Hide and Go Seek

Isaiah 59:1-2
The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear

Psalms 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me

I love that the Lord's arm isn't short and that His ear isn't heavy.  God can still save and hear.  He's not grown deaf or His hands and arms feeble. Our Lord is always ready!  God hasn't hid himself from anyone. There is no need of Him hiding.  But look at what our scriptures say this morning...

"Your iniquities have separated you from your God;"...  "Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear"... "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me"...

The reason our prayers are hindered and even unheard is because of sin.  Sin separates us from God, it always has and always will.  God will not bless in sin.  God will not answer in sin, until the sin is dealt with.

The great news is that God has already done His part in dealing with sin.  He gave His Son, only Son, to die for sin on the cross of Calvary.  God has prepared the way.  He's done all the labor in wanting our reception to be great.  He's just waiting on the cry from you this morning.  Those words that are sometimes difficult to find, but must be found.  Words that are spoken with brokenness and not pride.  Words that are meaningful and not just crutches to lean upon (the old... "Get me out of this and I'll serve you prayers")

Like Adam in the garden... "And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Genesis 3:9-10

Notice what Adam said... I heard your voice.  I was afraid, because I was naked (ashamed). I hid myself. Adam hid himself.  It wasn't God hiding from Adam.  God was seeking, Adam was hiding.  Where are you today?  Are you hiding?  Let me just go ahead and tell you that God... He's the best at hide and go seek. He knows right where you are, but He calls out so you will come to Him.

Can't you just hear Him this morning?  8, 9, 10... Ready or not, Here I Come!  He's looking for you.

What Do You Say?

Acts 21:40
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts Chapter 22 (please take the time to go and read it)

Paul was given an opportunity to finally speak.  With this chance he chose to give his testimony.  Did you know that our testimonies are very powerful?  Not alone, but testimonies of what Jesus has done in our lives.  In one scripture it teaches we  overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies.  So this morning I want you to take the time to answer a few questions.  Maybe get a piece of paper and pencil, write these answers down.  After you have read Chapter 22 of Acts, then examine what your testimony would be.

Before I received Christ, I lived and thought this way: 
What did my life revolve around?
What issues or things were important to me?
What did I think of God? Of Jesus?
On what did I rely for security and happiness?

How I received Christ: Paint a "word picture" of the situation. 
Where were you? Alone? Driving in your car? At a church service?
What thoughts went through your mind?
What feelings did you struggle with just before your decision?
How did you yield your life to Christ? What did you say?

After I received Christ, these changes took place: 

How are you different than you were before?

How have the changes in your life influenced others around you?

Did you struggle with your faith?

How did God answer prayer, or strengthen you in difficult situations?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Philippians 3:13-14

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Waking up everyday looking into the same mirror, I have seen the same image looking back at me for 37 years. My whole life (since fifth grade) I have been chubby, fat and then on to fatter. Since my high school days I had gotten up to 326lbs. Last year, on March 15th, I started working on fixing this. First of all I couldn't have done it without the help of my Savior. I lost down to 238lbs. My head was so big that I couldn't see a full view of my ears when looking straight in a mirror. I had to take the shoe shinning boys word for it... What was so funny was that everyone said things like... You carry it well and you're just big boned. They all meant well. I can't describe to you the burden lifted from me when I lost this weight. Seeing my ears and shoes again was a plus. But when the doctor took me off of diabetic and blood pressure medicine, well praise God!  

Every now and then something happens. I look into that mirror and still see the same person I always had been my whole life. From my eyes, I'll always be the "big guy". I'll still feel like the largest man in the crowd. It seems like I can't shake it off sometimes. Then someone takes a picture of me and shows it to me or puts a post it on social media, and I see something. I see someone that is unrecognizable at times. I don't even believe it. 

You know what?  We do that to ourselves. It's so hard to let go of who we used to be. We allow the devil, and ourselves, to bring us into this bondage style of living. We allow others to bring things up about who we used to be and allow it to bring us down. Shake off those chains!  Today, let's do as God's word tells us. 

  - Forget the things which are behind us

  - Reach forward to the things ahead of us

  - Press toward the prize in Jesus

I am not what I need to be, but thank God I'm not who I used to be!

Standing on the Privileges?

1 Corinthians 9:22

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

God's servant tells us that he realized that he wants to be "all things to all men in order to win some". This scripture speaks about Paul and his understanding of the privileges we have in Jesus Christ. Many scriptures teach us of the bondage Jesus has freed us from. The sacrificial law still applies for us today, but not the offering of lambs or bullocks, but Jesus freed us from this law by offering himself as the one and only sacrifice we will ever need. Also we read how Christ freed us from the eating of certain things and the keeping of things that are not lawful to us. But Paul says, "he has become all things to all men that he might win some". 

He described them as being weak, not as a punch to them, but the keeping of certain things being weak themselves. Notice what Paul did though... He became weak to gain the weak. He didn't sit with the drunkard and get wasted with him in order to win him or stay home from church on Sunday's in order to win others. He didn't do anything contrary to what he had in Jesus, but if eating meat offended his brethren...he wouldn't eat it. You see Paul would rather stand on the promises of God and win some than to stand in his privileges and win none!  

If you look at Christianity as "Your" life, you need new glasses. It is "HIS" life in and through you. Don't use your gracious privileges as a stumbling block to the weak. 

Last thing, look at how important it is to win... "SOME". May we all live the Christ-filled life to win at least some.  I love you all, keep reaching and keep standing on His promises. 

You Can't Do That!

John 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Have you ever had someone tell you that you couldn't do something!  Or someone say, "That can't be done"?  Well I was the one that always hated those phrases. I joke about this now, but I was raised by my dad's philosophy. - If man built it, I can fix it - This at times has caused me much pain and heartache. I have lost much sleep thinking of how I could fix things. When I get them on my mind, I can't seem to let them go until I figure out a way to fix it. (I am still this way about earthly things)

But I have learned a lesson. It took much time and pain, but I have learned that there are things I can't fix or even handle without Him. Jesus said, "For without me, ye can do nothing". From our relationships, jobs, family, medical or financial problems, we can't do it without Him. We can do nothing without Him!  

Right now! Realize that you can't do it without Him. Take the time to tell Jesus that you can't do it without Him. Do it now. Tell Him, "Lord Jesus, I've been trying to handle this on my own. I've been trying to come up with an answer or solution. But I have realized this morning that I CANNOT do this without You!  Will You please help me? Please be my source of strength. Please be my upholder. I love you Jesus and thank you". 

The words don't have to be those same ones, but could be along those lines. I want you to know something. I can pray with you this morning, and I have. But I can never pray for you. You must talk to Him. Tell Him, He will listen. 

I can't believe I would have ever made this statement but here it goes...

You can't do it, I can't do it... I don't know how to fix it... But I know one who can! 

My Wife and the Cereal Bowl

Matthew 12:33

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

I want you to stop and think about something for a moment. It won't take you long to do this. But I want you to think of some things that I will list and picture the first thing that comes to mind. (No, I'm not giving a psyche exam cause we would probably fail, haha)

Lucky Charms, HoneyCombs, Count Chocula, CocoPuffs, Raisin Bran, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruit Loops.  

When you read Lucky Charms you probably sang, "They're magically delicious". But think deeper... Blue diamonds, purple horseshoes, pink hearts, green clovers, etc... What about HoneyCombs?  You thought of their particular shape. And FruitLoops? They are like disco colored Cheerios.  The only reason I know these things is because of my wife, Patti Abney. She has been a practicing cereal killer her whole life. She brings home different ones every week, but she always has her favorite. I love to watch her around bedtime. She begins to get this glazed look into her eyes. Her mind begins to think of which one it will be tonight. What sugar-coated bowl of cereal will be taken down? 

Well what would happen if she wanted that big bowl of FruitLoops and I poured her a bowl of Frosted Flakes?  Do you think she would know the difference?  ABSOLUTLEY!  Because she has been putting cereal away for years. I could sit her in a chair blindfolded, place bowl after bowl in front of her to sample, and I promise you she would get everyone of them correct. How? Because she knows how they smell, feel and taste. 

What would happen if Jesus was to line us up today, blindfold himself, and taste our fruit? Or better yet, what if the world were to do this to us?  He would know wouldn't He?  He would know exactly what or who you are. In the same manner, everyone in this world would know as well. Because people smell us out. They feel us out. And taste of who and what we say we are. People are looking for something good to eat. 

If we were to pour you in a bowl today... What would come out? Myself? I would be like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. Fruity because of my crazy mind and illustrations, and Pebbles because I want to be a rock for Jesus, like Peter. (Notice only a pebble because He is the Rock). Search your bowl today. Ask if God is pleased with your fruit. Remember, He said a tree is known by his fruit. So a Christian is known by their fruit also and not by the prettied-up outside of the box.

I want to thank my wife Patti for her love for Jesus. She is poured out in front of me often and there has never been anything less than the sweet love she has for sinners, saints and our Savior. I want you to know that I see Christ in all that you do...(even in your cereal addiction) I love you with all my heart. And I love you all as well. 

Three Back At You

Luke 6:41-43

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

First of all, brotherly correction is accounted for in the Word of God. We are told to help our brother when he is in a fault. To bring his attention to the sin and problem. We are called to correct and keep each other accountable. But something was going wrong with these where Jesus was preaching.  They were very quick to point sins and faults out, but failed in a huge area. 

God says, "How can you help you brother, which has some dust in his eye, and you've got a cross-tie hanging out of yours?"  Does that sound about right in many circumstances?  A "mote" is a tiny speck or dust. A "beam" is a long sturdy piece of squared timber. 

Too many times we want to help our brother and haven't gotten prepared in order to do so. A lot of pointing and never realizing something... When we point one finger, there are three pointed back at you. Which tells me that we need to make sure we have the beam out of ours before we attempt in helping our brother with some dust in his. 

Now listen, if we confess them to Christ and straighten them out with men, there is no reason we shouldn't be able to help our brother. Don't let the devil, OR WORLDLY PEOPLE, deter you from helping and correcting a friend. They both will be very quick to say, "Don't point at me... Don't judge me". But if you will remember to keep in mind and heart the three fingers pointing back at you before you point the one, then you will be fine. Remember don't judge the person, judge the sin. And don't judge with your judgement, let the Word of God judge us all. Because ultimately, God is the only one that can remove dust, splinters or even a beam!

Lord, please help us today to share your truth. Help us to look at our brothers and sisters. Help us Lord to bring them back if we see them struggle in sin. Help us mostly to remember ourselves first, then offer a hand. Thank you, and I love you Jesus.