Monday's Message: Lawful, but not expedient

Honor God!  That should be the main focus of every believer, to live a life that constantly brings honor to the Father.  I find that many folks who attend church and desire some sort of relationship with God are consistently enduring an inner conflict concerning their desires and their faith.  If you have been born again, you have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling eternally in your spirit, and NOTHING can change that!  That does not in any way change your natural desire to please your flesh.  Our flesh is not saved and never will be.  The Bible tells us that we must walk in the Spirit if we want to avoid fulfilling our carnal desires. Please allow me to use Paul’s statement, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient:” to offer some perspective on this issue.  Just because a particular action can be justified by the Biblical law or by man’s law does not mean that the same action will expedient for you.  Our goal as Christians should be to grow closer to Christ every day, not to just endure this life until it ends or Christ comes to bring us home.  It is time that we elevate our way of thinking above the immature idea, “What can we get away with?” We should consider this truth; though, the action may be lawful, will it expedite our relationship with God?  Will the choice that we have made help us to more quickly be better representatives and reflections of Christ?  Believer, seek to honor God every day in every way.

 I Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear

Family Friday: Fathers

Written by Dr. Robert Hooker

As I think about the home today, I realize that the great deficiency is to be found in fathers. A father is not just the leader but the protector of the home. This is why the Scriptures say in Malachi 4:5-6, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophetbefore the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,and the heart of the children to their fathers,lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

Our nation is suffering under a curse today because fathers have failed to be the protectors of the home.  I know the question comes in what way or ways? Honestly, there are many, but the one I am going to deal with today is bringing and keeping our wives and children, our families,to and in the place of blessing.

A father must understand that the family will either be blessed or cursed by the decisions he makes and there is truly no middle ground. Mediocrity for the sake of civility is a recipe for destruction in the family. Fathers must seek God, the Word of God and wise leadership so that they will be found in the place of blessing. This would be in marriage relationships, in childrearing, in work relationships, in financial dealings, and all other areas of life. I believe that what has happened is that many men have taken the easy way and the non-confrontational way out of their responsibility to the family.

In Genesis we read of Abraham and Lot. Lot was the nephew of Abraham although many believe they were very close to the same age. They left their homeland together by faith. Abraham was married, but at the time it is likely that Lot was not. Abraham followed God. Lot apparently followed Abraham as Abraham followed God and God blessed them both financially through the process of time. Then came a time of conflict between them that involved their possessions. Abraham tried to resolve the situation by offering the best of what he had to Lot as God had blessed him. Abraham seemed to understand that neither he nor Lot should allow any conflict, emotion or desire to cause them to leave the blessing of God. They had traveled by faith and God had blessed. They had continued to live and serve where God had sent them and God continued to bless. Abraham also understood that the blessing of God, which included his relationship with Lot, was more important than any possession or property he possessed. I believe Lot, on the other hand, saw the conflict and Abraham’s offer to resolve it as an opportunity to prosper financially, perhaps even the opportunity to be his own man and prove that he did not need Abraham. Lot then chose what appeared to be the best of the land. Eventually, however, Lot’s family was destroyed by the world that Lot sought.

Fathers, it is our great responsibility to seek God and His blessing, to walk in wisdom, to seek wise counsel, to lead our families to the blessing of God. This may not always be wealth, but rather a home filled with joy, love, peace and purity as II Timothy 2 teaches us. Fathers are responsible to direct their own eyes and the eyes of their families to God and His Word and not toward the world. It has been said that “all that glitters is not gold;” a true statement. We need to realize that all that glitter’s may not only be fool’s gold, but often toxic waste. We must protect our families from being pulled away by the glitter of this world. When we as men follow the siren’s call of the world’s enticement and fail to protect our family from its charm, we are failing as the protector of the home.

Lot looked toward Sodom. He then moved his family to Sodom and left the place of blessing. He kept his family in Sodom even after the world’s allurement turned to a poisonous trap and then had to watch his family destroyed. Lot left Bethel and Abraham, the place of blessing, for what seemed to be so much better. When you leave the place of blessing, you enter into the city of cursing and destruction.

Please fathers find the place of blessing and stay there.

These simple principles may help.

1.      Find a good Bible believing church and get your family involved in it.

2.      Get a KJV bible and read it daily.

3.      Pray and ask God for wisdom – blessing will follow.

4.      Be faithful to church and lead your family to be faithful to church.

5.      Seek a wise biblical counselor for guidance (if you are reading this probably someone at the church which posted it would be a great place to start).

6.      Pray for your wife and your children that God would allow them to see the true blessing of a family unified and serving God.

7.      Stop and write down the blessings along the way. Not just financial but every day of love and patience that your family begins to experience because of where you are and what you are doing.

8.      Decide to be an Abraham who by faith chose to stay in the place of blessing and not a Lot who left and lost all.

Thoughtful Thursday: Don’t get on the wrong boat!

About 3 years ago, we had Missionary Mark Holmes visit our church and he preached a message that spoke to my heart that night and I still reflect on it from time to time. 

The text was Mark 4:35-41 “And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.   And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?   And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.   And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

In this story, Jesus calmed the storm.  Every one of us is in or has been in a storm or two in their lives.  It’s never fun.  It’s never easy.  But it’s always necessary.  It is what you do before, during and after the storm that determines the outcome.  Here are some things Bro. Holmes brought out about what to do when you’re going thru the storm:

-Don’t stay on the wrong side.  Determine to go, even if you can see the storm ahead.

-Don’t get on the wrong boat.  Make sure you have Christ with you.

-Don’t pray for the storm to go away.  He will use the storm to strengthen you.

I know that there have been several “storms” in my life over the past 5 years. 

I’m glad that I didn’t stay on the wrong side when God finally got a hold of my heart after being astray for so long. 

I’m glad that I got on the right boat when He called me to serve Him in full-time Christian service. 

I’m glad that I didn’t pray for those storms to go away while I was going through them, because they have helped prepare me for what lies ahead.

I hope you will consider these things while you are going into, going through or just coming out of a storm. 

We Pray Wednesday: Praying for the lost

The first time I heard Bro. Benny Beckum preach, he challenged us to use a note card and write down all the names of our loved ones that need to be saved. I filled out the card and began to earnestly pray for my family and friends' salvation. Two months later, I got to watch my mom bow her head and ask Christ to be her Savior. That night I scratched the first name off my list!

I challenge you to pray for your lost family and friends! Keep a list in a location that you will frequent, and pray for them each time you see it.

I Thessalonians 5:17  “Pray without ceasing”.

Paul is not referring to non-stop talking, but rather an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender that we carry with us all the time. Every waking moment is to be lived in an awareness that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions.

Teen Tuesday: Privileged to be Privileged

                                                                                                

Remember when you were a kid and your parents would talk about earning privileges?  Whenever we would show some responsibility, we might be allowed certain opportunities that would otherwise not have been permissible, or even better, when we were allowed to do things that our brothers and/or sisters could not!!  I would like to show you from the Bible how God gives this same opportunity to those who are His children.  Accepting Christ as Saviour is free and is available to everyone, but God’s blessings are not free, though they are readily available!

I am certain that most of you heard about this incident and are familiar with the story.  I would like to take a moment to refresh our memories about Mr. Mathieu’s story, and explore the idea of learning from his experience.  On Friday, August 10, 2012, LSU Coach Les Miles made the announcement of the dismissal of LSU football star Tyrann Mathieu.  Mathieu was a college sensation who was nicknamed “The Honey Badger” during the Tigers 13-0 run to the BCS championship game in the 2011-2012 season. He regularly made big plays on defense, including two fumble returns for touchdowns, and had two punt returns for touchdowns late in the season. But the 5-feet-9, 175-pound Mathieu also ran afoul of a drug issue with two teammates last season. Mathieu, running back Spencer Ware and cornerback Tharold Simon were suspended for the Auburn game after testing positive for synthetic marijuana.  Mathieu, who would have been a junior this season, was likely destined to skip his senior season and apply to the NFL draft in April 2013.  In two seasons, the New Orleans native and St. Augustine alum played in 26 games and recorded 133 tackles with 16 for loss and four interceptions. He holds the LSU career record for forced fumbles with 11 and is third in recoveries with eight. He also averaged 15.6 yards on 27 punt returns.  He paired with Morris Claiborne to become the first teammates named All American at cornerback by the Associated Press. The legend of the honey badger grew throughout the year and climaxed when he electrified Tiger Stadium with a 92-yard, game-changing punt return for a touchdown to help beat Arkansas, while playing safety for the first time. The next week, he scored on a 62-yard punt return and set up another touchdown with a 47-yarder as LSU rallied past Georgia.  He was SEC Defensive Player of the Year and captured the “Chuck Bednarik Award” as the top defensive player in the nation. He finished fifth in the Heisman balloting and garnered 34 first-place votes.  Now his options are more limited. He would have to sit out if he transfers to a Football Bowl Subdivision (1-A) team but could play immediately if he is accepted as a transfer at a Football Championship Subdivision (1-AA) school or lower.  (Edited excerpt of Jim Kleinpeter’s report for the Times Picayune)

Regardless of Tyrann’s potential or his ability to make contributions to the team, he was given exactly what his actions had warranted.  During the football season he was rewarded for his performance on the field, and during the off-season he learned that there is also a negative side to that rule.  In Proverbs 3, God breaks down His benefits for us.  We are allowed the privilege to decide what we want out of life and He tells us exactly how to get it!  Serving God is not mysterious or complicated; it’s laid out like a formula with a guaranteed outcome.  Our heavenly Father keeps this very simple for us.  It is cause and effect; your reward or punishment depends on your desire and effort.

Often times, some believers will trap themselves in a negative, carnal mindset and convince themselves that people who are without God and are free to make their own choices have an easier life than they do.  The devil enjoys being able to bring a child of God to this discouraged point in their lives.  I think of it this way, before we accept Christ as our Saviour; we are like His neighbor’s child.  God still loves us, and he would do his best to keep us from harm or be willing to give us a ride if we needed one, but he is not 100% responsible for our every need.  The envy of God’s children comes in when He gives the neighbor’s child $20 for cutting the grass for Him!  We as His children have done this time after time and never received $20 for doing that; so, we convince ourselves that God is not being fair to us.  What we fail to realize is that God took on complete responsibility for us when He became our Father, and now we have an obligation to obey.  He meets our every need, and tells us in His Word exactly what to do to receive the blessings we desire from Him.  The real problem is we want what we cannot have, and that is to live according to the flesh and not the Spirit without consequence!!

Believer, it is a privilege to be a child of the King!  We need to keep the right perspective on our relationship and realize that God will never compromise with us.  He will not sit back and silently watch us live contrary to the Scriptures.  This is a unique relationship that we have with Him; because, most relationships require compromise in order to succeed.  The reason we compromise is because both parties must admit some wrong doing and agree to change, but God has never and will never do wrong and as a result cannot compromise!  Being a Christian is not easy, but it is a privilege well worth the effort.

Proverbs 3:1-12:

1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 

2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 

3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 

4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.