Which Way Are You Walking?

Micah 4:5

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god,

and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

Why do we always keep up with what others are doing or who they are serving rather than just walking in Christ? All people, Christians included, have such a hard time keeping their eyes forward while walking with God. Our concern for other's walk so many times distracts us with our very own walk. 

The world, those without Christ, will observe the walk of others and that is expected. Since they have no true purpose in their walk with their god, they will scrutinize the walk of all others. You can see that it is taught to them since their beginning. When a child gets caught in something wrong, they are very quick to examine the walk of others around them. "Steve did it... Patti was doing the same thing I was... At least I didn't do as old so-in-so..." So many times we compare our walk with others. 

The disciples themselves did this. They would ask Jesus questions concerning non-believers and even believers and their walk. Our nature is to look at others. It seems to be born into us and our fallen nature. 

We can become so consumed with the walk of others that our walk could be hindered. Don't take this wrong or non-compassionate, but people will walk away from the true Lord and walk after their own god. This will happen. Jesus told us it would happen. But what will you do?  I know what I will do... We, I, will walk in the name of the Lord our, my, God forever and ever.  

And Crowd Goes Wild!!

John 12:43
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

The Pharisees in the days of Jesus were afraid to believe in Him because they would lose their seat in the synagogue. If the synagogue was the big football bowl game, these would have box seats with the finest spread of food. They had the upper seats, not those with the lower common people. They love to lead in prayer where all could hear them. They loved it in the market places to be called Rabbi and leader. You see they loved it when the crowd recognized them and brought attention to it.

Jesus told us that they receive their reward of men down here on earth. The crowd goes wild for them in their big seats with their big prayers. We are to set our affections on things above. We are to seek treasure and rewards from our Father above. Our praise should never point to us, but rather upon Jesus. For He is the Lamb of God that was slain for my sins and your sins.

Let me ask you something this morning. Why do you serve Jesus? What is the driving force for your service in the ministry? Do you want your name on signs and called out in great meetings? Do you serve best when the crowd goes wild? If so, you better soak it up now. Enjoy it because it will only be your reward on earth. If this is our path it is headed for ruin and discouragement. Our call to serve should be through nothing else but love. Love that we have for Jesus who first loved us. Some people are only happy if their name is called out. What will you do when the crowd is silent? When the praises stop? Are you going to still serve Him?

I don't know about you but I love the praise of God more than the praise of men. I would rather hear Him say He's pleased more than family, friends or foes.

Stop Picking At It

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

"You're right" or "I'm sorry" are some of the most difficult phrases to say. Even now as you read that sentence you can't bring yourself to say, "You're right." Why is it so hard to say these things? Probably because they are usually spoken at times when our emotions are hot and high. Usually we are giving an apology after we have just blew our fuse or done something wrong. Most of the time we are telling someone they are right about a situation after we have struggled for two or three days of trying to be right about it ourselves.

Read the scripture again... "A soft answer turneth away wrath:..." Speaking in a normal tone or knowing when not to speak can sometimes be hard to come by. Our emotions will get the best, most likely the worst, of us at times. God tells us to be soft in answering while angry. He says that if we can remain calm about the situation and give a truthful and soft answer then we could turn away our anger and hopefully their anger. This scripture does not say be soft in truth and correction. It tells us to be soft in how we answer with truth and correction.

Look also at the "grievous words..." and what it does. When we use grievous words we are pulling the band aid off of a fresh wound. Don't you remember what your Mom used to tell you? If you keep picking at that it's never gonna get better! How many times have you known that you were right and they were wrong, so you just kept hammering it at them? That's grievous words to stir up anger.

Has someone hurt you or done you wrong? Answer them in forgiveness and stop picking at it. Have you hurt someone or done them wrong? (I know, not you right?) Then ask them to forgive you. Does that mean they will answer you softly and turn away anger? No it doesn't, but that's their own picking.

CHECKMATE!

1 Kings 19:4-6

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

I love the story of Elijah. Man, what a man of God! This guy prayed for it not to rain and it didn't for a little over three years. He built an altar to God, prayed for acceptance and God consumed the offering with fire. He then prayed for it to rain and it did.  All this was not done by Elijah, but Elijah's God. 

But now we find Elijah asking for God to just take is life from him because he can't do anything right. Look at what he says, "I'm not better than my fathers." You see it? Elijah set himself up for the oldest move on the chess board. Elijah had somehow thought he was doing so much better than others before him. He measured himself by the others around him. For some reason ever since the fall of Adam in the Garden we have thought we could do it better. Then the first mistake comes, the first sin, checkmate!  

Now he's left hanging his head in defeat. Just like Elijah, we do the same.  The Bible says that we have the same passions as Elijah. James 5:17 "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,..." The scripture says if he could pray for rain, and it rained, then so could we. On the other side of that, if he could feel defeated so can we. 

The thing is... Elijah placed himself in this position. He tried to be better than others instead of trying to be like God. He tried to measure up to those before him instead of looking at God for who he needed to be. And then it happens...CHECKMATE!

Gonna Rest a Little Bit

Hebrews 4:8-10

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

There is nothing like working a long day and then maybe enjoying a late afternoon or early evening nap is there? I can think back to the times my mom and dad would come home from working really hard all day and tell us to go out and play cause they were gonna take a nap. Some of those days it would be raining and there would be nothing to do outside. I would stare at the television and then look over at them...mouth gapping open and enjoying the rest. When I was young I always thought, "How in the world could you waste your time taking a nap?" They never really called it napping though. They always said, "Gonna rest for a minute." I knew everyday from 5:30-6:30 or so that they were gonna rest for a minute. 

Now that I am older I can clearly see what they were talking about. On a Monday afternoon after working so hard, I love to catch what my grandmother called a "power nap". Or on a Sunday afternoon after preaching with all of my energy, resting a little bit sounds so great. Sometimes I'll sit in the recliner and get that rest. Sometimes I'll climb into my wife's hammock we have inside of her sunroom. Sometimes I'll just flat out go get straight into the bed to find the rest I need. But every time I do this I know that I have to wake up in about thirty minutes to an hour. My wife at times will not even take a nap because she says she knows she has to wake up. (I don't know about you but that kinda helps me rest a little easier knowing I will wake back up, hahaha)

Someday I will find my eternal rest in Heaven. I am comfortable resting in Jesus now everyday, but someday it will be for eternity. The children of Israel looked for a rest on earth and never actually found it. Yes they napped so to say, but true rest comes in Heaven through Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord. 

Caught By Sin, Not Surprise

1 Timothy 3:7
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Some will say that the sin they have committed caught them by surprise, but it didn't.  Sin doesn't catch us by surprise and never will.  Sin is a result from wrong thinking and wrong actions.  How many times do you think Eve wished she could have just placed all the blame upon the devil? What about Adam? You know he explained to his sons many times the story of the fall and often glanced over at Eve. You may say that I really don't know that to be true but I see it everyday in spouses. We are a result of a fallen and sinful world. We are just like them and they were just like us.

We are sure that Satan will throw many, many snares out there in front of us to capture us into sin. But look at our scripture this morning... It tells us to be careful lest you fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Reproach means, to bring disapproval to or about someone. When we bring a reproach against Jesus it means that we have discouraged others from Him. With our sins, we become a stumbling block or as our scripture says, a snare unto them. A snare is a trap. Most always referring to a bird trap. But don't let it fool you. So many have trampled over the bird traps but were caught by the bear or lion traps.

We must walk in Christ and have a good report of the people. Notice that it is not just the people that are in the church, but it is dealing with those people who are outside of Christ. We should not be a sinful snare to the world and those who are lost. How can we do that? Watch for the snares. Confess our sins to Jesus. Realize that our sin is OURS and not the cause of Satan or others. Many can't move forward or have a good report of the people without because they have never allowed Christ to free them from the sinful snare in the first place. We need to ask Jesus to remove our sin. To get us out of the snare.

A temptation may catch you by surprise. A thought may catch you by surprise. But sin doesn't catch us by surprise. How many times did she walk past that tree in the garden before she finally stepped into the snare? Be careful...

I Told You

John 11:40

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

Can't you see Jesus at the tomb of His friend Lazarus? The sisters are weeping, the followers are weeping and now Jesus is weeping. Jesus was weeping because of the pain of death and the hold of its misery upon His friends and the unbelief it causes. In the beginning of this story, Jesus told Martha that He was the resurrection and told her that He was the truth and life. He asked her if she believed it. 

Now we find Jesus calling His friend out of death. He called him from the grave back into life. Lazarus was alive again! Can't you imagine the excitement? Mary and Martha's tears are dried. The followers weeping now turned into praise. Jesus turned a funeral into a celebration. 

You can almost hear Jesus saying I told you so? He told Martha, "Said I not into thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" I know that Jesus is not saying this in a condescending way. He was telling her that He tried to tell her. 

What would happen in your life today if you simply believe what He has told you? How much pain and suffering could you bypass in believing what He has said? He is trying to tell you the truth. He is trying to give you life. Listen to Him this morning. Don't let Him say, "I tried to tell you". 

Someday they will lay my body in the ground and cover it with dirt but I will not be there. I will be with Jesus. Because of His death I have life. Just wait and see... Then when you get to Heaven I'll be there to say, "I told you so."