October 2007 Archives
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:5-9 NKJ).
There are many powerful and edifying practices a person can adopt protecting him from the tactics of the enemy. Peter, in today’s text, gives a pattern of behavior that clearly defines such tactics. Since our victory is assured, we can assertively and aggressively employ these tactics when we are confronted by the enemy in any way.
“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:13-15).
Joshua and Caleb were survivors. They had survived the purging of the old rebellious and disobedient order that died in the wilderness. The secret of their survival was that they had hearts that were wholly for God. They didn’t falter and fall when the going got long or tough like their comrades did. They suffered the forty years in the wilderness with the rest of Israel but came through it with colors flying, being strengthened by its privation, and instructed by the ongoing lessons of obedience at the feet of Moses.
Welcome to the new Today Series blog. While I will continue to publish The Today Series by email, this new avenue is open to those who would be interested in a broader collection of The Today Series messages for various in-depth studies for sermons, teaching, etc.
By means of this venue we will publish a minimum of 7 messages a week and 365 messages a year. The messages will be published by topics, plus will offer a search mode, wherein you can search and read messages that contain various topics such as "faith, obedience, Lordship, anointing, etc."
Feel free to explore the new site and to e-mail me with your feedback or comments. This is not a discussion blog - your feedback will be kept in strict confidence.
Thank you for visiting.
Part of the human experience is the temptation to do wrong. Temptation is the inner solicitation to do or to be less or different than God requires. It is the enticement of the world, the flesh, and the devil for one to fulfill his lusts. Its lure at one time or another affects every human being and does so more frequently than one might want to admit.
The first human experience of temptation dates back to the Garden of Eden where our first parents fell prey to it. Jesus experienced its full brunt in the wilderness when Satan waged his warfare on Him. Although He was tempted in every way, He did not yield to sin: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
The inner struggles we have are, first of all, a result rather than a cause.
Even a superficial stroll through the Bible would convince an open-minded and intellectually honest person as to the truthfulness of such a statement. Every behavioral problem man has is ultimately a result of the Fall and immediately the result of mental, emotional, and spiritual conflicts within the person. When expressed in real time living, these conflicts result in the circumstantial difficulties people experience and are an internal product.
Self-pity is a very powerful mentality which has the potential of totally disabling the functionality of a person rendering him useless to himself, God and others.
Self-pity is both the product and cause of a victim mentality. The victim mentality is an attitude in which a person sees himself as a result of the attitude/actions of someone else. His basic motto is: ‘I am like I am because you are like you are. If you would not be like you are, I would not be like I am.’ A person who is filled with self-pity tends to be consumed with himself—his desires—his feelings. He looks for sympathy rather than solutions to his condition.
“Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
It would be nice if everyone we are required to be around treated us with respect, regard or at the very least, civility. Occasionally we are required to live in an environment where that is not true, and it seems impossible for people and/or circumstances to change.
"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psalm 84:10).
Many people view life with a victim mentality. This is the result of unresolved offense and the pain connected with it. It was initiated by some offense of significant proportions in one’s past, it is perpetuated by a perception of continual offense from the hands of others, and it may last throughout a lifetime.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalms 24:3-4).
The need of a pure heart is often mentioned in the scripture. The idea has a variety of settings and connotations. Essentially, in its simplest and most fundamental concept, it means "to have an undivided heart."
“For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
All of us realize the importance of a solid foundation for any kind of structure. Jesus referred to the need of a solid foundation for one’s life in Luke 6:47-48, “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man who built an house, and dugged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock; and when a flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock.” We are no more secure than the foundation on which our lives are built.
"But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden" (Galatians 6:4-5).
A very powerful force in any of us is the need for approval. Whether it is overt or hidden, it is a life-long pursuit for us all. The approval of others is sought from our earliest years and continues for a lifetime.
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).
I grew up in a generation that thought of convictions as always being Godly. We spoke of living up to our convictions. With time, study of the scriptures, and observation of others (and myself), I have come to realize that one will never long violate his convictions.
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; And if we know that he hear us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14).
The message contained in our text is extraordinary. The promise it contains has the potential of transforming every circumstance of life—if we could dare believe it.
I have often shared the basic principles of supply by which my wife and I have lived on over the past thirty plus years. We have found our Father to be extremely faithful. Like Paul we “know how to abound and how to be abased,” i.e., how to live abundantly regardless of the level of our income. We didn’t learn that overnight but step by step over time. This verse of one of the promises we have depended on.
When Paul instructed us to "let this [attitude] that was in Christ Jesus be in you" (Philippians 2:5) he understood a fundamental building block of human achievement – or the stumbling stone of human failure.
One's attitude has a powerful effect on everyone and everything touched by it: marriage, ministry, employment, business, human relationships in every quarter of life. When I was a child, my parents would shop for groceries at a very unique store. It was an old converted barracks building – a remnant of World War II – made into a grocery store. Its isles were crowded, the food stacked, and the decor nothing to be excited about. We always looked forward to going shopping – every Saturday afternoon on our weekly trip to town! Our last stop of the day was at the H & J. Foodbasket. The owners were both strong Christian men as were most of the employees. The placed "rocked." It was so much fun to be there. Everyone was hilarious and all customers were treated as if they were the "King for a Day." Needless to say they took over most of the grocery business in that small town. People with great attitudes are tough competitors.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalms 34:17-19).
Paul, sharing elements of his own experience, spoke of trouble, perplexity, persecution, being cast down, etc. All of these terms describe heartache and distress. He, however, asserted that these things came about ‘that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body’ (2 Corinthians 4:10b).
