God's Perfect Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Have you ever felt that you couldn't take another step?  Maybe felt like you were running on fumes or even empty?  Have you ever felt that your strength was all gone? Well that is awesome! Because it's right where God desires us to be. 

This morning, Paul found himself at a place in his life where he was battling with something that bothered him very much. We really don't know what it is that was bothering him, but we do know that it was causing him to struggle. He said it was a thorn in the flesh given unto him to keep him from being proud. Some people believe that it could have been Paul's eye sight. Some lean toward the beatings he received that had battered his body. Either way it doesn't matter. The emphasis should never be put on the thorn, but on the reason and remedy. 

Prosperity preachers have a hard time dealing with this verse because God actually tells Paul "No". He will not remove the thorn. He wanted Paul to carry this suffering for a reason. The things we suffer in this world, because of Christ, are for our growth and for His glory. 

Although God did not remove the thorn, He gave a great remedy. He said, "My strength is made perfect in weakness". God tells him that when he feels like he's on fumes or even empty, that He would be his strength. How awesome! God tells us that HIS strength is made PERFECT in OUR weaknesses. 

Maybe this morning we should stop and thank Him for His strength in our weakness. We should rather glory in our infirmities (physical or mental weakness) so that God's glory could rest upon our humble lives. I would rather live with the power of Christ upon my life than to own the oceans and all the land. 

Thank you Jesus for being my strength when I have none. Thank you for filling my tank when I am way below the "E" mark. Thank you Jesus for humbling me. And thank you most of all for telling me "No" when you are working things for my good. I love you so much.  

Learning from the Scars

Philippians 1:12

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

When we fall down, how quick are we to get up and shake it off without anyone noticing?  You know what I'm talking about?  You are walking out in the yard, all alone, and your foot slips into a hole or trip on a rock. You jump back onto your feet as quick as possible, and scan the area to see if anyone saw you. It could be that you cut your flesh or had a surgery before that has left a scar. Now you spend so much time trying to cover up the scar. For some reason we don't want people to know that we have fallen or that we have scars.  

The Word of God tells us about Paul and the things he suffered for the Gospel. But God wants us to understand that the things he went through were to strengthen him. Many of us would just see the persecution he went through as a strengthener, but what about the life he lived even before Christ?  Sin can scar your mind and body. I have scars in my mind and upon my body because of the sin before and after I gave my life to Jesus. I am forgiven of all sin I committed, but I still bear the scars and effects from those sins. But like Paul, understand that I don't dwell on if because God has forgiven me of them, I confess every fall, and every persecution for the furtherance of the Gospel. 

Why do we hide our scars? Why do we hide our sins?  The Bible tells us that, "Blessed is the man who confesses his sins". We have spent countless hours on covering our scars from sin, when the world needs to see that we have fallen, that ALL have fallen. Don't misunderstand me...we should not wear our scars as badges of honor, but as an opportunity to share what Jesus has saved us from. Too many want to sit and brag on the life they lived without Jesus, and that isn't the Gospel. We were cut, bruised, battered and scarred up from sin, but they are healed by Jesus. 

You know why we have healing from our wounds of sin? Because Jesus died on the cross. He bears the scars today because of sin, and the greatest thing is... He never sinned. It was our sin. It is our sin that He has forgiven and healed us from. 

Share what Jesus has done for you today with someone. Reveal the scars from falling with humility. Sharing the Gospel is what we are called to do, but don't ever forget that we must SHOW the Gospel. (Not as hero wounds, but as humility and through the message of Jesus)

Face to Face

Galatians 2:11
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

Paul was facing a difficult situation in his ministry. He was up against the wall about something and he didn't even put himself there. Another brother in the ministry placed him there. Paul was preaching the grace of Jesus and how all are the same in the eyes of God. But Peter was doing something wrong. He was showing a difference between Gentile and Jew.

Imagine Paul and his dilemma. He was a newly saved Christian that was commissioned by Christ to preach the Gospel. Peter was a long follower of Jesus and an eyewitness to many miracles by the very hands of Christ. He was the one who had the keys to the message of Jesus and was in the wrong about something. First of all we should understand that no one is perfect. No one gets everything right all the time. We all are guilty at times of allowing the flesh to corrupt our walk or even our decisions.

Let's take note of how Paul went about this. Paul was now faced with trying to right the wrong of Peter. When Peter came to Antioch, Paul meet him face to face. Too often we want others to do these things. People so easily find fault with the walk of others but are not willing to meet them face to face about their walk. Paul didn't meet him with pride, because he would have also fallen into the same thing. Paul knew that he wasn't perfect either in saying "not as though I have attained..." Paul was also guilty of letting his flesh get in the way of a few desicions he made in life.

When helping a brother or sister in their walk, please make sure your walk is right. When helping them to come to the understanding of their faults, always remember our faults. When righting the wrong of another, make sure you're right and most of all humble. Last of all, do it face to face and not through another brother or sister.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

3 John 1:9

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

John was sharing with us about his writing to the church. He had penned down the inspired words of God to give His church. It seems as if the church was ready to receive these words, but then a man named Diotrephes appears in the scene. 

Never have we heard anything about this man prior to our scripture here. Usually the ones named in our God-given word are people that we need to remember. People that don't easily need to be forgotten. Diotrephes, a man whose name has never appeared in scripture until the Word begins with these people dealing harshly and not accepting people. It tells us that he spake maliciously against the people. He had the "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" attitude. 

At one of my first jobs, I worked along side of a lot of guys with different ideas and characteristics. Some that had many, many ideas, mostly ideas of how to get out of work. Some worked harder at getting out of work than they did just doing the job before them. I will never forget two of these men. The one was always trying to get out of work, and the other was always trying to top everyone. 

One day while digging in a ditch, I was doing all the work... Wanna guess which one of these men I was with at the time?  While he was walking hard at getting out of work, the other one pulled up in a work vehicle. His position was greater than ours. Well when he pulled up, my worker said, "Oh no, he is here to tell us how to do it better". I laughed because I knew he was probably right. And sure enough, he stepped out of the vehicle and told me that I was holding the shovel in the wrong hand and that it could be better if I did it the other way. He smiles real bug and gets back into his vehicle. Then all of the sudden, I heard my worker singing... "Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you". 

So funny!  If your heart is like Diotrephes, then you will speak negative and indifferent with all you're around. It's a spirit of Diotrephes. Don't speak malicious to others. And also, if you have those Diotrephes around you, then leave them where they are. Walk away!  

Can I say something?  No one can serve God like you!  No one can do it but you!

I'm Not A Hypocrite!

Job 27:8

For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained,

when God taketh away his soul?

A few years ago, my son Jacob was going through a stage of wrapping his ankles and arms up with bandages. We would come home from work or school and he would have his ankle wrapped up with an ace bandage. Some evenings it would be his forearm or elbow. When we would ask him what happened he would say, "Nothing, it's just hurting". I would just laugh and call him my little hypochondriac. 

One evening we came home and he went straight to the room and wrapped his knee. I just smiled at him, his mother looked at me and rolled her eyes, and his brother started laughing out loud. Then Jacob looked at us and said, "I'm not a hypocrite!"  To which I busted out laughing as well as everyone in the house. 

Isn't it funny that we act a certain way and we don't want people to call us out on it?  Although he was young and didn't understand, he showed me a great lesson. We sometimes act certain ways and then hope for some reason our words are louder than our actions. 

 What is the definition of a hypocrite? Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which ones own behavior does not conform. In simple terms, one who says they follow Christ with their mouths but deny it in their actions. What are the benefits of a hypocrite? Earthly benefits could be many because they change in ever situation like the chameleon. Heavenly benefits are not found at all. What hope is found in hypocrisy? None!  

Maybe you're like Jacob, you spend most of your time telling everyone that you're not a hypocrite. Spending much time trying to convince people that you're not a hypocrite, only to have your actions speak much louder than your words. 

If we are of Christ, let us live as Christ. 

What is Your Desire?

Psalms 27:4
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

Desire is a strong feeling of wanting something or longing for something to happen. What would happen in your life if your desire for a relationship with God was stronger than your desire for anything else? We all have desires about things in our lives. We have desires for deep and grounded things just as well as things that are small and pleasurable to the flesh. Like right now I have a huge desire to be sitting in a boat with about three crappie rods hanging off the bow. All of them tight-lined with big slab crappie on them.

But above those small, sometimes meaningless things, what if your desire to know God more was greater? David said in this psalm that he desired "one thing". He said that this is what he would "seek after". He wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life so that he could behold the beauty of God. David wanted to be with God everyday of his life. He desired that fellowship and guidance of the Lord so much that he didn't want to leave the house of God.

I know people right now that I am completely amazed at their desire to be at the house of God. Just this past week an older member went to the hospital that morning because their heart was out of rhythm and by that evening they were back home and worshiping the Lord. Some people shake their head at Christians like that and say, "Why don't they just stay home? You know they don't feel good." It's because of a desire they have for the beauty of the Lord. They have a insatiable desire to hear more, praise more, seek more, pray more and receive more from the Lord. You must know that it is not to be seen by others or to even hear from others. If it were for those reason then they would have left the house of God years ago. It's about being in the presence of the Lord. It's about the "one thing" they have desired of the Lord and seeking after it.

One of the greatest things in a Christians life is their church. It's their part of the body of Christ. It's where the beauty of the Lord is shown unto them. And let me tell you this... When you have a desire for the Lord you'll do everything to fill it. What is your desire? Your true desire?

Satan Has Already Picked Out The Grave

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Since the beginning, satan has been against you. He has never been for you. He hates and despises you!  The word of God tells us that he would love to devour you as a lion does to weak prey. Chew after chew, he tears you limb from limb. He leaves your body lying in ruins and disaster. Blood, guts, pieces and parts all over the ground for others demons to feast on. Then he stands and boasts forever of how he captured and demolished you. He boasts it from the mountaintops and publishes it throughout every city. So that your shame will be remembered forever. 

If this were the image we paint of satan, then all of us would stay as far away from him as possible. But this is not the whole characteristics of satan. The Bible also teaches us that he is a deceiver. He is subtle, sneaky and tricky. The scriptures tell us that he is an angel of light. If he would only show his teeth first, we would know!  But it's not what he does. He quietly speaks to us, making us think he genuinely cares about us...

Just look in the garden of Eden... He didn't announce his presence, he just began speaking. He didn't show his fangs, but he spoke quietly and subtle. He didn't tell a whole lie, just a half truth. Ever since the day God created us and told them not to eat the fruit or they would die, satan had the grave picked out. He knew exactly where he would hide when he heard God give the law concerning the tree. He knew how he would approach Adam and Eve and what he would say. He had the perfect plot for their bodies. The perfect tombstone to be placed over them. He wanted nothing since the day of their creation than to kill them. 

Satan may have you thinking he loves you or that he is concerned. Mostly he does this by making you feel that no one, even God, loves you. He pulls you to a place alone so that you will have no help or guidance. He waits and waits until that right moment. He lures you in... He deceives you into buying his plan... He waits... He looks and sounds concerned... He waits... He offers... He waits... He lies... He waits... and then...when you think it's ok...he rushes in for the kill...and BAM! He's destroyed it all!  Everything is destroyed and scattered in ruins for all to see. Like a dead animal that has been eaten by everything in the forest. 

Remember, he only seeks your destruction. He's already picked out a nice grave for your life. Resist the devil and trust in Jesus. I love you.