Blessed to be a Blessing

(Written August 29, 6:00 am following Hurricane Irene going through Maryland)

Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late . . .

(Psalm 127:1-2)

Two days after hurricane Irene visited our home (and four days after a earthquake shook the area for a few minutes), I sit here ready to go off to begin new school year as if all is well!

Spiritually speaking, all IS well indeed. Though I stayed up all night Saturday through Sunday at sunrise to ride out the hurricane making sure our basement did not flood (using a small power inverter and our truck battery connected to our pump) I realize it was God who watched over us. As the trees bent with the force winds, as the rain beat down on our home, even as the earth trembled and our home shook during the quake, it was God protecting . . . God holding back the waters from our basement . . . God keeping the trees from breaking and damaging our home!

As we looked around the neighborhood following the hurricane, we saw chunks of trees littering the street directly in front of our home. Behind our home a tree snapped and took down power lines (which is why we are still without electricity!). Our next door neighbor’s basement flooded. Then, as we began clean-up Sunday, my father-in-law told us to come and get his generator so we could have minimum power in our home! We were then able to assist our neighbors in drying out basements and keeping food fresh by sharing extension cords to and from our power supply. Blessed to be a blessing indeed!

God indeed watches over the home, the family and the individuals who trust in Him! He honors the efforts we make to keep things safe and secure, but ultimately it is God! Whether it is a vicious storm, powerful waves, whipping winds, or a thunderous quake, He has ALL power in His hand . . . even the power of a gentle and secure hand of protection!

Stay plugged in!

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

(Acts 1:8)

Initially, we experienced our first earthquake as a family on Tuesday August 23 at 1:51 pm. As if that was not enoigh to feel the power of God, the coming weekend brought more challenges as Hurricane Irene pummeled our area in Maryland and along the entire Eastern seaboard! Though we did not have to experience evacuation and suffered no real physical damage (thank God!), we did lose power at 1:00 Sunday and eventually a borrowed generator, we were able to keep the interior house dry and save the food as well. Electrical power returned today (Wednesday) at 3:00 am., but His power was evident throughout.

There is power . . .in prayer, in God's people, and because of the Holy Spirit within us. Stay plugged in!

Submit and Seek

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(James 4:7)

Submission is such a hard word for us to digest in this world. We are told to get what is rightfully ours, look out for number one, and it's a dog-eat-dog world. But this is how the world operates, not the Christ-follower!

The first thing we must do is submit to the will of God. We have to seek His will for our lives. This involves giving up what we may want and living a life of sacrifice! It is nothing short of what Christ did for us as He left the eternal security of heaven to enter this filthy world and be a sacrifice on our behalf!

In submitting to the Lord, we must spend time with Him in reading His Word, attending bible studies with other like believers, and worshipping as a corporate body (Hebrews 10:25). We need to live a disciplined life and not be given over to every new fad or bright idea!

Now for the second part of the verse: As we remain focused on things of God (Philippians 4:8), we are already resisting the devil! I realize that like Paul, there is a war going on between right and wrong within my body. (Romans 7:14-25) As we draw closer to the Lord, He in turn comes closer to us in a very personal and intimate way!(James 4:8)But we must hate the sin within us and realize how much we indeed need His Spirit to keep us. We cannot live a holy life on our own power!

We all need to realize how much we need the Holy Spirit and how much we need one another. We truly must be one. Like the prophets of old, we all need to seek after God on a personal level to see Him work in our lives. Pray for one another. Pray with one another. Be in communion with God and fellow believers. Listen as James closes out his epistle:

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

(James 5:13-20)

Another Opportunity

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

(Matthew 7:24-27)

Trusting the Words of the Savior are comforting and bring confidence in trials. When we are frightened and cannot seem to find answers, they bring peace knowing our eternity is secured, even though our present situation is a bit unstable. We can indeed walk by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Yesterday (August 23, 2011) the earth began to shake and the walls at the Bowie, MD CVS where my son and I were began to rattle at approximately 1:51 pm. "Earthquake!" I said as I yelled for Michael to grab my hand and walk outside the store. People had the look of panic as I tried to use my cell phone to call my wife and older children. No service! As we drove home I spotted my wife on the steps of our home, physically fine but visibly shaken!We immediatelly turned on the news and listened to reports. A 5.0 to 6.0 quake in Virginia . . . VIRGINIA!!!!!

These verses kept going through my mind both during and for quite a while after the shaking stopped . . . as we inspected the house and as we expected aftershocks:

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Now we hear forcasts of a possible hurricane hitting the Mid-Atlantic area this weekend. (August 27-28?) We cannot stop it . . . only be ready for it as best as we are able. This is yet another opportunity to walk through the storm. Yes there is fear, some questions, and indeed a lot of uncertainty. However, we can walk confidently in the Lord and His promise to never leave us .(Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6)God promises to go through with us, whether we are relaxing on the green grasses of success or suffering in the valley of despair. (Psalm 23:1-6)

Where was your faith yesterday at 1:51 pm on the East Coast? Where is it today? Where will it be this weekend? Another opportunity arises to choose Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you know Him here is another chance to share Him with someone who does not know Him. Let's not let another opportunity slip by . . .

Communion . . . It's a Lifestyle!

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

(Mark 11:25)

Peter was surprised to see the fig tree Jesus' had previously cursed (Mark 11:12-14) was withering away. If you recall, He was hungry and found no fruit on the tree. It was not the season for bearing fruit. Yet for believers, there is no season for sharing the Gospel, for aiding the needy or for representing our Lord. We are to be bearing fruit all year . . . there is no time out! It is God's will for us to be his ambassadors daily, wherever and whenever we go.

So back to faith and praying . . . we just cannot pray and expect God to give us what we desire! We have all heard the saying, "God don't bless a mess"! We must be in His will (in communion) and living a life on His terms and not our own. I believe that most times, when God answers our prayer it is so others may see His grace and goodness and so we can share this with others, so He receives glory and others come to know Him for themselves. God blesses us so we may bless others . . . at least in my opinion!

The terms communion and fellowship are varying translations of the words κοινωνία, koinōnı́a, and κοινωνέω, koinōnéō, or their cognates. They designate acts of fellowship observed among the early Christians or express the unique sense of unity and fellowship of which these acts were the outward expression. Today, I believe communion needs to be a lifestyle, not simply something we do once a month or once a week.

So if we are to ask God anything, we must have a clean heart. We must be in communion with Him and those in our lives. Any discord can hinder our prayers. Prayers of a husband are a great example.(1 Peter 3:7)If we want God to forgive us, protect us, and provide for us, He expects us to do the same for our fellow man. Even in our giving, we must be in communion with God and man.(Matthew 5:23)

Love God? Love others! If we expect God to do for us, we must treat others as we want God to treat us.Communion . . . It's a lifestyle!

Reconciliation . . . everyone's ministry!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Therefore . . . since we are now NEW creations, we are to reperesent Christ as ministers of reconciliation! Just as Christ came to reconcile us to God, we are to do the same . . . seek to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, so they too may be one with God.

I recognize that everyone is not gifted in evangelism, teaching, preaching, shepherding, and the like. These are specific gifts of the Spirit given to folks to serve the Body along with other spiritual gifts. Yes, we need the hands, feet, legs, etc to work as such for the Body to function well.(1 Corinthians 12:1-31) However, each of must live a life that gives witness to our salvation. People need to see Christ in us in order to see that our faith in Him is genuine.

We cannot be a light if we remain hidden and quiet. We cannot be salt if we are not shaken up a bit. We need to be visible, transparent, and active within our circles of influence! We may not be everyone's friend, yet we need to offer Christ's friendship (reconciliation) to all.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:16)

We are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Let's do our job and not mis-represent our Savior and Lord!

Jesus is Still Speaking Today

"Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them."

(Matthew 5:3)

Just as Jesus began calling His disciples to follow Him, He noticed multitudes ... crowds of people following after Him. He saw the crowds but I also get a sense that he saw their need; a need for encouragement, a need for hope, a need to hear that there was a better day ahead. Sound familiar?

Jesus is Still Speaking Today . . .

Jesus went up on the mountain so He could be seen and heard and waited for His disiples to join Him ((Matthew 5:1) You see, even His closest followers needed to be encouraged to press on. Times would be getting even more challenging as they committed to follow Christ.

The humble, the meek, those who empathize with others, those who seek after the things of God are not the most popular in this world, that is obvious. In fact, the truly humble Christian leaders are not out in the public eye, but working hard within their own congregations, serving in their neighborhoods, making late night visits to hospitals, and bending down to lend an ear to a child in need. Living out the beatitude attitude is a life of sacrifice! Great is their reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12) Servants like this are not seeking fame and fortune, but seeking that God is recognized and honored! (Matthew 5:16)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.

(John 10:10)

The world offers many ways to riches and glory. It is a challnge even for the most grounded Christian leaders. Money is fine. Having things is ok, in fact when used properly, riches, fame, and popularity can indeed spread the Word of God to places and people you and I could never reach! They are tools for minitry I like to say. However, the love of money, the desire for fame and recognition, this is the pitfall. (1 Timothy 6:10) Our desire needs to always be to honor God and bring Him glory!

The abundant life God promises is not of this earth, but in heaven. Things on earth rust, fade, and crumble. Look at today's economy as an example; stocks crumbling, retirement plans dwindling, and homes losing value. No one can take away what we do for Christ and His promises however!(Colossians 3:23-24)

As the days get more challenging, what is our motivation? Are we seeking to do His work, or seeking security for ourselves? Who or what are we trusting in today?

Jesus is Still Speaking Today . . . are we listening?

R.S.V.P. NOW!

"The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man couldn't think of anything to say. "Then the king told his servants, 'Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will sob and grind their teeth.' "Many are invited, but few are chosen."

(Matthew 22:11-14)

Many are invited to join the Kingdom of God. The problem is that the invitation is restricted! One cannot simply show up at the door. It is not possible to get in with friends. There is no price we need to pay or a ticket we need to purchase. The price of admission was paid on the cross by Christ and the ticket is punched by the Savior when we accept Him on His terms alone!

Paul and James actually agree that our faith causes us to work for the Lord. (Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:14-26) We are not saved from sin by what we do, but saved to do things to bring glory to God. James emphasizes this by saying faith without works is dead!

Faith in Christ saves man from sin and this faith causes man to do things he would never do without that faith . . . selfless sacrifice to honor God, not himself!

Finally, this faith is not simply a head knowledge of the Savior. Even Satan believes that Jesus is God, that he suffered on the cross, and has Risen from the dead! We must repent from our sin (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)and have a heart conviction and public expression (lifestyle) of this faith.(Romans 10:9-10) The Savior saves man from sin . . . nothing else! The Good News is that He came to save us all! (Luke 19:10)

Salvation is indeed free for all . . . all who accept the terms of the invitation. It is also exclusive and restrictive . . . Not my rules, but the way God wants it!

In fact, the invitation is so strong, it is contained in the final few sentences of God's words to the churches and to us today . . .

The Holy Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let those who hear say, "Come!" Anyone who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wants to take the free gift of the water of life should do so.

(Revelation 22:17)

The invitation is open to all who will accept it. However, it is a free choice. God will not force anyone to do anything they do not want to do. People choose to go to hell . . .what will you choose?

PLEASE R.S.V.P. NOW while there is yet time!

Trust is a Must!

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

(Psalm 40:4)

We have all heard this before: God always answers prayers. However, at times His answer is yes, right away. Other times the answer is no! But the times when He says wait a bit is when we mostly struggle. Do we really trust God?

It is hard to struggle when we see the evil and proud winning. We may ask God why? We may ask Him when? However, the best inquiry of God is what: What is it You would have me to do in this circumstance God?

For the answer, let's hear from Paul:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

We simply need to be content! God has us . . . He knows what is best for us!

Trust is a Must!

A War Within Me!

In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

(Isaiah 54:14)

If Christ has freed us from unrighteousness and we are declared innocent by the blood of Christ, then why do we seek the things of the world? Popularity, bigger homes, fancier cars, more prestige . . .Nothing we can do and nothing the world offers can improve our standing before Almighty God! It is by faith that we are justified: declared or made righteous in the sight of God. We have been declared righteous by the atoning blood sacrifice of Jesus . . . nothing more, nothing less!(Romans 5:1-11) Perhaps this economic downturn is a blessing in disguise!

I know personally that I struggle not with my faith in Christ, but my pride and personal weaknesses. I see others obtaining things and receiving personal comforts and my natural inclination is to desire some of those same things for myself and my family. My human nature seems to never be satisfied! But in today's financial reality, I have to accept things as they are!

I agree with Paul: it is indeed a war within me. (Romans 7)I lust for things I should not have and argue with God about the things I do have! Why don't I simply rest in Him and what He has for me when He says I need it?

I am not saying this to have others look down upon me, but to let others know I am simply human and struggling like everyone else. I am learning however, to trust my Jesus more and more! We are not alone in our struggles!!!!

Hang in there . . .

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. (1Corinthians 3:18)

When disaster strikes, we tend to turn to the wise to solve our problems. If the economy takes a hit, we call upon the economists from Wall Street and the Ivy League schools. If weather poses a threat, we inquire of the meteorologists and other weather experts from the Weather Channel. If it is a medical emergency, off we go to the specialists at Childrens' Hospital or Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

All these are fine and very good sources for answers, advice, and cures, but we often do not go to the real Expert our primary Source . . . our Creator God! Who do we suppose we are nowadays anyway?

When is the last time we fasted and prayed as a Nation? When is the last time the name of JESUS was called upon in a political speech? Will we ever acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only way to the ear of God?

We have so many questions in this day yet little in the way of answers. So many theories, yet few real solutions. I like the way Jesus answered Thomas' question when he inquired of Him where He would be going:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

(John 14:6)

The fool says in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 14:1-3). They think technology and science can figure all that is wrong and fix it. All diseases will be healed and all wars will be over. Well, there is really good news in all of this . . . His name is Jesus and one day He will fix it all! Hang in there . . . trust in Him alone! He is coming back!

...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth . . .

(Philippians 2:10)