"If You are Willing"

“If You are Willing”  

Romans 16:25 (NLT)
“Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong”

Have you ever thought about different things you would like to do in the church, be a missionary, or an evangelist?  You may have been wanting to go to another country and share the Gospel.  You love hearing the stories of those who have seen the power of God work in people in far off Africa.  Well – why haven’t you done any of those things?           

You may think you aren’t able to do what you would like to; that you aren’t gifted or talented enough.  You are lying to yourself.  The truth is that you aren’t really willing to give your life over to God to use as He sees fit.  You don’t see how it could happen because you aren’t able to figure it out.   Yet God is able to make you able!  Did you get that?  God is able to make you!  How do I know that is true?  I’m going to show you all through the Bible where he has given ability to ordinary people just like you.

Let’s begin with Abraham in the book of Genesis.  He and his wife, Sarah lived with his father and family in Haran. He was a shepherd, as was all the family, and they worshipped idols; he did not know God.  One day Jehovah God spoke to Abraham (Abram as he was called in those days) and God said to him to get out of this country and away from his father.  This was a huge test for Abraham, because generations of families lived together in their tent cities and to leave it all was very difficult.  Although he did know who this was who spoke to him, he was willing to take his wife, his flocks and all his possessions do what this unknown God told him.  His nephew, Lot and his family decided to go with them.  So Abraham and all who were with him left Haran and traveled where God led them.  God promised him that Canaan would belong to his descendants forever.  It is known today as Israel.

In the book of Joshua we read how Joshua conquered the city of Jericho because of a harlot who was called Rahab. Harlots have always been an abomination to God, but God used her because she was willing.  Two of Joshua’s men went to spy out this walled city.  Their lives were saved because Rahab was willing to hide them.  The men went back to Joshua to report what they found in the city.  True to their promise to Rahab the only ones who were brought out alive.  God blessed Rahab in generation to come she was noted as the Great-great grandmother of King David.

In 1 Samuel, we see where Israel demanded that they have a king to rule over them, so Saul was chosen.  Over time Saul was disobedient to God and a new king had to be picked.  So Samuel went to a man called Jesse who had several sons, but Samuel passed by each, but the Lord did not choose any of them.  Samuel asked him if there were any more sons and Jesse said there was the youngest called David.   God told Samuel to anoint David to be the next king of Israel.  David was a shepherd boy who lived in the fields with sheep, but in time David was willing and God made him able to govern an entire country.  David was to be known as ‘a friend of God’.

As we read the Gospels in the New Testament, we see how Jesus reached out to those of little ability to become the foundation of Christianity.  Many of the disciples were unschooled fisherman; among the others were a tax collector, a zealot and a treasurer.  The one thing that stands out about them was – they were all willing to drop everything they were doing and follow Jesus. None of them had the ability to make a great impact on this world, but with the Lord leading them they could do ‘all things’.  Take Peter for example, he was just a fisherman, but God chose him to begin the church. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

You might think that God chose Peter to do this and you are right, however, Peter had to be willing or God could not have used him.  God has plans for all of his people, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. [Jeremiah 29:11]  Not everyone follows those plans. Not everyone is willing.  God can takes you to places you never dreamed of; he will give you abilities you’ve never thought you had and he can provide ways to do things that you didn’t know existed. 

If you are truly willing, God will make you able.  Don’t give up on wanting to serve God in different ways and places.  He is looking for you!

"When You Are Tempted"

When You Are Tempted

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

We play with the word ‘tempted, or ‘temptation’, like it’s a game.  When we are trying to lose weight and look at a flavorful dessert piled high with whip cream and nuts with a cherry on top, we say, “I’m tempted to just take a couple of bites.”  Temptation says we are free to do that and it probably won’t hurt anything.  However, once we give in, it’s easier to do it the next and the next and after a while, it no longer bothers us.

Gambling has more temptation to it than many other things.  Satan has a strategy to work on a person until they become addicted.  He starts out by letting you win and that’s so exciting that you want to try it again and again.  Just when you think it’s not worth wasting your money, he lets you win again.  Now, you think it’s the greatest thing there is to spend hours trying to win more money.  If you ever figured up what you’ve spent over a long period of time, it’s very rare to come out on top.   For many people it becomes an addiction and can be harder to break than drugs.

Maybe one time you saw pornography on your computer and that one time led you to other sites until you were so tempted you couldn’t quit watching it.  Sex is a strong temptation for many and pornography leads you on and on.  The repercussion of it affects so many others; if you are married, it can destroy your marriage.  It is said that your eyes are the windows of your soul and what you see you allow to come into your soul and spirit.  Things you had never thought about before can latch on to you such as child pornography and pedophilia.  Many lives are destroyed due to this temptation.

Being tempted with a drug addiction is probably one of the strongest temptations, because it works on your physical body and alters your mind.  God did not create your body to withstand this type of abuse and eventually drugs will destroy both mind and body.  This is a proven fact.   

When we are tempted we tend to reason within ourselves and regularly fail.  God knew this would happen and so he created something inside of us to help us ward off these attacks from the enemy of our souls.  He tells us about it in I Corinthians 10:13 [NLT: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”  The only way to fight against temptation is through God, because in yourself you don’t have the strength.  This is why the Bible tells you that “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” [Philippians 4:13]

We can read in Luke 4:1-12 how Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness without food or water.  He offered Jesus the world, but Jesus stood firm and refused every temptation.  In Matthew 4:11 it says, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

Jesus understands ‘temptation’ and has given us a way to escape by putting our faith in him and relying on his strength.  This is what it means when God says we won't be tempted beyond what we are able.  Just call out to the Lord when you feel yourself weaken and then hang on because he is able to deliver you and set you free from any addiction you may have.  God has made a way of escape and it is Jesus! 

“Living in the Light”

“Living in the Light”

         “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,           and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:7

Last week we talked about being lost in the darkness and I pray that you received that message in the spirit it was meant to be given.  Now, I pray you will catch hold of the concept of living in the light.

The Bible tells us much about ‘walking in the light’, and we should be doing that, but ‘living in the light’ is necessary to being a steadfast Christian in an unholy world.  Walking in the light is growing and maturing in holiness as we follow Jesus.  Living in the light is being in such a close relationship with God that it shines out of you and others around you can see that light.

In the book of Daniel 5:14, the king of Persia, Belshazzar said to Daniel, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”  You see, the LIGHT of God in Daniel could be seen by others.  That is ‘living in the light.  Have you ever seen that light in another person?  I did and let me tell you about it.

Some of you know this story or have read about it in Guideposts magazine about my daughter, Sheryl Ann when she was four years old.  [She was in the hospital and the doctor told us she was gone and he left the room.  The pastor from our small-town church just walked in and began to pray for her. He was from the Netherlands and he began praying in broken English.  He reached under the oxygen tent; took my daughters hand lifted his face toward heaven. I looked at this man calling on God to bring life back into my child.  It was then I saw a glow around his head and over his tear-soaked face.]  She miraculously came back to life and began talking.

I will never forget that light shining on this pastor’s face and knew he and God had a connection that I didn’t understand at that time. He was truly ‘living in the light’. 

I am reminded that when Moses had been with God and when he came out of the temple, the light of God was so bright on him that he had to cover his face with a veil. His face actually glowed and the people knew he had been communing with God.

We find in 1 Peter 2:9, that we believers should all have that glorious light shining on our faces; “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.  If we are spending time with the Lord in praise and prayer, the light of God should be all over us so that others could see it in the spiritual realm, if not in reality.

We might not feel very holy, but it isn’t about how you feel, it’s about what God has done in you.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”  [Ephesians 5:8] It isn’t anything you can make happen yourself, but is what God does in you.  The Bible explains it further, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”  2 Corinthians 4:7

Yes, we must walk in the light in order to grow in the Lord, but we must commune with God in order to live in light. Set aside a certain time to meet with Him if we are too busy.  You don’t have to make an appointment with God; he is always ready to listen and to talk with you.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  Matthew 5:14-16

 

"Lost in Darkness"

Lost in Darkness

“For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark”

Ecclesiastes 2:14 (NLT) 

Christians sometimes call this time we live in, “the lost generation”; when our young people (many, but not all) have turned away from the church and from God.  How could this happen?  Because the last few generations before them gradually lost their way and began to live in darkness.  Even sadder is the fact that they don’t even know they are lost.

I marvel at the amount of well-educated people who belong to a church and are leaders in their businesses, communities, but have no knowledge of the Word of God and the power it contains. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.” [1 Corinthians 3:19 (NLT)] It is time for the Christian, young and old, to stop looking up to super stars and lying politicians. Don’t jump on their bandwagon just to be popular.  It’s what Jesus spoke about in Acts 2:20, “And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?”

When did ‘Faith’ leave and ‘Self-reliance’ take up residence in the Christian life?  We sing songs like, “The Lord is my strength and song”?  We quote scriptures just as, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  Then we turn around and whine and cry about a situation; struggling to handle it all by ourselves.  What ever happened to “pray and wait on the Lord”?  The truth of the matter is – we don’t put our faith in God.

Did you know that many horse trainers put blinders on their horses because they keep the horse focused on what is in front of him, encouraging him to pay attention to the race rather than other distractions, such as looking back, or at the crowds off to the side? I believe that we need to wear blinders to keep us on the right track to run the race that’s before us. (Hebrews 12:21) With prayer, the Holy Spirit will be our blinders so we can run the race of life with endurance, keeping our eyes on the goal ahead.  To affirm this, we read in I John 1:15 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” 

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of everything happening around us, but to concentrate on the things of God instead of getting lost in the darkness of evil that invades this old world. The Truth of God says that there is coming a day of darkness such as we have never seen before.  “Yes, the day of the LORD will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope.” [Amos 5:20 (NLT)]  However, God will deliver us from this time if we are walking in his light.  Before that, Acts 2:20 tells us that, “The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives.” 

I’m telling you all of this because so many are lost in the darkness of this world.  Many consider that America which was once known as a Christian nation, is no longer considered that.  Our president spoke openly about us no longer being a Christian nation.  However, at the same time, there is a voice calling from the distance, “Where are the true believers?”  Then a faint answer, “We are here, but we are few.”  That doesn’t bother God; he has used a few committed Believers to conquer many throughout the ages. 

As a child I used to dream a lot and then wake up in the darkness terrified because I didn’t know where I was.  I called out to my mother and she came quickly to comfort me and wipe away my tears. Just as a mother comes to her child when they cry out, so does God come quickly when a believer calls out to Him.  “God, I feel lost in the darkness – help me.”  He will answer your prayer.  He said he would never leave you or forsake you. 

There are times when all of us feel like we are losing the battle, but lift up the banner of faith and know that God has his eye on you.  Pray like you’ve never prayed before; trust like you’ve never trusted before and give yourself completely to Him like you have never done before.  Then when the sun bursts through the clouds praise God like you’ve never praised before.  Victory is yours!