In the book, “Where Is God When I Hurt?” Wilson Adams tells the story of an older couple driving along when the wife spots a newly married couple in the vehicle ahead. She exclaims, “Look at them, Harold! Would you just look at them?” She continues, “She’s all scrunched up next to him with her head on his shoulder…” She sighs, “Harold, do you remember when we used to do that? I would sit next to you with my head on your shoulder…” She sighs again. “Look at us, Harold. Just look at us! You’re way over there under the steering wheel and I’m way over here next to the door. What happened to us, Harold?” She sighs even more. Harold was a man of few words. Ten miles later, he cleared his throat and said, “I never moved.” The same is true in our relationship with the savior. God is as near to us as He has always been. It is us that from time to time lose faith and move away from Him. He has promised to never leave us but like the father in Mark 9:24 we cry out “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” In other words, we never reach self-sufficiency. Growing in faith is a constant daily renewing of our trust in Him.
To forsake another person is to leave them entirely, usually in a moment of need. I’m glad our savior has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Over 100 times in the Bible we are told God will never leave us nor forsake us. To repeat it so many times and in so many different ways, He must have known we would struggle with this concept. Scholars call it parallelism, which means to restate something several different ways for emphasis. We assume if we struggle, He must not be with us. When we narrow our focus so all we can see are the challenges along the way and the things that are going wrong, it will keep us from understanding that God is compassionate, loving and faithful to bring forth His promises to us. The lyricist says, “He is moving in your life even when you can’t see it. Maybe you just haven’t seen it yet”.
Trusting He’s With You
The Book of Acts teaches that He sent a comforter to be with us, to encourage us when we’re weak, to guide us and to help us see right from wrong. In this, we can be confident. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.”(Psalms 46:1)
I am reminded of an invitation to golf at a swank Country Club in Boca. As I was parking, the car a caddie came to the car and introduced himself as Josh. Josh took my clubs and directed me to the locker room to change. After changing my shoes and a little stretching, I headed to the driving range. Josh was waiting for me there with my clubs set up. As I worked my clubs from wedges to the driver, Josh watched closely, sometimes asking me how I thought I hit a certain club and then making notes on a card. When it was time to go to the first tee Josh told me to enjoy myself he would be carrying my clubs. Now, this is important because, on the regular courses where I golf, folks carry their own clubs or put them on an electric cart. We make decisions based on our own beliefs, thoughts, and desires. We don’t have someone guiding us. In other words, the caddie knew the course and he had an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. He knew how far I could hit various clubs. He knew the blind spots on the course and he knew how to read the greens and advise me. When I arrived at the first tee, Josh was there waiting for me. From my car to the first tee, he was developing a relationship with me. All I had to do was to make the decision to trust Josh with my total game.
On a par 5, I had hit a beautiful drive down the middle of the fairway. I asked for my 3-wood for the next shot over the water. Josh said, “You can’t get over, there’s wind down there. Lay up with your 5 iron”. I was going to show him, I was feeling good and swinging well. I could handle the challenge before me. I appreciated his advice but he didn’t really know me. I struck the 3-wood perfectly; the ball starting out low and rose like a plane takes off. As I posed in my finish position waiting for the ball to land in the fairway on the other side of the water – splash! The wind had held it up just as Josh had explained. He winked at me and told me not to worry; he would still guide me for the rest of the round. See Josh knew the dangers in front of me and he knew my swing. After that, I listened to Josh’s instructions for the rest of the round and played one of my best rounds of the year. I was able to accomplish this because Josh was carrying my heavy bag, giving me instructions, warning me of upcoming danger, advising me of my best option given my skill level and the situation. However, I had the free will to follow his lead or not.
It is the same in your relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Father has sent the Holy Spirit who is standing on the tee box waiting for you to accept Him as your life caddie. Before each shot or decision, talk it over and strategize with Him. Just like golf, life is better when we don’t play it alone. Jesus unconditionally loves you and wants to guide you around the course of life. He has provided us a yardage book, the Bible, which identifies the pitfalls of our course. It instructs us on how to prepare and how to identify for the challenges of life.
Unlike the caddie, Jesus can forgive your bad shots and wipe them off your scorecard. He wants you to reach out to Him in good times and in bad times. In the words of Ken Blanchard, “ you have a chance to have the ultimate Mulligan in your life. Someone who will forgive you for your bad shots, someone who will forgive you for your transgressions, and someone who will stand beside you and never leave you”. He promised in Matthew 28:20, “ . . . and be sure of this: I am with you always, even until the end of the age”. Always literally means all day. The Holy Spirit will never leave you. He has set you on a journey. He has a plan for your destiny. Yet, you have the free will to follow his lead or not.
Last month we celebrated His power over death. This month we celebrate His power in our lives. Now that you understand His presence in your life, you can join Smokie Norful in praising Him for never leaving you nor forsaking you:
My prayer for each of you is that you will make the pivotal choice to tee it up with God and seek to play His course. That you will embrace the plan God has for your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for dying on the cross for our sins; yet, we thank you even more for defeating death. Help us to always remember that you are always with us. You sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. Very much is promised to our believing. The enemy desires to deceive or destroy our belief. However, your Word teaches us that faith and belief prove to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the eye. Help us to always consult you before our every decision. You are a good God, and you only have what’s best for us.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your application of what you just read by clicking this link myTime with God
No one likes to wait. We hate waiting at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office and even in the fast food drive-thru. We simply don’t like to wait! Waiting is also one of the biggest challenges to our faith. “Waiting is actively engaging in the shaping of my mind and spirit into what God desires of me.”Regardless of your situation, God has work for you to do in your waiting. The story of Adam and Eve is a story of rebellion against God. Once they believed that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, they decided to go ahead without God and do what they wanted. They became, in effect, their own god. When we commit our waiting to God, we transfer our burdens onto our Father. He has promised to sustain us. That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of silence is one of God’s most powerful tools to set us free. When we choose to wait quietly and trustingly, we not only honor God but encourage others to put their hope in him as well. Whoever you are, and no matter what you’re waiting for, remember that life is about so much more than waiting—it’s about living and believing.
April Devotion
“We can pray until our knees are numb, but if our praying isn’t accompanied by acting, then we won’t get anywhere. We need to put feet to our faith. After kneeling down, we need to stand up and step out in faith. If you want to see God move, make a move.”
Mark Batterson
The Personal Challenge of Waiting
No one likes to wait. We hate waiting at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office and even in the fast food drive-thru. We simply don’t like to wait! And waiting for an answer from God can be an even bigger challenge. We know God only lends His name to those things that are in harmony with His character. We feel our prayers are in alignment with His Word and yet we haven’t heard a word about our specific prayers. We’ve prayed and cried; cried and prayed and nothing seems to change. How do we deal with the faith testing time of “waiting” for the answer? Waiting is one of the biggest challenges to our faith. I understand this challenge oh so well. I myself am currently in a stage of waiting. Asking God for direction, looking for answers, and expecting some upcoming changes. Feeling deep, complex emotions while waiting, especially for significant things, is not necessarily sinful in itself. The problem comes when we decide to allow those emotions to overtake us. The hardest part is that things are completely out of our control. For those who like to be in control, that’s not always an easy pill to swallow.
John Piper in Future Grace The Purifying Power of the Promises of God says, “Waiting on the Lord is the opposite of running ahead of the Lord, and it’s the opposite of bailing out on the Lord. It’s staying at your appointed place while He says stay, or it’s going at his appointed pace while he says go. It’s not impetuous, and it’s not despairing.”
When speaking to my mentor John Adams he says, “Waiting is actively engaging in the shaping of my mind and spirit into what God desires of me.”Initially, that sounded contrary to Webster’s definition of waiting. In addition, in the midst of the wait and pressure, it was hard for me to accept this view of waiting. See, this is not a worldview but a spiritual view. Waiting can actually be a positive that God uses to make us more like Jesus. God works on a very different timetable. In his mind, there is nothing wrong with waiting. When God does not seem to be answering our prayers sometimes we stop praying, stop expecting him to act, while giving way to a spirit of cynicism, rather than thanking God for who he is and all he has done for us. While God may not answer in our timing or in the way we expect, he will accomplish his good purposes in our lives when we persevere in prayer and praise. Remember, He works all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
It’s important that we guard our hearts and mind during our time of waiting. As we wait, we should be content in spite of our circumstances. The daily operation of God’s Word involves the mind. I pray you realize it’s an honor and a privilege to actively wait on the Lord. Susannah Spurgeon, the wife of Charles Spurgeon, counseled her own heart with these words:
“The Lord has strewn the pages of God’s Word with promises of blessedness to those who wait for Him. And remember, His slightest Word stands fast and sure; it can never fail you. So, my soul, see that you have a promise underneath thee, for then your waiting will be resting and a firm foothold for your hope will give you confidence in Him who has said, ‘They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.’”
In Psalms 37, David exhorts us to be patient and guard against cynicism as we actively wait. He realized that in our period of waiting our mind can play tricks on us.
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!”
Psalms 37:1
God knows our minds are tempted to drift while we wait. We can allow our minds to churn with crazy thoughts about others. We live in a world where everyone is always comparing himself or herself to the other person. What they have or what we don’t have. Social media exacerbates this because on Facebook or Instagram it seems everyone has such a great life. We see post of them traveling, doing great things with friends, experiencing only the best of life. As we compare our lives, we can sink into a deeper funk. We might wonder why we have to go through this while someone else seems to be receiving all the blessings of God. I accepted you as my Savior. Why isn’t my life perfect or at least as luxurious?
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”
Psalms 37:3
Regardless of your situation, God has work for you to do in your waiting. Do not let your waiting keep you from being useful. Instead, take whatever comfort you are receiving from God, and begin searching for others who need it. When we serve others it becomes a distraction to our problems.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalms 37:4
When we continue to praise and worship Him, He will help us endure. In the wilderness, Moses reminded the Israelites where their provision came from.
“He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
In your wilderness of waiting, remember God has not left you. He is preparing you to receive His best.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Psalms 37:5
When we commit our waiting to God, we transfer the burdens of our waiting onto our Father. He has promised to sustain us. “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”(Psalms 55:22) Every time you start to feel burdened, anxious or overwhelmed by something in your life, it is because you haven’t given it over to Him in the first place, or if you have, you don’t want to wait and have tried to take back control. This action will always lead to feelings of heaviness because He never designed us to take on what He has promised to care for.
The Bible Teaches Us To Appreciate Waiting
Perhaps the Bible talks so much about waiting because God wants us to know that waiting is far from a passive activity in which we do nothing. In fact, Scripture teaches us that God wants us to actively participate in the work He desires to accomplish. Waiting strategically can cultivate good fruit in our lives such as patience, perseverance, and endurance. It also draws us closer to our Savior and points those who are watching us as their gospel. James 1:2-8 tells us to, “Consider it all joy when trials come . . .”
The Bible is filled with examples of believers, who waited and held on in spite of their situation. Think about Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David. All had to wait for many years for God’s promises. They held to their faith, even when it seemed pointless and useless. Romans 8:25 – “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”When they reached their promise, they were blessed beyond measure.
Alternatively, the story of Adam and Eve is a story of rebellion against God. Once they believed that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, they decided to go ahead without God and do what they wanted. They became, in effect, their own god. Too often, this is exactly what we do today. When God tells us to wait, we don’t trust Him, but go ahead and find ways to accomplish what we want to happen. Their decision broke their relationship and fellowship with God. As descendants of Adam, we all now suffer from this separation from God and are considered children of wrath (Eph. 2:1-3).
God wants us to learn how to follow him and put down our demanding, overly anxious, selfish selves. One way He helps us do this is to say, “Wait.” That miserable, uncomfortable, sometimes painful state of silence is one of God’s most powerful tools to set us free. David understood this concept and voiced it in his psalm of praise, Psalm 62:5-8:
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
How To Actively Wait?
Linda Green, in Unlocking the Bible says, “We can be tempted to put our hope in things that may disappoint us in the end. We can hope a doctor will heal us, a teacher will pass us, a spouse will love us, our employer will reward us, or a friend will help us. But it is only when we put our hope in Christ that we can wait with confidence and know we will not be put to shame. It seems that God allows us to experience disappointments in life to teach us that nothing else will truly satisfy or provide us with a firm foundation to stand upon. God’s Word alone is unshakable. We can wait for the Lord knowing that, no matter how dark the night, His light will break through in our lives, bringing abundant joy through a more intimate relationship with Christ.”
Seasons of waiting reveal where we are placing our trust. Can we resist fretting, refrain from anger, be still, and choose patience (Psalm 37:7-8).
It’s easy to say we trust God, but our response to delays, frustrations, and difficult situations exposes where we actually are placing our hope.
Are we convinced God is listening?
Do we believe he’s good?
Do we accept that our circumstances are ordained of God?
Do we doubt he really cares about us?
When we choose to wait quietly and trustingly, we not only honor God but encourage others to put their hope in him as well. Yes, someone is watching how you respond. You may be the only Bible they see.
A friend once said, “Have you ever seen a Desert Flower? It grows in harsh conditions, extreme heat and cold and in parched earth. We’ve all been that Desert Flower at one point at work and in life. I’m talking gut-wrenching toxicity. An environment that perpetually calls on you to sacrifice your joy, sleep, inner peace, even your health, and goes against your very values, for people who don’t deserve it.” Like the Desert Flower, if we apply the right Biblical strategies we too can survive.
The Desert Flower survives because its root system has adapted FROM its environment. It has learned succulence, drought tolerance and drought avoidance. For us, our succulence is the Holy Spirit, which sustains us. And just as the Desert Flower stores water to survive, we are called to allow the Holy Spirit to rain on our lives. The Desert Flower is able to withstand desiccation without dying or drought tolerance because their roots are deep and extensive. So are we to be actively deep in our Word, prayer, fasting and praise. Unlike an annual plant that channels all of their energy into the current season, the Desert Flower practices drought avoidance. It understands struggle, waiting and dry seasons will come. We are not to get caught up in bad theology: the belief that as believers we won’t have troubles; Prosperity Gospel, or that we need someone to intercede to the Father on our behalf. We must also understand as believers we are in this world but not of this world. Avoid the droughts that lead to disappointment. The desert environment may seem hostile, but this is purely an outsider’s viewpoint. Adaptation enables the Desert Flower to not merely survive, but to thrive! I beseech you brothers, to understand your environment and adapt FROM it to thrive in your season of waiting.
I look back at the times of waiting, and I see that God was using the waiting to prepare me, to change me and to use me. I am learning the process of waiting has been just as important as the end result. Rather than doing nothing, I wish I had taken a more active approach during this time. Now, while I wait, I’m learning to deepen my trust in Him and to remind myself of His faithfulness. If I could know what He knows, I would choose His plan every single time. The bottom line is that worry equals a lack of trust in God. Do I really trust Him? I want my mind to say yes, even when my heart says no. If God is God, He can be trusted. I want to move in that direction during my times of waiting in my dry and weary place.
Now that I’m waiting again on something different, I am asking God to reveal to me the areas of my life that need work and prepare me for what’s to come; make me like the Desert Flower. I don’t want to waste this time anymore. Right now, through the struggle, through the pain, through the loneliness, through the chaos, through the wait He has already won, and He’s moving me in that glorious direction. No matter where I am, I want a life that’s marked not by waiting, but by worshiping. He deserves that and so much more. Whoever you are, and no matter what you’re waiting for, remember that life is about so much more than waiting—it’s about living and believing.
I ask you to join with me in an April 30-day challenge. Memorize or focus on one of these scriptures for 3 straight days and then move to the next one. These will encourage you while you wait patiently and while you continue praising Him. After 30 days, you will begin to measure the size of your problems by the size of your God:
Romans 12:12 –“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Isaiah 30:18 – “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”
2 Peter 3:8 – “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
Nehemiah 8:10 – “This day is holy to our Lord.Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Lamentations 3:25 – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him”
Micah 7:7 – “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,I wait for God my Savior;my God will hear me”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight”
With these assurances and understandings of how we actively wait let our good brother Marvin Sapp, a 2009 initiate, encourage you:
Jesus Is The Ultimate Display Of Actively Waiting
Adam and Eve couldn’t wait and separated us from a perfect relationship with the Father. This month as believers prepare to celebrate Easter Sunday; there is no better story of remaining active while waiting than the story of Jesus stepping down from divinity to take on humanity. While He waited He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind. He ministered to those who did not know His father. He lived a life that was an example for all to follow. Yet in His humanity, in the Garden of Gethsemane He became weak and prayed that God would take away what He had to do. But while He waited, He surrendered to the will of God . . . “Not my will but your will be done.”(Luke 22:42) His was for the greatest sacrifice anyone can make. The Bible says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”(John 15:13) Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. He became human, lived, died and rose again to both reconcile us to God and to demonstrate a new humanity saved from sin and broken relationships. It is now only through God’s grace that anyone can restore his or her relationship with Him.
When Jesus was crucified on Good Friday His disciples must have been very discouraged, confused and grief stricken. It is quite amazing that they did not leave Jerusalem to return to their own homes. Even though the Apostles didn’t completely understand how the Scriptures were to be fulfilled their faith, love, and loyalty, despite their fear, kept them in Jerusalem for three days to witness the Resurrection. Like the disciples, we can be active in the things we know to do while we wait – the rhythms of prayer, evangelism, and discipleship that flow from our faith.
What a moment of sanctifying faith for this small band of believers when Jesus rose from the dead. His promise had been fulfilled. But little did they know that the coming of the Holy Spirit, would equip them in a way that would be even better than walking and talking with Him in person. The Holy Spirit would equip them to be his witnesses to “Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(Acts 1:8) Next month we will explore the Holy Spirit because Jesus promised He Will Never Leave You Or Forsake You.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to release all our concerns to you. We know that you have promised to take care of us, so we desire to rest in your assurance. We pray for your peace and contentment in spite of our circumstances. Forgive us our sins of impatience, cynicism, anxiousness, doubt, fear or lack of trust. Help us to be like the Desert Flower. We know your Resurrection is our guarantee that justice will triumph over treason, light will overcome darkness, and love will conquer death. So as we wait to hear from you; help us to continue worshiping and praising you because your working things for our good. We praise you in thisEasterseason. Change our lives; change our hearts that we may maximize every second of the day to be salt and light to others. And to be messengers ofEasterjoy and hope.
Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Words can’t fully express our gratitude. So we strive to let our actions be our words.
You can have what is promised, in the Bible, if you are willing to seek out His Word, believe His Word, and do His Word. In other words, live a life pleasing to God. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but it does guarantee God’s provision. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives. Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff.
February Devotion
How are your New Year resolutions coming along so far? Almost half of New Year’s resolutions fail in two weeks. By summer, most will fail. Have you broken yours yet? I am thankful we can consistently depend on the unfailing promises of God. God always keeps His promises—the same today as He did in the days of the Bible. Yet some people become discouraged because they fail to see results after asking for His assurance. We can avoid frustration by understanding how Scripture teaches us to claim His promises. The promises of God should not be taken out of context or the gospel message distorted for our own selfish motives. Alarm at the gate, most of us have been taught bad theology. “Name it and claim it”. “Sow a seed”. “Blab it and grab it”. “Donate a window in the church to have your sins forgiven”. “Give up something for Lent and you’re guaranteed to become a better person.” That’s not how God’s promises work. His promises are reserved for those who are willing to truly believe in Him. Consider how this idea of prosperity plays out in the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity but God’s provision. Our contentment comes through resting in Him, not in an abundance of stuff. Having all our material desires met won’t make us any happier or more content, even though our sin nature will try to convince us otherwise. God will meet our needs—and He will often do it in unexpected ways. We trust Him to provide in His timing and in the way that is best for us. If we are going to receive God’s promises in our lives, we must make sure what we are asking God agrees with the Word and not with our circumstances. You can’t take carnality into your promise land. It requires consistency in your lifestyle; consecration in your focus; and separation from your past, people and perspectives.
To understand how God’s promises work you have to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (Hebrews 6:12). This month I ask you to study the consistency of the heroes of faith in Hebrew 11 to understand how faith was demonstrated that lead to receiving the promises of God. As you study you will see God doesn’t care about your car, your house, your job, who wins the game, or who you would be able to help if you won the lottery. That line of thinking is antithetical to the true gospel message and the clear teaching of Scripture. He is concerned with is your Destiny – your ability to overcome evil, your peace of mind in the midst of the vicissitudes of life, your ability to help others see Him through you.
This year we must move beyond the spiritual welfare system. The belief that everything you ask of God will be given unto you. To receive his promises you have to understand the “way”. You don’t get to pick the way. He has provided, in His Word, His will and the way. How you live your life will determine when and if you are ready to receive His promises. God will not bless a relationship He is not involved in.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Luke 6:46-49
Man’s biggest challenge is that they want God’s benefits but don’t want a relationship. There are those who say, “Lord, give me what I need today,” but never get around to, “Lord, make me what you want me to be today.” He’s also not excited about people who say, “Lord, give me recognition on my job even though I’m too ashamed to give You glory among my co-workers”; or, “Lord, give me more money in my pocket even though I can’t make any available to Your kingdom”; or, “Lord, sharpen my skills even though I won’t use them for Your kingdom.” Jesus wants you to learn His sufficiency for your need, His strength in your trials, and His power over your archenemy, satin. Bishop Arthur M. Brazier used to say, “Jesus is not a celestial Santa Clause. He wants you to focus on his message not the goodies. He is not just whom we go to for our petty desires”. A mature faith builds an ever-evolving relationship with Him throughout our earthly lives. In Letters From The Exile, the transactional view of God is summarized this way, “When we, even unintentionally, communicate and internalize the idea that God works merely in transactions, we also communicate the idea that our hearts and attitudes play no part in the whole affair. We lose a sense of God’s unpredictability and mystery – that He works in ways we rarely understand or expect. We lose a sense of His character, because we turn Him into an impersonal force of the universe, dispensing rewards for the right tokens and withholding them for the wrong ones”.
To receive God’s promises requires you to change your perspective. Are you pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s your highest priority? Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). But as we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else.
Now I must ask you who are you spending your time with? To receive God’s promises requires you to evaluate whom you hang with because who you hang with determines who you are. Pay attention to their lives, what they read, topics of their conversations, and what they value. Are they helping you draw closer to God or pulling you further away from Him? Paul called us to strive to be like other believers so that each follower would know more of God’s peace.
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9
We can trust and believe that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth or in heaven he will always supply. Brothers, there’s a huge difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him.
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1
When evaluating a biblical promise, we should ask ourselves:
Am I asking for this promise with a spirit of submission to the will of God?
Might an answer to my petition harm another person or interfere with God’s will for his/her life?
Does the Holy Spirit bear witness to my spirit that God is pleased by my request?
Does it contradict the Word of God?
Will my desire advance my spiritual growth?
If we claim the Lord’s promises with a right spirit and pure motives, we will honor Him, receive what we ask, and grow in intimacy with our loving Father.
My brothers, Jesus did not come to give us health, wealth and happiness. He came to save us from our sins to fulfill his ultimate promise, an eternity with Him. His promises help us on our journey. God’s promises are a gift to us paid for in full on the cross by Jesus Christ. Although His promises have been paid for, we still have to talk to Him in prayer. So next month we will focus on the subject – God has promised to answer your prayers. The second we ask God in faith the petitions of our heart; those petitions become ours at that moment even though we have to wait for them to materialize (Mark 11:24).
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for preparing us to receive your promises in this New Year. For helping us to understand that the promise is always preceded by the sacrifice. Change our hearts, change our minds and give us the courage to live a life that is pleasing to you. We trust that you will fulfill our every need and whatever you are giving, we’re taking. If our wants are not of you, we don’t want them.
Every day God gives to us should be seen as “An Opportunity for Service.” Often the adversary will cause us to put emphasis on “the woes of this life” or “what we don’t have.” His desire is for us to concentrate on the negative that then leads us to be bound in a state of depression & helplessness. But when God allows us life, with our hearts to keep pumping and our lungs to inhale & exhale precious oxygen…. We owe God praise! “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)
And with each new day comes an occasion (or opportunity) to minister (or serve others). True ministry is not what others do for you, it’s what you can do for someone else. Remember Jesus declared, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…” (Mark 10:45) What have you done for someone today? What kind words of encouragement have you given? What good deed have you administered? Consider the words of an old Christian song:
“If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song,
If I can show somebody, how they’re traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.”
Study the lesson of ‘the good Samaritan’ in the 10th chapter of Luke. When a man was in distress and needed assistance, both a priest and a Levite (the religious ‘church folk’) passed him by and didn’t want to get involved! But when the Samaritan saw the man, the scriptures declared, “…he had compassion on him.” That compassion moved him to make the effort to get involved! The Samaritan saw the opportunity for service and made that his priority, even at his personal cost! At the conclusion of lesson, Jesus tells us, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37 NIV)
Today, understand you’ve been blessed to help someone else!
Thank you to Pastor A. Glenn Brady of The New Bethel Church for your inspiration.
Today I honor one of my mentors who was a advocate for justice, a man of integrity and a spiritual leader who epitomizes community transformation through individual self-determination. Bishop Brazier has gone on to be with The Lord; but his impact across the United States continues to be felt even today. Those that knew Bishop Brazier will tell you that he was a very humble man whose life’s work was for the advancement of community, not for personal recognition and awards. He believed for individuals to change their situations their mentality had to shift from victims to victors.
He was honored by Presidents, from Kennedy to Obama, worked tirelessly in Washington for the betterment of others and held local politicians accountable by measuring their actions through the lens of scripture.
Because he worked behind the scenes, most people don’t know his role in advocacy, about his fight to end school segregation, illegal housing practices and his role in bringing Dr. King to Chicago. And that was just the beginning… Here is a look back at the early days of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier – The Activist.
Today the struggle has been redefined, but the fundamental issues of perceived privilege and injustice remain the same. If we are training young people to understand their DESTINY, we can’t approach it from a victim mentality; teach them to be overcomes. Scripture says – They can do all things through Christ which strengthens them.
We in the ministry spend considerable time with young people or Youth Workers at the expense of our families. This simple post is designed to remind you to not neglect taking time to get away with your family. Take time to rev up your family relationship, read, rest and recharge. (Oh yes, and let your wife shop) Before you can be a blessing to anyone else, your own home must first be blessed. Home ministry is the God-given requirement we have as husbands or wives to love our spouses as God loves us. If we are parents, it includes our role to love and raise our children according to His truth. The Bible commands us to invest in our spouse and children by nurturing them, helping them develop intellectually, physically, relationally, and spiritually.
A Husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25)
Wives are to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22)
Parents are to raise godly children to be the next generation of those who love the Lord with all their hearts (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4)
The scriptural order of priorities is God, spouse, children and then others.
Thanks for reading
Stay encouraged, stay engaged and don’t give up on our young people. It’s not their desire to fall so hold them up.
Scripture teaches us we are to view government through the lens of scripture, attempting to persuade them to make laws consistent with biblical standards of morality. I know I have readers who are Republican and who are Democrats and I don’t want to alienate any of you. Preaching on politics is just too divisive. But I like Paul will challenge you, as Christians, to faithfully discharge your responsibilities before God on issues of justice.
“I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for i did not shrink
from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27)
Scripture point to believers who spoke out on behalf of government doing what was right. Jesus taught, in Matthew 22:21, about the distinction between the things that belong to Caesar and the things that are God’s. Daniel, in Daniel 4:27 called out Nebuchadnezzar to hear his council and break off his sin by practicing righteousness. Verse 49 says he was regularly at the king’s court. Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 29:7 told the Jewish exiles in Babylon to seek the welfare of the city because in it they would find their welfare, the laws and policies consistent with the Word of God. Joseph oversaw Pharaoh’s great wealth. Moses demanded freedom for the people of Israel – “let my people go” (Exodus 8:1). Nehemiah orchestrated the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Queen Esther had influence on the king in changing the “policy” that were created. Several of the prophets witnessed to the moral standards and requirements of treatment of people and how to conduct themselves. John the Baptist rebuked Herod for the things he had done (Luke 3:19). In Acts 24:25 Paul spoke to Felix about “righteousness and self control and the coming judgment”.
Today I am honored to bring to you a man who has been in the fight for justice for a long time. A man who has stood on the front lines, the soup line, the unemployment lines and the prayer lines in an effort to bring justice to every man. I thank him for inviting me to be a guest on his TV program this Saturday night and for joining the conversation today.
GUEST POST: REVEREND JESSE JACKSON SR.
Weekly Commentary | Chicago Sun-Times
In oral arguments before the Supreme Court on the Voting Rights Act, Justice Antonin Scalia slandered the act as a “racial entitlement,” arguing, “whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes.” So, the right-wing justice intimated, the conservative “Gang of Five” on the Supreme Court had every right to step in and overrule the 98 senators who voted unanimously to reauthorize the act (including the senators of every state and jurisdiction required to seek pre-clearance of any changes in their voting laws).
The justice proved once more that he is not a neutral arbiter of the Constitution but a right-wing activist with an agenda to enforce. Deference to the popularly elected Congress and president is, apparently, only when they do what Scalia considers to be proper. When they choose to reauthorize a Voting Rights Act that has protected the rights of millions and transformed America’s democracy since its passage in 1965, Justice Scalia thinks the court should negate their act, since he somehow considers protection of the right to vote a “racial entitlement.”
Scalia’s racial taunt has received the scorn it deserves. It makes more sense to apply his reasoning to the real “racial entitlements” that still scar our nation.
For example, a recent study by Brandeis University revealed a stunning increase in the wealth gap between whites and blacks in America. The gap tripled between 1984 and 2009. In 2009, the median wealth (the difference between what you own and what you owe) of a white household was $113,149. The median wealth of a black household was $5,677.
Why the difference? The study found five contributing factors.
First, whites were more likely to be homeowners than blacks, often because their families are more able to help with down payments. Black families who worked for 200 years in slavery and 100 years in segregation had less ability to accumulate wealth.
Second, whites made more income than blacks, even for comparable work.
Third, blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed as whites, and, with less of a family cushion to rely on, more likely to deplete their savings when unemployed.
Fourth, whites are five times more likely to inherit money, and their inheritance averages 10 times as much. Again, this surely is in part a legacy of our scarred history.
Finally, whites are more likely to have a college education than blacks. Blacks are more likely to find advanced training difficult to finance. They are more likely to graduate with debt, and their average debt on graduation is greater.
The wealth gap is, in Scalia’s words, a “racial entitlement.” Only this entitlement favors whites, not blacks. As Scalia wrote, “whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes.” That’s why it took a Civil War to end slavery, and to amend the Constitution to guarantee equal protection of the laws. It took the sacrifice of lives and limbs in a civil rights movement to end segregation, and to pass the Voting Rights Act to provide minorities with an equal right to vote. On economic inequality, the promise of 40 acres and a mule for freed slaves was broken. Dr. King marched on Washington to redeem a “canceled check” marked “insufficient funds.”
If Scalia is right, “the normal political processes” won’t solve this racial entitlement. Nor, for that matter, will the right-wing Gang of Five on the Supreme Court.
Keep up with Rev. Jackson and the work of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition at www.rainbowpush.org.
Last week on our consciousness cruise, we metaphorically stopped on the corner of Praise & Judgment to refuel. As we left that station headed for the ramp to get back on the highway; through a series of detours and events, I was blessed to meet Pastor Gabriel Salguero. Gabriel is the Senior Pastor of The Lamb’s Church of the Nazarene, a multi-ethnic church in New York. I had an opportunity to speak with him to discuss what God is doing in his neck of the woods. He has given me permission to share with you his view on Spiritual Formation for Motley Crews. He discussed his belief that urban churches are presented with unique opportunities to model the rich diversity of the kingdom of God as seen in Isaiah 11 and Rev 7:9. I am honored to share his words today with all of you.
This continues our mission of continuing to broaden your understanding and consciousness of The New Urban. Bringing you this view from multiple perspectives from around the country. Enjoy and please comment below.
GUEST POST: PASTOR GABRIEL SALGUERO
These days “discipleship” and “Spiritual Formation” are ubiquitous terms. Blogs, books, conferences, and conversations all strive to respond to the question, “How do we nurture Christ-like disciples in our generation?” While I know well that there is some great writing and teaching being done in this area my hope is that my musings as a “young” (I’m 39 and not sure what young is anymore) urban pastor of a multi-ethnic church restart can in some way contribute to this important conversation. I am of the conviction that spiritual formation and diversity are deeply interrelated.
The Lamb’s in New York is the congregation my wife and I lead. The Lamb’s had its most recent restart in 2007 when we relocated from Times Square to the intersection of SoHo, Chinatown, Loisaida (a Spanish term given to this part of the Lower East Side). The average age of the new members is around 28, and we have some older Chinese and Hispanic immigrants whose average age is between 55-60. In addition, we have graduate students worshipping with folks who barely have any formal schooling. The Lamb’s has two worship services; one in English-Mandarin and the other in English-Spanish. In short, it’s a real motley crew. Honestly, we are probably violating the majority of rules and expectations for church-planters and church-restarters. I am often tempted to pursue the homogenous unit principle (HUP) as I see many of my dear friends growing in numbers at much faster rates. Still we are, at least for the present, pursuing a road less traveled. One main reason for pursuing this course is discipleship.
Many of the NY church-planting successes used as models across the country are paradigms of young urban professionals (Yuppies) that worship together. Indubitably, there is much to celebrate in reaching young urbanites. Still, a challenge remains. While some number of these congregations has some spattering racial-ethnic diversity they often lack economic and class diversity; not to mention leadership diversity. I do NOT believe all congregations have to be multi-ethnic and multi-class. However, I do believe that urban churches are presented with unique opportunities to model the rich diversity of the kingdom of God as seen in Isaiah 11 and Rev 7:9. Beyond modeling the ecclesiology of Pentecost, and the early church experiment of creating a new Christ-centered community of Jews and Gentiles, diversity is essential for spiritual formation in our generation. As this new community learned to work through difference and disagreement for the sake of the cross, they were becoming disciples who learned grace in action.
How does diversity inform spiritual formation? Simply put, Christians are broadened and deepened as they worship, study, do ministry, and share life-together in community. It is across difference where the most important of Christian virtues, love, is tested. Now this has to be beyond window-dressing of doing drive-by ministry “to” and “among” the urban poor, immigrants, and the rich, racially-ethnic diversity of the global church present in urban centers. When all these demographics form a vital part of our worship community and leadership, spiritual formation takes on a richer texture. As we listen to one another across differences, our own assumptions, prejudices, and limitations are challenged by other followers of Christ. This is precisely what Christian ecclesiology is; “unity in Christ with diversity.”
In the main stream, many congregations push for assimilation and homogenization in the name of “urban missiology” and is usually said as, “Whatever it takes to reach people.” However, Christian missiology has a distinctive. Our mission is not absent from ecclesiology. What makes our mission so distinctive is that Christ calls us to embrace the other. In Scripture, this radical hospitality is “xenophilia”–not just tolerance of the stranger but love and celebration of the other. It is not telling the other, “You must be just like me for us to be in community.” The cultural and class-homogenizing impulse while often facile is not the way of the cross. Our congregations ought not to be cultural or class silos that only gather us with people who make us comfortable. Much of culture is going in the direction of echo chambers. Google+, Facebook, and Twitter accounts will be custom-made so that we only have advertisements, friends, and links that reflect our own image. Church ought not to be simply a reflection of me, my class assumptions, my favorite songs, or cultural values. No! Spiritual formation requires that the church reflect Christ not in my image, but Christ as he is in the world.
Now if we seek diversity just for diversity’s sake we’ve missed the point. The motley crew congregation is not something we pursue to be “hip” or “trendy.” We do it because it has always been at the heart of the foundation of Christ’s church. The diversity of Christ’s body teaches us to exhibit and receive grace, to be slow to speak and quick to listen, and to value every member of Christ’s body. A motley crew church helps protect us from reducing the Gospel, to our hermeneutic, our preaching, our culture, our class, or political party. Yes, for in this kaleidoscope of people we can see the multiform grace of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This is not easy; we’ll trip all over ourselves. But we don’t do things because they’re easy. We do them because they’re right. Grace abounds.
If you are in or near New York, Pastor invites you to join The Lamb’s this Wednesday, February 13, as they welcome the season of lent. You can join them in the following ways:
1) Ash Wednesday Prayer and Ashes
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Location: The Lamb’s Church, 61 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002
2) Joint Ash Wednesday Service at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene: In lieu of our mid-week worship service we will be having a joint Ash Wednesday service in the Bronx at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene.
This week we are going to take an off ramp on our consciousness cruise of Nehemiah’s’ four step plan for saving his community and stop at the corner of Praise and Judgment to refill our tanks.
We just completed a week of public events where a number of individuals in the publicly chose to mention and or speak of their faith in God. The social media world lit up all day Sunday and Monday over these “shout outs for Jesus” – in several texts, tweets, emails and blogs people voiced concern over those who spoke of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many casting judgment as to weather these individuals were really Christians or not. Surprisingly, several of these individuals casting judgment profess to be Christians themselves.
San Francisco quarterback Colin Kapernick tweeted scriptures all week and mentioned God in his interviews. Adrian Peterson, in his acceptance speech at the Saturday night NFL Awards, thanked God for allowing him to win the MVP award and come back from his ACL injury. And away from the Super Bowl scene; at the NAACP Image Awards, an event that honors people of color in TV since the other award shows minimize participation of people of color, Loretta Devine greeted the audience with a – “Praise the Lord everybody” greeting. Which received it’s own criticism. And of course Ray Lewis’ “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” quote before, during and after the Super Bowl. Lewis also explained, in response to Jim Nance question on how the Ravens were able to overcome such odds and obstacles, in the post game interview answered – “if God be for you, who can be against you”. (Both of those quotes are used frequently by those of the faith) Yes, that’s a slippery theological slope. In other words, if God is for us, that doesn’t mean there’s an equal and opposite person that God is against. I’m sure there were others over the weekend but these are sufficient for our discussion as we refill our take here at the corner of Praise & Judgment.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 7:1- 6 to first remove the plank from our own eyes before we attempt to remove the speck from someone else’s. If we were “back in the day”, would we have treated Paul the same way as he preached the Word of God after his conversion? Paul, who was the mass murder of Christians who later called himself the “ chief sinner”. Would we have judged David for all his transgressions in the midst of being such a great warrior and king? The Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart. Would we have asked Ester, whom do you think you are speaking up; you only came into relationship with the king as a result of someone else’s misfortune. We never know what God is working out in the lives of an individual.
I am not defending any of the celebrities. Their incredible skills and success could be a part of God’s common grace. And they may or may not have received His saving grace. As the body of Christ, instead of judging we should be praying for those going through the process of sanctification. That God will encourage and strengthen them in this journey. That as public figures, that their lifestyles will show the fruits of their conversion. And they will overcome any of their struggles.
We don’t know if these guys are real; but it is not for us to judge or decide. We are not the moral police and we need to treat people like Jesus treated people. We must remember, scripture also tell us that none is perfect but the Father. We ourselves are striving to live a life that is pleasing to God and we too make mistakes. Our own personal accountability is not reduced because ours sins are not in the public eye. Sin is sin and God views our transgressions the same as He does those of others. Weather ours sins are of the flesh or sins of the spirit (judging, hating, envy, etc), God sees them all.
As leaders, we must model the lifestyle we want our young people to live. In this multimedia world where everything is seen by all, our young people should see us loving one another and praying for those who we see struggling with their faith. Demonstrating the fruits of the spirit we are teaching them – genuine love for His people, heartfelt obedience to His commands and Christlike character traits. These can only come about by the Spirit of God working within our life. Our young people HEAR what we do more than what we say.
Let me hear from you. What are you thoughts on this subject? Give me a shout out, your opinion is important to me.
Today we begin looking at the details of Nehemiah’s four step process for dealing with the burden he had for the people in Jerusalem. We as leaders should have a burden for the conditions our young people face and an action plan for supporting them.
Step 1 – Nehemiah heard the report of his city. In response, he spent four months of fasting, praying, weeping and mourning.
Our communities are deeply broken by the conditions society, some self-imposed, others that have been created. We face economic breakdown with parental loss of jobs or the inability to acquire employment. Businesses are struggling or closing. We face family breakdowns in two family homes, parental relationships and the relationships between parents and kids. Single family homes are overburdened by the responsibility of the one parent. Our educational system now pits teacher union reps against administration looking to get control of massive budgets; while neither is really focused on the education of our young people. The young people themselves don’t see the true value of education and the capable ones dummy down to fit in and avoid peer pressure, thus affecting their long-term prospects of economic self-sufficiency. Our men are being broken by a system that has devalued them and targeted them in a way that makes high school to prison the norm for a large number of our men. The political system is run by power brokers whose self-interest sacrifices any other efforts. The little man with few financial resources has no voice. Services and assistance are being cut or redirected to those who don’t have the greatest need. People have lost hope and see no way out and are giving up.
The challenges described above are not just in the urban communities; I am describing all communities. Unfortunately, we don’t always want to face up to the reality of trouble existing in our own community. By not addressing these head on we leave our young people exposed to deal with what they see, in their own way. I conducted a workshop, last week, at a suburban youth ministry and after the workshop the adults were amazed at the attitudes of their young people and the experiences they were having. The youth workers assumed the issues were in the other communities, not theirs. They said they have “the good kids” but learned they were not equipping the young people to effectively make Godly decisions. The young people began to discuss not only their issues but also how they felt the youth workers didn’t understood them, were not equipping them or living as an example for them. This was incredibly eye opening to these youth workers. This upper middle class, suburban, curriculum rich ministry learned they had not spent much time in collective prayer seeking God’s guidance in equipping their young people to deal with the issues they face. Now don’t confuse my point; curricula is necessary but not the end all be all to helping our young people grow.
As youth workers and leaders, we have to engage more in the lives of our young people to understand what they are dealing with day-to-day and not assume everything is ok. Issues may not be the same in every neighborhood, but every neighborhood has issues. Your burden for the young people should lead you to find your neighborhoods issues. That search starts with prayer and fasting on their behalf. Engaging them in conversation about their challenges and taking those issue to the Lord for guidance.
The Bible says when Nehemiah heard about the challenges of his people he was grieved –
3And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Nehemiah was a middle class person who had a seat at the table with those in control. He was considered successful and set. Even though, he was concerned about his people and felt he needed to take action. He knew that phrase the old folks us to say and we must understand today that – “but for the grace of God, go I”. People have to care and we are the people who have to lead the caring. Our young people are depending on us to step up and equip them to be able to discern and make Godly decisions. Stay encouraged. Stay engaged. Stay upon the Wall. Our young peoples DESTINY demand our diligence.
Next week we will look at Nehemiah’s next step after praying and fasting.
What is the burden you have for the young people? How is your team collectively getting it’s understanding? How are you engaging them? Join the conversation and be a blessing to someone else.
