Who Are You: God's Warrior or a Sham

Have you ever read something and it just stopped you in your tracks? This happened to me last week as I was reading through Acts 19. Mind you I have read through Acts many times before. This time was different. It felt like I was reading the chapter for the very first time. Somehow my eyes became open to see what had been there all along. 

The words that Luke wrote in Acts 19:15 (NCV) blew me away. The verse goes like this - But one time an evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you? 

Now let me give you a bit of background. 

Paul the Apostle was given power by God to do miracles. A group of seven people and a leading priest tried doing miracles as Paul had done. This group went up to a man possessed with evil spirits and said, “By the same Jesus that Paul talks about, I order you to come out.”  

These guys thought they had it made. They thought they could act the part and reap the full benefits. Sadly they were wrong. The evil spirit did not hold anything back. He simply said, “Who the heck are you guys? I am familiar with Paul and Jesus. They have the power through God to cast out demons. As a matter of fact they sent one of my buddies into a bunch of pigs one day. It was crazy. They all leaped off the high cliff to their death. I fear and respect Paul and Jesus. I know them because of their works and how they have lived their lives. I do not know any of you at all.” 

Scripture tells us that instead of playing a quick one on the man who was possessed with the evil spirits, he jumped on them and scared them so badly they ran away naked and embarrassed. 

What caught my attention is the enemy knew Paul and Jesus. They did not know our group of guys. Is my Christian walk one that scares evil spirits or demons. Do they know who I am just like they knew Paul and Jesus? Do they wake up in the morning and say “Oh no! Mike is going to tell someone else about Jesus Christ again today.” Or do they say “we do not need to worry about him, because he is a Christian in name only.”

I am a huge football fan. When you are preparing to play the opposing team you will always want to know where their star wide receiver is at all times. If you get out of position on a play he can take the ball to the end zone in a heartbeat. You know if a player is getting double teamed he is something special. Therefore, I tell you to take a look at the amount of resistance you are getting in your life. If things seem way too easy, you might be on the wrong path or are not putting in the work you need to excel. 

The disciples were beat up, put in jail, and told not to talk about Jesus Christ. Yet, they pushed onward in their ministry knowing the more they spoke more people would try to silence them. They welcomed those who came against them, because they were serving the Lord. Jesus told us that you would be persecuted for serving Him. 

Never let the resistance stop you. Instead use it as your motivation. Shout for joy because the King of Kings knows your name and it is found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yet, be bold and brave. Take the fight to the Devil. It is my prayer that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the demons say we need to double team this one. They are filled with the Holy Spirit and daily they are winning people to Lord. May we never be like these poor souls in this story whose lives were so bland and uninspiring that even the evil spirit says, “Who are you?” 

God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He gave His all, and He demands the same from us each day. 

Proper Alignment

Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thought will also be.
- Luke 12:34 (TLB)

 

      One thing I have learned in my life is when things are out of alignment things become harder to achieve or even impossible if things are really out of alignment. A vehicle where the wheels are out of alignment can create a vibration as you drive along and lower your miles per gallon. When your back is out of alignment, your movement is limited and you experience a lot of pain. Furthermore, if you’re out of alignment with your spouse your relationship will suffer and over time it could cause it to end.

      A foolproof way to determine what is first in your life is to look at where you spend most of your money. Where your money goes shows you what your top priority is. You can also look at your calendar. What is taking up the bulk of your time? Whatever that happens to be is your number one priority. Now, that you know how to determine first priority. Take time right now and identify your top priority now.

      Luke tells us in this verse that where your treasure, or priority, is your heart will be there too. Is your top priority in line with what you believe? Is it in line with being a servant of God? If this is the first time you have ever taken a serious look at your own life, you might have just discovered that your life is seriously out of alignment. Do not be despaired. You are not the first person who has found their life out of alignment, and I promise that you will not be the last.

      Now, that your life is out of alignment you have an advantage over everyone else. They are moving along as if everything is okay, but armed with the knowledge you have just gained you must make a choice. You can choose to put in the work and align your life and priorities to God’s will, or you can continue to live your life as you have been. If you chose to realign your life, know that it is going to take continuous work, but it will be well worth it.

      Never forget that world and life will try to pull you out of alignment. Routinely do an alignment check to make sure that you are on the right path.

Prayer: Dear God, Daily I give my life to you. Let my life’s treasures be found in you. Help me to align my values with my heart, mind, and actions. Amen

Putting Christ Back Into Christmas

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Driving into work last week the following revelation was brought to my mind. The word Christmas is a compound word derived from the words Christ and mas. Christ is God's only Son sent to save us from our sins for without him there is no way for us to ever be saved. Mas as a Spanish word means more. Thus Christmas written as a math equation would be represented this way:

Christmas = Christ + mas = Christ more

John the Baptist echoed this sentiment of needing more Christ in our lives in John 3:30 (NIV) which states, "He must become greater, and I must become less."

This principle of more Christ in our lives is constantly being challenged by everything around us, and the ever-growing hypersensitivity is on full display during Christmas. Many have simply removed the word Christ from Christmas altogether, and instead, they choose to refer to it as X-Mas or the holiday season. The attack does not end there. Countless school systems cannot even have any religious Christmas decorations displayed whatsoever at the risk of offending the few, yet they are able to put up a Christmas tree and promote commercialism. Our society has grown so concerned about not offending others that we do not fight for what we believe in.

How do we counter the prevailing message of this world? Do we beat people over the message of Christ by being in their face about it all the time? No, being in people's faces and beating them up with His message will not effectively reach others for Him. Nor will handing out evangelism tracks that have the plan of salvation include in them but no personal touch. As Christians we were called by Christ in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 to reach those around us and across the world with the message of Christ. In my quest to study effective marketing approaches, I ran across a simple approach to get more people to talk to you by wearing a simple button. Many people may come up to you and ask about the button and why you are wearing it, thus providing someone with the opportunity to share personally the saving message of Christ. Let's use this approach to tell as many people about Jesus Christ.

My pastor always say, "Saved people serve people," but I want to add to that, "Saved people reach people for Christ." The band Casting Crowns has a song about being the hands and feet of Jesus, and if we are going to be His hands and feet we need to get moving and start working. Jesus in Matthew 9:37 (NIV) said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." There is a lot of work to be done to reach others for Christ. It is about time we storm the gates of hell and say enough is enough and fight with all our might for Christ.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Valuable Lesson from Mary the Mother of Jesus

Fellow Believers,

       I have always been impressed with Mary the Mother of Jesus. As I have read and meditated on a few scriptures I think there is something valuable we all can learn from her which will help in making our own lives more in tune with God. First, let's take a look at Luke 2:19 (NCV), "But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them." This verse comes at the end of the very familiar story of the birth of Jesus that even Linus shares with all the world in their version of the Christmas show. All too often we breeze by this passage as an afterthought, yet we should pause to consider everything Mary has gone through to get to this point.

- The angel Gabriel tells her that even though she has never been with a man she is going to have a child, and not just any child, but the Son of God. Mary calmly response she is the Lord's servant and ready to do His will (Luke 1:38).
- Mary had to endure the threat of a secret divorce of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-21) and the embarrassment of others talking about her being pregnant without even being married.
- She had to travel a long way on a donkey to be counted with her fiance, Joseph, in the census and upon arrival found there was nowhere for them to stay (Luke 2:1-6).
- While there she gave birth to the Savior of the World in a smelly animal stable just as scripture had predicted long ago (Luke 2:6-7)
- If this wasn't enough a entire heavenly host appeared as a bright light to shepherds tending their flocks in the fields that evening and told them of the good news of Jesus birth and they rushed to see what they had been told (Luke 2:8-20).

This is the setting for the first time I can find in scripture that Mary cherished all these things in her heart. She did not just stop to think about them for a moment, but she continued to ponder them. How wise would we be if simply stoped to reflect and meditate upon Jesus more often as Mary did. One of my favorite passage in scripture comes from Psalm 46:10 (NCV) which says, "God says, Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations; I will be praised throughout the Earth." God commands us to take time out of our busy days no matter how busy they are and reflect and meditate on Him. It is only when we are able to be still that we are ever able to hear his voice as both Mary and Joseph did.

Yet this is not the only time scripture records Mary pausing to reflect on things. In Luke 2:51b (NCV) it says, "But His mother kept in her mind all that had happened." This comes after twelve year old Jesus stays behind in the temple to talk with the priest and it takes four days after His parents have left the city to find Him. Even though scripture is clear Mary was very frustrated with Jesus and didn't understand His motives at all. She still took it all in and remembered and mediated on what had happened. I can assure you if are a Christian Jesus will surprise you in ways you never expected just as Mary was surprised.

What it all comes down to is this, what are you going to do with Mary's son Jesus Christ? Are you going to cherish and honor Him? If so, stop saying you are going to do it and act. I challenge anyone who reads my blog to trust fully in Christ, meditate upon His word daily, and never lose hold of it as we have learned from Mary. Her son Jesus learned as much from His Earthly mom I bet in His early days as He did from God the Father. Others are watching all you do, so strive to be the only Jesus some may ever see.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike 

Lessons Learned from the Feeding of the Five Thousand

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

         The feeding of the five thousand found in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-13 has always been a story that has caught my attention. It is the only miracle other than the resurrection of Jesus to be found in all four gospels. This fact alone shows me just how important this story is to our faith. I've read the story many times and a few key points jump out at me that I'd like to share with you.
         First, the story starts out with Jesus seeking to get away and get some rest to recharge his batteries so to speak. Far too often I've just blown past this part of the story to get to the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, yet Jesus actions here are important for me to follow in my daily life. Jesus realizes the importance of creating both time and space to commune with God. No matter how busy my life becomes I must remember to find time during the day where I pull away and talk with God. It is in this quiet time where I am able to refocus on His priorities and not mine.
         Next, we see the disciples getting caught using worldly logic to try solving the problem. They have quickly forgotten the power Jesus has given them and resort to only considering worldly solutions. I can easily relate to the disciples. It is so easy to try to do something on my own only to run into problems or challenges along the way. When I stop and realize, as the disciples did, that I've left Jesus out of the equation completely I realize my mistake. He alone makes the impossible possible.
          As the disciples quickly ran through the crowd looking for food they ran across a young boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. I've often wondered how many others in the crowd that day had their lunches with them, but when they were asked to give them to the disciples refused to part with their food. It is in this boys willingness to part with what he had that Jesus shows us how much He is able to do with so little. If I trust in Him and give him all that I have He is powerful enough to make my ordinary life an extraordinary life capable of reaching many with His message of hope and salvation.
          Finally, it is amazing that once everyone has finished eating there are exactly twelve baskets of food remaining. This was not a mistake at all. There was one basket left for each disciple to eat. What a powerful way to remind the disciples in a not to subtle way God's way always works. The beginning of this story starts with prayer and right before Jesus passes out the food He ask God to bless everything.
          My prayer is this: God let me daily set aside time to spend with You, may I always look for a heavenly solution first instead of relying on my own abilities to get it done, allow me to give what I have no matter how small it is and allow it to be multiplied to enrich Your kingdom, and my I pray and follow your leading all the days of my life.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike       

Why Blaming It On The Rain Won't Work in Life

Fellow Believers, 

Back in 1989, I was a huge fan of the pop band Milli Vanilli. They came out with their hit song that year titled "Blame It On The Rain." The idea behind the song is when things do not go your way you have to blame your problems and shortcomings on someone or something else. There should never be a reason to accept blame for your own failures. I do not know if it is just me getting older, but more and more often in society I do not see people willing to stand up and take responsibility for their own action. The desire to blame others for our shortcomings and mistakes in my opinion is getting out of control. 

In Luke 6:41-42 (NLT) Jesus addresses our desires to shift the blame without first addressing our own problems and challenges. This is how the scriptures read, "And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."

First, if we are to follow Christ plan for our lives we must learn to be critical of ourselves. Therefore, it is pointless to blame others for our shortcomings and faults. It is only when we are able to see ourselves as Jesus sees us that we will be able to correct the problems in our lives which cloud our judgement in all things. 

Next, we must all acknowledge everyone on planet Earth is far from perfect, and we each have flaws and faults. Some of them we are able to address on our own, and still others other believers need to help us in addressing. It is only when we enter into a trusting and loving Christian community that we become able to open up and share with others who are capable of helping us. 

Finally, Jesus desire is for us to help one another through life and not tear each other down through blaming them for our mistakes. If you see a brother or sister in Christ in need, stop first and examine your own life first, and then seek to give them help. It is important for Christians today to be involved in the ministry of the Church outside of the physical structure of the church we attend each Sunday. 

I challenge each of you to pause as you begin your day and to remember to be Christian believers committed to the body of Christ. Do not seek to tear down others or the church by being involved in blaming others, instead seek to build others up. I will close with these words from Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Be a friend today. 

Your brother in Christ, 

Mike 

I Am Who Your Looking For

John 18: 1-8 (NLT) After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said“I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”

This season as I was getting ready for Easter, I found myself reading John 18 late one night to my kids as I put them to bed. Even though I have read through the New Testament a number of times and attended more Easter Sunday services than I can remember it felt as though I was reading this passage for the very first time. The words just jumped of the page like they never have before. There are a few simple truths I found as I read this passage I want to share with you this evening. 

First, Jesus knowing fully what was going to happen later in the evening took time in prayer with God in a quiet place. The Garden of Gethsemane was a place Jesus came to often to escape the chaos of his daily life to spend time talking with God. Judas knew where to find Jesus, because Jesus went to the garden often to be alone with God. Where is the place you like to go to hear God's voice?

Next, I love Jesus playfulness in this passage. You see Judas did not come with just a small group to get Jesus. Judas had with him Roman soldiers as well as temple guards armed with torches and swords to arrest Jesus. Think for a moment Jesus had gone to the garden to pray and as he stands up he sees all the lights and people entering the garden coming to get Him. Yet, he playfully ask who they are looking for. The stunned mob says they are looking for Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answer is simple and to the point. I Am he. What happen next blew me away. Everyone in the garden including all those who came to arrest him fell to the ground at Jesus feet. Again, Jesus ask who are you looking for, and I wonder if those who have come to arrest Him have even had time to get to their feet to reply to him a second time. Why was His answer so powerful?

"I Am," is how God identified himself to Moses and to the Egyptians. It was the great "I Am" who parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to pass through, yet crushed the Egyptians in the waters of the Red Sea as the waves washed over them. It is "I Am" who was the protector of Abraham as he left his own country to follow God. You can see the name "I Am" carries with it tremendous power, and is used throughout the Bible (http://www.freewebs.com/brucedurbinonlinescripture/7iamsofjesus.htm). Even the Roman soldier fell at Jesus feet because he spoke with amazing authority. 

So, prior to being put on trial and beaten and hanging on a cross one could not help and acknowledge Jesus is God and is the ruler of all. Who is God to you today? Is He your great "I Am" that you praise or have you pushed Him aside for the things of this world? It is clear to me with this passage Jesus makes it clear who He is and who He will always be. The question that remains is what will we do with Jesus. 

Your brother in Christ, 
Mike 

Too Busy to Listen to the Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:11-13 (NLT) “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Have you ever felt so caught up in the busyness of life that you forget to make time to hear the gentle whispers of God's voice speaking to you? I know I have felt that way many times before, and if you have too you are not alone. The prophet Elijah after having soundly defeated all of the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel ran away in fear and hid in a cave. God sent a mighty windstorm, earthquake, and a blazing fire to get Elijah's attention, but he was not in any of these great displays of power. He instead chose to speak to Elijah in the still small quiet voice of a whisper. Psalm 67:10a (NLT) says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Jesus provides us with one way to hear the still small voice of God, and I will provide you with another way I have learned through the course of my life. Scripture repeatedly tells us of Jesus breaking away from those around him both morning and evening to spend time alone in prayer and meditation with God. I firmly believe in the chaos of our daily lives it is vital to make time for reading scripture and engaging God in prayer. In my life, I have best heard the still small voice of God when I was committed to daily reading of His word and journaling the small messages he provided me. It is in the multiplication of those small messages where His truth in my life has been revealed. I know if you devote yourself to studying the word of God everyday for thirty days He will let you hear His still small voice. Are you ready to take the challenge?

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Awesome God!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently, I was given the opportunity to visit Israel and walk much of the ground Jesus did during His lifetime and ministry. I saw Calvary and the tomb the laid him in Jerusalem, and even the manger He was born in Bethlehem. While it was wonderful to see where He died and visit His tomb and even see His birth place for me it was even better to know my Savior is alive today. 

There were people on my trip who were excited when we went to the Wailing Wall where the Jews go to pray during the Sabbath. Yet, I was overwhelmed with joy that my God listens to my prayers whereever I am. I am not bound to pray at a wall. Nor do I have to have the Mother Mary interceed on my behalf with her son Jesus., because as a Christian I have a direct line to talk with Jesus whenever and whereever I am.

My final observation is many of the crosses sold in Israel still have Christ on the cross. My Lord and Savior has trimuphed over the cross. As the old song says, "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me, and talks with me. Along life's narrow ways. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. Ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."

We do serve an Awesome God. He is alive and He is coming again.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Because of All That the Son Is

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Tonight, I asked my kids what we should do our Bible study on, and my son said on John 1:18 not really knowing what he was saying or even if it was a correct passage in the Bible.  After a brief moment of looking it over I led my kids in the following study on John 1:16-18 (CEV), “16 Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.17 The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth.18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.”

The first thing I talked to them about was the power found in the simple two letter word “is” in verse 16 as it relates to who Jesus is.  We discussed all that Jesus is.  He is love, grace, peace, kindness, the creator of everything, our Savior, and He is also God.  Stop and thing about all that Jesus is and see if you are not as amazed as I am.  It was hard to go on after getting so much out of the first part of the verse.  Yet, we see in the second part of this verse that Jesus has given us so many blessing.  I explained to the kids we have been blessed with each day, snow, wind, rain, friends, family, and the list goes on and on, because Jesus blessings are endless.

After building the base of who Jesus is and how he has blessed we discussed what verse 17 meant.  I told them it was the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The law Moses provided in the Old Testament was given to convict us of our sins as well as provide us a way to honor God by obeying His law.  This is contrasted with Jesus in the New Testament who came to relieve us of our sins.  Jesus willingness to die on the cross for our sins is the undeserved kindness John is talking about here.  It is I that deserved to be hung on the cross for my sins and not Jesus, but He took on all my sin and yours and endured extreme pain and suffering because of His love for us. 

John closes these verses in verse 18 by reminding us Jesus is God.  God sending his Son to earth allowed us to have a brief glimpse for God in the flesh.  The value of this for us is that it was recorded in the Bible for us to study and follow.  But, if you are like me you will take a moment as I did with my kids and think about what it would have been like to walk along a dusty street with your friend Jesus or be invited to His house for dinner or a sleep over.  

I rejoice in the fact that Jesus lives and he is coming back again, and then I will be able to walk and talk with him.  My charge now is to live my life so that others will see Jesus in me.

Your brother in Christ, 

Mike 

God Knows What We Need

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

This morning as I read Proverbs 3 during my quiet time a few verses really spoke to me.  Those verses are Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV 1984) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." 

After meditating on these two verse all day their meaning really hit home late this evening as I was dealing with my own frustrations of trying to figure out where we will live later this year.  I was reminded that my timing is not God's timing, and He will answer me in His own time according to the plan that He laid out for me long ago.

I want to leave you with three simple truths and a promise that I found in these verses.  I believe if I follow them God will keep me in his graces and allow my family and I to be in the place we can do the most work for His kingdom.  

The first truth is that in all things I have to trust in God.  It is not good enough to just know He is God even sinners know that, but I must wholeheartedly trusting in the Lord in all things that is the different.  This requires us to forgo our earthly desires and trust in Him.  

The second truth is that I cannot count on my own abilities to get it done.  I know that anything I would do without God in my life would simply fail and not be worth it.  Therefore, I have to be willing to humble myself before God so I am able to hear his direction for my life.

The third truth is we are to acknowledge God in all we do.  As I go throughout my day I should be praising God for who He is and all that He has done in my life.  God deserves our praise for all things from the simple beauty of a sunrise, to the brief quiet moments of our day, to the food we eat, and the fact that we got out of bed in the morning.  In all things we should give God thanks and praise.

In light of these three truths there is a glorious reward waiting for us, if we are able to follow through on the first three.  That reward is in His perfect timing He will guide us along the path we should follow.

I do not know about you, but these three truths and amazing reward refocused my from being earthly focused to heavenly focused.

God you are amazing!

Mike 

Be Still So We Can Listen to God

Fellow Believers in Christ,

I have been mediating for weeks on the first part of Psalm 46:10.  Specifically the first part of the verse which says, "Be still and know that I am God."  I do not know about you but the Christmas and New Year holidays are often busy for many Americans.  The church and all its workers have been extremely busy this time of year with plays, musicals, and special songs to make the season bright.

Yet, how often do we stop in the midst of the chaos of our busy lives and make time to listen to God?  I am reminded that despite being busy Jesus always took time to be still and listen to God away from the junk that we have allowed to fill up our daily lives.  Examine the life of Jesus and how lived on Earth and notice no matter who was around Him he always made time to be still and listen to God.  Spending time with God was something the Jesus cherished, and He chose to make his top priority.

I would suggest that we would all do ourselves a favor by first placing God in our lives.  Yet, simply placing God in a place of prominence does not mean much if we ignore Him and live our lives according to our own rules.  I firmly believe we must not allow the world around us to control us and should fight everyday to spend time with God.  It is in those still quiet moments when God will direct you where to go and how He expects us to live.

So be honest with yourself are you doing well "Being Still" with God.  I know that when the Lord laid this verse on my heart I was not as good as I am today at it.  That also means that I still have millions of miles to go before I get it close to be perfect.  As the Apostle Paul said I continue to press on to receive the prize.  Each day I try to give more of my day back to God and honor Him with my life.

I hope this not helped you in some way.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike 

Go Telling From the Mountain Top

Fellow Believers in Jesus Christ, 

Isaiah 40:9 (NCV) Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Shout out loud the good news. Shout it out and don’t be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God.”

This Christmas season my wife and I decided to share more of what the Bible has to say with our kids about the season.  One night we read Isaiah 40:9 them, because my daughter absolutely loves the song "Go Tell It On The Mountain Top."  As I read this passage to my kids four things jumped out at me that I wanted to explain to them about this passage: news of God is good, the mountain top mentioned here is not a physical one, our lives are to shout God's message, and we should never be afraid to share God with anyone.  

As we approach Christmas we are reminded of the angels who announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born. Luke 2:10-11(NCV)says,"The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord." What greater news could we have than our Savior was born that we should want to shout it out from the mountain tops.  God brings good news. Do you believe that God brings good news?

Next, this verse tells us to go to a mountain top and shout the good news for those around us to hear. I believe where you are each and everyday is your mountain top. I go to school and I find my mountain top there. That is where God has called me to shout the good news he has provided me.  Where is your mountain top? 

Then, I focused on the word shout. I do not think God wants all of us to just scream as loud as we can so others can here the message of God.  While some have been called to stand in front of others and preach the good news, still many of us have been called to let how we live our lives shout out the good news of Jesus Christ. When others see your lives do they see Jesus in you?

Lastly, God wants us to boldly share this message of the good news of Jesus Christ with others, and to not be afraid when others harass or make fun of us for our faith. They made fun of Jesus for  sharing His faith and even killed him for it. You had better believe they will do the same to us. We must stand firm on the Word of God. Are we willing to suffer being an outcast to share the message of Jesus Christ to others?

Let us go and tell it on the mountain top (wherever our mountain tops may be) so the entire world may come to know him by our walk.

Your Brother in Christ, 

Mike      

Our Big Ego's Must Go

Amos 6:13 You celebrate the defeat of Lo-Debar and Karnaim, and you boast by saying,“We did it on our own.”

"We did it on our own." Wow! This is the phrase that defines our modern time. We think that we do not need anyone at all to help us, but when we act this way we are simply making ourselves out to be utter fools. This is why God lost it. We cannot do anything without Him. He spoke the earth into being and created every single resource we could ever use. There is absolutely no way possible if we are humble that we could ever say that we did it all on our own. Making an impact in the Kingdom of God cannot be done with just one person, and as a matter of fact God established the church as an entire body of believers to achieve his objective of reaching the entire world with the message of Him. The message in Amos 6 is when we get to big for our britches God will not hesitate to smack us around for failing to follow the process he has established.

Your Brother in Christ,
Mike 

Perspective on Balance

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV 2011) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

How difficult is it to create balance in your life amidst all of the clutter that fills it?

For those of you that do not know I am at an Army professional development school for field grade officers, middle management of the Army, and one phrase that I hear quite often is that is important to maintain balance in your life to allow us to be successful.  How do I create balance in my life?  Do I weight things equally and try to give them all equal amounts of time?  Or do I create a rank ordered list that sets my priorities for me and live my life in accordance with those priorities?  Well let me share with you a way to create balance in your lives.  This idea is not my own but one that I heard presented to me and not one I had thought of before, but it is rooted in scripture and we would all do well to apply it to our busy lives.  The thought is this: Achieving balance in our lives is unattainable and causes us overwhelming frustration in our lives when we try to pursue it.  

Well if achieving balance is worthless what is the point of this post.  The point of this post is this if all of our thoughts and energy is focused on God He will control the balance in our lives.  We do not need to focus our attention on multiple things as we so often try to do, but simply give God all of the love and attention he so justly deserves and let Him provide for us.  

I am working to change my way of thought so that it is not focused on having a balanced life, but a God centered life.  I hope you are as well.  

Your brother in Christ, 
Mike 

Fiery Furnace Challenge

Fellow Believers,

         One of my most favorite books in the Bible is found in the Old Testament.  The book of Daniel is full of stories with tremendous characters that display unyielding resolve as each story unfolds.   Chapter 3 tells us the story of Daniels friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they stood strong in the face of King Nebuchadnezzar.  Despite being ordered to bow down to a huge golden statue on command Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego decided to serve God alone knowing that their decision could cost them their lives.  Even when faced with death in a fiery furnace Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said in Daniel 3:17b-18 (NCV), "The God we serve is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power, O king. But even if God does not save us, we want you, O king, to know this: We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

         Everyday we are faced with the same challenge that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced.  We are always confronted with the challenge of living up to the Christian values in a world that so often seems devoid of values.  The challenge could spring up when you least expect it or you could confront it in your work place.  What will be your answer?   Will you stand strong in the face of adversity as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did or will you bend your beliefs in favor of being liked by people of the world?  I challenge each of you to stand strong in the face of adversity and those of the world and tell them that I will only serve the one true God, and even if I am wrong I will not compromise what I believe. 

         Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed and were victorious as they danced in an extremely hot furnace with an angel of God that did not even let the fire touch them.  We too can share in this same victory if we practice the same faith and belief of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  This week and the rest of my life I am going to live my life under the "Fiery Furnace Challenge" and I ask you to join me and watch it change your life.

Your Brother in Christ, 
Mike 

Staying Connected to God

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has been some time since I have wrote a new post and that is not because God has not been working in my life because He has. I have been very busy with work and life in general. Things in my life recently have reminded me of a very important aspect of Christian life that I want to share with each of you. That important truth is this: We have to remain connected to Jesus Christ and allow Him to feed our lives. It is very easy for me to lose sight of this fact and think that I am running the show and calling the shots in my life. The trouble of this is when you live your life this way you better be ready for a fall that will really humble you in ways you could not have ever imagined.

The Apostle John wrote about staying connected to God in the gospel of John 15:5 (NCV) "I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing."
Here are just a few short ways that you and I both can remain connected to God and allow Him to guide our lives to allow us to be productive in His Kingdom:

1. Time Spent with God Daily - Establish a time each day to read His Word, the Bible, when you are able to focus on Him fully so that He can speak to you through what you read.

2. Pray early and often - Far to often we feel that our prayers need to be long and eloquent yet God simply wants us to reach out and communicate with Him. I think it is best to keep our prayers short and to the point this way we will not become long winded and not serve him.

3. Genuine fellowship with other believers - Life on Earth is not always easy and even at times we struggle to follow the path we should be following. This is why it is important to be tied in with other believers so that they can encourage us when we need encouragement as well as pull us away from things we do not need to be involved in.

4. Memorize Scripture - The memorization of scripture is important to keeping you on the path that we are to follow. When we are tempted as Jesus was we can refer to scripture and keep us on the path we are to follow. This is something that I have to a lot work on in my personal life.

5. Earnestly Evaluate Your Life - All of us have things that we do that have no place in a Christian lifestyle and need to be cut or as John would say pruned from our lives. The process of pruning is one that takes skill and time so that it is done right, yet once it is done your growth will be greater than had you never gone through the painful process in the first place. Here is a general rule on what needs to be pruned from your life and mine. If it does not add value to your relationship with God get rid of it.

I hope that you are staying connected with the Lord today and always.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

A Few Challenges Social Media Presents to Our Faith

Fellow Believers in Christ,

Today we are able to reach out and touch anyone regardless of where they are in the world thanks to modern technology. This is good when we reach out to that long last friend or family member or use it to keep up with loved ones spread across the country or perhaps in some other country. However wonderful this technology is it comes with flaws and challenges that test our faith as Christians. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:1-2 that the way we live our lives is the way we worship God. Therefore it is important to consider our actions in a technologically advanced society and the impact that they will have on those that receive them. Will they know that God lives in us by what we post, tweet, or share with others?

Jesus cautioned of two shortfalls He noticed in His society that are still ones that will trip us up in the modern technology age.

1. When giving to the needy we must not flaunt all the gifts of time or financial gifts that we give to the poor. Instead we are to give without seeking notice (Matthew 6:2-4) and praise from those around us. It is God that gets the glory and not us. Modern day social media makes it so very easy to say look at me and notice what I have done. This attitude leads us to start thinking of others not as good as ourselves, which is a very dangerous place to be when trying to live our lives in worship to God.
2. Proverbs reminds us that gossip can destroy confidence between someone you once trusted (Proverbs 11:13) and can destroy friendships (Proverbs 16:28). The technology we have today allows us to fire off our thoughts immediately as we press send which is not always the best course of action. I have done this before and then regretted what I wrote and how I said it. Using our words to gossip about others does not permit us to tell others God's story.

The question I was faced with this week as I Romans 12:1-2 was this: Am I living a life that daily honors God and does all that I do worship Him? If it does not I need to change my life so it does honor God daily.

I leave you with Paul's words found in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV 2010) to read and reflect on. I hope that they move you this week like they have me.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV 2010)

¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Your Brother in Christ,
Mike

Faced with a Mountain in Your Way

Fellow Friends of Christ,

Today, I was talking with a friend and who felt they were up against a huge mountain in their life path, and they asked what do you do to move past it. I responded that someone that desires to climb a mountain with any level of success and reach the mountain peek seeks out someone familiar with climbing that particular mountain.

God sometimes places mountains in our path to to allow us to grow and become the person that He has created us to be. It is difficult to see the rewards of climbing the mountains of life and growing as you go take each step. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi that with God all things are possible (Philippians 4:13), so no matter how bad you think things are God is with you and has never left your side.

Remember in this life and the next you are never alone and always have the support of the creator of the world, because with Him everything is possible. God is our guide and has climbed every mountain that we will ever face, so we need to let Him guide us.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

A Friend of God

Fellow Believers in Christ,

In John 15:14 (NCV) Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do what I command you". While just two verses before this He gave us the command to love one another the way that he loves us.

Recently at work I ran across an individual that is not so easy to love. No matter how I have tried to reach this person and stear them in the right direction they seem to choose the wrong way. I wanted to give up on this person and clean my hands of them completely, and my wife looked at me and let me know I was not acting much like a Christian. Following a brief chat with my chaplain this morning I read these words that John pinned thousands of years ago.

It is far to easy for us to love those that are easy to love, but God has called us to love even our enemies. God has seen to it that this certain individual is going to be around me for some time to come. He sees that this is an area that I need to work on so that I can earn the right to be called a friend of God.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike