Ever thought about water?

Really… It is just two elements, hydrogen and oxygen.  But combined, under pressure, they form the absolute most important substance on the planet! This combination is an example of a chemical reaction – 2 elements coming together with the help of a particular environment, or catalyst.

2 Corinthians 5:17

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

Now that is a chemical reaction!!!  Your old, tired, complaining, miserable self combined with CHRIST!!!!

What does that produce?  A new person!  And what environment, or catalyst, caused that?….. THE CROSS!!!

When Jesus died on the cross, He made that reaction available for us all.  A complete chemical change.  The substance of who we are completely changes.  All of the junk, all of the pain, all of the depression, all of the lack is exchanged for newness, peace, joy, love!!!  All of the benefits of the “new life”…

Close examination of this scripture reveals something even more exciting.  The verbs, or the actions, tell us that this is constantly happening!  As believers, we have a choice to be in a constant state of renewal… A constant state of change!!!!  We actually can become new EVERYDAY!

The key here is CHOICE….  With the free will that God placed in us, we must choose everyday to be renewed. (Romans 12:2)  We have to choose to be in Christ.  If we do that, He will give us a tremendous desire to change… to move!  We actually can be active in this whole thing!!!!

Philippians 3:13-14

“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Physics…. Energy, motion, and force!

Paul wanted to move….  Not just for the sake of moving.  He used words like straining for and press on.  Moving forward may be uncomfortable… even downright difficult!   Why do you think so many of us resist it?

Newton’s First Law of Motion:

An object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless an external force is applied.  An object in motion tends to stay in motion, unless an external force is applied.

Where are we?

At rest?….  the same place, doing the same things, getting the same results, making the same complaints, blaming the same people, sitting in the bleachers, instead of being in the game????

In motion?…. Moving forward in God, constantly being renewed, being made new by the Word, growing in knowledge, loving unconditionally????

Why is it so important to know who we are Christ (our chemistry) and to get going (our physics)….

1.  A living organism that does not change, dies!!!

Our physical body changes constantly!!!  We certainly know that….  It was divinely designed to change, make adjustments, and renew itself in order to maintain proper health.  Without that process, our bodies will not survive…

Constant renewal and change is just as vital to our spiritual health!  Staying in the same stagnant pool of filth, disease, complacency, unforgiveness… will eventually kill our spirit.

2.  Move away from the past

We all can point directly to the things in our past that held us down.  Bad habits, bad choices, bad friends…  The further away we get from things, the harder they are to see!

3.  Others need us to!

The Great Commission starts with physics…. GO!!!!!!  The world is waiting for us…. As individuals and as a church.  We have what they need.  But most will never walk through the doors of a church.  Why do you think Jesus said GO?  Because he knew the biggest obstacle would be the 4 walls!

“sit and stay, remain comfortable and cozy, for they will surely come…”  Hmmmmmm….

The time is now here when Christians must know and abide in the peace of God. If we have true faith, we must also have the peace of God which remains calm in the midst of any storm. We have been given a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. If we have built our lives on it, everything that can be shaken is shaken. We are told this in Hebrews 12, and through even the greatest shaking, we will remain steadfast and a sanctuary in the storm. Do not let anything steal your peace.

If you feel like the situations that are now coming upon the world are beyond control, you are right. They are beyond human control. This is the primary reason for the great time of trouble or tribulation that is coming upon the world. It is the result of mankind trying to run the world without God. We need God. We need Him for our personal lives, and we need Him in all human affairs.

Resolve every time that you feel fear and panic rising in you to read Psalm 91, and other Scriptures that promise God’s protection. He will protect His people who have made Him their refuge. If the Word, God Himself has taken His stand against the devil with “It is written,” how much more should we? There is only one answer to the problems that are coming upon the world, and we know Him. Determine every time when you begin to feel fear that you are going to trust God and grow in the peace of God. Fight the fear with “It is written.” What He has promised us is absolute truth. It is a rock, and it will not shake, even when the entire world is shaking.

One of the most important Christian teachings and disciplines, is the call that we have to take up our crosses and “die daily.” If we have died to this world as we have been called to do, it is impossible for us to fear. What does a dead man fear? One who is already dead to this world does not fear anything on the earth. This must be our resolve.

The number one strategy of the devil in these times is to control the world through fear. The Lord leads His people through faith. The times are going to increasingly reveal those who have true faith and those who do not. Psalm 32 is an important word for us, especially verses 6-11.
The Kingdom is coming, and our King is going to restore the earth to the paradise He created it to be. He is going to remove all disease, pain, cruelty and suffering, and wipe every tear away from every eye.

The Kingdom is at hand, even at the door.

However, we must understand this door. As Paul said in Acts 14:22, “Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.” The Lord does not allow troubles to come upon His people without purpose, and the basic purposes are:

1) to help conform us to the image of Christ, and

2) to help us find the entry into the Kingdom in that area of our life.

The “great tribulation” (see Matthew 24:21), or the “great time of trouble,” are also doors for the whole world to enter into the Kingdom–and that will be the result.

The Lord said that “…the harvest is the end of the age….”(Matthew 13:39),   As all of the Lord Jesus’ own prophecies concerning these times make very clear, we are coming to the greatest times of trouble the world has ever known. However, the good news is, if we have built our lives on the Kingdom which cannot be shaken, we will not only survive what is coming, but we will prevail and prosper.

The prophecies of these times are fearful for those who are not abiding in the Prince of Peace.

If we have built our lives on the Kingdom, we have nothing to fear from anything, or anyone. Those who have not built their lives on the Kingdom will have many things to fear, and it will increase. Therefore, we want to see these things for what they are, and be prepared, not to just survive, but to save many others.

Let Him fix all of your problems, and determine that you are going to grow in trust in Him every day. Then decide that you are going to help others do the same.

Throughout this month, we as a church are focusing on Going Forward.  If you weren’t able to be at church for Pastor Wells’ first message in this series you NEED to watch/listen to it as soon as possible!  It was a powerful and direction-setting message for 2012.

As Pastor was speaking, he listed things that happen to us when we fail to go forward in our walk with God.  The first thing he mentioned was “When we fail to go forward we walk in fear instead of faith”.  As I thought about this statement several things came to mind.  It turned into a discussion last week in the student ministry and I’d like to share them with you and hopefully encourage you to push past your fear and into God’s plan for you in 2012.

There are a few types of fear that we encounter as we live our lives – each with different origins, symptoms and results. As a precursor, let me just say that I don’t believe all fear is bad. For example, a fear of playing in traffic will save you money in medical bills.  Likewise, a fear of walking down a dark alley in a shady part of town will greatly reduce your chances of getting mugged.  Although these seem like drastic examples, I think you can see that healthy fear, or respect, leads to wisdom and ultimately good decision making (Proverbs 9:10).  There is, however, fear that hinders, cripples, and paralyzes us in our walk with God. Here are some examples.

1.) The Fear of Failure.  We’ve all been there right? Wanting, wishing, hoping to do something for ourselves, our family, or our church.  Having a desire to really try something, start something, or maybe stop something.  How often do we fail to follow through because we are afraid we might not succeed?  If we are honest, it’s more times than we care to admit.  The truth is, we will all fail.  But, if we never try we’ve failed before we ever begin.  Michael Jordan (you may have heard of him) said it this way, “I can accept failure.  Everybody fails at something.  I cannot accept not trying”.  Sometimes our greatest successes come on the heels of our greatest failures.

2.) The Fear of Success.  Although this may sound a little odd it’s more common than you might think.  Working with people, you have an opportunity to observe talented, gifted, charismatic individuals that seem to sabotage themselves like it’s going out of style.  I’m not a psychologist, but I believe that this is partly because of what they’ve seen and how they see themselves.  Think about Joshua, Caleb and the other 10 men as Moses sent them to scope out Canaan (Numbers 13).  Even after seeing how great the land was and much better it would be, the only response the 10 spies could offer was “We can’t attack them; they’re stronger than we are.  We are like grasshoppers in their sight”.  In their own hearts and minds, they could never overcome those giants – they were too small.  Are you sabotaging what God wants to do in your life because you see yourself as too small or insignificant?  Be encouraged that you serve a BIG God that has BIG plan for you!

3.) Fear of the Unknown.    We like to know, see and understand how everything is going to work out.  Information brings us security.  The thing about that is, with God, you don’t always see all the pieces to the puzzle.  Truthfully, we’ll never see the entire puzzle.  If we did, we wouldn’t need faith and we wouldn’t have to rely on God.  With uncertainty, fear is often present, but so is the opportunity to trust fully in and rely on God (Proverbs 3:5-6).  A scripture that I often rehearse to myself is Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path”.  I may not see around the corner, but I have the assurance that He will light my next step.  When I’m tempted to fear or doubt, God’s Word reminds me that as I put one foot in front of the other in pursuit of God’s plan for my life, He will show me the way.

Have you been struggling with fear? Be encouraged that God is faithful and can be trusted! His track record is stellar!

May 2012 be your best year yet!

What Is Worship?

I know, I know. You know what worship is. You go to church every week. You only listen to christian music. You only watch christian television. You only read christian books. You only wear christian t-shirts and you only eat at Chick-fil-a. You know all the latest worship songs. All the newest trends in the christian music scene. You even know what a v-neck is. Or, you don’t know any new worship songs because you believe that the old stuff is better. Who ever said we were supposed to sing a new song anyway!? Oh, God did. No matter where you are in your christian walk, no matter what your experience with God, no matter what you were brought up in, we would all agree that worship is important. But we all approach worship differently. It’s actually a really big deal. Whole movements and denominations have been started because people approach worship differently. Churches have been built, and split, because of our different views of worship.

What’s your view of worship?
Soft piano or acoustic guitar accompanied by soft vocals?
Organs and hymns?
Celtic guitar and singers with accents?
Southern gospel? 
Hillsong?
Loud electric guitars and live drums?
Early 90’s christian music with electric drums?
A cappella?
Jewish flavored music because that’s what Jesus listened to?
24/7 worship?
Slow music?
Fast music?
No music?

Please forgive the sarcasm, I’m only trying to bring to light the different ways we worship. All these different approaches and styles of worship are good. Usually, we tend to gravitate towards that style that we’re most comfortable with. If you were raised with the hymns, it’s hard to break away. If your early worship experiences were southern gospel, it’s difficult to embrace a worship style like Hillsong, and vice versa. We all see worship differently, but God doesn’t….

God sees worship the same. We approach and celebrate Him differently, but the end result is the same – He is glorified. If He’s not, then it’s not worship. Simple.
Now for the point…. God is bigger than music. God is bigger than style. God is just bigger. And worship is bigger than music as well. We all say that we know this, but do we practice it? I want to challenge you today to worship. Not sing a song, but worship. You don’t even have to lift your hands all day while trying to type at work. Just worship. Let’s look at a few examples of worship.

When we forgive your neighbor who has sinned against you, that’s worship.
When we repent quickly and completely, that’s worship.
When we are genuinely thankful to God for something, that’s worship.
When we put obedience above sacrifice, that’s worship.
When we love our spouse the way God intended, that’s worship.
When we offer the Gospel to a broken world, that’s worship.
When we sing off key, but it’s from our heart, that’s worship.
When we believe God even though our world is crumbling, that’s worship.
When we speak about what God’s done in our lives, that’s worship.
When we love and build the church because that’s what Jesus is doing, that’s worship.
When we decrease so Jesus can increase in our lives, that’s worship.
When we make time for our family, that’s worship.
When we come before God honestly, with no religious pretense, that’s worship.
When we think about His word, that’s worship.
When we are saved by God’s grace, that’s worship.
When we grow in the things of God, that’s worship.
When we die with the hope of heaven in our heart, that’s worship.
When we do anything that puts God above us, it’s worship.

My challenge to you today: worship.

About a week ago I was reading in my devotional about a “Gardeners Prayer”. Not being a gardener, I wasn’t very excited about the devotional of the day. However, I pushed on and committed myself to reading through it fully and being open to whatever God wanted to say. Little did I know He was about to say a whole lot, and most of it was going to be hard to hear. I read the following:

“O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning, but you see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in; grant that at the same time it would not rain on campion, alyssum, helianthemum, lavender, and the others which you know are drought-loving plants ( I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like) and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere ( not for instance, on spiraea or on gentian, plantain lily and rhododendron) and not too much; that there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant-lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from Heaven. Amen”

How funny…. That like this gardener we try to tell God what to do. When in reality, we are speaking from our limited, finite point of view.  I had to ask myself “Who do you think you are? What right do I have to tell God what is best for me??”  We want God to answer our requests the way we want. What if God has something better for us?  We are so much better off when we simply state our requests and then trust Him to respond from His eternal storehouse with His great generosity and unquestionable wisdom. When will we as the Body of Christ be fully persuaded??? He will take better care of us than we could ourselves…  Jeremiah 10:23 says “I know Lord, that my life is not my own. I cannot plan my own course, so correct me Lord, but please be gentle.” Gods course is so much better than any plan we could make for ourselves we simply have to trust Him.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Ever heard this quote and thought, “if a clock’s broken, how could it ever be right?” If you have, then you’re not alone. Many people today think that you can only learn from the so-called “experts”. Check out this passage out of Proverbs 24:

“I passed by the field of the sluggard

And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;

Its surface was covered with nettles,

And its stone wall was broken down.

When I saw, I reflected upon it;

I looked, and received instruction.”

Proverbs 24:30-32 (NASB)

 

I know what you’re thinking… “What could a lazy man lacking sense who let his crops go to waste ever teach me about farming, work, or life?” And you have a valid point, my friend. Now lets see what our passer-by learned from his observation.

"A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest,"

Then your poverty will come as a robber

And your want like an armed man.”

Proverbs 24:33-34 (NASB)

If you humble yourself and admit that you don’t know everything about everything, you’d be surprised by what you could learn. Open your eyes today, ask God to be your teacher, but don’t miss the object lessons all around us. God can use anyone or any situation to teach us something, no matter how broken the clock.

Many people have been stopped in their tracks by the fear of failure. Many have had moments of inspiration and hope, new ideas and dreams, only to be overwhelmed by the fear of failing. What makes this fear so diabolical is that you never get the chance to see if it would work. You simply fail before trying by not trying at all. You see, quitting before trying is failing before trying. Let me illustrate with a recent experience.

I had just purchased an itunes gift card from Walmart and needed to return it that same day. An itunes gift card is different from other gift cards in that until you scratch off the silver film on the back to reveal your unique card number, it’s just an pretty piece of plastic. I attempted to return it, but the costumer service clerk refused to even try. She kept telling me about their gift card return policy, which I admit I am mostly ignorant about, but she wouldn’t even try. So I left disappointed when the nice lady who checks your receipts at the door told me to go back and speak to a manager. So I did. I was very polite about it. Once I asked that same clerk to speak to a manager, she said, “well lets just give it a try first and see,” to prove to me that there was nothing they could do. Then…… it worked. She was very kind and apologetic, and I was reminded of this simple truth, Try. Yes, you might fail. But don’t try and you’ve failed already.

Have you ever spoken to somebody with a much higher IQ than yours? Did they use words that you weren’t fully convinced were actual words? People with huge vocabularies seem to have the upper hand in conversation…. unless the goal is to actually deliver an idea or instruction, then the prize goes to Average Joe. He speaks like everyone else, so everyone else understands him. Amazing! And for those of you reading this who have much larger IQ’s than me, which may or may not be saying much, I’m not against educating yourself or anything like that. I merely want to illustrate something about God.

God doesn’t speak to us in a way that we could never understand. That would defeat the purpose of Him speaking in the first place. When God speaks to us, He fully intends for us to understand Him. God wants to meet you where you’re at. He won’t talk over your head because He loves you, and His whole intention in speaking in the first place is not just to be heard, but to be understood by you. So resist the pressure to “sound spiritual” when you’re praying. God isn’t fooled. He can hear you the rest of the day as well. You didn’t use big religious sounding words and phrases at the local super market or with your family, so don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

“the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”

Exodus 33:11 NLT

Talk to God with respect and love. Be yourself. Try it right now. I dare you.