Digging Deeper

Matthew 5:37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ be ‘No’, anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone that we dealt with would just say what is on their mind? Well, maybe not everything. Does my backside look big in this dress? Beware guys; it is a trap from the evil one. But in matters of business and the heart, if we could just learn to speak our mind it would make life much easier. I remember counseling couples and it would take four or five sessions just to get to the point of the problem. In the passage above, Jesus is trying to educate the disciples about contracts and swearing oaths (verbal contracts) and in matters of the heart. It is either Yes or No. Don’t allow any misunderstanding to come between you and another. Misunderstandings grow into full blown war if left unattended. As Christ followers, we must learn to be “upfront”, standup people mainly because we get a bad rap from the world. For our witness to be effective, we must do it cleaner and better than the world. Everything we touch must be above board, in plain site, without question. It is either Yes or No. Business as usual is no longer acceptable for the child of God. Our integrity is always in question. Recently, the IRS asks to see the books for some of the top TV evangelists. It was interesting who complied and who felt like they needed to fight the request. The Billy Graham crusade not only allowed their books to be opened by the IRS but the general public by request because they understand that it is all about our witness. If we were to open our personal books, some of us would struggle to find them let alone open them; we might find the whole thing in shambles. However, with the help of people like Dave Ramsey and “Financial Peace University” we are learning to be more open and honest about where we really are in our financial life. Like David, the Giant killer, we need to admit where we are in life to our God so that He can help us become who he wants us to be. If no one read this blog this week that is OK because I needed to do it for me. It has been tardy nearly everyday because of my struggle with the subject matter. God help us all as we try to be all God wants us to be.

Scripture Psalm 23 Read it outloud

Prayer; Father, like David, help me admit exactly where I am and tell you the broken places in my life. Let me take “if” out of the equation….

Looking for peace in all the right places “For he himself is our peace”
Ephesians 2: 14

I have been involved in the body of Christ for nearly 55 years(man, am I old or what?). It was even mentioned to me that I should play football in the Geritol-Pepsi Bowl on Jan 25 and I heard someone say it is not the rigor mortus bowl. I digress. I am a student of people. While others are riding the rides at Kings Island, I am very content to watch the people milling around the park. I have noticed within the church that there are those who work diligently, every non-vocational hour is spent in activity at the church. There is the other group that would not be caught alive at a church function that did not include food. Activity will not save you, make God love you any more or coerce Him into doing something for you. Just as going through the motions on Sunday morning will not save you. The scripture above outlines exactly what happens in the life of the believer when Christ is allowed into one’s life. He becomes our peace. Peace cannot be achieved through a treaty, cease fire, or contract but only through the blood of Christ. We cannot do anything to change our situation. Sure, we can be more positive, make resolutions and commitments but the fact of the matter remains that apart from Christ, we cannot change our heart apart from the regenerating, mystical, unbelievable, all-powerful blood of Jesus Christ. If we continue in our scripture lesson, Paul say that “he destroyed the barrier” between us and Almighty God. I have a Jewish friend that is heartbroken at what is happening in the Middle East and he has a cousin that was wounded in the attacks and he asked me “Why is God allowing this to happen?”. I was again led to share with him that when we reject Jesus as Savior, we set things in motion that can only be remedied by his blood. He is our peace…our only shot at peace. We just got out of the Advent season but remember the scripture we quote so often, “the government shall be upon his shoulders” is about redemption and peace. My friend, after 17 years of sharing, he listened instead of preparing a rebuttal. His heart was pricked as the Holy Spirit deals with him. Is the Holy Spirit dealing with you? Have you worn yourself out for the wrong reasons? “For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” Ephesians 2: 18

Read Ephesians 2

Prayer: Almighty God, I want to know you, experience you, love you through the victory I have in the cross of Christ

Choices “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that
You may love the Lord your God, listen..and hold fast to Him” Deuteronomy 30: 19b

When I was about twelve, I went to a summer camp to study and learn about faith and decisions. I met a preacher by the name of Orel and during that week he challenged me with all that I had been taught and seen and experienced. I had been raised in a Christian home and had always been exposed to the things of the Bible and the Church but had not really made a decision one way or the other. My grandmother Drake had spoken with me several times about making Christ the Lord of my life but it had fallen on deaf ears for the most part. I was a relatively good kid and didn’t do a lot of the things that other boys did in relation to being bad or just adventurous so I didn’t feel I had anything to be sorry for. Orel sat me down in a “knee to knee” session that we used to have and explained to me that life was unkind and that I needed the direction of Christ in my life. He explained to me that people around me that I cared about were going to get sick and die, that people that I love would hurt me, and that I would need direction in what I would do for my life’s work. That was pretty heavy stuff for a twelve year old but I thought much about our talk. The next year I would begin to understand the gravity of what he had told me.

It was a cold and blustery day outside much like yesterday. My brother had just finished two years at Sinclair when it was strictly a technical school. He had his degree in being an electrician. I could hear arguing from the kitchen and my Dad and he were having one of their legendary discussions. This one was decidedly different. My brother was trying to convince my Dad that it was a good idea to transfer to a Bible college and study for the ministry. Angry at each other, my brother got in his car, drove to Bible college and got everything set up to study in the fall. He was with his best friend in the car when it began to snow. Our phone rang about 3 in the afternoon. It was a sickening ring. Barry had been in an accident and Mom and Dad needed to come because he needed surgery. Before they could even get out of town, my brother had passed in to eternity. Just two months later my grandmother explained to me that she had cancer and would soon join him. I needed to make a decision. I chose Life! I don’t know where you are in your life but choose Life!

Scripture Reading Mark 10: 24-27

Prayer: Almighty God, how miraculous are your ways. Help us to trust in you that when life’s storms come, you are there to love us through

d-y-n-o-m-i-t-e!!!! “the gospel…it is the power of God for salvation”
Romans 1: 16

The book of Romans is the sum total of what Paul’s life was all about. In many ways, this is a copy of his memoirs. He is writing to the church that has meant a great deal to his own spiritual journey and his professional ministry. He also understands that when he sees them again it will be from the gallows and facing his own death. I am sure that Paul could have had a few “what if” moments as he neared the end of his ministry and life. He was a Pharisee, the ultimate in religiosity, and on top of that he was a zealot. Kind of a Jewish leader on steroids and respected and feared by everyone. He graduated the best schools, had the best teachers and all the connections that an upwardly mobile Jewish leaders would need to succeed. Then he met Jesus. Life is never the same after one meets Jesus. The “if’s” all change.

The Gospel of Christ Jesus was now the focus of Paul’s life. In our scripture, the Greek word for “power” is dainumos. We get our English word dynamite from this word. Wow! The gospel is dynamite. It disrupts everything about the life that it affects. This gospel had turned the life of one of the Hebrew children to the point he left all that he knew and put his life on the line and ultimately gave his life for this Gospel. In Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” starts with the fact that you have to surrender your wants and needs to the service of Christ Jesus to find your true purpose. So many of the people we see that struggle in their Christian life are folks who think that we accept Christ and then continue to live the way we did before. The problem is that light and darkness cannot occupy the same space. Dynamite disrupts everything and turns it upside down and some things get destroyed. That’s the way meeting Christ is in all of us. Your life will never be dull, lifeless or limp but dynamic and exciting. With Paul we can then say “forgetting what is behind and straining to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. Let God have the “ifs” in your life.

Scripture reading Philippians 3: 12-14

Prayer: Father, I trust you with my life, my past and my future…..

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. – James 5:16

It is important for every Believer to have at least one other person in which to confide, pray with, listen to, and encourage.

Are you accountable? Do you have a friend to whom you can go? Will that person hold you accountable in your spiritual walk? If you want accountability in your life here are some steps to help you find an accountability partner:

• Begin by praying for God to reveal the person or people.
• Consider the possibilities: people in your church, work place, close friends, a man or woman you respect, etc. Search for people who are going through similar circumstances or have experienced them in their past. Be open to God’s leading. It is important to select someone who is the same gender to avoid putting yourselves in compromising circumstances.
• Invite the person to lunch, meet each other’s family, or talk on the phone. Get to know one another. Do you get along? Do you enjoy your time together?
• If you are confident that this is the right person or people, ask if they would be your accountability partner.

Once have found a partner you should meet about once a week. Consider the following accountability questions for your discussion time:

• Did you share your faith this week?
• Have you spent daily time with God in Bible reading and prayer?
• Have you given 100% effort in your job and home responsibilities?
• Have you been able to express love to those around you?
• Have you expressed encouragement and praise to your spouse, kids, or another family member?
• Has your thought life been pure?
• What was your biggest joy this week?
• How were you tempted and how did you respond?
• What have you done to enhance your relationship with your spouse?
• Have you lied to me about anything?

Pray for each other then and through-out the week over the problems or struggles you may have. Also, give praise to God for answered prayers. Be careful to not get into commiserating, bashing spouses or others, gossiping or supporting ungodly behavior in any way.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up…” -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

by Rick Phillips

Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned. -James 5:12

Do you ever lie? I do. I don’t really mean to but in the end I don’t let my yes  be yes or my no be no. You see, the way I lie is by making promises I can’t or don’t keep. I don’t do it intentionally. I just tend to over extend myself. I don’t like to say no to people. I want to help everyone and I can’t do that (I just don’t like to admit it).

What James is saying here is don’t make promises you can’t keep. Ultimately, it would look better to tell someone “I can’t do that” than to tell them you can and then not do it.

For a long time I would get angry at others for this too. I think we see traits in those around us that we also exhibit and we see what we are really like sometimes. Usually, these same things that I do so freely drive me crazy in other people. Matthew 7:3 says “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

I have struggled with this for a while but I found an answer. I discovered that if I just ignore people or avoid them altogether it’s much easier. I’m kidding. Actually, through prayer and studying God’s Word I have learned to extend grace to others and not be so quick to judge. I also have learn to say “no” and “help”, instead of trying to be a hero and do it all myself. I’m still not great at it but I think I’m getting better.

Father, thank you for Your Word and the guidance it gives us. Lord give us the strength and discernment to not make promises we can’t keep and to fulfill those we make. Forgive us for judging others when we are all so guilty and imperfect ourselves. Amen

by Rick Phillips

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. – James 5 10,11

Why would we need to persevere? Once we give our lives to Christ everything becomes perfect, right? As we all know that is not true. While God forgives us of our sins He does not remove the consequences of those sins we’ve committed or the ability to sin again. Sometimes those consequences will be tough to face and the temptations to sin may seem unbearable. However, through Him we can persevere.

Persevere is defined as: To persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

There will be times when we need to be patient and persevere. The current economy, for many of us, would be one of those times or the poor job market. But, it is with strength through trust and faith in Jesus that we can persevere.

Things will not always be perfect but, we must have a content heart. Look at the following scriptures:

The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. -Proverbs 19:23

But godliness with contentment is great gain. -1 Timothy 6:6

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” -Hebrews 13:5

It looks like contentedness is pretty important and to achieve that there will be plenty of times when we will be called to persevere and that will be when true spiritual growth and increased faith will occur.

Father, thank You for being by our side through good times and bad. For being that rock on which we can stand when all seems to be falling apart around us. You are a great and glorious God. Amen.

by Rick Phillips

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. - James 5:7-8

Patience is yet another thing I find hard to come by. I recently finished “Experiencing God” in our Life Group. I learned quite a lot about patience and God’s timing. I don’t know about you but I want it all and I want it NOW! I’m not talking about material things I’m talking about the things I feel God is leading me to do or be a part of. The problem is I am impatient with His timing.

That may sound odd but it’s true. The problem with this line of thinking is that we may miss out on valuable lessons to be learned in the process of achieving an assignment He has for us. I once heard this and I often repeat it, “there is always a plan and a payoff but between these two things there is a process and sometimes the process is the whole point.”

Could David have slayed Goliath if he hadn’t first lived the life he had up to that point? Would he have had enough courage through his faith in God to step up? Would Peter have stepped out of the boat if he hadn’t witnessed what Jesus could and had done? Would he have stayed on top of the water if he had paid more attention to some of the “processes” God had put him through? What about all the processes Paul went through? Do you think he would have been the man he was without them? I think not.

That is why we need to remain patient and stand firm but, also pay attention. The Lord’s coming is near but look around at all He has for you to learn from and do in the mean time.

Father, forgive us for our lack of patience. Reveal to us Lord what You would have us learn during the processes You place us in currently and in the future and we will open our hearts and minds to Your teachings. Amen

You rich people should cry and weep! Terrible things are going to happen to you. Your treasures have already rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your money has rusted, and the rust will be evidence against you, as it burns your body like fire. Yet you keep on storing up wealth in these last days.  -James 5:1-2

The spiritual gift of giving is not a gift that is very prevalent in me. Lucky for me, I don’t have a lot of material wealth to share anyway. I sometimes wonder what would happen if I did. I’d like to think that I would freely follow Gods guidance to bless others with that wealth.

What scares me though is that I fear I would easily get caught up in the greed and selfishness of it all. That is what James is trying to warn the rich about in the beginning of chapter 5. Now, he’s not referring to all rich people. God blesses many people with wealth. Unfortunately, too many of us cave to the desires of the flesh that this wealth can bring with it. “Your treasures have already rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes”. What James means is, it’s already as good as gone. Ultimately, all the riches in the world are worthless unless they are used in a way that is God honoring.

We should be saddened and ashamed “cry and weep” for what this wealth so often does to us. Matthew 6:24 tells us “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” He doesn’t say you can’t have both God and money in your life but you can’t serve both. Only one can rule your life.

I’m ashamed to admit that on those occasions when I have had some sort of unexpected financial gain the first thing that comes to mind is “where can I spend this, what can I buy, where can I go.” Not, “Father, where can I use this to help others and serve the kingdom.” Most of the time I submit to the Lord and use that money to honor Him but not always and it is rarely my first thought, how about you?

Lord, forgive us for our thoughtlessness when it comes to others, for that greed that is so fast to spring to mind when you bless us financially. Father, reveal to us where there is a need and help us to always have You and others in mind first… amen

by Rick Phillips

            “Search me, O God, and know my heart”           Psalm 139: 23

    So much of what we do is so that our fellow Christians and church members will know us. God, however looks at the heart, the motives, the driving force behind what we do and say. He looks at the things that makes us do what we do. Is it done out of selfish ambition or a true sense of servanthood? Last evening my phone rang and a brother had some car problems. We started talking about different scenarios’ that we could help. My life group came to the rescue. Between several of us we were able to get some transportation, make arrangements to get the car fixed and God is glorified. Because the heart of the group to help, the matter that could have been devastating to one family was handled quickly with very little discomfort to all parties involved. That’s the way heart servanthood works. As we invite God to search our motives, which could be a very uncomfortable process for some of us, let us trust Him in the process of making us more doers than talkers. I find people beat themselves up for things they do apart from God’s will. Please try to remember that it is a process. The kids song by Bill and Gloria Gaither says “God’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took Him six days to make the moon and the stars, sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.  But He’s still working on me”. Life abundant is dealing with the stuff in your life but enjoying life at the same time. We are not always guided by the Spirit, we cave to the flesh and our wants but hold up your head, you are a child of the King. I am praying for you.

 Prayer:  Father, help me to be transparent in all my ways so that you can deal with the things in my life. Help me today to live and laugh knowing that I am your child…..

Scripture Reading:       Psalm 139

by:  Rick Drake