Since the topic of Stauros is still fresh, there is another important aspect to get out of it that I didn't touch before. Hebrews 12:1-3 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw down everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
I want to focus on three words found in verse 2. The words, "for the joy" are used. That verse talks nothing about happiness, but all about joyfulness. There is a difference between joy and happiness as I have said before. Happiness is based off circumstances. Joyfulness is based off your identity in Christ. Once again, Jesus didn't have to go to the cross. He willfully went on our behalf so that we could be joined with Him in eternity. In fact, He went joyfully. Think about that. He knew exactly what was before Him. He knew it was going to be incredibly painful. This was going to be the worst experience on earth and His attitude was joyful. Not because of the pain, but because of God's faithfulness. He knew that no matter how brutal it was going to be, in the end He was going to be raised from the grave and defeat evil. He knew that because of the cross, we would get to experience salvation. He knew the outcome and therefore was joyful. That is an attitude many of us need to adopt.
The great thing about the Bible is we are told the end story. We already know who wins the war. That means no matter what we go through, we can do it with a joyful attitude knowing that God is in control. His past faithfulness is proof for your current situation that Christ is going to bring you victory. His current situation was way worse than any of ours. He was facing death and the most humbling form of it. They beat Him beyond recognition...then nailed Him to a cross...where He slowly suffocated. He had no reason to be happy, but through it all He was joyful because of the end result. Some of us need to refocus our thinking and look more at the end result knowing that Christ has a perfect plan. That is how Paul endured so much persecution and prison with such a positive attitude because He knows who has the final say. That is why we can rejoice in everything (Philippians 4:4).
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Scars
There isn't a 'religion' in the world that is based around love except those who place their faith in Christ. 1 John 3:16 tells us exactly how to know what love is and it is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. Our Savior is incredible and for that fact alone we should worship Him. When you understand the importance of the cross and how loving our Heavenly Father really is, it's impossible not to worship Him and be thankful, even in our roughest moments.
I was at a Hillsong concert a couple weeks ago and was totally blown away by their ministry but I wanted to share something that hit me hard during one of their songs. I couldn't help but think about it in depth. They have a song titled Take Heart and in that song they sing, "He (Jesus) wears the scars of my freedom." Not only is it a powerful song but many things were pressed hard on my heart when they sang that lyric. Troubles will always come but we are to take heart because God has already overcome them...in fact, He has already overcome the world (John 16:33).
The title of my blog is "The Gift Of Stauros" but you don't know what it really means. Stauros is the Greek word for cross but it paints a much more vivid picture. That word alone carries so much meaning. To be crucified meant to be shamed. It was feared. It was the most disgraceful, low, and humbling way to die. Families would shun another family member if they were to die through crucifixion. Stauros was a word so serious that people would refrain from saying it altogether. It carried so much weight to its meaning because it meant far more than just being crucified. It carried the weight of those nails piercing flesh, the spitting and cursing, the flesh ripping beatings, the mocking, the struggle, the entire grueling, tiring, and painful experience that our innocent Savior willfully went through so that we could join in His marvelous glory. Christ did not have to go through it but because He loves us so much, He took our penalty upon Himself. He wears the scars that belong to us so that we could be free. Are you willing to receive scars for Him? Are you willing to lose friends for Him? Are you willing to stand alone for Him? Have you thanked God today for not only the countless blessings we have received but also that we did not have to endure the beating of the cross?
"The cross is not simply a crutch for defeat; it’s a trophy of victory."
I was at a Hillsong concert a couple weeks ago and was totally blown away by their ministry but I wanted to share something that hit me hard during one of their songs. I couldn't help but think about it in depth. They have a song titled Take Heart and in that song they sing, "He (Jesus) wears the scars of my freedom." Not only is it a powerful song but many things were pressed hard on my heart when they sang that lyric. Troubles will always come but we are to take heart because God has already overcome them...in fact, He has already overcome the world (John 16:33).
The title of my blog is "The Gift Of Stauros" but you don't know what it really means. Stauros is the Greek word for cross but it paints a much more vivid picture. That word alone carries so much meaning. To be crucified meant to be shamed. It was feared. It was the most disgraceful, low, and humbling way to die. Families would shun another family member if they were to die through crucifixion. Stauros was a word so serious that people would refrain from saying it altogether. It carried so much weight to its meaning because it meant far more than just being crucified. It carried the weight of those nails piercing flesh, the spitting and cursing, the flesh ripping beatings, the mocking, the struggle, the entire grueling, tiring, and painful experience that our innocent Savior willfully went through so that we could join in His marvelous glory. Christ did not have to go through it but because He loves us so much, He took our penalty upon Himself. He wears the scars that belong to us so that we could be free. Are you willing to receive scars for Him? Are you willing to lose friends for Him? Are you willing to stand alone for Him? Have you thanked God today for not only the countless blessings we have received but also that we did not have to endure the beating of the cross?
"The cross is not simply a crutch for defeat; it’s a trophy of victory."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Wasted Life
No one really wants to make a poor choice. The choices we make have consequences...some more severe than others. We can sometimes find ourselves laughing at the poor choices of others...often times I'll hear these words, "What was he/she thinking??" However, sometimes it may seem impossible to see the outcome of our actions. I'm convinced though, that no one really wants to ruin their life, but many of us waste it.
There's a difference between ruining your life and wasting it. What does it mean as a Believer to waste your life? This is a question we find that Paul raised in 1 Corinthians 15 and after studying the passage, the emotion and passion involved are seriously convicting and mind boggling. He claims that his life would be a complete waste if Jesus was not raised from the grave. He lived in such a way that people thought he was 'wasting' his life for the cause of Christ and he was even pitied. They did not understand why he risked his life for the spreading of the Gospel or why he spent most of his adult life in prison because of the Gospel. People thought Paul was crazy.
The question and reality is, if the Gospel was proved false, would our day to day lives change? Besides the church services or Bible studies you attend, time you spend reading, praying, and fasting, or the occasional mission trips/service projects you do, would your life be any different from someone who has nothing to do with Christ? Think about that for a minute. For Paul, if the Gospel was false, his life would have been wasted trying to reach people with the good news. His life in prison would have meant nothing and his missionary journeys would have been useless. BUT because the grave is empty, our lives should reflect what we believe. We should be living in such a way that our life should not make any sense to people who do not believe in Jesus Christ. They should look on us with pity. After all, that might be the greatest compliment. Christine Caine says, "Our willingness to be misunderstood is what determines whether we actually end up fulfilling the purpose God has for our lives."
The cost of not risking your life for Jesus is greater than the cost it takes to follow Him.
There's a difference between ruining your life and wasting it. What does it mean as a Believer to waste your life? This is a question we find that Paul raised in 1 Corinthians 15 and after studying the passage, the emotion and passion involved are seriously convicting and mind boggling. He claims that his life would be a complete waste if Jesus was not raised from the grave. He lived in such a way that people thought he was 'wasting' his life for the cause of Christ and he was even pitied. They did not understand why he risked his life for the spreading of the Gospel or why he spent most of his adult life in prison because of the Gospel. People thought Paul was crazy.
The question and reality is, if the Gospel was proved false, would our day to day lives change? Besides the church services or Bible studies you attend, time you spend reading, praying, and fasting, or the occasional mission trips/service projects you do, would your life be any different from someone who has nothing to do with Christ? Think about that for a minute. For Paul, if the Gospel was false, his life would have been wasted trying to reach people with the good news. His life in prison would have meant nothing and his missionary journeys would have been useless. BUT because the grave is empty, our lives should reflect what we believe. We should be living in such a way that our life should not make any sense to people who do not believe in Jesus Christ. They should look on us with pity. After all, that might be the greatest compliment. Christine Caine says, "Our willingness to be misunderstood is what determines whether we actually end up fulfilling the purpose God has for our lives."
The cost of not risking your life for Jesus is greater than the cost it takes to follow Him.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Every Day
Every day is a new beginning. Pastor Steven uses an illustration of the shot clock in the NBA. If the offensive team gets the rebound after a shot, they get a new 24 or a new shot clock. Like a new 24 shot clock, every day we get a new 24. Our certain circumstances might not change, but we get a new day, a new attitude to look at our obstacles. You have limitless possibilities in your life when Christ is at the center.
Sin is something that we all struggle with on a daily basis. It is something that we must become more aware of in order to honor God better through our words and actions. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he must die every day to his sin. In Romans 6:11 he says we must count ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Again in Romans 13:14 he says clothe yourselves in Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.
How do we do this? How do I clothe myself in Christ? How do I die every day?
Fortunately, it's a lot easier than we as Christians make it out to be. It's about reading the Word more but not just reading it...memorizing it. Understanding the importance of every word written and applying it to your daily life. I must not think about how to gain pleasures in this world that do not honor God, and when temptation comes, remember Romans 13:14. It is easy to refuse sin when you can quote Scripture that deals with that specific temptation. That is why it is important to know what the Bible says. My man Reggi puts it this way, "If Christianity were difficult, it would be difficult; but because it is impossible, it's easy." Think about it...a lot of things do not make sense and we make loving people and serving them a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Christ took all our sin upon Himself on the Cross and He calls us to love Him with all our hearts...and then to love others, serving them, and putting their needs before your own. The cross is the perfect example of selflessness. It is impossible to do anything on our own strength, but with God we are capable of doing the impossible (Philippians 4:13). The question is...are you willing to give up your own 'rights' and desires for God?
Sin is something that we all struggle with on a daily basis. It is something that we must become more aware of in order to honor God better through our words and actions. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he must die every day to his sin. In Romans 6:11 he says we must count ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Again in Romans 13:14 he says clothe yourselves in Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.
How do we do this? How do I clothe myself in Christ? How do I die every day?
Fortunately, it's a lot easier than we as Christians make it out to be. It's about reading the Word more but not just reading it...memorizing it. Understanding the importance of every word written and applying it to your daily life. I must not think about how to gain pleasures in this world that do not honor God, and when temptation comes, remember Romans 13:14. It is easy to refuse sin when you can quote Scripture that deals with that specific temptation. That is why it is important to know what the Bible says. My man Reggi puts it this way, "If Christianity were difficult, it would be difficult; but because it is impossible, it's easy." Think about it...a lot of things do not make sense and we make loving people and serving them a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Christ took all our sin upon Himself on the Cross and He calls us to love Him with all our hearts...and then to love others, serving them, and putting their needs before your own. The cross is the perfect example of selflessness. It is impossible to do anything on our own strength, but with God we are capable of doing the impossible (Philippians 4:13). The question is...are you willing to give up your own 'rights' and desires for God?
The truth is, it's a battle...a daily battle. A battle that starts from the minute you wake. The good thing is you have a choice, regardless of your circumstances. You can choose to be joyful or you can choose to be in a bad mood. Happiness is based off circumstances. Joyfulness is based off your identity in Christ. It is difficult to always make the right choices but it starts in your heart. It's a renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) and leading by example. It's about removing people in your life that always bring you down. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good character." You will always fall to the mercies of your surroundings unless you plant your foot in Christ and remove the stumbling blocks. Clayton King says it perfectly, "We find life by losing our rights, our cravings, our wants, and our obsessions. We find meaning and purpose when we live for something bigger and greater than us...We have gained life from His death, and now we participate daily in living out that life by continually dying to all things that would exalt self and sin and pride. Dying to live is not trendy, sexy, or cool. But it's the only way to gain life, the only way to know Jesus, the only way to be free from the trap of living for yourself and dying hopeless." What is it today that is keeping you from dying to yourself and sin?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
You'd Be Surprised - By Jamie Wright
Jamie is a missionary in Costa Rica. She is hilarious and is not scared to be openly honest about everything. I read this on her blog the other day and had to share it with you because it's convicting and I couldn't write it better...
The setting sun cast an orangey-pink glow against the dirt-bag SurfWind motel. A couple of hookers and a drunk lingered by the corner of the building and a guy leaned against the flag pole with a cigarette.
Enjoying a happy ending smoke, I suppose.
I joked, “If herpes was a color, it’d be that orangey-pink.” But my friend stayed quiet in the drivers seat. Stupidly, I kept talking, sharing my disgust for the scene outside my window, “You’ve gotta be some kind of desperate to pay for sex. Who does that, anyway? What kind of guy uses a hooker?!”
“You’d be surprised…” is all he said.
And I assumed he was talking about the mayor of San Francisco…or Kevin Bacon, or something.
But that moment in front of the SurfWind motel came back in a flood of understanding a year later, when my friend said he needed to talk and I found him lying on the floor, just a pile of tears and snot, and I heard his confession through his sobs. As it turns out, he was that guy, the kind that uses hookers.
He was married, he was a pastor, and he was right – I was surprised.
Later, I sat talking with a group of women while we sipped coffee and nibbled the ends of crispy cookies like emaciated wannabe super-models. One of the women started a little rant against abortion, and the other ladies clucked and nodded in approval. “Who does that?” she raged, “What kind of person murders an unborn child?”
I glanced from one face to the next, hopeful for signs of Grace and Mercy, when I finally settled on the president of the PTA sitting across from me, her brown eyes rimmed with tears. Very quietly, as if whispering a secret to her steaming latte, she answered, “You’d be surprised.” But the chatter of the soccer moms had already moved on to important things, like who saw the last episode of “The Bachelor”.
I sat in that circle of women, buzzing from the caffeine high and thinking on my own dark secrets; the guys I’d slept with, the drugs I’d played with, the teen pregnancy. I was thinking about how, even now, as a grown woman, a married mother of 3, I was still broken, still doing awful things that I was ashamed of. And then I ate the rest of my cookie, plus two more, because I knew that as soon as I got home I would stick my finger down my throat and barf them up.
As I reached for a fourth, one of the ladies leaned over and put her hand on my knee, saying, “Jamie, how is the whole missionary thing going? That’s just so exciting! I mean, who does that?!Who moves halfway across the world to serve Jesus?!”
And I had to smile. “Oh, you’d be surprised…”
Do you really want to know who does “that?” Because, honestly, you’d be surprised.
We are the People of the Second Chance. We are anorexic missionaries, pastors with porn habits, and PTA Mom’s with shady pasts. We are “that guy”. Wholly broken and fully redeemed, we no longer wonder “Who does that?!” because we already know the answer.
That kind of person…. needs a Second Chance.
I need a second chance.
And maybe you do, too.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
2,158
It has been an amazing experience at Elevation the past two weeks. The series has been called "Follow" and Pastor Steven tied in a great parallel to the life of a Christian. He used the illustration Twitter. There are many people that we may 'follow' on Twitter...some are our heros, some are random, some are famous, and some are people that we may or may not agree with in different stances of faith or morals. The point is, some of us are following Jesus like we may 'follow' some people on Twitter. We agree with Him or believe certain parts of the Bible but we aren't fully on board. We don't live a life separate from the world. His challenge and illustration was deep and convicting. It was a great way to call people into baptism and to boldly proclaim faith in God. Baptism is not about salvation in Christ, it is about identifying yourself with Him. The Bible calls everyone who believes in God to be baptized and it was a great experience to be apart of. I will remember what happened this weekend for the rest of my life.
The first weekend we had 1,426 people baptized. To top that off, 732 more people stepped forward in baptism the very next weekend. That's a total of 2,158 people being baptized through Elevation Church in two weekends. Do you understand how amazing that is? Just read Acts 2! There were so many amazing stories but I want to share one with you that had a personal impact on my life. Last month, we took nearly 600 students and staff on our Summer Trip at Crossroads. I had a group of seven middle school guys who were a lot of fun. They were all talking about how on fire they were for Christ and how much fun they were having throughout the week. One of the guys, named Garrett, kept telling me late at night that He understood the Gospel but just wasn't yet ready to accept Jesus as His personal Savior. We talked a couple more times but I just committed to praying for him. Three weeks later, we are standing in one of the baptism lines talking to another kid from our group who was about to be baptized. I pulled Garrett aside and asked him what was up. He said that he still wasn't ready. I responded why and what are you waiting for? He paused for about 25 seconds. I could see the spiritual battle going on right in front of me before he looked me square in the eyes and said, "You know what, you're right. I need to do this. I need to give my life to Christ right now and I need to get baptized." I watched Garrett come up out of the water, he came right over to me and gave me a hug...dripping wet. I had to hold it together because guys don't cry right? For me, there is not a lot of things better in this life then to see students accept Jesus and then to witness them publicly profess Christ through baptism. In fact, four of my students got baptized and I watched them all. Over the weekend, we had hundreds of students step up through baptism and it is incredible to see God change the lives of so many young people. That is why I am involved in student ministry. Praise God!
Click on this link to watch the incredible video that our Video Team put together after the first weekend...inspiring!
http://vimeo.com/27442072
Here are a couple photo's taken off of Pastor Steven Furtick's blog...
The first weekend we had 1,426 people baptized. To top that off, 732 more people stepped forward in baptism the very next weekend. That's a total of 2,158 people being baptized through Elevation Church in two weekends. Do you understand how amazing that is? Just read Acts 2! There were so many amazing stories but I want to share one with you that had a personal impact on my life. Last month, we took nearly 600 students and staff on our Summer Trip at Crossroads. I had a group of seven middle school guys who were a lot of fun. They were all talking about how on fire they were for Christ and how much fun they were having throughout the week. One of the guys, named Garrett, kept telling me late at night that He understood the Gospel but just wasn't yet ready to accept Jesus as His personal Savior. We talked a couple more times but I just committed to praying for him. Three weeks later, we are standing in one of the baptism lines talking to another kid from our group who was about to be baptized. I pulled Garrett aside and asked him what was up. He said that he still wasn't ready. I responded why and what are you waiting for? He paused for about 25 seconds. I could see the spiritual battle going on right in front of me before he looked me square in the eyes and said, "You know what, you're right. I need to do this. I need to give my life to Christ right now and I need to get baptized." I watched Garrett come up out of the water, he came right over to me and gave me a hug...dripping wet. I had to hold it together because guys don't cry right? For me, there is not a lot of things better in this life then to see students accept Jesus and then to witness them publicly profess Christ through baptism. In fact, four of my students got baptized and I watched them all. Over the weekend, we had hundreds of students step up through baptism and it is incredible to see God change the lives of so many young people. That is why I am involved in student ministry. Praise God!
Click on this link to watch the incredible video that our Video Team put together after the first weekend...inspiring!
http://vimeo.com/27442072
Here are a couple photo's taken off of Pastor Steven Furtick's blog...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
DNA
Paul says in Ephesians 3:16-19, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Paul uses this word "rooted" that has a pretty significant meaning. To be rooted in Christ means to be rooted back to the origins of Christ...the foundation of Him. It means to be established, firm, and fixed in Christ. In order for the roots to be firm and established, the plant must be nourished. Just like a muscle needs to be worked out in order to grow. The same goes for our faith; we must feed ourselves the Word daily and work out our faith in order to grow spiritually.
When we are born again and believe in Christ, we share in His DNA. My man Reggi talks about this illustration of a lamb that I found very interesting. Sometimes, a sheep will die while giving birth. In order for the lamb to survive it must first feed from the mother sheep. But a sheep will know if the lamb is hers or not based off the smell and will not feed a lamb unless it is her own. The farmer will then shave some of the hair off the mother sheep and tie the necklace of fur around the lamb that is not hers. When the lamb comes to feed, the mother allows the lamb because she can not tell the difference that it was not hers. Eventually after time, the lamb drinks from her long enough to have the DNA in her and the neckless of fur is removed. The sheep can not tell the difference and takes the lamb in as her own. When we are born again and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ we create a new bond. Our dependence on the Father creates DNA so strong that He can no longer distinguish us from His own Son. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4). We are children of God who have the same access to our Father. We have the same power that every person in the Old Testament carried. We have the same rights. Unfortunately, we don't believe in the same way. We don't seek our Father the same way. We don't ask for miracles the same way. We don't act in a matter that reflects Christ in our day to day lives. We need to just go back to the roots, plant our feet in the Word of God, and live a life that honors our Father in Heaven.
Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Paul uses this word "rooted" that has a pretty significant meaning. To be rooted in Christ means to be rooted back to the origins of Christ...the foundation of Him. It means to be established, firm, and fixed in Christ. In order for the roots to be firm and established, the plant must be nourished. Just like a muscle needs to be worked out in order to grow. The same goes for our faith; we must feed ourselves the Word daily and work out our faith in order to grow spiritually.
When we are born again and believe in Christ, we share in His DNA. My man Reggi talks about this illustration of a lamb that I found very interesting. Sometimes, a sheep will die while giving birth. In order for the lamb to survive it must first feed from the mother sheep. But a sheep will know if the lamb is hers or not based off the smell and will not feed a lamb unless it is her own. The farmer will then shave some of the hair off the mother sheep and tie the necklace of fur around the lamb that is not hers. When the lamb comes to feed, the mother allows the lamb because she can not tell the difference that it was not hers. Eventually after time, the lamb drinks from her long enough to have the DNA in her and the neckless of fur is removed. The sheep can not tell the difference and takes the lamb in as her own. When we are born again and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ we create a new bond. Our dependence on the Father creates DNA so strong that He can no longer distinguish us from His own Son. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4). We are children of God who have the same access to our Father. We have the same power that every person in the Old Testament carried. We have the same rights. Unfortunately, we don't believe in the same way. We don't seek our Father the same way. We don't ask for miracles the same way. We don't act in a matter that reflects Christ in our day to day lives. We need to just go back to the roots, plant our feet in the Word of God, and live a life that honors our Father in Heaven.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Samson's Principle
Samson's story is similar to Solomon's and there seems to be an overlaying theme found in the Bible. Sin is not easily avoided. In fact, Paul tells us that we must die every day (1 Corinthians 15:31) and to count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Seeking God is a daily thing.
Samson is known in the Bible for having supernatural God-given physical strength. So much so that Judges 14:6 says that the Holy Spirit came upon him in power so that he tore a lion apart with his bare hands. Judges 14:19 says the Holy Spirit came upon him in power and he struck down thirty men. In Judges 15:4 he catches three hundred foxes. In Judges 15:8 he 'attacked Philistines viciously and slaughtered many of them.' Judges 15:14-15 says that the Spirit came upon him in power and he struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. In Judges 16:4 he tore apart the city gate. Finally, in Judges 16:29-30 he destroyed the temple.
However, in this passage we read one of the scariest verses in the Bible. Because of Samson's foolish behavior that dishonored God, the Lord removed His Spirit from Samson without him even knowing. Judges 16:20 says, "Then she (Delilah) called, Samson, the Philistines are upon you! He awoke from his sleep and thought, I'll go out as before and shake myself free. But he DID NOT KNOW that the Lord had left him." Samson was this man of God with incredible strength that allowed his pride to get the best of him. He allowed a relationship with Delilah come before his relationship with God. It cost him his strength, his life, and most importantly, his favor with God. He was caught up in the momentum of his previous victories. He was relying on his own strength to conquer his enemies instead of relying on the Spirit to fill him with strength. He sought after himself and he did not even realize that the Spirit of the Lord had left him. Same principle as Solomon, different story.
The difference between the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit is the Holy Spirit comes with a bang (Acts 2) but will leave quietly. An evil spirit comes quietly but will leave with a bang. We get so focused on 'doing' ministry that we don't even realize that God has removed His Spirit from us. We must rely on God every day. We must find our strength in Him and seek Him for it. Are you giving God the praise He deserves for the countless victories He has given you? Don't get so caught up in the moments that we forget to first spend the moment with God.
Samson is known in the Bible for having supernatural God-given physical strength. So much so that Judges 14:6 says that the Holy Spirit came upon him in power so that he tore a lion apart with his bare hands. Judges 14:19 says the Holy Spirit came upon him in power and he struck down thirty men. In Judges 15:4 he catches three hundred foxes. In Judges 15:8 he 'attacked Philistines viciously and slaughtered many of them.' Judges 15:14-15 says that the Spirit came upon him in power and he struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. In Judges 16:4 he tore apart the city gate. Finally, in Judges 16:29-30 he destroyed the temple.
However, in this passage we read one of the scariest verses in the Bible. Because of Samson's foolish behavior that dishonored God, the Lord removed His Spirit from Samson without him even knowing. Judges 16:20 says, "Then she (Delilah) called, Samson, the Philistines are upon you! He awoke from his sleep and thought, I'll go out as before and shake myself free. But he DID NOT KNOW that the Lord had left him." Samson was this man of God with incredible strength that allowed his pride to get the best of him. He allowed a relationship with Delilah come before his relationship with God. It cost him his strength, his life, and most importantly, his favor with God. He was caught up in the momentum of his previous victories. He was relying on his own strength to conquer his enemies instead of relying on the Spirit to fill him with strength. He sought after himself and he did not even realize that the Spirit of the Lord had left him. Same principle as Solomon, different story.
The difference between the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit is the Holy Spirit comes with a bang (Acts 2) but will leave quietly. An evil spirit comes quietly but will leave with a bang. We get so focused on 'doing' ministry that we don't even realize that God has removed His Spirit from us. We must rely on God every day. We must find our strength in Him and seek Him for it. Are you giving God the praise He deserves for the countless victories He has given you? Don't get so caught up in the moments that we forget to first spend the moment with God.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Solomon's Principle
Solomon, the son of David, took over as King and was asked by God in 1 Kings 3:5, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon asked for wisdom...a discerning heart to govern and to distinguish between right and wrong. In fact, 1 Kings 3:12 says that God not only gave him a wise and discerning heart, but that no man will ever be like Solomon again. 1 Kings 10:23 says that King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. Men of all nations came to listen to his wisdom. He was wise beyond his years and consistently made discerning decisions that quickly gained him favor in the eyes of Israel. He also built the temple of God. His prayer of praise and dedication of the temple can be found in 1 Kings 8. "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below...for you alone know the hearts of all men."
You see, Solomon grew his kingdom on Godly principles. He was a wise and great man of God, but like most of us, he had a fatal flaw that went unchecked. He loved many foreign women. Women that Solomon made an idol because he put them before God. So much so, that these women led him astray and turned his heart toward other gods (1 Kings 11:4). He loved these women so much that he ignored the things that God wanted for him. He abandoned God for things of little value and it eventually cost him his kingdom. This displays a huge warning for us in our own lives today.
Solomon started his ministry on the right path. But because of the women in his life, it caused him to walk away from honoring and serving God fully. However, the scary part is, his kingdom still grew even though God was removed. His early momentum carried the ministry even after he stopped seeking God for his life. It is possible to be doing successful ministry without God being involved in it. That is a convicting thought. The ball keeps rolling, even though the force that started it is removed. In our ministry today, it is possible to be so busy working for God, that we forget to spend time with Him! There are things that we allow to go unchecked in our lives and over time, will destroy our ministry. Destruction doesn't just happen over night. It is a process of sin that starts in our mind and our heart that goes unchecked. Over time, our hearts are so far from God that the momentum of our early ministry takes over and carries you, even though your heart is not in it. That is a scary and dangerous place to be. Are you thinking on your own strength? We must make sure that our relationship with God grows every day and that we are genuinely seeking Him in all we do. We must remove things in our lives that will distract us from our walk with God...they could be more damaging than you think...
You see, Solomon grew his kingdom on Godly principles. He was a wise and great man of God, but like most of us, he had a fatal flaw that went unchecked. He loved many foreign women. Women that Solomon made an idol because he put them before God. So much so, that these women led him astray and turned his heart toward other gods (1 Kings 11:4). He loved these women so much that he ignored the things that God wanted for him. He abandoned God for things of little value and it eventually cost him his kingdom. This displays a huge warning for us in our own lives today.
Solomon started his ministry on the right path. But because of the women in his life, it caused him to walk away from honoring and serving God fully. However, the scary part is, his kingdom still grew even though God was removed. His early momentum carried the ministry even after he stopped seeking God for his life. It is possible to be doing successful ministry without God being involved in it. That is a convicting thought. The ball keeps rolling, even though the force that started it is removed. In our ministry today, it is possible to be so busy working for God, that we forget to spend time with Him! There are things that we allow to go unchecked in our lives and over time, will destroy our ministry. Destruction doesn't just happen over night. It is a process of sin that starts in our mind and our heart that goes unchecked. Over time, our hearts are so far from God that the momentum of our early ministry takes over and carries you, even though your heart is not in it. That is a scary and dangerous place to be. Are you thinking on your own strength? We must make sure that our relationship with God grows every day and that we are genuinely seeking Him in all we do. We must remove things in our lives that will distract us from our walk with God...they could be more damaging than you think...
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