Developing a Habit of Prayer

…Steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer (Romans 12:12-J.B. Phillips).

The Father wants us to develop our intimacy in prayer with Him. He wants prayer to become a habit. The prayer habit will be one habit that can transform the atmosphere of your life.

E.W. Kenyon in his book In His Presence says: Prayer should be as natural as breathing and as enjoyable as eating. Prayer should be as unconscious as our communication with one another. He goes on the say: You can’t spend any length of time in prayer without being affected by it. The quietness, the unshaken faith, the deep unsounded peace that pervades the Godhead, will overflow into the prayer’s life.

Many people find prayer a great challenge. The flesh struggles with relating to a God you can’t see. But God is the Father of spirits. He relates to our spiritual nature, not to our mentality and emotions. Here are some tips to help develop the prayer habit.

First, you must know that the Father sees you as righteous, that is, as though you had never sinned. Our sin debt has been completely paid by Jesus, and God sees us as pure as Jesus before Him! It’s as though we have never sinned!

Secondly, you must know that The Father loves you as much as He does His own Son. In John 17:23, Jesus prays that he Father will reveal to us the fact that You have loved them as you have loved me!  You must know that you are endeared to the heart of the Father, and that He wants your companionship and fellowship.

Then you must begin to develop you fellowship with Him based on your right standing with Him according to the Word; not according to your feelings. Take some time to get alone and just tell Him that you love Him and tell Him how glad you are to be saved from sin and redeemed from hell.

Remind Him of what His word says about you, and of what His word says about answered prayer. Talk to Him in specific terms about every single concern you have in life and ask Him specifically to help you. Share your heart life with Him. Bear to Him your thoughts and feelings and ask for His aid.

Take time too to pray in the spirit, in other tongues. Your spirit, in communion with the Holy Spirit will pray God’s perfect will in all areas of your life.

Start slowly. You may pray to begin with for ten or fifteen minutes. That’s just fine. If you keep it up every day, you’ll find the need to pray longer. You’ll find it easier and easier to express your heart and you’ll begin to want to take more time.
 
Life will become a partnership between you and the Father. You’ll begin to talk over every problem, every challenge, and every circumstance good and bad with Him. And before long, you will have developed and unconscious communion with Him that will erase fear and worry from your life.

Prayer will become an unconscious act of communion throughout your day. Daunting impossibilities will turn into opportunities for your Father to show Himself strong in your life. You’ll begin to fulfill Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Attitude Check

The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper (Genesis 39:23).
 
Joseph’s life is an example of the attitude we should have when things go awry in our lives. As a teenager, God gave him a vision of himself as a leader. This vision changed how Joseph saw himself, and affected everything he did. Because he saw himself as an overcomer, he rose above every problem he encountered.

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and sold Joseph to some slave traders. The traders sold him to the household of an Egyptian leader to be their slave. Because Joseph didn’t see himself as a slave, he became the ruler of the leader’s  household.

Joseph was thrown into prison after being wrongfully accused of attempted rape. But Joseph’s attitude caused him to rise above the prison chains. He became one of the leaders among the prisoners and helped the guards greatly.

Finally, after correctly interpreting the Pharaoh of Egypt’s dream, Joseph was appointed as Prime Minister of Egypt. No one but Pharaoh had greater power than Joseph. And Joseph’s teenage dream of his family bowing before was literally fulfilled when he was thirty years of age.

Joseph is a great example to us of the power of our attitude to regulate us during hard times. Attitude determines altitude someone has said. You never rise above attitude. What you think about yourself deep inside determines how you respond to life’s circumstances.

Joseph saw himself as a winner and his attitude brought him through being rejected by his siblings; through being sold as a slave; through false accusation; and through being wrongfully imprisoned.

What attitude do you have right now in the midst of your current circumstance? You never rise above what you think about yourself. I’ll leave you with these scriptures to help you with attitude adjustments that we all must make at times:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14). For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18) Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be people perfectly and fully developed with no defects, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4- Amplified).



 

Strength

He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31- Living)

Like a place of shelter in a storm, the throne of God is a place for you and me to go and be refreshed and strengthened after facing the pressures of the day.

We have an open invitation to come boldly to the throne of grace so that we can receive mercy, grace, and help for our needs (Hebrews 4:16).

When you go to this throne room of the Father with your needs and lay them before Him, He then places in you strength and ability to obey Him, and peace that soothes and heals. Like a platoon of soldiers guarding a city, the peace of God will push worry and fear away from you and enable you to walk in the rest of God.

Make sure you take time to visit the throne room today. Strength, rest, peace, love, joy, insight, and healing abide there. You’ll come away with a spring in your step ready for whatever comes your way today. You’ll have an expectation of God’s best in everything you do. And you’ll spread that Throne Room atmosphere to others!

Don’t allow the enemy to get you so busy that you don’t visit the Throne Room. He’s intimidated that you may get smart enough to go there more and more frequently. And the more frequently you go, the more the quiet strength of God will be upon you, and the less and less you’ll be weighted down with the pressures and challenges of life.
 
No longer will you be intimidated by circumstances that rise up. You’ll have the spirit of a conqueror, facing each challenge today like David faced Goliath. Take plenty of time today to visit with the Father in the Throne Room. It will show on you!   

The Call

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes1:2).

It was February of 1977 and I had been attending college and working in a grocery store. Six months prior to this I had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and my entire life had changed.

While I was working at about 2:00 O’clock in the afternoon I heard the words deep within me, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. These words kept repeating over and over again as I continued to work the rest of the afternoon.

Upon arriving at home (I was 18) I asked my mother if she had ever heard these words before. And she told me that of course she had; they were from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. After dinner, I retired to my room and read the entire book of Ecclesiastes.
 
There I saw what this strange phrase meant. Solomon was decrying all of the work and labor he had given himself to as empty, useless, and vain in the context of eternity. And God used this phrase to call me into the ministry.

Up until this time, my goal in life was to go into business and make a lot of money. The desire to for this vanished, and an intensity to pursue God rose up within me. I enrolled in Bible School the following fall, and the rest is history.

The call of God is a very personal thing. No one should consider entering ministry without a supernatural call! This was a defining moment in my life. I would draw upon the strength of God’s word to me on that day in February of 1977 again and again throughout my life as the Satan would seek to discourage me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life.

When you find your life’s call, it seems as though demonic forces seek you out to push you away from what the Father has for you. That’s the reason when you’re called to ministry, there must be a defining moment when you know that God has spoken to you. Then, you must do what Jesus said and set your hand to the plow and never look back!

God uses all of us in so many different ways. Not everyone has to full time ministry. But all of us are called to make a difference in the world, and to use our energy and talents for the glory of God.

Just as the human body cannot function without every organ fulfilling its God designed function, so every member of the body of Christ has a part to play in fulfilling the great commission that Jesus gave the church. Some are called to finance the kingdom of God, and are blessed by the Father to earn money so they can give liberally. Other are called to assist those God has called to full time ministry. No member of Christ’s body should be static.
 
The Father needs us all. And as we pursue Him, He will place a deep desire within each of us to do a particular thing. When you find out what He desires for your life, pursue it with passion!

Develop Your Own Personal Faith

When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Timothy 1:5).

Faith can be inherited, as it was the case of Timothy. His grandmother and mother were believers, and he followed them into the kingdom of God.

While inherited faith can be a blessing, it can also be a hindrance. We can lean on others so much that we don’t develop the faith to stand on our own.
 
Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and lot was exceedingly blessed as long as he hung around Abraham. The land couldn’t contain them both. As soon as lot separated from Abraham, his blessing ceased. He ended up losing everything but the shirt on his back.
 
I’ve watched children who were raised in a strong Christian home seem to lose their faith when they left home. They didn’t realize the blessing that they had in life was because of the faith of their parents. They never developed a faith on their own apart from their parents.

I’ve seen Bible school graduates who sensed the call of God on their lives get involved in a large growing church. They didn’t realize that the blessing they had was because of the association with the man of God whose faith was carrying them. When they left to “go it alone” in starting a church in another town, they floundered. They found that they had been riding on the pastor’s faith.

My mother prayed me into the kingdom of God, and had an unusually close relationship with the Holy Spirit. She would know things about my future before I knew them. As a young man, I began to realize that I can’t “ride her coattails” to heaven. I had to purposely ask her to share no insights with me that she had received from the Lord, and to let me develop on my own.

As a pastor I’ve see people who seem to be robust in their faith and confidence in God. Yet when they leave our church, they lose the faith they thought they had.
 
Don’t allow your faith to only be an episode in your life. Make sure that you develop your own confidence in God, and that what you have is more than a derivative of faith that you received from another person. That way, if God calls you on to do something your own, you’ll be fully prepared and ready for the assignment.

Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive (Genesis 50:20).

When facing a severe trial of long duration, it’s important to keep perspective. Joseph spent many years bearing the repercussions of his brother’s misdeeds. Though he spent years of suffering shame and mockery in prison, the end result for Joseph was blessing, honor, and favor.
 
Tests and difficulties are part of living on a fallen planet. Our faith in God’s Word will navigate us through every test if we’ll let it! Satan attacks us, sometimes using others, sometimes using circumstances, and at other times using our own mistakes to ridicule and seek to discourage us.

But we must face each difficulty knowing that we are conquerors! God has destined us to win! We are victors! We can’t be defeated if we refuse to lie down and quit! The promises of God are YES and AMEN in every circumstance. He will never leave us or forsake us! If God be for us, who can be against us!

If we keep the right perspective, tests will only bring out the best in us. Tests will cause the dross to rise to the surface. Tempered steel is the strongest because the heat drew out the impurities that weakened it. Notice what Peter said: That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7).

Years ago, I found myself in the middle of one of the most difficult periods of my life. Nothing was going the way I thought it would. It seemed as though I would fail. At times, death seemed appealing as a sweet escape. Really, it was a very hard place. But the Holy Spirit kept reminding me of the promises of God when I wanted to just quit. He wouldn’t let me! Day after day, week after week, month after month, this particular test droned on.

At my lowest points, I found my God to be faithful. Knowing what He planned for me, the Father just would not let quit in the middle of my journey. He urged me to act on His Word and keep on going. He sees the end from the beginning. Sometimes we allow the pain of present circumstance to cloud the vision of where we’re headed.

Now looking back, I can see that some of the greatest things God did in me were a result of the pressure I went through. Character changes occurred in me as the pressure squeezed flaws to the surface of my life and forced me to face them.
 
The enemy sought to destroy me through circumstance, but God turned it all around and used it for my good. Joseph was able to lead Egypt out of a dark period because of the work of preparation during the testing years.

See your present circumstance, not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping stone into God’s greater purposes for you. If you’ll do this in every test and trial, God will turn what was meant by the enemy as evil into opportunity to help you grow!
 
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Keep your chin up today!

Turn Love Loose in Your Life

The kingdom of God operates on the foundation of love. An amazing thing happens at the New Birth. God drops a deposit of who He is inside of us! Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).

The Father’s goal for us is that we allow this love to grow inside of us until it consumes us. At first, there are seeds of selfishness deeply embedded in our thinking and in our actions. But as we consciously yield to this love nature and allow it to rule us, little by little, selfish acts are replaced by deeds and words of love. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). This love is the main indicator that the world will see that shows them that we are different.

Without love dominating us, the flesh remains in control. And the flesh brings death. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death (1 John 3:14). No believer can be strong in God without developing this love nature. Love frees us from the control that the flesh has had on us. Yielding to love will slowly release you from the mental, emotional, and relational habits of the past that have marred your life.
 
Love will keep you from being dominated by feelings and emotions. You’ll be able to respond to others in love instead of react to them in the flesh. Love is an action and many times has no feels attached to it. Notice that Jesus said: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

The Father wants us to believe that the love way is the best way. It’s the way of total victory and fulfillment in life. Love never fails. Notice what John said: And we have known and believed the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16a). Love is better than strife, better than selfishness, better than getting even with the person that hurts you or does you wrong. Love is better than force. Learn to believe that the way of love supersedes every other way of living. Until you do, life will be a series of struggles and failures with few victories. Love synchs you with the power of the kingdom of God, and shields you from Satan’s attacks.
 
I’ll leave you with love’s attributes today. Let them sink deeply into your thought life so they can rule you today.
 
Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – The Message Paraphrase).

What's Your Attitude About Your Money?

For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute mental pangs (1 Timothy 6:10 –Amplified) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).
 
Someone has said that money is a true test of character. What a person thinks and does with his money shows his heart motives. Money itself is not evil. Some misquote this verse to read money is the root of all evil. Greed, the love of money, not money itself, is what is decried here. God wants to bless us financially and materially. But He doesn’t want the things that He blesses us with to rule our lives.
 
Prosperity can be a much greater test than poverty. A person who has nothing is desperate and will cry out to God for relief. A person who is sated with money can become apathetic to the Lord. He feels that He doesn’t need Him. He thinks his money can provide whatever he desires. Over the years I’ve seen so many come to church, receive Jesus, get stirred up in the Word, and slowly drift away when their needs are met.
 
A wealthy young man came to Jesus one day and asked him what he must do to go to heaven. He told Jesus that he kept the Ten Commandments and obeyed the law as well as he knew how (they were still living under the Old Covenant at the time). Jesus told him that he only lacked one thing. He told Him to go and sell his possessions and give the money to the poor.
 
Notice the young man’s response: But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22). Actually, great possessions had him! Greed controlled his life.

Those who are blessed must be willing to go through the eye of the needle as Jesus mentioned in the above scripture. The eye of the needle was a small door in the mammoth city gate in eastern countries in Bible times. The gates were very large, and it took several people and a good bit of sweat to open them. When they were closed, it was a lot of effort to open them for only one person.

So they added a small door within the gates, called the eye of the needle that could easily allow a person through. Often the person had a camel with them that carried their goods. The camel would be loaded down with the person’s possessions, and would not fit through the small needle’s eye opening. The camel had to be unloaded, taken through the opening, and then the packages had to be placed on the animal again afterwards. It took a lot of time! The camel would just barely fit though the needle’s eye. Loaded, it could never make it. 

Those who come to Jesus must be willing to give up everything to follow Him. The wealthy young man didn’t realize that God would bless him if he only entrusted his wealth to Jesus. He would more than likely have gotten it back. But his greed became a curse. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. You’ll be more blessed in the long run following Jesus if you’ll surrender everything to him. Be willing to go through the eye of the needle. The end result will be great blessing.

Using Time Wisely

Teach us to use wisely all the time we have (Psalm 90:12 – Contemporary English Version). Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16 – Amplified). My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you (Proverbs 3:1-2).
 
Time is life measured out. What you do with your time determines who you are and determines what you allow the Father to do in you and through you.

All of us have 168 hours a week to accomplish what we value in life. Personally,  I must have time for ministry, for organizational and managerial tasks, and time for personal ministry and staff relations. I must also make time each day for my relationship with the Father and with Jesus through the Word and in prayer. I must also spend time with my wife and children, as well as have time for leisure and hobbies, relaxation and rest.

Time is a commodity that we can’t reclaim once it is wasted. We must take full advantage of each minute of each day. And we must do this in a way that honors God and doesn’t violate His kingdom principles of love, faith, trust, and rest.
 
To use wisely all the time we have, we should start by tithing a portion of our day to the Father for time in the Word and in prayer. He’s promised us length of days if we will honor the Word! We can extract more out of each minute, each hour, and each day, and have time to spare if we will allow Him to be our wisdom through the Word.
 
Making a list of necessary priorities for the day keeps you focused on the important, so that the urgent doesn’t move it out of sight. Keeping that list before you is essential to keep your focus on what must be accomplished.
 
In doing this, you should also make room for the providence of God to override any plans you make. That causes you to see interruptions to your plans as the plan of God for your life, and that keep your attitude joyful and expectant when what you planned doesn’t happen. Father knows best.
 
He will show us how to best use our minutes. Phone calls can often be return in the car on the way to an event. We can listen to a CD series in the car as we commute. Wonderful times of meditation and prayer can accompany a long commute to work or an appointment. A chapter in a book can be read during lunch. Ask the Father how you can seize each minute and extract blessing out of it!


Let’s give God our best efforts to work with today. Let’s make the most of our 168 hours this week. Let’s carve out of each day the purpose of God for our tomorrows.

The Power of the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).
 
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).

The cross has lost its power in American Christianity, and we need the cross applied to our lives today more than ever! The cross directly speaks to each believer of the need to put to death self-will and self interest, and put God’s Word and God’s will first place in every endeavor of life.

The power of the cross must be applied to our home and family life; in our marriages and in our relationships with our children. If not, then demonic forces can easily come in and rob us of the best that God has for our lives.

We must also apply the cross of Jesus to personal life every day. Without death to the world, the flesh, and to selfish desires, we’ll be a prey for the enemy to come in and rob and steal and kill.
 
The cross is a place of death. For us, the cross represents a place of death to our old habits, desires, and ways of living. The cross to us is a place of separation from being ruled by carnal desires, motives, thoughts, and responses. From the cross applied to our lives daily comes the resurrection life and the abiding power of God.
 
So many want the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit and the power of God, but not the cross. And there is no spiritual power without the cross! Through His cross, His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus obtained power over Satan and his forces. Satan is now a dethroned ruler. He has taken the authority the God vested in Adam at creation due to Adam’s sin. He has authority over the masses of the unsaved worldwide. Only Christians have authority over him, but most abdicate their authority by their refusing to take their flesh and stubborn human will to the cross.

The principalities and powers of darkness deeply resent Jesus defeating them and giving authority over them to the church! So they seek to undermine that authority by tempting believers to forsake the cross, the place of death to their flesh and stubborn will. And when Christians yield to the flesh, they lose their heritage of spiritual authority, and give Satan an inroad to defeat them.

Just as Esau relinquished his birthright to his appetite, believers can relinquish their authority by refusal to die daily, that is, to put the flesh under control of their spirit. It’s worth the small price you pay to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. The end result is peace, and real resurrection power over the tauntings of the flesh and over Satan and his forces.

If you’re not willing to die, you’ll be a weak, vacillating, flesh dominated, Satan pleasing believer! Let’s determine today to bear our personal cross for the glory of God. Take some time today to commit yourself to the cross! For to live in power, you must die!

Use the Gift God Gives You

Do not neglect the gift which is in you, that special inward endowment which was directly imparted to you by the Holy Spirit by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you at your ordination. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody (1Timothy 4:14-15 –Amplified).
 
Each of us has been given a special gift, talent, or ability by the Father. It’s just an embryo within us at first. Sometimes it manifests as a faint desire that glimmers faintly in the background of our thoughts.
 
This special ability won’t develop on its own. In fact in many people it lies dormant year after year, longing to be activated, but never given opportunity. Paul’s admonition to Timothy shows the practical way the gifts of God develop in us. You must practice, cultivate, meditate upon, and throw yourself wholly into them.
 
I was eighteen years old when I first sensed the call of God on my life to preach the Word. It came as an embryo of desire to begin with. I changed the course of my life from pursuing a career to pursuing this call. It was a general call to ministry at first, and following that desire I enrolled in Bible College.

Then I began to notice a strong desire to help people understand who they are in Christ and to help them apply the scriptures to their own lives. It was faint at first, but as I began to talk with people, it seemed like a “switch” would turn on inside and I found words pouring out of me with passion. That was the gift God placed in me seeking to manifest.

A while later I was asked to speak in the morning devotions for our large church staff. I was petrified by fear! But I said yes, and spent weeks studying, praying, and preparing. That “switch” cut on again as I spoke for the few minutes each day that week and the words just poured out. Later I ministered one on one in hospitals, taught Bible studies, ministered to people one on one, and said yes anytime a need arose for someone to minister in a small meeting. The gift kept growing, until today, it dominates me!

The Father has placed a gift in you. Develop it. Allow it to grow by giving in to it. It may be only a faint desire, but go after it! Pursue your passion. Give yourself to the godly desire that rises from within. This desire will “tickle” your thoughts over and over again until you yield to it. Fear will seek to override it and keep you from acting, but go ahead and do it scared!

It may be a spiritual or natural desire, but give yourself to it. Some have a gift to make money and finance the kingdom of God in earth. Others yearn to stay in the background and be a support for those called into full time ministry. Some have a strong desire to teach and mentor children. Still other have a desire to reach out to the lonely, the down and out and provide practical relief. Some yearn to pray. Whatever the desire, you must give in to it and allow it to develop. It will not until you act.
 
With practice, the gift from the Father in you will make room for itself. Make room in your life for it, and watch what the Father will accomplish with it. He’s waiting on you to faithfully act!

Do You Serve Others?

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave —  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).

There’s a lot of information available these days about leadership. Seminars and self-help books abound. While much of the information is helpful, we must keep ourselves in check as believers. We live in a different kingdom. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world. Our standards are different that that of the world’s. And our attitudes and motives are different.
 
We’re not called to acquire a big name for ourselves, we’re called to glorify Jesus in all we do. We’re not building our little kingdoms, we’re building the kingdom of God. We’re called to be servants. If we’re leading others, we’re called to be servant leaders. The greatest leaders among us must become the greatest servant of all. The more we lead, the more we serve.

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in John 13. This was the job of the lowest servant in the house. It was a menial task to be sure. And Jesus didn’t stop until He had washed all of the disciple’s feet! He left us such a wonderful example. We need to be very careful in this day of big ministries, lots of money, and lots of helpers. We must never lose the perspective of servanthood in our lives, regardless of our position in ministry.
 
We should carry ourselves in such a way that attention is not brought to us, but to Jesus. In reading of the life of Smith Wigglesworth, he became troubled just before his home-going that people were bragging on him and his accomplishments too much, and he lamented that people were not deflecting the praise to Jesus. Poor Wigglesworth, he said. God must remove me from the scene soon. He longed for people to grasp the concepts of humility and servanthood.

I’ll leave you today with Paul’s comments that we best be familiar with:
 
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption —  that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Some Thoughts About Voting This Year

Today I want to address how we should deal with politics and voting as Christians. There are many issues at stake in this election. I really believe that our nation is at a crossroads. And the choices in front of us as Americans are like a fork in the road. As a whole, our nation has chosen to walk away from Biblical precepts, and has sidelined the God of the Bible for the God of our own imagination. The leaders that Americans elect represent the heart of the majority of Americans.

The Christian world has become divided with respect to political values now more than ever. I am personally excited that for the first time in history we elected a black president. However, I am extremely disappointed with his worldview, and his political ambitions. His political agenda should be disturbing to every born again, Bible believing Christian.

So many have asked me about how to know who to vote for this year. Of course, I won't tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you how to find the mind and will of God as you go to the voting booth this year.

First of all, lay aside all Christian speak and labels. Don't look at whether a candidate says he is a Christian, or a Mormon, or a Muslim, or a Jew, etc. Look at the facts of what the person actually believes and does, aside from verbiage. We have had candidates in the past who have said they are Christians, but in practical action are far from it!

The Bible is our infallible guide for faith and practice, so we should look at the issues and what the Bible says about them first, then look at what each candidate believes.

So, here are some of the issues at stake in this election in the light of the Bible. First of all the Bible in general has a lot to say about personal responsibility, diligence, and hard work. No one should be rewarded for laziness, slothfulness, irresponsibility, and waste. (see Proverbs 6:6-11; 12;27; 13:4; 15:19; 21:25-26; 22:13). The Apostle Paul sternly charged the church in Thessalonica to refuse to fellowship with a person who can work and provide for his own, but refuses to do so (see 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).

On the other hand, we are responsible to help those who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are unable to provide for themselves and their families. Old Testament Jewish law gave space for the poor to be provided for. God promises  us that when we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord, and He will repay us! (see Exodus 22:25; Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9; Proverbs 28:27).

The Bible is clear that life begins in the womb. The Bible guards the sanctity of human life from conception. Jeremiah was known and called by God from his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). David mentions that God had the days of his life mapped out before he was even born (Psalm 139:13-16). Abortion is the murder of innocent life.

The Bible is very clear that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and this unique relationship is blessed by God (Genesis 2:24). It is also very clear that homosexuality and lesbianism are a perversion of God’s plan for human sexuality, and individuals and cultures that promote this sinful lifestyle will inherit judgment unless they repent (Leviticus 18:22-25; Romans 1: 18-28).

The Bible views all men as created equal before God (Galatians 3:28), and all are to have equal rights and status in culture.

The Bible encourages nations to protect their interests through military strength, as Israel did throughout the Old Testament. The Bible acknowledges the sinfulness and depravity of man, and the practical cultivation of national borders to protect inhabitants from the vices of the wicked. One day, when Jesus reigns after His return, we can then turn our swords into plows and will no longer have need of self-protection.

The Bible informs that each nation will be judged in eternity by the respect  and care that nation had for the nation of Israel. Israel, being the nation from which came our beloved Messiah, enjoys a special status with God among nations. Any nation that hinders God’s plan for Israel will inherit a curse (Matthew 25; Genesis 12:3; Zechariah 12:3).

These are just a few of the issues we are dealing with as a culture. Perhaps never before have the stakes been so high as they are today. America is at a crossroads. This election may well define America and its place in the world. Yes, we are citizens first of the invisible kingdom of heaven as Christians. But, we also have a civic duty to live responsibly in this life, and to represent this invisible kingdom well. Your vote matters.
Ask God for wisdom. He knows what we should do, and will lead us by His Word and by His Spirit. Don’t sell your birthright for 30 pieces of silver!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14- NIV).

Stop the Striving!

A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint.
They kept on wrestling until the man said, "Let go of me! It's almost daylight." "You can't go until you bless me," Jacob replied. Then the man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That's why your name will be Israel."(Genesis 32:24-28 - Contemporary English Version)

Even before birth, Jacob, whose name means deceiver, was in a struggle. Since birth, he had pushed his way through life, doing whatever was necessary to make it. He took advantage of others, and thought nothing of deceiving to get his way.
 
One night of wrestling with an angel (the angel was possibly Jesus Himself!) changed Jacob from deceiver to Israel, prince with God. After that night of struggle, He walked with a limp. He was never the same again. His character was transformed.

Don’t ever give up on yourself. No matter how long you’re struggled with issues in your life, keep going forward! The Lord can transform you. It usually requires that you come to the end of yourself just like Jacob. When his best human efforts failed, Jacob finally realized his need to yield to God’s plan for his life, and he changed. His walking with a limp was an outward sign of his inward submission.

Moses was transformed at the burning bush. David was transformed from a shepherd to mighty warrior when he faced Goliath. Peter was transformed after denying Jesus and being filled with shame. The power of God’s mercy created within him a pastor’s heart. Saul was converted on the Damascus Road and was transformed into Paul, one of the greatest men of the church age.

In my own life, I was an extreme introvert, ruled by fear and rejection thinking. My only sense of value was through accomplishment. When I came to the end of my own ability, I found God’s grace to change. He replaced the fear with genuine love, the rejection with a knowing that I am accepted in the beloved, and the goodness by works attitude with a knowing that it’s not my deeds, but His grace that make me acceptable to God.
 
Take your personal frustrations with yourself and take your failures to the foot of the cross. Lay them by faith at the feet of Jesus. Humble yourself to Him and like Jacob, he will change your name! He’ll create in you the ability to be what He has called you to be.

At the end of your self-striving to accomplish, to be something, or to succeed, you’ll find the power of God to transform. But you must be willing like Jacob to walk with a limp.

Don't Despise Your Birthright!

Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born (Genesis 25:34 - Contemporary English Version).
 
The story of Esau despising his first-born birthright is an excellent example to us of how yielding to the flesh can cost us the blessings of God.
 
Esau was born struggling. Before he and his brother were born, they were wrestling in the womb. When He was born, his twin brother Jacob had grasped his heel. Jacob means deceiver, schemer. These brothers were always disagreeing and fighting. Their personalities were opposite extremes. Jacob was a shepherd and stayed close to home. Esau was a hunter and loved the open field.
 
Esau came in from hunting one day and was overcome with hungry. He asked Jacob for a bowl of the soup he had made. The aroma had filled the house. Jacob was only willing to give Esau the soup if he would trade his firstborn birthright to him. Esau so little regarded his birthright that he gave it away for a simple bowl of soup!
 
The firstborn birthright meant that when his father died, he received 2/3 of the inheritance. The 1/3 left was divided among all of the rest of the siblings! This birthright was both an honor and a great responsibility! And Esau gave it away for next to nothing. He despised it.
 
As believers, we have a great heritage. We are heirs of God, and equal heirs with Jesus! We have inherited every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). We have God’s delegated authority, His favor, His nature. The Greater One lives within us. The gifts of the Spirit are available to us. Healing belongs to us. The Father has promised to prosper us as we honor Him. We have such a rich heritage!

But if we yield to the flesh and refuse to walk in the spirit, we stand to lose it all. It’s just like Esau giving away his inheritance!
 
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
 
It’s just not worth yielding to the flesh to stand losing all that Jesus made available to us. Don’t allow Satan to dangle the carrot of the flesh in any area before your eyes! Just like the forbidden fruit, it may look good and taste good to your flesh, but it’s not worth the end result! Let’s respect our God given inheritance and walk in the spirit today!