God gives "power to the weak and to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29).
The word "Power" is found 264 times in the Bible. The Lord intends us to be powerful people-mighty in optimism and hopeful of spirit, powerful in evangelistic zeal, potent in influence, strong in moral fiber and purity. We can be powerhouses in prayer and preaching.
I depend on many devices throughout the day and the same way we need to plug our cell phones and laptops into the electrical circuit for recharging, we need to recharge our spiritual batteries by spending time daily in God's presence, reading His Word, praying, confessing our sins, and fellowshipping with Him. "Feed on His faithfulness" (Psalm 37:3).
We must also learn to live by faith. Much of our burnout is caused by not trusting God to handle things too large for us. "Casting ALL your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). We falter under our heavy loads of care if we don't learn to entrust all our problems to Him for whom nothing is impossible. He wants your burdens!
We must also take breaks. Jesus told the disciples; "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). It's important to get regular sleep and exercise.
We also need to rediscover the lift of laughter. The Bible tells us to be cheerful, glad, to look up, and to rejoice in the Lord.
We become weak and lose power when we give out more than we're taking in and when we allow particular sins in our lives. Blackouts occur when we allow harmful attitudes-bitterness, anxiety, envy, and unresolved anger-to infect our spiritual power grid. Even the health and strength of our physical bodies can affect our souls, especially if our lethargy is caused by lack of discipline.
Want to avoid personal blackouts and burnouts? The critical thing in avoiding a power outage is to stay plugged in to the power source-to worship the Lord daily, keeping our eyes on Him and drawing strength from Him. "All my springs are in You" (Psalm 87). I love this concept, don’t you?
Our Lord Jesus knew the secret source of daily replenishment. Mark 1:35 says: "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
Even the great apostle Paul spoke of being "burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life" (2 Corinthians 1:8). He admitted to once bypassing a great evangelizing opportunity because of anxiety (2 Corinthians 2:12-13).
Finally, don't be afraid to work hard. In balancing burnout with rest, don't go too far in the direction of wasting time. Paul spoke of his "weariness and toil . . . sleeplessness . . . hunger and thirst . . . [and] deep concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:27-28). As we care for the needs of our families, churches, jobs, and the work God gives us, we'll often be tired. Let's just make sure we're tired in God's work and not of it. (Ahhh!)
It is not the hard work that breaks us down, but it is the grind of working without power. So to this end let us stay close to the power source.
You can do all the things He desires and requires through Christ who strengthens you.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
How To Have Great Relationships
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.—Ephesians 4:29-32(NLT)
Have you ever had to call a friend, to apologize for hurting their feelings for some things you had written in an email? Perhaps like me, you’ve also found that it is very easy to write what you would not have the nerve to say if you were looking your friend right in the eye. I call these off the wall comments that hurt others “email rockets."
In today’s culture of email, texting and instant messaging, here’s a reminder: These electronic forms of communication do not take the place of a living, breathing face-to-face relationships. Relationships are most meaningful as they are lived out face-to-face and heart-to-heart. When misunderstandings arise, it takes fortitude and love (agape) to face a person and pour out your heart. Yet, that’s what is necessary for relationships to be all that God designed.
The above passage to the Ephesians is filled with practical insights on how relationships thrive in the Kingdom of God. Relationships do best when they are lived in the spirit of Jesus’ love and with a dedication to honest, forthright and transparent communication. Imagine if all our relationships could be lived out as a carbon copy of the relationship that Jesus has with each of us. Imagine what would happen if we stretched ourselves to give grace and mercy to each of those who live in our sphere of relationships.
Today, let's strive to live out our relationships as God designed them to be lived.
ANSWER THIS:
1. Think through your communication and relationship habits with your friends. How are you relating to them in a God-honoring manner? What could you do to make those relationships thrive as God has designed?
2. Look carefully at the list of relationship and communication qualities listed above in Ephesians 4:25-32. Ask God for help in those areas of communication in which you need to grow.
READ THIS:
Luke 15:11-32; Colossians 3:12-15; Ephesians 1:15-23
An ounce of determination is worth a ton of procrastination.
Have you ever had to call a friend, to apologize for hurting their feelings for some things you had written in an email? Perhaps like me, you’ve also found that it is very easy to write what you would not have the nerve to say if you were looking your friend right in the eye. I call these off the wall comments that hurt others “email rockets."
In today’s culture of email, texting and instant messaging, here’s a reminder: These electronic forms of communication do not take the place of a living, breathing face-to-face relationships. Relationships are most meaningful as they are lived out face-to-face and heart-to-heart. When misunderstandings arise, it takes fortitude and love (agape) to face a person and pour out your heart. Yet, that’s what is necessary for relationships to be all that God designed.
The above passage to the Ephesians is filled with practical insights on how relationships thrive in the Kingdom of God. Relationships do best when they are lived in the spirit of Jesus’ love and with a dedication to honest, forthright and transparent communication. Imagine if all our relationships could be lived out as a carbon copy of the relationship that Jesus has with each of us. Imagine what would happen if we stretched ourselves to give grace and mercy to each of those who live in our sphere of relationships.
Today, let's strive to live out our relationships as God designed them to be lived.
ANSWER THIS:
1. Think through your communication and relationship habits with your friends. How are you relating to them in a God-honoring manner? What could you do to make those relationships thrive as God has designed?
2. Look carefully at the list of relationship and communication qualities listed above in Ephesians 4:25-32. Ask God for help in those areas of communication in which you need to grow.
READ THIS:
Luke 15:11-32; Colossians 3:12-15; Ephesians 1:15-23
An ounce of determination is worth a ton of procrastination.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Road You are Travelling, Where does it Lead?
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.— Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)
Have you heard the story of the battleship that was on a collision course with another ship one foggy evening? The battleship’s captain, radioed to the unknown ship, “I Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.” Someone on a radio replied, “I Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.” The battleship’s captain was not amused. He radioed back, “I am a ship’s captain. Change course 20 degrees, now!” Then came another reply, “I’m a seaman, second-class, and I advise you to change course 20 degrees, now!” The captain was furious, “This is a battleship! I order you to change course 20 degrees, immediately!” The seaman radioed back, “I am a lighthouse!”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation, not unlike the ship’s captain, where you just don’t want to budge on your position? Everyone is stubborn from time to time, but people who live a lifestyle of stubbornness are dangerous to their relationships and spiritual lives.
When we are overly stubborn with others we build walls that prevent relationships from growing. When those walls are high enough, they actually cause relationships to die. Relationships are based on give and take. In successful relationships no one has their own way all of the time. Both in friendships and in family relationships, the one who is never willing to “change course” damages those relationships.
Stubbornness in our relationship with God works much in the same way as stubbornness with friends and family, only worse. Being stubborn with God means that we really don’t want to please the Lord. We want to call our own shots and determine our own course in life. In our stubbornness, we reduce the Infinite, All Knowing, All Mighty God’s role in our lives to that of a pocket genie, the “magic lamp” we rub and ask for favors when we want something for ourselves. Being stubborn with God is sin; I don’t know what else to call it.
When refusing to change course we might well find ourselves, much like the battleship captain, on the verge of disaster. We may get what we want, but getting what we want can actually destroy us.
My challenge for you today, both in relationships with people and God, is that you be willing to change course if necessary, in order to build your relationships instead of tearing them down.
CONSIDER THIS:
1. What areas of your life do you most often find yourself unwilling to change course?
2. Have you damaged relationships with people or with God by being stubborn? If so, will you have the courage to ask them for their forgiveness?
READ THIS: Nehemiah 9:29; Jeremiah 7:24; Romans 2:5; Hebrews 3:15
Have you heard the story of the battleship that was on a collision course with another ship one foggy evening? The battleship’s captain, radioed to the unknown ship, “I Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.” Someone on a radio replied, “I Advise you change course 20 degrees to avoid collision.” The battleship’s captain was not amused. He radioed back, “I am a ship’s captain. Change course 20 degrees, now!” Then came another reply, “I’m a seaman, second-class, and I advise you to change course 20 degrees, now!” The captain was furious, “This is a battleship! I order you to change course 20 degrees, immediately!” The seaman radioed back, “I am a lighthouse!”
Have you ever found yourself in a situation, not unlike the ship’s captain, where you just don’t want to budge on your position? Everyone is stubborn from time to time, but people who live a lifestyle of stubbornness are dangerous to their relationships and spiritual lives.
When we are overly stubborn with others we build walls that prevent relationships from growing. When those walls are high enough, they actually cause relationships to die. Relationships are based on give and take. In successful relationships no one has their own way all of the time. Both in friendships and in family relationships, the one who is never willing to “change course” damages those relationships.
Stubbornness in our relationship with God works much in the same way as stubbornness with friends and family, only worse. Being stubborn with God means that we really don’t want to please the Lord. We want to call our own shots and determine our own course in life. In our stubbornness, we reduce the Infinite, All Knowing, All Mighty God’s role in our lives to that of a pocket genie, the “magic lamp” we rub and ask for favors when we want something for ourselves. Being stubborn with God is sin; I don’t know what else to call it.
When refusing to change course we might well find ourselves, much like the battleship captain, on the verge of disaster. We may get what we want, but getting what we want can actually destroy us.
My challenge for you today, both in relationships with people and God, is that you be willing to change course if necessary, in order to build your relationships instead of tearing them down.
CONSIDER THIS:
1. What areas of your life do you most often find yourself unwilling to change course?
2. Have you damaged relationships with people or with God by being stubborn? If so, will you have the courage to ask them for their forgiveness?
READ THIS: Nehemiah 9:29; Jeremiah 7:24; Romans 2:5; Hebrews 3:15
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What Should This Remind Us Of?
Someone recently asked me what did the resurrected body of Jesus look like? The Bible says that after Jesus' cruel torture, crucifixion, and three days in the tomb, He was recognizable, and that His followers knew who He was.
We know that He had a body of flesh and bone. Jesus told the disciples, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Share this with Jehovah’s Witnesses when they come to your door because they don’t believe that he rose from the dead physically but just as a spirit.
We also know that Jesus ate food. Imagine the surprise of the disciples when the risen Lord appeared to them and then said, "Have you any food here?"
"What?" they must have been thinking. But they gave Jesus a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He ate it (see Luke 24:41–43).
His resurrected body also could be touched and felt. When the women were returning from the empty tomb, "Behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'Rejoice!' So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him" (Matthew 28:9).
Then, when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room, He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27).
This tells us that in His resurrected body, Jesus still wore the marks of the crucifixion. And He will wear those marks, even in eternity (see Zechariah 12:10).
I think this is to remind us of how we got there. We will not be in heaven because of our good works or good looks. We will be there because of His shed blood, because spikes were driven through His hands and feet for us. It’s alright to say Amen ;).
We know that He had a body of flesh and bone. Jesus told the disciples, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Share this with Jehovah’s Witnesses when they come to your door because they don’t believe that he rose from the dead physically but just as a spirit.
We also know that Jesus ate food. Imagine the surprise of the disciples when the risen Lord appeared to them and then said, "Have you any food here?"
"What?" they must have been thinking. But they gave Jesus a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He ate it (see Luke 24:41–43).
His resurrected body also could be touched and felt. When the women were returning from the empty tomb, "Behold, Jesus met them, saying, 'Rejoice!' So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him" (Matthew 28:9).
Then, when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room, He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing" (John 20:27).
This tells us that in His resurrected body, Jesus still wore the marks of the crucifixion. And He will wear those marks, even in eternity (see Zechariah 12:10).
I think this is to remind us of how we got there. We will not be in heaven because of our good works or good looks. We will be there because of His shed blood, because spikes were driven through His hands and feet for us. It’s alright to say Amen ;).
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Should We Celebrate Easter?
There is the story about an atheist who was a little bit upset because of all the holidays that people of faith celebrated.
He said to a friend, "You Christians have Christmas and Easter. And Jews celebrate their holidays like Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists don't have recognized holidays. It's unfair discrimination."His friend thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, you atheists could celebrate April 1. That could be your holiday. You know, April Fool's Day. It fits, because 'the fool has said in his heart there is no God." And that is, in fact, what the Bible tells us in Psalm 14:1 and 53:1.
Easter, on the other hand, is for everyone. But it is not about bunnies or brightly colored eggs. It is about Jesus, and specifically, it is about Jesus crucified and risen again from the dead.
I don't know how you might describe your life this Easter. Maybe you are full of faith and looking forward to joining your family and friends at church and perhaps a special meal later in the day. If everything is going well for you, then praise God for that.
For others, it might be a different story. Easter might be a reminder, like Christmas, of someone who is no longer with them. And with every year that passes, they are remembered and missed. So for some, Easter is a bittersweet day.Death can seem so cruel, so harsh, and so final. And that is exactly how the disciples felt when they saw the beaten, bloodied body of their Lord hanging on a Roman cross. Then, in addition to the crucifixion, a Roman soldier took his spear, thrust it into Jesus' side, and out of it came blood and water.
There was no question about it. Christ had died. If the crucifixion hadn't killed him, certainly the spear of the Roman soldier would have. The disciples thought it was over. They thought death had finished it.
If they would have thought back, they would have remembered this was the same Lord who had raised people from the dead. He raised the daughter of Jairus. He raised Lazarus after he already was in the process of decomposition and his body was wrapped and stinking.And if they would have thought back, they would have remembered that on the day that Lazarus was raised, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25 NKJV).
But it is hard to see through eyes that have been blinded by tears. So the disciples were shocked to find an angel waiting for them with the good news: "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him" (Mark 16:6 NKJV).They thought He was dead. But He was alive again.Because Jesus has died and has risen again, it means that we as believers do not have to be afraid of death. As 1 Corinthians 15:20 tells us, "But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again" (NLT). Jesus has gone to the other side, He has returned, and He has the keys to death and hell (see Revelation 1:18).
It's hard for us to accept that our bodies are wearing out. Yet the Bible says we will have new bodies one day: "We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us" (Romans 8:23 NIV).You see, my body is not the real me. The real me is my soul, my spirit. This body will die. But my soul will live on.
One day, you may open an email and read that Russell Biggs has died. But don't you believe a word of it, because at the moment you read that I have died, I will be more alive than I have ever been before in the presence of God. And the same could be said for you too if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
And here is the message of Jesus to believers: You are going to see your loved ones again. You will be with them. Not only are they a part of your past, but they are also part of your future.
He is the resurrection and the life, and if we believe in Him, though we were dead, yet shall we live.
He said to a friend, "You Christians have Christmas and Easter. And Jews celebrate their holidays like Passover and Yom Kippur. But we atheists don't have recognized holidays. It's unfair discrimination."His friend thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, you atheists could celebrate April 1. That could be your holiday. You know, April Fool's Day. It fits, because 'the fool has said in his heart there is no God." And that is, in fact, what the Bible tells us in Psalm 14:1 and 53:1.
Easter, on the other hand, is for everyone. But it is not about bunnies or brightly colored eggs. It is about Jesus, and specifically, it is about Jesus crucified and risen again from the dead.
I don't know how you might describe your life this Easter. Maybe you are full of faith and looking forward to joining your family and friends at church and perhaps a special meal later in the day. If everything is going well for you, then praise God for that.
For others, it might be a different story. Easter might be a reminder, like Christmas, of someone who is no longer with them. And with every year that passes, they are remembered and missed. So for some, Easter is a bittersweet day.Death can seem so cruel, so harsh, and so final. And that is exactly how the disciples felt when they saw the beaten, bloodied body of their Lord hanging on a Roman cross. Then, in addition to the crucifixion, a Roman soldier took his spear, thrust it into Jesus' side, and out of it came blood and water.
There was no question about it. Christ had died. If the crucifixion hadn't killed him, certainly the spear of the Roman soldier would have. The disciples thought it was over. They thought death had finished it.
If they would have thought back, they would have remembered this was the same Lord who had raised people from the dead. He raised the daughter of Jairus. He raised Lazarus after he already was in the process of decomposition and his body was wrapped and stinking.And if they would have thought back, they would have remembered that on the day that Lazarus was raised, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25 NKJV).
But it is hard to see through eyes that have been blinded by tears. So the disciples were shocked to find an angel waiting for them with the good news: "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him" (Mark 16:6 NKJV).They thought He was dead. But He was alive again.Because Jesus has died and has risen again, it means that we as believers do not have to be afraid of death. As 1 Corinthians 15:20 tells us, "But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again" (NLT). Jesus has gone to the other side, He has returned, and He has the keys to death and hell (see Revelation 1:18).
It's hard for us to accept that our bodies are wearing out. Yet the Bible says we will have new bodies one day: "We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us" (Romans 8:23 NIV).You see, my body is not the real me. The real me is my soul, my spirit. This body will die. But my soul will live on.
One day, you may open an email and read that Russell Biggs has died. But don't you believe a word of it, because at the moment you read that I have died, I will be more alive than I have ever been before in the presence of God. And the same could be said for you too if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
And here is the message of Jesus to believers: You are going to see your loved ones again. You will be with them. Not only are they a part of your past, but they are also part of your future.
He is the resurrection and the life, and if we believe in Him, though we were dead, yet shall we live.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Feed The Wolf but Be Careful Which One
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires. — Romans 13:14 (NLT)
This story (author unknown) I read recently about a grandfather trying to teach his son about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather simply replied, "The one you feed."
Everyone who follows Christ lives with the struggle of conflicting desires and behavior. On the one hand, we want to be obedient and pleasing to the Lord. On the other hand, we still live with our natural, sinful desires that seek to please ourselves. This is real: there is tension between the two. What is clear from the Scriptures is that we become slaves to whatever we give ourselves to (see Romans 6:16) – or as the story would put it, to whichever wolf we feed.
When Christ died He set us free from being slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we can experience victory over our sinful desires. How? By focusing on God; by feeding on His Word; by receiving the nourishment that comes from pursuing our relationship with Christ – who said, “I am the bread of life.” The Apostle Paul encourages us to be intentional about gaining the advantage in this struggle, saying “...count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 6:11)
Be reminded that you belong to God and with the Holy Spirit’s help in your life, count yourself dead to sinful desires and behaviors and alive to Jesus.
This story (author unknown) I read recently about a grandfather trying to teach his son about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather simply replied, "The one you feed."
Everyone who follows Christ lives with the struggle of conflicting desires and behavior. On the one hand, we want to be obedient and pleasing to the Lord. On the other hand, we still live with our natural, sinful desires that seek to please ourselves. This is real: there is tension between the two. What is clear from the Scriptures is that we become slaves to whatever we give ourselves to (see Romans 6:16) – or as the story would put it, to whichever wolf we feed.
When Christ died He set us free from being slaves to sin. Though we still struggle, we can experience victory over our sinful desires. How? By focusing on God; by feeding on His Word; by receiving the nourishment that comes from pursuing our relationship with Christ – who said, “I am the bread of life.” The Apostle Paul encourages us to be intentional about gaining the advantage in this struggle, saying “...count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 6:11)
Be reminded that you belong to God and with the Holy Spirit’s help in your life, count yourself dead to sinful desires and behaviors and alive to Jesus.
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