"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." Psalm 42:5
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." James 1:2-3
"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Many are no doubt disappointed in the election outcome, some may even be devastated. When I first heard the news I was disappointed, then the Lord reminded me of an *audio message I listened to recently on the spiritual weapon of rejoicing. So today I am rejoicing in the re-election of President Obama. Rejoice that God is still on His throne and in control. Yes, the enemy won... but if you go around in a depressed state just because our guy lost, our spiritual foe is given cause to rejoice thus giving him victory. However, if you rejoice then it may very well provide an opportunity to let your light shine by sharing Christ - especially with those who knew your political stance and were of the opposite party.
Some may attribute the election outcome to not praying hard enough, fasting more, campaigning more, giving more financially, etc... I present to you, that is not the case. The fact that President Obama was re-elected is merely a symptom of the woeful state of our nation on a spiritual level. The root cause is the heart of a people who has not made Jesus Christ Lord of their life. Perhaps the re-election is also a punishment on Christians for not being more active in soul winning. Perhaps if Romney had won Christians would have said 'hooray, our guy won!' and then gone back to sleep until the next election.
I could say more, but I would like to encourage you to obey Scripture by rejoicing in the outcome of this election and to become active in soul winning. Get on fire for Christ!
*The audio message was from an audio series by Otto Koning titled "The Pineapple Story". I highly recommend this audio series.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
If The Women Would Go Home
If the women would go home
A job my brother might have.
If the women would go home
More valiant men could be
Providers for their home
Just as God intended them to be.
If the women would go home
Perhaps an upside down world
Would begin to turn right side up again.
If the women would go home
Homes would be changed
The world would be changed.
We have seen the wretched results of homes abandoned by women
Let us see the results of women embracing the home for Christ.
Women may pray earnestly on the their knees for revival
The answer may surprise you!
If the women would go home
Obedient to God's Word
Perhaps then would start a revival
If only the women would go home!
A job my brother might have.
If the women would go home
More valiant men could be
Providers for their home
Just as God intended them to be.
If the women would go home
Perhaps an upside down world
Would begin to turn right side up again.
If the women would go home
Homes would be changed
The world would be changed.
We have seen the wretched results of homes abandoned by women
Let us see the results of women embracing the home for Christ.
Women may pray earnestly on the their knees for revival
The answer may surprise you!
If the women would go home
Obedient to God's Word
Perhaps then would start a revival
If only the women would go home!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Three Men, Three Roadblocks
"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62
Why would Jesus turn away a man who appeared to be willing to follow Him (vv 57-58)? Not only that, but this guy did not even offer an excuse as the other two did. The Lord knew that the man had an ulterior motive. This first man was not following Jesus out of sincerity. At that time Jesus was becoming quite famous. This man was after the "perks" of following someone who is famous - prestige, nice places to stay, and good favor by the multitudes. Jesus was quick to inform the man of His lodging situation. Somehow I think the man changed his mind. He allowed his excuse to be a roadblock that kept him from being effective for God.
The second man was actually commanded to follow Jesus (vv 59-60)! He offered a legitimate reason, a need to take care of his aging father. The Lord knew that perhaps the father was not as bad off as the man may have thought and that there were others available to taker care of the aging man. With this roadblock removed the second man could serve freely and be more effective for Christ.
In the third man we find another volunteer with an excuse (vv 61-62). This time it was not even the greatest of excuses. Someone might even wonder about this guy's sincerity. He was sincere but perhaps he had his priorities a little out of order. The Lord quickly helped him realize that going home would be the roadblock that would hold him back from being effective for Christ.
Whether sincere or not, whether the excuse was legitimate or silly, all three of the the men had one thing in common. Each of them had something in their life that would be a roadblock to prevent them from being effective for Christ. The first man allowed the roadblock to stay. The other two allowed Jesus to remove the roadblock. Like these three men, each of us has something in our lives that can prevent us from being more effective for Christ. The challenge to each of us is to seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal and remove the roadblocks that are keeping us from being more effective for Christ.
58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62
Why would Jesus turn away a man who appeared to be willing to follow Him (vv 57-58)? Not only that, but this guy did not even offer an excuse as the other two did. The Lord knew that the man had an ulterior motive. This first man was not following Jesus out of sincerity. At that time Jesus was becoming quite famous. This man was after the "perks" of following someone who is famous - prestige, nice places to stay, and good favor by the multitudes. Jesus was quick to inform the man of His lodging situation. Somehow I think the man changed his mind. He allowed his excuse to be a roadblock that kept him from being effective for God.
The second man was actually commanded to follow Jesus (vv 59-60)! He offered a legitimate reason, a need to take care of his aging father. The Lord knew that perhaps the father was not as bad off as the man may have thought and that there were others available to taker care of the aging man. With this roadblock removed the second man could serve freely and be more effective for Christ.
In the third man we find another volunteer with an excuse (vv 61-62). This time it was not even the greatest of excuses. Someone might even wonder about this guy's sincerity. He was sincere but perhaps he had his priorities a little out of order. The Lord quickly helped him realize that going home would be the roadblock that would hold him back from being effective for Christ.
Whether sincere or not, whether the excuse was legitimate or silly, all three of the the men had one thing in common. Each of them had something in their life that would be a roadblock to prevent them from being effective for Christ. The first man allowed the roadblock to stay. The other two allowed Jesus to remove the roadblock. Like these three men, each of us has something in our lives that can prevent us from being more effective for Christ. The challenge to each of us is to seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal and remove the roadblocks that are keeping us from being more effective for Christ.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Foundations Destroyed
"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalm 11:3
Build them again! But it most certainly is not easy!!
America is in a state of destruction, our foundation has been destroyed and we sat back and watched. Not only that, but we really tore it down with our own hands. We are no longer a Christian nation. We pursue headlong after our own destruction, like sheep that have gone astray. We are doomed unless somebody does something.
But wait.... there's an election coming up! Aha, all the fairygod mother has to do is wave her magic wand and get the right man into office and that will make everything all right again, right? That is what we would like to think. That is how many act... 'if we can only get the right man into office then everything will be all right'. It is a solution, perhaps part of the solution but an incomplete solution. It is also a solution from the wrong perspective.
With the heart of our nation as it is, what would happen if the conservative we want is elected? Oh yes, much rejoicing. Let us say that all the prolife and profamily legislation is passed. What happens at the next election? Maybe our guy wins again. Great! What happens if another die hard liberal is elected to office? What happens to all that legislation we worked so hard to put into law? We can watch and mourn as our hard work is overturned. Then we will wonder 'why?' - everything was going so well.
The problem is 1. we were looking to a man to save us 2. the heart of this people is waxed cold toward God.
Our families are breaking up and falling apart and it is not because the wrong elected official is in office. Electing the right conservative is NOT going to fix that. It is because families and individuals have not made Jesus Christ THE foundation of their lives.
If we expect an elected official to fix our problems we will be devasted, for we are expecting something from a mortal that only God can do. By looking to man instead of God we are commiting idolatry.
As an example, if overnight Roe v. Wade was suddenly overturned, what would happen? There would be riots in the streets and huge protests. People would get hurt. Underground abortions would still happen. Why? The hearts are not turned towards Christ! If Christ is Lord and Master we seek what He wants and He would not murder unborn babies.
What we need is hearts to be turned toward Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is Lord of your life you do what HE wants. Our current society is a do whatever is right in your own eyes society - it has a corrupt view of freedom. It has a do whatever you want as long as it does not stop me from doing what I want attitude.
The reason our nation is in the state that is in, is not because we have the wrong officials in office. They got there because the people wanted them there! It is because people are sinners that do no have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, thus making Him the founation of their lives. If Christ was the foundation the people would have voted differently. To restore America we must repent. We must make Christ the foundation of our life and we must win others to Christ (see Proverbs 11:30 & Luke 19:10).
My intent is not to convince you not to vote. Please DO vote - that is your responsibility to God and your country. But do not go to the polls thinking that electing the 'right' official with the 'right' platform is going to automatically fix everything. That is just the beginning of the battle. The real battle is winning hearts for Christ by soul winning. That is rebuilding the foundation.
Build them again! But it most certainly is not easy!!
America is in a state of destruction, our foundation has been destroyed and we sat back and watched. Not only that, but we really tore it down with our own hands. We are no longer a Christian nation. We pursue headlong after our own destruction, like sheep that have gone astray. We are doomed unless somebody does something.
But wait.... there's an election coming up! Aha, all the fairygod mother has to do is wave her magic wand and get the right man into office and that will make everything all right again, right? That is what we would like to think. That is how many act... 'if we can only get the right man into office then everything will be all right'. It is a solution, perhaps part of the solution but an incomplete solution. It is also a solution from the wrong perspective.
With the heart of our nation as it is, what would happen if the conservative we want is elected? Oh yes, much rejoicing. Let us say that all the prolife and profamily legislation is passed. What happens at the next election? Maybe our guy wins again. Great! What happens if another die hard liberal is elected to office? What happens to all that legislation we worked so hard to put into law? We can watch and mourn as our hard work is overturned. Then we will wonder 'why?' - everything was going so well.
The problem is 1. we were looking to a man to save us 2. the heart of this people is waxed cold toward God.
Our families are breaking up and falling apart and it is not because the wrong elected official is in office. Electing the right conservative is NOT going to fix that. It is because families and individuals have not made Jesus Christ THE foundation of their lives.
If we expect an elected official to fix our problems we will be devasted, for we are expecting something from a mortal that only God can do. By looking to man instead of God we are commiting idolatry.
As an example, if overnight Roe v. Wade was suddenly overturned, what would happen? There would be riots in the streets and huge protests. People would get hurt. Underground abortions would still happen. Why? The hearts are not turned towards Christ! If Christ is Lord and Master we seek what He wants and He would not murder unborn babies.
What we need is hearts to be turned toward Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is Lord of your life you do what HE wants. Our current society is a do whatever is right in your own eyes society - it has a corrupt view of freedom. It has a do whatever you want as long as it does not stop me from doing what I want attitude.
The reason our nation is in the state that is in, is not because we have the wrong officials in office. They got there because the people wanted them there! It is because people are sinners that do no have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, thus making Him the founation of their lives. If Christ was the foundation the people would have voted differently. To restore America we must repent. We must make Christ the foundation of our life and we must win others to Christ (see Proverbs 11:30 & Luke 19:10).
My intent is not to convince you not to vote. Please DO vote - that is your responsibility to God and your country. But do not go to the polls thinking that electing the 'right' official with the 'right' platform is going to automatically fix everything. That is just the beginning of the battle. The real battle is winning hearts for Christ by soul winning. That is rebuilding the foundation.
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