow, in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness (2 Peter 3:9).

4. Joseph Recognized God’s Hand. (40:1-4, 8, 14, 15)

Joseph didn’t wallow in self-pity. He served fellow prisoners, he took on responsibility and he was faithful in everything he was given to do there. The chief jailer trusted him and gave him more responsibility.

Joseph had his eyes open and he was God’s man in that place. And God would use his service later as the means by which he would be rescued.

But, too, when God moved, Joseph recognized what He was doing. And Joseph was ready. Two men who had Pharaoh’s ear were dropped into his care. They had mysterious dreams. God used Joseph to minister to them - realizing that God's hand was on that situation.

Perhaps you are in God’s waiting room right now. The doors aren’t made of iron, but they are locked. How are you responding? Let me remind you -- let me encourage you:

Do not imagine for a single moment that God has abandoned you! Let Him do His work. Get into His Word of Truth. Seek His face. Tell Him all that’s in your heart. Cast yourself on Him. Trust Him maybe like never before. Remind yourself every day of His character, review His promises and watch for what He’s doing, and make yourself available again to Him.

HOW TO BECOME A PERSON OF INTEGRITY

If I was to offer you a $20.00 bill - would you take it?  Now, what if I was to crumble it up, step on it, roll it around - would you still want it?  Of course you would.  The value remains no matter what the item looks like on the outside - no matter how scarred, bruised or beaten it is - the value is the same.  That is integrity.  It keeps its value - no matter what you've gone through in life.

A person of integrity is validated by their words and their deeds. If we are pure in heart we can be pure in action. Integrity is making my daily actions line up with my heart’s values.

I must value the benefits of integrity.  If I am going to be a person of integrity than I must understand the value to determine if it is worth the price I must pay.

1. Integrity provides me with Protection (less fear)

Psalm 25:21 - May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. 

Mark Twain said: “Speaking honestly is better. It takes a lot of stress out of our lives. If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything, but if you don’t tell the truth you have to remember what you said.”

When I have integrity I have protection. I have less fear and less stress because I do not have to look over my shoulder all of the time.

2. Integrity provides me with Security (greater confidence)

Proverbs 10:9 - The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

I can be confident that what I do is right and that it will prosper (though it may not prosper financially at times, it can prosper in other ways!) If you walk with integrity you do not have to worry about having a shaky foundation for what you do, it provides a firm foundation.

3. Integrity provides me with Guidance (better decision)

Proverbs 11:3 - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. 

In a society without moral absolutes anything goes. When people can choose what is right and wrong without having a standard, how do you decide which way to go? Eventually you will get caught in your duplicity. It will come back to bite you. If you live in integrity then your decisions are easier to make – your integrity guides you.

4. Integrity provides me with Hope (future rewards)

Job 4:6 - “Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

Hope for what? Hope that some day when I stand before God I will not be ashamed of how I lived and what He will say to me. Hope that I will be commended and not rebuked for my lifestyle and the testimony that I had while alive.

I must elevate myself to model integrity.

SO how do we do it? How can we become people of integrity? What can I do or change in my life so that I can experience the benefits of integrity and the blessing of God?

HOW TO BECOME A PERSON OF INTEGRITY

1) ASK GOD TO TEST MY HEART

Have any of you ever had an EKG? What is the purpose of it? IT is to determine the health of the heart. To help find potential problems and to help diagnose future problems. It is a test of the condition of the heart.

This physical testing of the heart is what God needs to do to us in a spiritual sense. He needs to come in and find out the condition of our heart and fix it before major problems take over!

1 Chronicles 29:17 - I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 

You see, God is pleased with integrity and examines the heart to see if a person is full of integrity r full of bologna! What you believe in your heart will determine how you act when placed in a tempting situation.

Psalm 26:2 - Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind

So, how does God show us what is questionable and also what is characteristic of integrity. One way is through the Bible. That is why the next point is so vital.

2) STUDY TO KNOW WHAT IS TRUE

Throughout the Bible you will find the words: honesty, purity, truth, upright and complete all translated from the same words meaning integrity – they are all synonymous.

If, therefore, we are going to live lives of integrity we must know what integrity looks like. That comes from spending time in the Bible with God.

2 Timothy 2:15 - Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (NASB)

If we take the time to read and study the Bible and apply the truths that we read to our lives, then we can live lives of integrity. Why? Because the Bible is the only standard for living that is true and unchanging.

3) APPLY GOD’S WORD TO YOU DAILY ACTIVITIES / WORK

Psalm 15:1-2 - O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.

Walking in integrity means integrating all of what God’s Word says into our daily activities. It means that I become a doer of the word.

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Education without Application is Abortion!

4) REMAIN FAITHFUL IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Have you ever gone through one of those times in your life where it feels like your whole world is caving in? It seems like you will not be able to handle another day of calamity! “If one more thing goes wrong I’m gonna lose it!”

I have a word for you today – don’t ever give up. Don’t ever, ever, ever, give up. Do whatever you can to remain faithful.

Job was a man who went through an awful lot but remained faithful.

Job 2:3 - Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.” 

God commends Job for his character. He is: blameless, upright, fears God and shuns evil

His character was good. The fact that he kept his character in tack in spite of the best efforts of Satan made him a man of integrity.

He lost his home, kids, wealth and health.

But he never gave up on God. If you feel like you are about ready to give up on God, take time today to pray and ask God to renew your strength. Find a friend, a brother or sister from church, and ask them to pray with you.

Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Remain faithful to God… he remains faithful to you.

5) REFUSE TO BE PERSUADED BY OTHERS

Mark 12:14 - They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 

Job, had 3 friends that that were not the kind of friends you want to have. They kept trying to convince Job that he had sinned against God and needed to get right with God. Job knew better.

And, if they aren’t enough, even Job’s wife gets in on the act and tells Job:

Job 2:9-10 - His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 

We must never let others dictate what we do. They must never come between us and what is right; what is full of integrity. To become a person of integrity I must do what is right and refuse to be persuaded by others.

You see, it is not what other people think about you that counts. It is what God thinks of you that you will care about… whether that is today or at the end of your life, sooner or later you will agree with me that the only thing that counts is what God is going to think and say about you. And His word says this:

Job 8:20 - “Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity, nor will He support the evildoers.

The fact is that integrity has a much higher value than riches or fame:

Proverbs 19:1 - Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

Proverbs 28:6 - Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is crooked though he be rich.

But integrity must be worked at.

Psalm 101:2 - … I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.

If it doesn’t work at home, it doesn’t work. It has to start be each of us being deliberate about modeling it. It means making sure that what we say and what we do – no matter what the circumstances – line up with each other. It means making our actions line up with our heart and making sure our heart is in tune with God.

Sermon gleaned from Pastor Michael Biolsi.

7 THINGS YOUR PASTORS WISH Things THEY COULD TELL YOU (But Probably Won't)

Here is an article by Pastor Shane Bishop.  It's not a complaint, just an observation and a worthy read.  I'm not legalistic in regards to this list but it might help you in understanding a little "behind the scenes."

Most pastors I know have clear calls to ministry, work long hours, carry battle scars, sometimes get discouraged, and struggle to balance vocation and family.

They really do have servants' hearts, but they are human and there are a few considerate things the people in the pews can do to support their pastors. If you could be a fly on the wall when pastors talk amongst themselves, you may be quite surprised by what you hear and how often you would hear the same things over and over.

Here are seven things your pastor would love to tell you (but probably won’t):

1. Don’t give me another book to read.

Reading a book takes hours, and reading a book about something in which your pastor is not interested will simply never happen. When you ask the next Sunday if they read the book, you put your pastor in a really bad position. “That is simply never going to happen” seems harsh, and “I will get to it this week” is probably not true. If you want your pastor to read a book, recommend it, tell why you think it will be a blessing, and summarize it in a book review of 250 words. They can pick it up themselves if they want to read more.

2. Don’t complain about something just before worship.

This establishes that your need to vent is more important than the people in the sanctuary receiving the best your pastor has to give. Pastors know there is often discontinuity in the church, but right when church is getting ready to start is NEVER the right time to bring something up. Nothing will ruin a sermon before it starts quicker than a complainer.

3. Don’t drop by the office and expect me to drop what I am doing.

Pastors work under deadlines. We have to write articles, fill out reports, and write and rehearse messages. When a funeral or emergency pops up, those deadlines stay in place, often creating highly pressurized afternoons of preparation. Someone stopping by to “chew the fat” simply exacerbates the tension. Your pastor is a professional, please call and make an appointment so they can give you their full attention.

4. Don’t call me at home unless it is an emergency.

If it is an emergency, CALL, but if it will wait until tomorrow, let it. Clergy marriages and families are greatly impacted on the negative side when a family supper, a movie night, a vacation or a school event is interrupted by something that could easily have waited until tomorrow.

5. Don’t communicate your frustration over email.

Back in the old days, it was harder to send hate mail. You had to find paper and a pen, write the letter, get an envelope, buy a stamp and put it in the mailbox. This process could take hours, and often the letter was intercepted by the writer somewhere along the way and destroyed. These days, you can whip off a digital hunk of burning frustration in seconds and do great damage. Never communicate negative feelings or frustrations via email. It will be received in the worst possible way 100 percent of the time.

6. Don’t expect a long conversation on Sunday morning.

Your pastor needs to speak to as many people as possible as they enter and exit church. On a given Sunday morning, I make personal contact with hundreds of people. If you need more than 10 seconds of your pastor’s time, let it wait for another time.

7. Remember, everything you say gets back to me.

Most lay people don’t believe this, but it is true. There are dozens of people in every church who rush to tell the pastor every bad thing people are saying about them. They consider this to both be their spiritual gift and their ministry. EVERYTHING gets back. If you are going to talk behind your pastor’s back, say really good stuff. That gets back too and builds trust.

All churches want emotionally healthy pastors with strong marriages, great families and relentless passion for ministry. Congregations who follow these seven simple steps go a long way to insure themselves just that!

OVERCOMING FEAR IN YOUR LIFE

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. (Psalm 55:4, 5 ESV)

One of the areas that I have had to deal with in life is fear.  For the most part I have been a very confidant person in life but there have been some events that have paralyzed me and made me weak and indecisive.

It's interesting - one of the most often used commands in the Bible is “Fear not.” God knows that it is a human emotion that we will have to deal with often in our lives.

In the New Testament - when Jesus came walking on the water - He tells Peter to get out of the boat and walk to Him.  Do you think that Peter was a little fearful at that time?  I think so.

FEAR IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY PEOPLE REFUSE TO GET OUT OF THE BOAT!

So… we need to hear this command all the time.

Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Black Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart would later say from prison that he didn’t need to fire a shot; all he had to do was to use fear to paralyze his victims. “Fear, the face of the unknown, was my weapon of choice, my weapon of intimidation.” His sinister presence and his threat of words was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard.



We also live in a changing world marked by terrorism, wars, and the constant threat of nuclear, biological or chemical extinction. But praise God, whatever fearful situation we may face; there are biblical immutables that are forever the same.  We must fight fear by anchoring our lives in this truth: Our MASTER never changes, our MESSAGE never changes, and our MISSION never changes. 

What is urgently needed today is an anointing of the Holy Spirit to relate our foundational unchanging gospel to the fearful changing world in which we live.

Look at some of the fears that people deal with...

Peladophobia: fear of baldness or fear of bald people.
Aerophobia: fear of drafts.
Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple.
Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people.
Levophobia: fear of objects on the left side of the body.
Dextrophobia: fear of objects on the right side of the body.
Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights.
Calyprophobia: fear of obscure meanings.
Thalassophobia: fear of being seated.
Stabisbasiphobia: fear of standing and walking.
Odontophobia: fear of teeth.
Graphophobia: fear of writing in public.
Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.

Here's a good definition of fear:

F  alse
E  evidence
A ppearing
R eal

There are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible – one for every day in the year, including one for leap year! It seems… that there is a constant battle between fear and trust.

There is a healthy place for fear but I must also not allow it to overrule me.  I want trust to be stronger quality instead of fear. I never want the “no” of fear to trump the “yes” of faith.

It's interesting - fear makes two appearances in the story of Jesus walking o the water.

First, the disciples are afraid because they do not understand that Jesus is with them in the storm.

Trust says jump.  Fear says no. Peter jumped.  And for a while – everything went smoothly.

Then fear struck a second time – He saw the wind.  And this led to the next phase – HE BECAME FRIGHTENED.

His response to the wind and the storm was to give in to fear. He lost he sense of confidence that Jesus was master of the situation. He did not just sink in the water, but he sank in his own anxiety and worry.

I believe the reason God says “fear not” so often is that fear will sink us faster than anything else. Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacles to trusting and obeying God.

What are the things that bring fear into your life on an on going basis? Trust and fear have been battling each other for your heart for a long time now.  Eventually one or the other will win. Think about your life tonight.

WHAT IS JESUS CALLING YOU TO JUMPT TO HIM WITH RECKLESS ABANDON TODAY? Don't let your fear reign in your life but let faith rise up and take control.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES DON'T GO YOUR WAY

One thing I've learned throughout life is this - I'm not God and I don't determine what happens to my life.  I am though responsible for how I handle my reactions to the different circumstances that come my way.

I've also learned some principles that help me in how I handle life and what is thrown my way.  I'm not perfect but in doing the following things I think you will be able to face any obstacle that might be thrown your way.

1. Trust The Sovereignty Of God

Definition: Sovereignty means that God, as the ruler of the Universe, has the right to do whatever he wants. Further, he is in complete control over everything that happens.

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. (Psalm 115:3 ESV)

As I sat in the hospital waiting room while my grandson was fighting for his life I had to come to terms with this principle, either God was God or He wasn't.  As hard as it was - I couldn't question God or His decision to allow my grandson to die.

Many circumstances have come and gone in my life but each and every time I've had to remind myself of the absolute sovereignty of God.

2. Train Your Eyes To See The Potential Around You

Look for evidence of God’s presence not His absence in your everyday life.  As human beings we tend to look at the negative and not the positive.  We tend to see the bad side of life and not the good. What is your eye trained to look at?  Do you see light or do you see darkness?  We need to retrain our eyes to see what God sees.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22, 23 ESV)

3. Use Well The The Authority Given To You

For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down. (2 Corinthians 13:10 ESV)

A lot of people don’t use the authority given them in good way – especially when things are not going our way.  Notice what he says…  Build up and don’t tear down.  Be a servant to others. Learn to use the authority that God has given you to speak encouragement to others. God’s authority in your life comes through building others up.  Serve others. When you’re being pushed and pressured – just start serving others.

4. Do What You Can With What You Have

What can you do right now?  Don’t wait for the perfect moment or situation.

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4 ESV)


You will never have perfect conditions.  There will always be obstacles in your way. Do what you can right now with what you have.You say…  I don’t have much.  I can’t do much.  I have too many problems. If God is in it and you are not able to do it – THEN HE WILL COME THROUGH WITH A MIRACLE.

And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, (Exodus 15:25 ESV)

5. Don't Compare Yourself To Others

You are uniquely you.  God created you and you don't have to compare yourself to others.  This will be a hinderance every time.  Take what you have and use it for God's glory and don't allow that to be a blockage to God's plans for your life.

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV)

Though times may be tough and the road real rough - just believe
Though you've cried many tears and waited many years - just believe
God said He will - so just be still and believe
For God will truly do what He promised you - if you just believe
Just belive in His Word - trust in what you've heard
Just believe when your heart is broken and recall what He's spoken - just believe
For God cannot lie so don't ask why - just believe
Let fear fade away and let your soul just say - I believe

7 WAYS GOD DISCIPLINES OUR DISOBEDIENCE

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. (Psalm 32:8, 9 ESV)

As a kid growing up I had the type of parents who used their eyes to guide us as kids.  I could be clear across the room doing something I shouldn't be doing when all of a sudden I would catch my mom or dad's "stink eye" which said, "Stop doing what you're doing or you will wish that you had."  If I didn't take heed to their warnings I would be in big trouble.

As a parent, I learned that I could put the fear of God into my own children just by the look that I gave them.

David teaches us in this passage that we need to be so in tune with God that we would be guided by His eyes.  With just a look toward His eyes we would know whether we were going the right way or not.  We would know whether He was pleased with us or not.

This method is great as long as we are compliant and yielding but what happens when we are a little more stubborn and rebellious.  Well, God turns up the pressure and delivers the "bit and bridal" method to our lives - a more unpleasant experience.

The bridal is put over the horses head but the bit was placed under their tongue to force the horses into submission.

Actually, there is a biblical process for bringing us all into submission to God's will.  It's start gentle and moves to being more harsh depending on our response...

GOD'S METHODS OF DISCIPLINE

1. By His GRACE 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (Titus 2:11, 12 ESV)

2. By His WORD

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

3. Through LEADERSHIP

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1, 2 ESV)

4. The Bit And The Bridle

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. (Psalm 32:8, 9 ESV)

5. Through The Rod Of Men

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, (2 Samuel 7:14 ESV)

An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him. (Proverbs 17:11 ESV)

6. Through Sickness And Pain

For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:14-18 ESV)

7. Open Humiliation

Deuteronomy 8

Notice what the scriptures say to us about heeding the discipline of The Lord...

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:19, 20 ESV)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Hebrews 3:7-11 ESV)

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. (Psalm 119:67, 71 ESV)

DON'T IGNORE GOD'S WARNING LIGHTS

...But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:27 ESV)

Have you ever done something that you know displeased God?  Perhaps nobody said anything to you but the Holy Spirit keeps knocking on your door to get it right with God.  It is like a warning light on a car.   I know it has happened to me many times.  You can either ignore it or you can take heed and do something about it (which is so much better).

In this Psalm - David did some things that were really bad - he had an affair with his next door neighbor and ended up killing her husband to cover it up.  He tried to go on with life as if nothing happened until eventually God sent a prophet to him to call out his sin.  (When God has to do this - it's usually not a pretty sight).

Earlier, David had been called a "man after God's own heart," and now David's behavior displeased God.  David needed repentance and cleansing.  A prophet, Nathan, is sent to speak to him about his sins and David finds himself confessing His sins before God.

I can imagine that through many tears David pens Psalms 51 - seeking the forgiveness from God Almighty.

It is worth reading...

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:1-12 ESV).

A number of years ago I was driving a VW bus whose engine light was going off while I was driving it.  I kept ignoring it until eventually I noticed that there was smoke coming out of the engine.  I kept ignoring the smoke also until I realized that the engine was actually on fire which led to the destruction of that van.  The warnings were there but I just kept ignoring them.

God is sending His warning (the Holy Spirit) to your life about making some needed changes.  Are you taking heed to them or are you ignoring them? To do the latter will only keep you on a path of destruction.  God is wanting to pour out His blessings on your life but will only do so as you come to Him in repentance and ask Him to cleanse you of ever sin - big or little.  Don't wait until you are forced to repent - do it now and allow God's refreshing streams to flow over every part of your life.  It is then that you will experience the goodness of God again.

8 REASONS WHY I BELIEVE JESUS ROSE FROM DEAD

A great article by John Piper:

"A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are."

1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead.

Jesus spoke openly about what would happen to him: crucifixion and then resurrection from the dead. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31; see also Matthew 17:22; Luke 9:22). Those who consider the resurrection of Christ unbelievable will probably say that Jesus was deluded or (more likely) that the early church put these statements in his mouth to make him teach the falsehood that they themselves conceived. But those who read the Gospels and come to the considered conviction that the one who speaks so compellingly through these witnesses is not the figment of foolish imagination will be unsatisfied with this effort to explain away Jesus’ own testimony to his resurrection from the dead.
This is especially true in view of the fact that the words which predict the resurrection are not only the simple straightforward words quoted above, but also the very oblique and indirect words which are far less likely to be the simple invention of deluded disciples. For example, two separate witnesses testify in two very different ways to Jesus’ statement during his lifetime that if his enemies destroyed the temple (of his body), he would build it again in three days (John 2:19; Mark 14:58; cf. Matthew 26:61). He also spoke illusively of the “sign of Jonah”—three days in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39; 16:4). And he hinted at it again in Matthew 21:42—“The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” On top of his own witness to the coming resurrection, his accusers said that this was part of Jesus’ claim: “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise’” (Matthew 27:63).
Our first evidence of the resurrection, therefore, is that Jesus himself spoke of it. The breadth and nature of the sayings make it unlikely that a deluded church made these up. And the character of Jesus himself, revealed in these witnesses, has not been judged by most people to be a lunatic or a deceiver.

2. The tomb was empty on Easter.

The earliest documents claim this: “When they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:3). And the enemies of Jesus confirmed it by claiming that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:13). The dead body of Jesus could not be found. There are four possible ways to account for this.
2.1 His foes stole the body. If they did (and they never claimed to have done so), they surely would have produced the body to stop the successful spread of the Christian faith in the very city where the crucifixion occurred. But they could not produce it.
2.2 His friends stole the body. This was an early rumor (Matthew 28:11-15). Is it probable? Could they have overcome the guards at the tomb? More important, would they have begun to preach with such authority that Jesus was raised, knowing that he was not? Would they have risked their lives and accepted beatings for something they knew was a fraud?
2.3 Jesus was not dead, but only unconscious when they laid him in the tomb. He awoke, removed the stone, overcame the soldiers, and vanished from history after a few meetings with his disciples in which he convinced them he was risen from the dead. Even the foes of Jesus did not try this line. He was obviously dead. The Romans saw to that. The stone could not be moved by one man from within who had just been stabbed in the side by a spear and spent six hours nailed to a cross.
2.4 God raised Jesus from the dead. This is what he said would happen. It is what the disciples said did happen. But as long as there is a remote possibility of explaining the resurrection naturalistically, modern people say we should not jump to a supernatural explanation. Is this reasonable? I don’t think so. Of course, we don’t want to be gullible. But neither do we want to reject the truth just because it’s strange. We need to be aware that our commitments at this point are much affected by our preferences—either for the state of affairs that would arise from the truth of the resurrection, or for the state of affairs that would arise from the falsehood of the resurrection. If the message of Jesus has opened you to the reality of God and the need of forgiveness, for example, then anti-supernatural dogma might lose its power over your mind. Could it be that this openness is not prejudice for the resurrection, but freedom from prejudice against it?

3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).

Their explanation of this change was that they had seen the risen Christ and had been authorized to be his witnesses (Acts 2:32). The most popular competing explanation is that their confidence was owing to hallucinations. There are numerous problems with such a notion. The disciples were not gullible, but level-headed skeptics both before and after the resurrection. (Mark 9:32, Luke 24:11, John 20:8-9, 25). Moreover, is the deep and noble teaching of those who witnessed the risen Christ the stuff of which hallucinations are made? What about Paul’s great letter to the Romans? I personally find it hard to think of this giant intellect and deeply transparent soul as deluded or deceptive, and he claimed to have seen the risen Christ.

4. Paul claimed that not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.

“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6). What makes this so relevant is that this was written to Greeks who were skeptical of such claims when many of these witnesses were still alive. So it was a risky claim if it could be disproved by a little firsthand research.

5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.

The church spread on the power of the testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God had thus made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Lordship of Christ over all nations is based on his victory over death. This is the message that spread all over the world. Its power to cross cultures and create one new people of God was a strong testimony of its truth.

6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection.

He argues to a partially unsympathetic audience in Galatians 1:11-17 that his gospel comes from the risen Jesus Christ, not from men. His argument is that before his Damascus Road experience when he saw the risen Jesus, he was violently opposed to the Christian faith (Acts 9:1). But now, to everyone’s astonishment, he is risking his life for the gospel (Acts 9:24-25). His explanation: The risen Jesus appeared to him and authorized him to spearhead the Gentile mission (Acts 26:15-18). Can we credit such a testimony? This leads to the next argument.

7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers.

How do you credit a witness? How do you decide whether to believe a person’s testimony? The decision to give credence to a person’s testimony is not the same as completing a mathematical equation. The certainty is of a different kind, yet can be just as firm (I trust my wife’s testimony that she is faithful). When a witness is dead, we can base our judgment of him only on the content of his writings and the testimonies of others about him. How do Peter and John and Matthew and Paul stack up?
In my judgment (and at this point we can live authentically only by our own judgment—Luke 12:57), these men’s writings do not read like the works of gullible, easily deceived or deceiving men. Their insights into human nature are profound. Their personal commitment is sober and carefully stated. Their teachings are coherent and do not look like the invention of unstable men. The moral and spiritual standard is high. And the lives of these men are totally devoted to the truth and to the honor of God.

8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.

The New Testament teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. ... He will glorify me” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit does not do this by telling us that Jesus rose from the dead. He does it by opening our eyes to see the self-authenticating glory of Christ in the narrative of his life and death and resurrection. He enables us to see Jesus as he really was, so that he is irresistibly true and beautiful. The apostle stated the problem of our blindness and the solution like this: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ... For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6).
A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are: a revelation of the truth and glory of God in the face of Christ—who is the same yesterday today and forever.

WHEN TROUBLE COMES - Psalm 20

1- May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2- May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3- May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah 4- May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! 5- 5- May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! 6 - Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7- Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8- They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9- O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call. (Psalm 20:1-9 ESV)

Each and every one of us will at some time face some sort of trouble in our lives.  It's a given fact.  No one is exempt from it and no one can escape its clutches as it is all around us.  That being said, there are some things that we can do to help us during troubling times.  Psalm 20 is written by David just as he was about to enter into battle.  His words and thoughts give us some needed help and inspiration WHEN TROUBLE COMES.

1. RELY ON GOD'S PROTECTION (verses 1-4)

In this Psalm David gives us help when trouble comes...

A. Ask God to Protect You (verse 1).

That word King David uses for protect is the Hebrew word that actually means to make lofty, or I like the word, inaccessible. The enemy is active and he wants to destroy the plan of God. Jesus declared in John 10:10 that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. When your day of trouble comes, the devil will attack your mind and many times, thoughts will arise that are against God and his plan. It is in this time you need to draw your attention toward God and ask God to make you inaccessible, to set you in a place the devil cannot attack you.

B. Ask God to Help You (verse 2).

You cannot live the Christian life without God’s help. It does not matter how strong you may be, how popular you are, how rich you are, you need God’s help EVERYDAY!

C. Ask God to Remember You (verse 3).

Even though you are busy at times and forget a few things, God will never forget you. Jesus encouraged us in Matthew 28:20, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. God loves each person in this building and he will NEVER forget you.

D. Ask God to Answer You (verse 4).

God can hear you wherever you are and at any time.  Call out for God to answer you in the day of trouble.

II.  PRAISE GOD CONTINUALLY  (verses 5-7).

This concept of trusting God is what gave Israel problems throughout their history. After Israel had crossed the Red Sea, they could not trust God to give them food. They could not trust God for water. It was very difficult for them to trust in God when times were not going their way. Many people are doing the same today. Many are placing their trust in something(s) other than God.

 What are you trusting in today?  Notice what David said..."Some trust in chariots and some in horses..."

Why did not David trust in chariots and horses? These things can fail us at any time.  Man's resources can fail.  Technology can fail - BUT GOD NEVER FAILS US.

Christians should trust God because salvation comes from Him (verse 5). Salvation in this context means deliverance. David knew God would deliver him from the hand of the enemy.

Scripture informs us that there were many times David was surrounded by the enemy. The story of David and Goliath, David and King Saul, and others demonstrate how David was surrounded by the enemy, and God delivered him. I am sure many of you have troubles and problems that seem overwhelming. I want to encourage you today by telling you to trust God. Talk to some Christians who have been believers for many years and listen to their stories of God’s salvation in their life and they will certainly tell you to trust God.

Christians should trust God because He hears our prayers (verse 6). There are many verses in the Bible that validate God’s attentiveness, yet one of my favorite scriptures is in Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear." God hears you the first time you pray.

In order for you and I to have protection in the day of trouble, not only must we rely on God’s protection and continue to trust God, but finally... IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE... we must:

III. REMEMBER GOD'S PROMISE OF VICTORY - (verses 8-9). 

I do not like to lose. I am not sure if I know anyone who does enjoy losing. I am sure if a professional athlete would talk to the media and tell them he/she will be playing to lose in tonight’s game, the athlete would not be on the team very long. Yet when I read the Word of God, I find out that I am on the winning team.

God promises we will stand (verse 8). It is SO comforting to know that even though trouble is all around you, YOU WILL STAND! Even though your enemies will fall, YOU WILL STAND!

Conclusion: Horatio Spafford was a great Christian man who knew about sorrow. He had lost his only son, 4 years old, to pneumonia. He lost part of his life savings in the Chicago fire. When he started to get his life turned around, someone told him to go to England to hear a preacher in Revival there. So he got tickets to take a ship there with his family, but at the last second, someone told him he needed to stay an extra day and clean up what the fires had destroyed. So he stayed while he sent his family to England. On the way, the ship his family was on collided with another ship and he lost all three of his daughters. But he found true comfort with the Lord. On his way to England to be with his wife, he told the captain to let him know where his daughters had died. After he saw the place, he went to his room and wrote these words...

When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrow like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well, with my soul. Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trails should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed his own blood for my soul.

Maybe you are here today and you have never given your life to Jesus, I want to invite you to do so today. Maybe you are here today and you are in the middle of trouble, I want to assure you that you can come here to the altar and someone will be here to pray with you. You are not alone! You can trust God for protection in the day of trouble, because God will give you the victory.

(Original sermon from Pastor Drake Caudill)

COME APART BEFORE YOU COME APART

Mark 6:30-32 (ESV) ³⁰  The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹  And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³²  And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

Having pastored for almost 40 years I’ve learned some lessonS the hard way about my own soul care and about the need for solitude and silence. The lesson is this: either I discipline myself to come apart and be with Jesus or I will end up being wore down and wore out and will be forced to take some time off.  Believe me, it is better for me to plan on time alone than to find myself broke down and in need of others to take care of me.

Nothing replenishes my soul like solitude.

It may have to do with whether you are an introvert or an extrovert – introverts gain their energy from within, and are drained by exterior stimulation. Extroverts, on the other hand gain their energy from exterior stimulation and are drained by interior work.

We only have to look at Jesus life if we want to find the practice of Solitude in scripture. We need to heed Jesus’ command, or invitation to “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place …“

Someone once said, “True character is who you are when you are alone.”


May I encourage you to take 10 or so minutes out of every, finding a place that you can be alone and quieting yourself before God. Start with 10 minutes, and then you may find that you want more time. 

Martin Luther felt that he needed 5 hours a day in solitude with God just so he could accomplish all that he had to do!


They say that you can even be alone even when standing in a crowd. So, if you have honed the discipline of solitude when you are alone, you could also practice it when you are in line at the grocery store.

Jesus says to us, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place...“ will you heed his call?

Some of us are afraid of being alone. As a result we fill our lives with noise all the time.

For some of us, we don’t like to be alone because we don’t much like our own company, or because our personality is so shaped by the people around us, we don’t even know who we are when we are alone.

Introvert, or extrovert, fearful, or expectant: we need to practice solitude because it will strengthen your soul.

- Jesus inaugurated His ministry by spending forty days alone in the desert (Mt. 4:1—Il)

- Before He chose the twelve He spent the entire night alone in the desert hills (Lk.6:12)

- When He received the news of the death of John the Baptist, He “withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart” (Mt. 14:13)

- After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand Jesus made His disciples leave; then He dismissed the crowd and “went up into the hills by himself...“ (Mt. 14:23)

- Following a long night of work “in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place...“ (Mk. 1:35)

- When the twelve had returned from a preaching and healing mission, Jesus instructed them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place...“ (Mk. 6:31)

- Following the healing of a leper Jesus “withdrew to the wilderness and prayed” (Lk. 5:16)

- With three disciples He sought out the silence of a lonely mountain as the stage for the transfiguration (Mt. 17:1—9)

As he prepared for His highest and most holy work, Jesus sought the solitude of the garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26:36—46)

One could go on, but perhaps this is sufficient to show that the seeking out of a solitary place was a regular practice with Jesus. So it should be for us.

So if we are going to be real with God, we need to get alone with him more often. In the quiet of solitude, all pretensions can be striped away, all the things in life that are trying to mold us in their image are removed, all the requirements of the world disappear, and we can stand before God “just as I am” as the song says. 

Once you have learned the discipline of solitude, you can steal solitude in the most everyday places when you get alone. Try not turning on the radio when you get in the car. Recognize God’s presence as you stand in line at the grocery store. Walk through a park on the way home and be conscious of walking with God. I try to make myself aware of God’s presence in the solitude of just my normal day to day activities.  It is then and only then am I able to recharge my soul.

Jesus says to us, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place...“ will you heed his call?

OVERCOMING FAULTY THINKING

Proverbs 23:7 - "As a man thinks in his heart - so is he."

When I was around 9 years old I woke up one morning thinking I could jump off the roof of our house and not get hurt if I just held on to an opened umbrella.  I climbed on the roof and fearlessly jumped off the roof and landed very hard on the ground with collapsed umbrella.  And yes, I did get hurt.  Faulty thinking.

It has been a downfall of mine for many many years - allowing my mind to believe lies about myself and whether God really loved me or not.  Again, faulty thinking.

This week we watched with horror as a young man took a knife and begin stabbing those around him.  We don't know his motive but I can guarantee that this is faulty thinking.

A few weeks ago we heard about the senseless tragedy at Fort Hood where a soldier took the life of three people and then his own. Everything seems to suggest his thinking was damaged and faulty. But it is not just those whose actions are extreme or violent that have faulty thinking. Most of us suffer from faulty thinking in multiple areas of our lives.

Barbara Magnuson (Sonscape Ministries) says "We focus attention on changing behavior. The problem is that when we try to change faulty behavior without changing the thinking that lies behind the behavior, the change is often short lived."

Why do I do what I do? Why do I respond like I do? These are great questions to ask. More often than not they take us back to to deep rooted thoughts or beliefs which can be distorted or just plain wrong. So the person who is always trying to be good enough through their performance discovers in their deepest thoughts they believe they will never measure up. The person with an addiction discovers it is really all about a deep wound that has grown into fear or even self hatred. The person who has to be in control of everything finds their thoughts about life relate back to living with an alcoholic father.

If we take the time to examine our thinking, we often find the key to wrong or even sinful behaviors. One of the primary things we have to do is help people examine their thinking because thinking is often distorted by their past. We often say that our thinking affects our emotions and together they affect our behavior. It is more important to focus our attention on our thoughts than it is on our actions. Often in the church today we do just the opposite. Too much time is spent trying to change faulty or sinful behavior when the greater time and energy needs to be focused on our thinking and bringing it in line with biblical truth.

As a person who has struggled all my life with a low self worth, I know the time and energy that I have invested with the Lord to change my thinking about myself. It has been a long, hard journey but it has been worth it because my thinking has changed. Clear, healthy thinking does not come without effort and intentionality. Without our thinking being correct, it is impossible to see the beauty of God's grace and plan for our lives.

So what are you thinking?

WHAT IS STOPPING GOD'S BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE?

I will ponder the way that is blameless... I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless....A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. (Psalm 101:2-4 ESV)

I have served two roles in life that has given me a wide view of sin and its destructive path in people's lives.  For many years I was a Police Chaplain in the city of Bremerton Washington and I have also served as Pastor for almost 40 years.

People often complain to me about not having God's blessings in their lives but when you look at how they live their lives and the things that they watch on TV or on their computer or the music they allow into their lives or just the possessions that they hold on to - then you get better understanding of why God isn't blessing their lives.  The sinful influences that they hold on to are a barrier to the presence of God in and through their lives.

In this Psalm, King David expresses his commitment to build a godly home for his family. This Psalm was most likely composed at the beginning of his reign and it served as a pledge that he would guard his home from becoming overrun by hostile intruders that would steal away the hearts of his children and family. We can learn much from David’s Psalm of commitment.

Here, David speaks of guarding his personal life. In this chapter he mentions having a “blameless life” three times in these three verses.

The same word is used in Proverbs 28:18 "He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall." David commits himself to walk before the Lord with a blameless heart.

The place to begin a blameless heart is in our home. You might put on a good front on Sunday mornings, but your family knows the real you. They see how you respond to difficulty. They know what books you are reading, and what shows you are watching. They hear your unguarded language. David commits himself to lead a life of integrity beginning in his own home.

I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

The word "worthless meant "a thing of Belial." Belial was a false god. David promises not to allow false religion into his home. He promised that he would not allow himself to look upon the false gods of his day.

We can learn much from David’s commitment. We should have no contact with anything associated with evil. Think about the shows on televison. They are all to often filled with false ideas contrary to our God. Our Lord is offended as we laugh at the sinful practices of this world. There is little difference between our tolerance of evil entertainment and someone in David’s world tolerating false idols in their homes.

Scripture informs us to separate from ungodly influence, (Psalm 1:1) " Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "If I have wickedness brought before me by others I will turn away from it, I will not gaze upon it with pleasure. Not only shall it not dwell in his heart, but not even before his eyes, for what fascinates the eye is very apt to gain admission into the heart," (Spurgeon, The Treasury of David). 

(Remember that he wrote this almost 100 years before the onslaught of television! What would this great preacher say today?)

How about what you view on the computer?

Time magazine recently described the contributing factors leading to divorce.
- 2 of 3 divorces involve pornography as one of the contributing factor.
- 1 of 3 list pornography as the MAIN FACTOR
- Pornography is a ten billion a year business. 1 of 5 video rentals is pornographic.

Pornography deceives it’s victims in the following ways:
- the false assumption that it is private
- the false assumption that it is not personal ("I’m not hurting anyone")
- the false assumption that there are no consequences

Pornography is sin. If you are observing pornography and claiming that you are innocent as long as you don’t do anything sinful, you have already done something sinful! Further, it is just a matter of time before you act out what you are viewing with your eyes. Remember, stimulation without satisfaction leads to frustration. Frustration leads to compromises which will lead you into the kinds of sin you never thought you would commit.

If you read Psalm 101:5-8 you will notice FIVE THINGS DAVID WOULD NOT ALLOW IN HIS HOME:

1. SLANDER. Those who sin with the TONGUE
2. HAUGHTY EYES. Those who sin with the EYES
3. PROUD HEART. Those who sin in their HEART
4. Those who PRACTICE DECEIT
5. Those who SPEAK FALSELY

On the other hand - there are THREE THINGS THAT DAVID WOULD ALLOW IN HIS HOME

1. The Faithful in the land. David sought good company.
2. He sought wholesome activity.
3. He sought a blameless walk indicated in the words worthy, upright, and complete.

It’s Time to take back control of our HOMES. Many are failing. Divorce is rampant in the church today. WHY ARE WE SO POWERLESS? Have we failed in the areas David warns us of in Psalm 101?

We have become de-sensitized to sin. We must all take inventory of what influences do we have in our life and our home.  We must be willing to cut away that which brings evil pleasure and be willing to "cut it off."  We must be willing to live a blameless life and walk with integrity before The Lord in all our ways.  It is then that we will experience the blessings of God in our life!

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 ESV)

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my dad fishing.  When I say he LOVED to fish - that is an understatement.  Many vacations and days off were centered around fishing.  He even took me out of school a bunch of times to go fishing at times.  What a great dad!  (Sorry mom.)

One of the places that we fished a lot was in the  rivers and lakes in Yosemite Valley - especially above Nevada Falls.  It was beautiful.  The many trees lining the river was a calming respite from the pressures of life.  It was interesting to look at the banks of the river where flooding had exposed the roots of the trees and you could see how long and how big and how deep the roots actually went.

Psalm 1 draws this same picture for us today - about the man who is planted in God and allowing his roots to go deep into the soil of God and His Word.

Notice first - "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of The Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" - v.1.

The leading thought here is that the believer is blessed by God. God is the one who blesses people who “do not walk in the counsel of the wicked,” who refuse evil advice. It is in God’s law that this person finds their delight. It is the sound of God’s voice and through God’s direction that this person finds “happiness.” In short, the understanding of how life works in this first Psalm is thoroughly God centred.

Isn’t this so opposite to the way we often think. Almost without exception we find humanity today centring fulfilment upon itself. Think about it - to “have a good time” in our society almost always means to go out and “enjoy yourself.” Not God, but yourself! Not others, but yourself. We can be an extremely self-centred bunch can’t we?

What he is saying is that when we place God at the center of our lives, we risk losing every physical thing - maybe even life itself. Yet true happiness is only found here - and the loss involved is trivial when we compare it with gaining a new and eternal life.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3 ESV)

In this Psalm the blessed life is described as a tree planted by a stream. A fruitful tree which provides shade to all who come under it.

Jesus spoke to this also in John 15:5...

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 ESV)

Take note of the place where the tree has been planted - by streams of water (Psalm 1).  Jesus and all that he taught us is our life giving stream. People who are open to Jesus and his instruction are like trees transplanted beside a source of water; they are never without a resource to sustain their lives under any circumstance. No matter how tough life gets; no matter how insurmountable the problem may seem; Jesus provides the source of new life.

The result: God will bless and prosper you.  Not only is the believer blessed by God, in Christ but also with all blessings. Because, “Whatever he does prospers” What an awesome promise! It’s almost too outrageous to believe it.

Does prosper mean that we're going to be rich and have every want taken care of?  I think not.  It is the prosperity of your soul that no matter what takes place - you will be ok.  Often it is for the health of the soul that we find our income inadequate; often it is for the health of our soul that we suffer grief; often it’s for the health of the soul that our family life is in upheaval; often it’s for the health of our soul that we are harassed by life and circumstances. The worst things that can happen to us are often the best. There are often blessings wrapped up in the misfortunes of a righteous person.

The prosperity that the Psalmist is speaking about is this: “that people who trust God have discovered the resource for sustaining their lives under any circumstance.” They are experiencing life the way it was meant to be. On the surface it may look like the world is falling down around our ears, on the other hand, the believer is blessed with all blessing.

I pray that as you allow yourselves to be "planted by streams of water" that your soul would prosper in all ways.  May this prayer from 3 John be your prayer also...

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. (3 John 1:2 ESV)

GOD'S PROMISE OF RESTORATION TO YOU

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3 ESV)

One of the aspects of Christianity that has captured my heart over and over is the redemptive work of God to restore and recover lost things in our lives - even that which has been taken as a result of our sin and failure.

In the above scripture, David - as a shepherd, talks about sheep that have ended up in a place where they need help to get back on their feet again.  Because of the balance of weight on their backside - when laying down they sometimes roll over and can't get back up on their feet.  It is then that they need a shepherd to lift them up and "restore their soul."  To stay in that position would only lead to death as they would be vulnerable to freezing and possible attacks by other animals.

Hasn't God, our shepherd, done the same thing to us also - He has picked us up and placed us back on our feet over and over again.

Here's the dictionary definition of "restore" – Websters Dictionary – 1) To bring back to a former state; return to a former position; 2) To heal, cure; 3) renew or reestablish after an interruption; 4) To return something lost or taken to the original owner.

Look at how the word "restore" is used in the Bible.  The different uses will show you the heart of God in regards to restoration

1. “SHUWB” – “To turn back” - Not necessarily to the starting point.  It has the idea of repentance.

David – Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12   
ESV)

2. “ALLAH” – “bring you up” (as in the restoration of health and hurts)

For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have 
called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’ (Jeremiah 30:17 ESV)

2 Kings 5:1-14 – Naaman the leper/ 2 Kings 4:18-37 – Shumanite son

3.   “SHALAM” – “to restore as in a covenant/ complete/ sound/ be whole”

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and 
the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25 ESV)

What has been ripped off in your life?  God says that I will restore it back to you.

4. “Chayah” – “to revive, keep alive; quicken”

II Ki 8:1-6 - The Shumamite's land is restored

The bottom line is this - God has gone to great lengths to recover what what lost in your life and now we must also extend restoration to those around us.  Basically.... We need to be people of restoration also.

And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. (Isaiah 58:12 ESV)

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1 ESV)

THE BLESSINGS OF UNITY

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalm 133:1-3 ESV)

One of the most magnificent creatures is the Canadian goose. In every “V" formation of flying geese there are the weak, the strong, the young and the old.  Engineers have studied their flying pattern and have observed that in their flight dynamics, those flapping their wings in the front of the ”V” cause air to rise up in waves. Those in the rear are carried along on those airwaves and save 60% of their energy in flying. When the lead goose tires, he falls to the rear and someone else takes over. Using their energy together they fly thousands of miles every year. If they were to fly alone, many would die. The young, the old, the wounded, the sick would never make it, if any at all.

God has set in the skies a beautiful example of how He intended the Body of Christ to function. There are no solo flyers in the Body of Christ. Whatever we accomplish we accomplish together.

John Maxwell said “One is too small a number for greatness.”  In other words, nothing great has ever been accomplished by one person… In 1969 we put a man on the moon. To have been able to accomplish such a task would have been inconceivable with out the efforts, brainpower, technical know how and the service of 120,000 other persons united in the same goal and purpose.

Psalm 133 is a psalm that celebrates unity.  Before we get into Psalm I want you to note the first word in the Psalm. “Behold." It means "Hey, check it out……. Wow! Awesome!  Its like when we go to the mountains and turn out on one of those scenic points and look out and take it all in. David puts a stop sign in front of us at the very beginning of the Psalm. He doesn’t want us to go any further with out taking in the beauty of what unity really is.

Unity is the most beautiful thing this side of heaven. There is nothing on this earth that compares to it. So as we BEHOLD it’s beauty this morning David points our attention to 5 beautiful characteristics found in unity.

1. The Unity of Believers is Good (vs. 1a)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1 ESV)

If the unity of believers is the most beautiful thing this side of heaven, it might also be said that the disunity of believers is the ugliest thing this side of hell.  I have been in churches before where I had to put my armor on just to walk through the front door. The atmosphere wasn’t family; it was more like a war zone. All the bickering, strife, divisions and gossip. Who needs it? But, to be in the presence of believers that are unified is GOOD and PLEASANT

2. The Unity of the Believers is Pleasant (v. 1B)

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1 ESV)

Notice the emphasis in the language “Behold how good and how pleasant it is.” He doesn’t say how good and pleasant but how good and how pleasant using the word how twice. He doesn’t try to tell us of the pleasantness of unity, but invites us to behold or look for ourselves.

Now some things are good but not pleasant - like Pepto Bismol. You see Pepto Bismol is good in that it works. Yet, it is definitely not pleasant. Some things are pleasant but not good - like a bacon cheeseburger.  A bacon cheeseburger is pleasant to the baste buds, but not very good for you.
King David tells us that when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity it is both good and pleasant or pleasing as well.

3. When believers are united for His purpose - the Lord puts His Holy Anointing on them.  

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! (Psalm 133:2 ESV)

Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. David is saying just as Aaron was anointed and set apart for a special service for God, so to when a body of believers are united they put them selves in a position for God’s Anointing.

You can imagine how good Aaron must have smelled……The point I’m making here is that a unified body is attractive. It creates an irresistible atmosphere to both the believer and non- believer. It becomes an atmosphere of love that is conducive to both growth and service.

The oil is also symbolic of healing. Oil was used to heal wounds. A healthy body brings healing on all different levels.  Isa. Tells us that the anointing breaks the yoke of bondage.

4. The Unity of the believers brings the refreshment and fruitfulness of God. (Excitement in the air)

It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! ... (Psalm 133:3 ESV)

Mt Hermon has a majestic peak that reaches 9,101 feet above sea level. It is the highest point in Palestine and is perpetually snow-clad. It is said that the snow on Mt. Hermon can be seen for mile across the burning deserts below. The snow on the mountain condenses the vapors during summer so that abundant dews descend upon it while the surrounding country is parched.

You can imagine what a beautiful contrast Mt. Hermon must have provided a dry and thirsty land.
David says that the unity of believers is like taking that dew that resides on Mount Hermon and putting it on Mt. Zion. It’s a place where God can refresh and renew. A place that is conducive for growth and maturity.

5. Finally the Unity of the Believers is a place that God blesses with His Life.

... For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalm 133:3 ESV)

It’s an atmosphere that’s filled with God’s life. Where you find God’s life you will always find the blessings of the Lord.  The unity of believers is a very powerful thing. It’s not always easy, but it definitely encumbers the blessings of the Lord.

Having said that, let me warn you, it is the one thing that Satan wants most to destroy. Ephesians tells us not to give the devil a foothold.

That’s why Paul exhorts us in...

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— (Ephesians 4:2-4 ESV)

DO YOU NEED A BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR LIFE?

(2 Samuel 5:17-20 ESV) When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 

Do you feel like you are stuck? Are you in need of a breakthrough in your life? I know that we all feel that way at times.  We have gone as far as we can and the only way to go beyond is for a supernatural breakthrough. I have been there a number of times and have seen the hand of God move on my behalf over and over again.

Here's the thing: If we want to experience a supernatural breakthrough in our lives, we need to stir up our HUNGER for God.

In this story - when David and his men were surrounded by the enemies, they looked to the Lord, and God responded by saying, “I am the Lord of the breakthrough!”

How do you know if you need a breakthrough? If you’re bored, you have no joy, no peace, no passion for Jesus, no vision or direction for your life or ministry, no excitement in your spirit. You’re not experiencing the abundant life that Jesus died to bring you. It might be that you might need a breakthrough in your emotional state, health, finances, relationships…

(Rev. 2:4-5) “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…” 

The first thing we need to do if we want a spiritual breakthrough is to return to our first love and then we need to learn to prevail in prayer.

(Gen. 32:24-26) “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him… And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

Jacob persevered in prayer, and God responded to him by giving him a new life, new nature, and a new name. No longer was he going to be Jacob, the deceiver, but he would now be Israel, Prince with God.

(Psalm 42:1-2) “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” 

Do you see the hunger here? When we hunger for God's presence - as a hunted deer longs to plunge into the cool, refreshing streams of water - it is then that we will experience breakthrough.

Look at how David sought after God...

(Psalm 63:1-2) “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.” 

David was a man after God’s own heart, and He was hungry to know God. When David went to the temple, he wasn’t content to just sing songs about God, or hear stories about Him, but he wanted to encounter Him personally in His power and glory.

Every encounter of breakthrough in the Bible came when desperate people did desperate things to come to God:

- The woman with the issue of blood
- Blind Bartimaeus who sat along the road and yelled for Jesus to help him
- The healing of the Centerion's servant
- etc.

These and many more people in the Bible didn't care what people said or thought.  Their only desire was to get the attention of Jesus.

Do you need breakthrough in your life?  If so, get yourself to be really hungry for the presence of God and the God of Breakthrough will bring a great victory over you today.