Thursday, April 30, 2015

SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO TALK TO YOURSELF





Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV) 1  Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2  Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3  who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4  who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5  who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Have you ever got down and needed a pep talk?  I know I have – many times.  The problem lies in the fact that sometimes there just isn’t anyone around to talk to.

In this Psalm David has to tell himself – “Praise The Lord!”  In the midst of our problems we need to give praise to God and learn to praise His name.  

Sometimes... we just  need to give ourselves a “pep” talk and talk to ourselves.

Notice that David reminds himself “and forget not all his benefits.”  We often forget to give thanks to God for all he has done.  We become enamored in our problems and we forget how God took care of us in the past.

We have a tendency to take things for granted and forget where our blessings actually come from.

Abraham Lincoln said, “We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. Our supreme folly was that we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.”

David was giving thanks to God for the personal blessings. He had been forgiven of all his iniquities. God had healed him from all his diseases. God had redeemed his life from destruction. God had crowned him with loving kindness and tender mercies.  God had satisfied his mouth with good things. And…God had renewed his strength as an eagle.

There is a passage of scripture that talks about David and all the problems he was having – his city had been burned and destroyed – his wives and children were taken captive. 

Notice how David felt and what he did…

1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV) 6  David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

“David found strength in the Lord his God.” One translations states that he “encouraged himself in the Lord.

Sometimes… there is no one around to talk to and you just need to talk to the Lord. 

Discouragement and hardships will come.  Sometimes there is no one who is capable or able to talk you through.  Sometimes words wouldn't help anyway. 

It is then that we learn the true source of our help – it is from the Lord.  Instead of calling everyone you know and speaking to those who will listen – why not just go to God first.  Crawl up on his lap and allow him to encourage you and give you the direction that you need. 

He is waiting for you.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

FIVE PRINCIPLES TO GROW SPIRITUALLY


John 15 is one of the last teachings that Jesus gave his disciples before his death.

Use your imagination for a bit and imagine the disciples and Jesus walking through the vineyards that surrounded Jerusalem.  While they  are walking Jesus turns to his disciples and begins to teach them about vineyards - not in the physical sense but in the spiritual.

In vvs. 1-11 Jesus gives them FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR THEM (and for us) TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.

PRINCIPLE #1 - THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWING GOD

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 

There are many pictures of God in the Bible but this picture is one of Him being a gardener.

Interesting. The Greek word for gardener is "earth worker."  In a real sense - that is what God is to us - an earth worker.

So one has to ask what a gardener does.

A gardener must be willing to...

- Work the soil
- Fertilize it
- Break it up
- Develop irrigation
- Be willing to get his hands dirty
 - Be willing to sacrifice His time and energy and resources
- Know where each plant should be planted
- Know that different crops have different seasons
- How much space is needed between plants
- Must keep out the weeds or it will choke the plants
- Must make sure there is enough  water
- Eliminate bugs/ pests
- Protect the plants from the birds
- Build support limbs under limbs of plants as they grow so that the won’t topple
- Prune often – remove dead or sick fruit – make room for the healthy vines
- Save some seed for the next planting season

The sooner that we realize who God is in our lives and allow Him complete control - the faster we will grow.

PRINCIPLE #2 - THE PRINCIPLE OF PRUNING 

John 15:2  "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

This branch is a shoot which comes from the central vine.  Its life and growth depend on the trunk of the grapevine.

“In me…” signifies the vital union of the believer and Christ together in order to bring forth fruitfulness.

Immediately he identifies two types of branches – fruitless and fruitful.  This is indicative of two types of believers – those that produce fruit and those that don’t.

Jesus points out his two-fold in v.2...

1. Eliminate vines that are unfruitful
2. Pune vines that remaining vines to be more fruitful.

He cuts off every branch…” – Gr. “He lifts up – he removes it.”

Pruning is a drastic process. Jesus is clearly teaching us here that this is what the Father will do in our lives – to make us bear more fruit.

HE WILL DRASTICALLY CUT BACK OUR LIVES IN A CLEANSING PROCESS.

In a vineyard – pruning also removes dirt, cobwebs, dried leaves and any disease that a vine has collected.

Pruning is sometimes painful.  We all go through seasons of pruning in our lives.

We all have experiences like this – times of sorrow, disappointment, failure, a sense of weakness or hurt.  We feel cast off or rejected.

We need to remind ourselves that this is only the work of our loving father who does it so that we may “bear more fruit.”

PRINCIPLE #3 - THE PRINCIPLE OF ABIDING

John 15:4  "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

We are expected to do something.  He says “Abide, Remain, Follow Him.”

To “abide in Christ” is to experience an unbroken fellowship and personal communion with Him.

The word “abide” means to remain or to stay.  He is saying “Keep close to me.” In other words, “Follow me,”  “do what I say,”  “obey my commands,”  “search the scriptures,” “allow the Spirit to transform you by the renewing of your mind.”

It also comes through prayer.  This is a discipline of life.  We can never be Christlike unless we discipline our life – initiating habits of searching the Scriptures, praying with others, loving each other, forgiving one another, worshipping together.

PRINCIPLE #4 - THE PRINCIPLE OF KNOWING OURSELVES

John 15:5  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (NKJV)

I am because He is.

It is interesting - the Latin word for branch is "footprint or pedigree."  We are to have His DNA and to be a reflection of Him.  He is my source and resource.

PRINCIPLE #5 - THE PRINCIPLE OF FRUITFULNESS

John 15:2  "… and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:5  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (NKJ)

“Much fruit” – this only comes by abiding.  The greek indicates much abundance – prosperous.

This the  “yada” factor.  "Yada" is the Hebrew word "to know or to be intimate."  Notice these two verses that will help you understand this principle...

Dan 11:32  "… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

Gen 4:1  Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived ..."


The more that you are intimate with Him the more you will be strong and bear much fruit.

4 EVIDENCES OF FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE

1. ANSWERED PRAYER


John 15:7  "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

You see results in what you are trying to accomplish. What you asked is granted.

2. GOD IS GLORIFIED IN YOUR LIFE

John 15:8  "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

You become an effective witness.

Here it is again – “Much Fruit.” When Christ comes into my life – I change.  I will bear “much fruit.” Even the world can see the difference in your life.

3. MORE LOVE

John 15:9  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
John 15:10  "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

This is one of the strongest admonitions in the Bible.  It is the answer to many of problems today. It is the message that in itself will bring much fruit in your personal lives and in your churches. It is what brings meaning to people’s lives.  It is what brings healing the feelings of worthlessness. It is what heals people of their insecurities and feelings of hopelessness. The way to feel worthwhile is to realize that God loves you.  You belong to Him – He belongs to you.

There is a story about a man name Karl Barth – a great theologian – who was once asked “What is the most profound truth you have ever discovered in the Scripture?”

This man, who has been called the greatest theologian of the twentieth century, said, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Jude 1:21  keep yourselves in the love of God,

4- MORE JOY

John 15:11  "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

What is joy?

Heb 12:2  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What is it that filled the heart of Jesus with joy, as he faced the cross, and the terrible suffering that he went through? It was the knowledge that he was in obedience to the Father and the earth would be redeemed and set free by His death.

In other words… HIS JOY WAS THAT HE WAS BEING USED BY GOD. That is the greatest joy any man can know – that we are being used by God.

Be happy that you have the privilege of “serving” others for the sake of God.

You can have everything this world offers and still be without joy.  Joy comes from being in union with the Father – by keeping His commandments and abiding in His love.


Saturday, April 25, 2015

GO AHEAD AND ASK!

1 Chronicles 4:9 (ESV) 9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."  10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked.

As we are reading through 1 Chronicles 4 - we are inundated with a bunch of names of the descendants of Judah.  All of a sudden the writer stops to give us a short sketch of this man named Jabez.

We do not know any more about him than what is recorded in these two verses of our text.  He is not mentioned or referred to anywhere else in the Bible.  He suddenly appears and just as suddenly disappears.

We have scores of names being recited, and suddenly we have an interesting commentary given to us concerning one of those named Jabez.

What we know about Jabez from the text: 1. He appears to be the son of Coz. 2. He was more honorable than his brothers. 3. His mother named him Jabez which means grief or sorrow. 4. His mother said she bore him with sorrow. The grief was possibly related to circumstances of his birth, or perhaps the pregnancy. It is also possible that his father died while she was pregnant with him.

It really strikes me that even though there were many obstacles about this man - even to the point of naming him pain he pressed through and sought for the blessings of God.

We know that Jabez was a man of prayer because he called upon the the God Of Israel.
He prayed in faith.

Look at the following New Testament verses on faith and let them reside in your spirit.

MARK 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, Whatever you desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have them.

MATTHEW 21:22 And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

JOHN 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

JOHN 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.

JOHN 16:23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

JOHN 16:24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in My name: ask, and you shall receive that your joy may be full.

Who were these promises made to? Not to the multitudes, not to the world. But to His disciples - those that follow Christ.

Look at the petitions of the prayer of Jabez:

1. Oh that You would bless me indeed.

Jabez didn't worry that he had been "a pain" to others in life. He just tapped into God's promise and said, "Bless me God."

DEUTERONOMY 28:2-4, 6 And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you will hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God. 3 You will be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field. 4 Your children will be blessed and also the fruit of the ground, and the fruit of your cattle, your cows your flocks of sheep will increase. 6 You will be blessed when you come in an when you go out.

2. Enlarge my border - "Lord, give me a broader vision. Not just for my church, but for the whole church, the whole body of Christ. Not just for my community but for the whole world."

3. That Your hand would be with me. The hand of blessing.  The hand of guidance.  The hand of protection, etc.

4. Keep me from evil.  We are living in an evil world.  Even Jesus prayed, "Deliver us from evil."

This text concludes with "And God granted him what he asked.

Wow.  Powerful.  He didn't let his past determine his future.  He had a confidence in God and in His promises.

Look at what John writes...  (This should be our prayer also).

1 JOHN 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: 15 And if we know that he hears what we ask, we know that He will give us the petitions that we desired of him.

Friday, April 24, 2015

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION


Psalms 43:5 (HCSB) 5 Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Someone once said, "A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument."  That is so true.

I'm not an expert on depression but I've sure had to deal with my share of it over the years.  

About 8 years ago I went through the dark night of my soul which lasted almost 3 years.  It took everything I had within me to just get up and face another day.  Many of my close friends abandoned me while many others stepped up and became angels of light in the midst of the darkness.

I would never wish that experience upon even my enemies.  It was terrible and frightening. I honestly didn't know if I would ever get through that dark season of my life.

I did and I am so glad for God's deliverance and strength.

David experienced that darkness.  He felt rejection and a sense of being overwhelmed.  Everywhere he turned there was a sense of loss.

He asks the question a number of times in the Psalms "Why am I so depressed?  Why is this turmoil within me?"

He had to "talk himself" through the depression.  He couldn't give into to his feelings of depression and discouragement.  He was having an argument with himself about how he felt.

Over and over he would say, "Put your hope in God... Trust Him... He will bring you through this. He has come through for you in the past and He will come through again."

It is interesting - at the end of the Psalm, none of the circumstances of the psalmist have changed, only his attitude, and what a difference that makes!

The darkness was still there, the answers had not come but He was now fully trusting God.

David knew that He needed help and that help could only come from God.

FOUR POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION
 


Depression is like pouring melted butter down the drain of your kitchen sink and chasing it with cold water. Eventually the sink will not flow or function very well. Instead it becomes clogged. 


The same is true with depression. We get mentally and emotionally clogged up, making it difficult to see and think straight. 



So what are the possible causes for depression?  The first is a sense of…
                                    

1- GREAT LOSS.
 


A family member, a friend, a job, etc.  The list could on and on.

Then the second possible cause of depression is…
 


2- UNRESOLVED ISSUES.



Past issues with parents, friends, family, etc.  We have run from our past problems never fully dealing with them.  We just hope they will go away. We become hard and take it out on ourselves. Mentally and emotionally we shut down and get depressed, just as a clogged sink does. 

Yet another possible cause may be a…
 


3- CHEMICAL IMBALANCE.


An empty gas tank of a car would best illustrate a person with a chemical imbalance. 
Our brains react the same way with a neuro-transmitter chemical in our brain called erotonin and epinephrine. 

The main chemical serotonin is like gas in our brains. If serotonin is low, you’ll shut down and exhibit symptoms of depression, which are lack of concentration or motivation and dejection. 

However, with proper diagnosis, medications are used to increase serotonin levels to help this chemical imbalance. 
 


You may ask: Is it a sin or lack of faith to take medication to increase serotonin? 

The answer would be the same for example as for someone who is diabetic. We don’t humiliate them for taking insulin nor say they lack faith. Their body simply needs insulin to function. 

The same is true with a person who needs serotonin. The body needs it. 

Yet unlike insulin, you don’t have to stay on it for the rest of your life (except with certain conditions like bi-polar and other conditions that’s more chronic). 

Usually medication is used to help a person through that period in order for them to work on different issues and resolve them. 

Thus it allows the body to naturally produce serotonin once again. 

And finally, the fourth possible cause of depression is… 
 


4- PROLONGED FATIGUE
 


Tiredness can set you up for becoming prone to depression. 

We’re never more vulnerable to depression than when fatigued or over-tired. Therefore, taking care of the physical body is just as important as taking care of the spiritual body.
 


Understanding these four causes of depression will help us in dealing with it.



Now listen to what Jesus said to His disciples when they were weary, “Come away and rest for awhile”. 



Psalms 40:1-2 (NLT) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. (2) He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS


If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, you Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15



One of the areas I often deal with in counseling with people is the area of un-forgiveness and bitterness in their lives.  Because it is such a hard thing to deal with - people often want to ignore or sweep under the rug.  



One of the greatest stories in the Bible about forgiveness is the story of Joseph in the Old Testament.



Joseph was the pride and joy of his father - Jacob. Though Jacob had ten other sons, he favored Joseph, the one born to him in his old age. Jacob never bothered to hide his special feelings—not even from his other sons. In fact, he expressed his favoritism blatantly and visibly by having an expensive coat made especially for Joseph.

This did not go unnoticed by the older brothers, and they began to resent their spoiled young sibling. Joseph, who was either oblivious to their resentment or insensitive to it, made it worse by bragging to his brothers about his dreams that he would one day rule over them. 

In one dream, his brothers' sheaves of grain bowed down to his. In another dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him.



Eventually, Joseph's vivid dreams and their father's favoritism so infuriated the brothers that they plotted Joseph's death. While trying to decide the best way to accomplish it, they spotted a caravan of spice traders on the way to Egypt. 

Instead of killing Joseph, they decided to sell him as a slave. They said good riddance to their dreaming brother and made up a story to tell their father about his favorite son's tragic fate.

So much for dreams of greatness. At age seventeen, Joseph became a slave in Egypt, then a prisoner in a rank dungeon for a crime he did not commit. 

The situation provided Joseph with plenty of time to think about his life and what he had done. Somewhere along the way, Joseph made a choice. He decided to forgive his brothers. Eventually God fulfilled the promise he had conveyed through dreams to the brash young man, but not before refining Joseph's character through forgiveness.



Forgiveness is something all of us want to receive but most of us hesitate to give. Jesus makes it clear, however, that we can't have it without giving it. "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15)". 

These words allow no room for doubt or discussion. 

Forgiveness flows two ways. We cannot separate receiving forgiveness from extending forgiveness.



Steve Arterburn says, "Forgiveness is at the core of emotional well-being. It is fair to say that unforgiving people are emotionally sick. Their bitterness is a disease of the spirit, and it is inevitable that the unforgiving person eventually will experience physical illness as well. Anger causes surges of adrenaline and secretes other powerful chemicals that attack the body. The stress we carry when we refuse to give or receive forgiveness affects our hearts, minds, and bodies. To make matters worse, both rage and depression contribute to obsessive behaviors such as overeating, workaholism, overspending, and even addictions to pornography and mood-altering drugs. We cannot rid ourselves of emotional pain and its side effects unless we are willing to forgive."


Unresolved anger keeps us from moving forward because it locks us in a time machine, frozen on the exact moment when a particular offense occurred. Fear of further injury makes us unwilling to move to new levels of relationship, not only with those who have hurt us but with anyone who represents a similar threat.



Furthermore, if we allow unforgiveness to continue, we are likely to experience depression, bitterness, or both. Yet more important than any of these concerns is the most serious consideration of all—the spiritual consequence of un-forgiveness: alienation from God.



Forgiveness cannot begin until we admit our own failures. If we cannot do that much, we can neither give nor receive forgiveness. We cannot receive forgiveness without acknowledging our need for it, and we cannot extend forgiveness without admitting that because of our own imperfect condition we have no right to withhold forgiveness from anyone else. 

For Christians, forgiveness is non negotiable; it is the very essence of our faith.


As God has reached out to you and extended His hand of forgiveness - I pray that you would also reach out and extend your hand and heart of forgiveness to others.  It is the only way you will ever be set free!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

I WISH THESE PROBLEMS WOULD JUST GO AWAY

Psalms 17:15 (HCSB) 15 But I will see Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.

Do you ever have bad days - days that you wish would just be over?  Have you ever said, "Tomorrow is another day?"  Or, "I can't wait for this day to end?"

If you read Psalms 17 you will discover that David was struggling.  He was being pursued by his enemies who wanted to kill him.  

David was a Man who loved God and served God. In fact, he was a man after God’s own heart. Yet he had many enemies.

King Saul was pursuing him and he was on the run.

Psalms 17:11-12 (HCSB) 11 They advance against me; now they surround me. They are determined to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.

Every man who tries to live for God will make some enemies. This world is not friendly toward God. If you stand for the things of God you will find that many enemies will rise up, hate you, and seek to hurt you.

This should not surprise us when people fight against us. Jesus said in John 16:33 “...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Yes, we have enemies. Yes, they seem to have the upperhand. Yes, they hate us and mock us and laugh at us for serving Jesus!!! BUT THEIR DAY OF JUDGMENT IS COMING. They have a terrible future in Hell coming, but AS FOR ME, I have a glorious future.
David wanted this nightmare to end.  He wanted it to be over.  He was praying for God to vindicate him and get him out of this mess.

Have you ever felt like that?  Do you wish the mess would just go away so you could live your life in peace?  I think we have all felt that way at one time or another.

His prayer, in essence said - "When I wake up - I want to be in and about your presence and not all these problems."

I would much rather wake up thinking about God and His presence than thinking about all the issues that I've got on.

In the words of John Newton "thro many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home"
There are two ways you can deal with the mess around you  - 1) You can focus on the storm or 2) You can put your focus on Christ.

To put your focus on Christ is to find your satisfaction totally in Him - knowing that He's got this!

Psalms 17:15 (HCSB) 15 But I will see Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.
John Piper has said, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."

Give God your problems, your mess, and even your enemies.  He will take care of you in His timetable.  He will have the last word!

Stay the course.  Trust Him to make it right and take care of all your problems.


Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1-6‬ (NKJV)The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD

God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. (‭Psalm‬ ‭7‬:‭11-13‬ ESV)

On July 7th, 1741 a preacher named Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon called "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God" to his congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts. It became the catalytic sermon that was read by countless thousands of Christians - even to this day.  

It is considered by many historians as one of the influential sermons to ever have been preached ushering in THE GREAT AWAKENING in America.

The thesis was this - On the cross Jesus saved us from our sins, from slavery, from oppression and conformity to this world; He saved us from spiritual death, but most of all He saved us from the wrath of God.  Jesus drank the wine of God’s fury which is poured full strength into the cup of His wrath- for us – in our place – on that cross.

Jonathan Edwards was born at Windsor Farms Connecticut on October 5, 1703. He died at the age of 54 on March 22, 1758. He was third generation preacher, his father was a minister and his mother was a minister’s daughter.  He was an only son with ten sisters. He was trained for college by his father and by his elder sisters, all of whom received an excellent education. He began the study of Latin at the age of six, and before he was thirteen had acquired a good knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. One month before he was thirteen he entered Yale College, and was graduated, with the highest honors of his class, in 1720.

He is considered by many to be the greatest theologian America has ever produced.

On January 12, 1723, (20 years old) Jonathan Edwards made a solemn dedication of Himself to God. It was one of the defining moments of His life.

Edwards gave himself to God with these words:

I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect, my own; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any respect. And solemnly vowed, to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else, as any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and his law for the constant rule of my obedience.

On July 28, 1727 in the year of his ordination, he married Sarah Pierpont (17yrs) in New Haven. Her father was James Pierpont (1659–1714), the head founder of Yale College. They were married for 30 years.  They had 11 children - which he made sure that he spent an hour with every evening.

Of his known descendants:

    - Over 300 ministers/missionaries 
    - 120 university professors
    - Over 100 became lawyers
    - 60 prominent authors 
    - There are 30 judges
    - 14 college presidents
    - 3 members of congress
    - And 1 vice-president.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is considered a "fire and brimstone" about the realities of hell if one didn't repent of their sins.

Revival quickly spread from the Presbyterians to the Puritans and Baptists of New England. By the 1740s, the clergymen of these churches were conducting revivals throughout that region, using the same strategy that had contributed to the success of the Tennents.

In the case of “Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” he actually read the sermon word-for-word, hunched over the lectern, rarely lifting his head to look at the congregation -- and all of this in a drone-dull monotone guaranteed to anesthetize the most focused listener. 

What was the result of this dry presentation? 

Congregants convulsed as the Spirit convicted them of their sin and their precarious position before a Holy and Just God whose judgement cannot be deflected. 

Here is a little excerpt from that sermon - "Yes, God is a great deal more angry with the great numbers that are now on earth; yes, doubtless with the many that are now sitting in this congregation, who feel completely at ease, than He is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell. It is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and does not resent it, that He does not let loose His hand and cut them off. God is not like them, though they imagine that He is. The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames now rage and glow. The glittering sword is sharpened and held over them, and the pit has opened its mouth under them... Your wickedness makes you as heavy as lead, and adds a downwards tendency with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf; and your good health, and your own care and prudence, and best plans for salvation, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you for one moment...If God should only withdraw His hand from the floodgate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yes, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would never be able to withstand or endure it...The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice points the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one second from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all of you that never had the great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all of you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a new state, and never experienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God.

(You can Google this sermon if you want to read the whole of it.)

It is comforting and easy to think about a God who loves us and and cares about our every need.  It is unnerving to think about a God who is angry - one who has His bow drawn to our heart and his knife sharpened to deal with our sin.

But it is the truth.  Our sins will be dealt with and we will be responsible for all our actions on earth.

Heaven is a real place - and so is hell.  We are accountable for all our actions and sins upon earth.  The only escape is to go to Jesus who bore God's wrath upon the cross.  In essence - God gave us the cross to save us from Himself, His wrath.

May God deal with us all today as allow the Holy Spirit to convict and clean our hearts from ALL that which is an offence to Him.

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, (‭Acts‬ ‭3‬:‭19-20‬ ESV)

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

WHY IS LIFE SO HARD AT TIMES?

GOD ’s business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. (‭Psalm‬ ‭11‬:‭7‬ MSG)

I think it was Rick Warren who said that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.  In other words, God will sometimes allow us to go through stuff to test and prove us in our Christian life.


I will never forget my dad telling me that just because I had grown up in the church and was privileged to be his son in a Christian Home - that I would still have to go through some difficulties and valley's in my maturing process.  I thought he was kidding and that I would get a "fastpass."  


Now, as I look back on my life I realize those words were right on point. God has not allowed me to take any shortcuts and has made sure that "the lines are straight so that I can stand tall and look Him in the eye." (Para)


An old favorite hymn, How Firm A Foundation, has a 4th verse that goes like this: “The soul that hath leaned on Jesus for repose, I will not, I will not desert to His foes; That soul, through all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.


It's in the difficulty and trial that we become stronger and stronger in the Lord.


I had a friend who decided to help a chicken with the hatching of her eggs.  He took one of the eggs that was beginning to hatch and slowly took the shell off the egg to help the newborn to not have to struggle as much.  To his dismay, the chicken soon died because its in the struggle that he would be strong enough to live.


James says it well...Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4 NLT)


I must look at each adversity as an opportunity for growth.  Through this experience I can become bitter or better.  I can choose to walk in the Spirit or give over to my ugly flesh.


It is interesting, the tiles that are used on the nose cone of a space shuttle are subjected to all kinds of testings.  The purpose of the test is not to destroy the tiles but to prove their worth.  Those doing the tests wanted to know if they would stand up under extreme heat and pressure as the spacecraft reentered the atmosphere.


In the same way, God allows us to go through testings - not to destroy us but to prove our worth to God and to ourselves.  The testings prove to me the faithfulness of God when I cling to Him and His promises.


Even Jesus was tempted (tried) by the devil in order to be tested.  The same could be said of Abraham, Joseph, Peter and Job.  All were tested by God to bring character and holiness into their lives.


I like what James says later on in chapter 1 - Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ESV)

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

GOD, GIVE ME A SIGN!

Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew. (‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭36-40‬ NLT)

I once knew a pastor who had a lot of faith - or so he thought.  One day he was walking alongside Lake Michigan and had an impression that he could walk on water.  Without thinking twice he started running down the pier and jumped off the end thinking he had enough faith to walk on water.  

It was more like the biggest splash that anyone had ever made plus he felt like a fool.  His faith was humbled.

Gideon was just the opposite.  His faith was small and he needed a sign that God was really in what God was asking Him to do.

Maybe you have a faith that is small, that probably feels like no faith at all.  I have felt that way often - that I don't have enough faith for what God wants me to do.

I like what 2 Timothy 2:13 says “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

I also like the fact that we don’t see God blast Gideon for his weak faith.We see God patiently work to grow Gideon’s faith.

God knows right where Gideon is in his walk with God. God knows right where you are also.

God is patiently working to grow your faith.

It was not so much that Gideon needed a sign to know what to do. He knew what God wanted him to do. It is that he needed a sign as an encouragement to do it.

God is faithful to help you grow even when you feel like you have no faith at all.  There's not a person out there who has never felt doubt.  We all do.

Gideon wanted proof from God. He already had the evidence of past deliverance. The wonder of the miraculous exodus had apparently faded. The spectacular work of God doesn’t always convince.

Jesus performed miracles, yet people still rejected Him. We may wish for some extraordinary sign from above, yet God wants us to exercise faith, to trust Him without seeing.

The bottom line was that Gideon was finally ready to obey God—are we? Or are we hesitating, waiting for some divine signal to get us going?

Gideon wanted to know God's perfect will.  Pastor Charles Jones  gives 7 Ways To Know God's Will...

1. The Word.

The first place we look for the will of God is in the Word of God, the Bible. This is the known, sure, absolute, revealed will of God.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).


2. The Voice of the Word.

The second way to know God’s will is by the voice of His Word. God speaks not only through His Word, but He speaks through the voice of His Word.

The Psalmist says, "Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word" (Psalm 103:20).

3. Direct Revelation

The third indication of the will of God is this... A direct revelation: a prophecy, dream, vision, or voice.

"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

Make sure it is according to His Word!

4. Godly Counsel

Fourth on the list is godly counselors.

"In the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).

"Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established"(Proverbs 15:22, KJV).

Godly counselors are people who not only believe the Bible, but who are practicing it the way they ought to. They are not only hearers of the Word, but doers also (James 1:22).

5. Open and Closed Doors

What doors is God opening or closing right now in your life?(1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Revelation 3:7-8).

6. Burdens (The Witness of the Spirit)

The 6th way to know God's will is the witness of the Spirit--a certain intuitive conviction that gives you faith. You just know that a certain course of action is the will of God! The Lord may not tell you in an audible voice or give you a visible sign, but you know from that still, small voice in your heart (1 Kings 19:12), that inner conviction.

7. Fleeces

Sometimes you can ask for a specific sign. This we call a fleece, a term taken from this story of Gideon in the Old Testament (Judges 6:36-40).

Sometimes to find out what God’s will is, we have to first find what it isn’t. If, after trying all these ways, you still aren’t sure you have found the will of God, take the first step in the direction you think He is leading you. A boat has to be in motion before the rudder can take effect.

Take one step, then stop and ask God to confirm that you’re going the right direction. Then if the answer’s not clear or you’re still not sure, give it some time. God may be waiting for certain circumstances to be right before He can show you any more than He has.

In the meantime, keep busy for God right where you are. You don’t find God’s will by just sitting around doing nothing. While you’re waiting for God to reveal His will, keep busy doing the things you know He wants you to do: Love and praise Him for His goodness, study His Word, and be a blessing to others in your present situation.

As God reveals His will to you I pray that you would be willing and obedient to move forward.