Overcomers

30 Sunday Sep 2012

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This devotion is taken from Open Doors International.  I encourage you to visit their site to see the work for persecuted Christians all around the world.  

Blessings,

Pastor

 

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21

 

Christians in areas of persecution have used many metaphors and similes to describe the victory of following Jesus and becoming an overcomer as He was. Here are some examples:

In the former Soviet Union, believers said:

Overcomers are like nails. The harder you hit them, the deeper they go!

 

In China believers said:

Overcomers are like bamboo. The more you cut them down, the faster and stronger they grow back.

 

In Iran believers said:

Overcomers are like rubber balls. The harder you throw them down on the floor, the higher they rebound!

Overcomers are like flowers. The more you crush them, the stronger and sweeter the fragrance.

 

In the Philippines believers said:

Overcomers are like stained-glass cathedral windows at night. Their true beauty is revealed only when there is light from within.

 

In India believers said:

Overcomers are like tea bags. You have to put them in hot water to know how strong they are!

 

You can be an overcomer! And you can stand strong through the storm!

RESPONSE: Today I will be an overcomer standing strong through the storm.

PRAYER: Pray that all Christians living under severe persecution will be encouraged and understand what it means to be an overcomer…as well as anticipate the many rewards Jesus promises to overcomers.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks

© 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission

 

 

Does God Exist?

29 Saturday Sep 2012

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Deep thoughts for the weekend!  

Be surprised and experience Him,

Pastor

 

Don’t Let Anybody Tell You ‘Who You Are’

28 Friday Sep 2012

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I like Daniel. He was a “good ole boy in a bad ole land.”  He was one of only three people in the Bible in which no sin was ever mentioned in his life. I am not saying he was sinless, but he does provide a model for everyone to follow. He lived a life without compromise. Even though he was snatched away and coerced to live in exile, he did not compromise his beliefs. Many believers have their family, friends, and support groups, yet still struggle with compromise. Listen as the story of Daniel and his friends begins…

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.  Daniel 1:1-6

 

What you may not be able to grasp from simply reading this passage was the Babylonians tried in every possible way to strip these young Hebrew men from their identities. Their Hebrew names gave honor to Jehovah. Their new Babylonian names gave homage to Bel.  Even though the young men were given names of pagan gods of Babylon they continued to live up to their Hebrew names.

  • Daniel – (God is my judge) was called Belteshazzar (the secret of their God Bel),
  • Hananiah – (the Lord has been gracious) was called Shadrach (the inspiration of the sun-god),
  • Mishael – (The one who comes from God) was called Meshach (he who belongs to the goddess Sheshach.)
  • Azariah – (The Lord is my helper) was renamed Abednego (servant of Nebo – the morning star).

Just because the world names you one thing, you don’t have to agree and live with those word curses. What negative words have people spoken to you? I’ll bet you can still hear those words. These names could have been hurtful, mean, and even spiteful. It doesn’t make any difference, unless you choose to believe it. Bottom line,  the real believer lives as a stranger to this world. In one sense we are all like Daniel… we live in a strange land which doesn’t understand us.

 

 

When George Shultz, Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, interviewed newly appointed ambassadors, he told them to go to a large globe in his office. Shultz would test them. He would say, “You have to go over the globe and prove to me that you can identify your country.” They would go over, spin the globe, and put their finger on the country to which they were being sent. He promptly would tell them, “You’re wrong!”

Shultz then would lecture them saying, “Never forget you’re over there in that country, but your country is the United States. You’re there to represent us. You are being sent to take care of our interests. Never forget it, because you’re representing the best country in the world.”

We must never forget where our home and our allegiances lie – Heaven. Daniel lived in a land that was hostile to his faith. His new bosses were some of the most powerful, ruthless, and egotistical kings in all ancient history…. to contradict these men could mean instant death. In fact, Daniel and his friends were threatened numerous times… but they never compromised. The book of Daniel is a record about how Daniel’s faith placed him in inconvenient and uncomfortable circumstances. Our faith will place us in similar situations. Like Daniel, God calls us to stand firm because our faith is “non-negotiable“.

What many believers see as an exception to the rules, these faithful men saw as non-negotiable. According to Daniel and his friends… it’s not the big decisions that determine the quality of your faith, it’s the little ones.

But Daniel (along with his three friends) resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and win, and he (Daniel) asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Daniel 1:8

 

Daniel and his friends were committed to living a life without compromise. Do you want to live a life without compromise? Like Daniel, there are several commitments you can make to assure your fidelity. The next few blogs I will spend some time talking about these types of commitments.

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

Tim Tebow’s ‘Wife With a Servant’s Heart’ Remarks Misunderstood

25 Tuesday Sep 2012

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Below is a recent article from the Christian Post about comments Tim Tebow made to Vogue magazine.  I am always amazed at how certain terminology used commonly in Christian circles is misunderstood my the mainstream media.  Who knew desiring to marry a girl with “servant’s heart” meant you wanted to marry a “hot slave“.  It is like to the two worlds speak two different languages.  No wonder believers have a difficult time sharing the message of Jesus Christ.  I am old enough to remember when President Jimmy Cater was roughed up by the media for using the term “born again.”  It took several years to sort that issue out.  Maybe Christians need to carry their own dictionary?

 

 

By Audrey Barrick , Christian Post Reporter
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/tim-tebows-wife-with-a-servants-heart-remarks-misunderstood-82107/#psyrk74d58QWt5AO.99

Tim Tebow’s comments about his ideal wife – someone who’s sweet and has a “servant’s heart” – have stirred discussion on the Web, with some concluding that he wants a “hot slave,” as OpposingViews.com put it.

“He basically made it seem like he wants some hot woman who dropped straight from 50 Shades Of Grey and will do what he wants and not talk back and certainly not mention that he is currently sitting on the bench,” the Los Angeles-based website stated.

Tebow, a devout Christian, is featured in the latest issue of Vogue magazine with the headline “Superman Returns: Tim Tebow Touches Down in New York.” He was asked what he’s looking for in a woman.

He answered, “I’ve been blessed to have an amazing mom and two amazing sisters-so they set a very high standard.

“Obviously looks play a big part. Being attracted to someone plays a big part, but there’s also so much more than that for me. It’s about finding someone sweet and kind – and that has a servant’s heart. It’s about finding a girl who likes me for me, and not because of what I do or who I am or the name.”

That sound bite has been picked up by publications with the New York Post writing, “Tebow in market for ‘servant’ woman” and jezebel.com reporting, “Tim Tebow Tells Vogue His Perfect Woman Is Hot, Kind, and Servile.”

One Christian leader came to the New York Jets quarterback’s defense.

Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, tried to explain in a blog post that what Christians mean when they say “a servant’s heart” is not exactly what non-Christians think it to mean. In other words, Tebow is not a chauvinist as some might view him.

“You hear this language and you assume Tebow wants a Stepford wife in a French maid’s uniform, massaging his feet and refilling his glass of sweet tea. But this isn’t what evangelical Christians mean when they say ‘a servant’s heart,'” Moore stated.

“In Christianity,” he stressed, “a ‘servant’ isn’t a slur.”

He explained, “Serving is precisely how Jesus rules as king, and how he prepares his people, men and women, to rule with him in the reign to come. Husbands serve wives. Wives serve husbands. Children serve parents. Parents serve children. Pastors serve churches. Churches serve pastors. That concept might be demeaning in the world of Vogue, but it’s not in a new creation where ‘the leader is the one who serves’ (Lk. 22:26).”

Therefore, when Tebow says he wants a wife with “a servant’s heart,” it doesn’t mean he wants a doormat; it means he wants a Christian, Moore concluded.

Tebow has clarified what he meant when he made those comments.

“It’s something that it’s not all about them,” Tebow said, according to ESPNNewYork.com. “It’s someone that can put others first, someone that doesn’t always have to be the center of attention and someone that’s a helper. Someone that puts their family first, is loving, is caring, all those things, that’s what I mean by servant.”

He also posted the Bible verse Galatians 5:13 on his Twitter and Facebook on Sunday.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love,” the verse reads (NIV).

 
I encourage you to keep fighting the fight of faith.  It is rough out there!  

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

 

 

High Flight

21 Friday Sep 2012

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I have fond memories of this poem.  For those of us old enough to remember …. television stations didn’t stay on for twenty-four hours a day.  They signed off at the end of each business day.  As a kid, I would stay up late just to view the stations signing off the air.  This poem was read as many of the stations ended their day.  Usually, a video of an aircraft breaking through the clouds accompanied the reading.  For some reason, I thought this was the coolest.  Unfortunately, my familiarity with this poem didn’t end at childhood.  I have performed numerous funeral services in which families and friends requested me to read this poem, especially those who served in the armed forces.

What you may not know is High Flight was composed by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born in Shanghai, China in 1922, the son of missionary parents, Reverend and Mrs. John Gillespie Magee; his father was an American and his mother was originally a British citizen.

He came to the U.S. in 1939 and earned a scholarship to Yale, but in September 1940 he enlisted in the RCAF and graduated as a pilot. He was sent to England for combat duty in July 1941.

In August or September 1941, Pilot Officer Magee composed High Flight and sent a copy to his parents. Several months later, on December 11, 1941 his Spitfire collided with another plane over England and Magee, only 19 years of age, crashed to his death.  His remains are buried in the churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

I share it so it will be cherished by another generation, before it is lost forever.

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

A Servant’s Pledge

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Quotes, Servanthood

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This is a Servant’s Pledge to wrap-up my four part series on Being a Great Servant.

Blessings,

Pastor

 

In case you missed it here are the links below…….

You Might Be a Great Servant If… #1 You Know Your Gifts Are From God!

You Might Be Great Servant… #2 If You Are An Intimate Friend of the Groom

You Might Be A Great Servant… #3 If You Find Your Joy From the Groom’s Joy

You Might be a Great Servant… #4 If You Know Less Is Best!

 

You Might be a Great Servant… #4 If You Know Less Is Best!

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Servanthood

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Of all the points I’ve mentioned so far from John the Baptist’s life, this one reminds me of what it really means to be a servant and friend of the Lord. John summed it up best when he said,

He (Jesus) must Increase but I must decrease. John 3:30

If Jesus had called people to only be kings, celebrities, and national heroes, He would have had a larger following. Who isn’t interested in being popular, well-liked and loved by all? Who wouldn’t like being on the cover of magazines and newspapers? Yeah, sign me up for that type of duty!

Lets break this verse into two parts. First, are you willing for Jesus to be increased in you and in the world around you? John the Baptist reflected on his position in God’s plan and concluded, “Jesus must increase. My followers must become His followers. His ministry should far exceed my ministry. He must flourish far above anything I am doing. Jesus’ popularity must grow. The name of Jesus must become more important to people than my name.”

It is easy for us to look upon John’s situation and say, “Well that was supposed happen.” This would be true.  But maybe it was a little more difficult for John to give away everything he worked so hard to build. The truth is “the Jesus increase” is supposed to be happening right now in our lives as well. The reality is … “the Jesus increase” only happens as “we increase“.

This is hard to explain…but I want to give it a shot. Most every believer I know would state emphatically, they want desperately for Jesus to be increased in them. We pray it, speak it, and try to live it. The issue is not in the first half of John’s declaration. (Jesus must increase) The issue is in the second half of John’s statement. In order for Jesus to be increased, I must be decreased. The truth is when believers are decreased, they begin to fall apart! Most believers don’t actually believe that their personal decrease is a good thing for God’s kingdom. This proves to me that Christians don’t actually find their worth in seeing Jesus increased in their life. No, they only find worth in how God uses them. If they are used by the Lord, then they can bring glory to Him. If they are not used by the Lord, then they cannot bring glory to Him. They actually believe, “If I increase, the Lord increases. If I decrease, the Lord decreases.” This was not what John was declaring.

Believers actually believe the polar opposite of John’s testimony. Lets be honest… Most think along these lines… “I would like to do something really big and important for the Lord. I want to be used. I want to do something that people will note and remember – and do something that will stand out. I want people to know that I am being used by the Lord. I want to be used in a mighty way, so Jesus will be glorified. I want people to know the Lord is alive and well, because of what He is doing in me.” Now, don’t even try to convince me you haven’t thought some of these same thoughts. Lets be real here. I’ve fallen into the same trap. Denial is a river in Egypt. You know what I am saying. What is wrong with this type of thinking, if anything?

If we allow ourselves to think this way, we will only seek to “increase” ourselves and hope Jesus is magnified in some shape, form, or fashion. Understand, this is faulty thinking and not what John was relating. You might be saying, “Pastor, Jesus loves me. He would never have me decrease, because that would decrease His message and ministry in my life. If I decrease, Jesus will have fewer opportunities to make Himself known to others.”

Listen, I have heard it all before and thought it all myself and have come to one conclusion… There is nothing good in you. There is nothing good in me. There will never be anything you can do, in and of yourself, which will bring glory to the Lord. Like John, we must all come to the conclusion…”I must decrease.” It is the only way.  According to the Lord, here is what a decreased life should look like.

they were… tortured…faced jeers and flogging…chained and put in prison…stoned…sawed in two…put to death by the sword…went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated…wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Hebrews 11:35-38

Are you ready to sign up? These are the real heroes of faith. By the way, John ended up in prison with his head chopped of as well. His life ended just like those found in Hebrews 11. This is what it means to live a life of decrease. The real call to serve Jesus doesn’t seem as attractive when we are asked to become absolutely nothing for Him?

Allow me to offer you an invitation to join John the Baptist. Do you remember your dreams and aspirations when you were still young in Junior High or High School or college? Do you remember how you wanted to be a somebody? Do you remember wanting to make a mark on the world? Most want to accomplish something in their lifetime. Unfortunately, most believers keep this fleshly type of thinking after salvation and simply “inject” Christ into their life ambitions. They falsely believe by simply “adding Jesus” they have resolved their “me issues.” Now they can steadily proceed and when they increase, Jesus will increase. The Lord will never “decrease them” because He will be decreasing Himself.

Here is the problem…. Jesus cannot and will not be “injected” into our life ambitions.  Jesus doesn’t work like Betty Crocker.   We cannot simply add Jesus into the equation… mix, stir, pour, and bake.  According to John, Jesus is the equation. Jesus gives us His equations and calls us to work it out. This always means; He must increase and we must decrease that He might be gloried above all. Nowhere in Scripture are we given the go-ahead to plug Jesus into our own personal agendas. We don’t plug Jesus into anything! Jesus can only take your life and plug it into His!

As you can probably tell… I am passionate about this issue. I have seen too many fleshly productions inside and outside the church, all claiming to be bringing glory to the Lord. I am not convinced. Listen, the world has not been convinced either. I am not pointing fingers…just stating the facts. All those who truly made a “kingdom impact” died to the flesh. They ultimately chose the road of decrease. I beg and urge you to do the same. Bring the Lord real glory. Honor Him who gave His life that you might live.

Blessings,

Pastor

You Might Be A Great Servant… #3 If You Find Your Joy From the Groom’s Joy

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

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I said yesterday once the negotiations have been made and the groom and bride are finally joined… the best man’s job is complete. He steps aside and fades quietly into the background.

This illustration speaks for itself. Have you ever been at or in a wedding and waited for the Bride to make her entrance? Everybody is so excited. Why? You know the couple and are excited… their joy becomes your own personal joy.

I am sure many of you saw the recent Royal Wedding between William and Kate. It took the bride over four minutes to walk down the aisle. WOW. As she arrived near the front, Prince Harry was looking back, smiling in a grand fashion. Then he started whispering to William, getting him excited about his approaching bride. This is part of the best man’s responsibility. He stands beside the groom and shares in his joy.

The groom is joyous because of the bride — she belongs to him! In all weddings the best man stands off to the side once the bride arrives. We need to be like John the Baptist. Our joy needs to be discovered, not in what we receive from Christ, but in what Christ receives from being married to His church. John said, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John wanted people to be drawn to His Lord, not to him personally.

John Brodie, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was once asked why a million dollar football player should have to hold the ball for field goals and extra points after touchdowns. Brodie said, “Well, if I didn’t, it would fall over.” The Church works best when there are enough people who are willing to hold the ball so someone else can kick. These are called great servants. Receiving glory and honor is not their goal. Their joy is found when Christ receives all the glory and honor.

Once we learn our job as best man, Jesus views us as friends, not merely servants. The source of our own personal joy can reveal to us if we have moved from merely being servants of the Lord to being His friend. If our real joy is found in seeing that Christ receives all the honor and glory instead of ourselves, then we are moving to a more intimate level with the Lord.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Our friendship with the Master means we’re more than just servants. Jesus lets His friends in on His plans. A great servant and friend is one who recognizes God’s plan at work. John was saying, “I love it when a plan comes together! It’s working… Jesus is front and center! This is my real service!” Are you intimate friends with Jesus? Jesus needs true servants who are willing to lay down everything to become His friends. We are all called to servanthood. Some realize Jesus wants more than servants…He desires everyone to walk the path to become His intimate friend. Let the Master’s joy become your joy today!

Blessings,

Pastor

 

You Might Be Great Servant… #2 If You Are An Intimate Friend of the Groom

17 Monday Sep 2012

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I want to continue a blog thought I started a few days ago on what it means to be a great servant of the Lord. John the Baptist was considered to be the greatest servant of God in history. Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” John said about himself, “I am not worthy to even untie Jesus’ sandals.” Did John know anything different about the Lord than we do today? I don’t think so!

Here is the question you need to ask yourself… Could you personally be Jesus’ best man? Even if you are a “lady“, I still want you to ask yourself this question. This is how John saw himself and his ministry. He saw himself as an intimate friend of the groom. Listen to his own description…

I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. John 3:28-29

John could have talked about being Jesus’ cousin through Mary, or about how he was the last prophet of the Old Testament. Instead, he used a word picture which emphasized a position of service.  John saw himself as Jesus’ “best man.”

The “friend of the groom” played an important role in the first century Jewish wedding ceremony. The best man negotiated on behalf of the perspective groom and his future father-in-law. Contractually the best man served as mediator. In other words, he was someone who looked out for the groom’s best interests! John saw himself in this position. He was looking out for Jesus’ best interests.

An ironic event happened to the best man on the way to the altar. The “best” man must become the “least” man at the wedding ceremony. Once his job was complete, he willingly and graciously faded from the scene. If he did his job correctly and the couple were wedded, then he was truly the best man for the job. He had a prominent place and a very important job, but he was not center of attention.

So when John’s disciples brought him news that Jesus’ ministry was succeeding his and his was fading, it didn’t cause him to fall into a major depressive episode. This wasn’t bad news, but good news. His job as best man was a success. No one else may know or understand. John was now to take a subservient position to Jesus. John was a success prior and now afterward. By the way, sometimes choosing to allow your ministry to fade, which results in your head being chopped off, is not the ideal ministry end.

A little country boy was fishing with a makeshift pole, but he was catching fish! All this didn’t go unnoticed by a city dweller sitting close by him. This city fellow had the finest fishing tackle, but was having no success at all. He decided to ask the country boy about his success. The boy replied, “The secret of it all is that I keep myself out of sight.”

John understood this principle. When it came time for him to fade away, he did so with grace. He didn’t need the limelight to be successful. I think we struggle with our position in the Lord sometimes because we forget our first calling… to be a “friend of the groom.” The word here for “friend” is the same word for “brotherly love.” This is what motivates great servants to service Jesus — a genuine, loving, and intimate relationship with the Lord. If you need some motivation to serve Jesus with a genuine heart, return once again to your first love.

Blessings,

Pastor