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Learning anew the old ways of Kingdom Life/ part 1

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1 Chronicles 14:13-17
Inquire | Watch | Action
Learning anew the old ways of Kingdom Life

1. Inquire

How do you go about decision-making? Do you ask the Lord before making decisions, or do you just wing it. Do you rely on a hunch or a gut felling? I would assume that most of you reading this blog post take very seriously these words – “in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” Unfortunately, many believers don’t have that much patience to acknowledge the Lord in anything. In 1 chronicles 14:14 we find this really great example of David seeking guidance from the Lord about the way he should take. What a great example:

And when David again inquired of God,

It is not clear how David inquired of the Lord, since Abiathar did not come until David was already in Keilah (1 Sam. 23:2, 6). Perhaps he inquired through the prophet Gad (cf. 22:5). But we can confidently say that he inquired of the Lord directly in prayer. Unfortunately, this old fashion kingdom lifestyle has been abuse so much that many Christians choose to ignore it:

Lord what should I eat today? What should I wear today? Should I take this taxi or should I wait for a bus… oh maybe I should buy a car today?

Don’t get me wrong, God wants to play a part in the little things in our lives, but he is not really concerned about whether you are wearing matching socks, or how you wear you hear. Willow Smith whips hers back and forth all the time and she’s cool.

This kingdom lifestyle is for serious matters not trivial things. It takes the will of God in matters of life very seriously. Just to name a few:

  • Should I take this job in this or that city?
  • Should I marry this woman or that man?
  • Is the timing right to do this or that project?
  • I’m I called to this particular ministry or that vocation?
  • What should I do in this situation or that circumstance?

It also requires a certain kind of humility and discipline to see God’s will done in one’s life and not his own. Too often it’s all about self. My life, my way or the highway. We take the wheel of our lives and pretend to know what we are doing and where we are going.

  • God said, “for “I” know the plans “I” have for you… than you will come seek me, and you shall find me, if you seek diligently
  • God said, “if my people would humble themselves, seek my face and pray… I will listen and heal their land
  • He said, “don’t say to  yourself, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

There is this temptation for some to jump into doing things without inquiring of the Lord. For them, whatever feels good is good. Others jump into things just to try it out. If it works – good, if it doesn’t, well, try something else. On the flip side, there are those who just won’t do anything unless they see the handwriting of God in the sky. Until they see a sign from God – they say to themselves – “I am waiting for God.”

This kingdom lifestyle of inquiring of the Lord before doing things that will affect our lives and those around us. must also be approached with the right attitude, a sound understand from good biblical teaching and plain old common sense. For example:

  • I don’t know it all
  • I can make mistakes but God never makes mistakes
  • I belong to him and he’s got a plan
  • Not my will, but thy will
  • I need to trust that he will guide and order my steps, even when I make mistakes he will keep me on the right path.
  • I need to work with Him, listen to him, wait on him
  • Heaven doesn’t necessarily help those who help themselves
  • I rather be safe in His will than lost in mine

There are hundreds of reason why one should ask the Lord before making decisions. Here are a few. I must Inquire because I do not want to:

  • regret living with the consequences of a bad decision…you know like Joshua when he failed to seek God first before entering into covenant with the leaders of the Gibeonites.
  • waste my time going around the block again and again… one job to another, one city to another
  • miss the opportunity God has for you… because an opportunity must be ceased in the lifetime of the opportunity.
  • be out of the will of God… because his grace will only sustain me where his will takes me.
  • unsure about anything… second guessing myself.  I want to be confident even when I doubt and when things are hard and I begin to question if I really did hear from God.
  • waste my life on things I was not destined to do… God put me here for a reason, a purpose

The Weiner in you

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Anthony Weiner said last Thursday that he’d traded racy messages with many women since similar sexting forced him out of Congress. The former congressman who resigned in 2011 after the first batch of sexts surfaced, is running for New York mayor and had been near the top of most polls of the Democratic primary race until the latest furor over his behavior began last week when the gossip website The Dirty posted explicit messages that a woman said she and Weiner sent each other starting in July 2012. When reporters attempted to pin down the evasive Weiner as to the number of women with whom he had exchanged illicit messages, he delivered a rambling response before settling on “six to 10, I suppose.”

Jonathan Lemire & Jennifer Feltz

The question is what is this guy thinking? After being publicly humiliated and getting kicked out of office by his actions, he goes back to doing the same things that ousted him in the first place. It is my take that Anthony Weiner has a Weiner Problem. Even though he insists that he does not have an addiction to this kind of lifestyle, he most definitely has a problem. A problem that most believers can identify with: A disposition to sin and a return to it – just like a dog to it’s vomit.

    The Weiner in you is a weakness,

A certain disposition to sin. Even though some of our weaknesses may not lead to a public scandal, every one of us has a Weiner in us. For some it is pornography, prostitution, stripe clubs, money, alcohol, the party life, groupies, gossip, boasting, exaggerating, sexting, anger, masturbation, hustling and dealing. It is that thing that we wrestle with, fight against but it keeps coming back to knock us down.

    The Weiner in you is a stronghold.

It has a grip on you. It is stubborn. It is not easily overcome. It is almost like a “dog going back to it’s vomit” and a lot of Christians have a little of Weiner in them. They fall down and get up, they are hot, than they are cold. No matter how hard you try to cut loose, you are caught in its web. It is that thing you get easily addicted to.

    The Weiner in you is deceptive.

It tells you that you are invincible. No one will ever find you out. You wife will never know. Your boss will never find out. The Weiner in you tells you that you are good at it. In fact it even convinces you that you can never change – this is who you are – embrace it.

    The Weiner in you is sometimes demonic.

While I don’t believe a believer can be demon possessed, I do believe they can be demonized, influenced or haunted if you will. No matter how much you try to medicate it won’t go away but by spiritual warfare. According to Jesus, there are some kinds of demonic activity that can not leave but by “prayer and fasting.”

    The Weiner in you is pleasurable.

The Weiner in you is pleasurable. It is the thing that keeps you coming back for more. Sin has a lot of pleasure in it. I don’t think anyone will be doing it in the first place if it wasn’t fun. But the tricky thing is that pleasure is fleeting and temporary. It bites in the end, and always lead to death – spiritual death.

    The Weiner in you must be confronted.

Denying that you have a Weiner problem is a mistake that can keep you bound forever. The first thing one needs to do is accept or acknowledge that they have a Weiner problem. If you cannot accept the fact, you will not be able to confront the fact. The second thing is to be open about your Weiner problem, thus leading to the third thing – seek help. Finally we must humble ourselves under the mighty power of God and allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly as we daily submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we acknowledge our sins, openly confess our sins to Jesus and to others without shame and seek the help we need through counseling, accountability and for some – deliverance, drawing power from the Lord, allowing his word to saturate our lives as we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit – we not only get set free, but also stay free and victorious.

Question:

Sometimes when our sins are exposed to the world, it forces us to deal with it in a public way. Some do well others don’t. But what do you do if your Weiner problem is never exposed?

Money answers everything?

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“I want us to consider in very practical ways what money can buy us and what it cannot. First of all, according to scripture – and here is what may shock you – money is the answer to everything. Yes, you read that correctly! In Ecclesiastes, an inspired meditation on the meaning of life, the Preacher writes:

Bread is made for laughter,
 and wine gladdens life,
and money answers everything.
 (Ecclesiastes 10:19 ESV)

Now, you may be wondering, if the love of money is the root of all evil and so many passages of the Bible warn against being seduced by the power of money, then how can it be the answer for everything? But think about it – the Preacher is not saying that money will make you happy or fulfill you or bring you peace and contentment. he simply says that it’s the answer to everything; any “thing” that can be had, money can provide you. My understanding of this passage is that money answers everything because it provides us with options – it always has and it always will. If you fly first class, paying the premium price, you get to choose your day and time of flight, whether you will look out the window or stretch alongside the aisle. You will get to choose what you have to eat and drink during the flight, the beef or the chicken, the cheesecake or the pudding. Money can’t make you happy, nor can it’s pursuit, or the things you buy with it. But the freedom of movement it provides, the ease and convenience, and the possibilities of positioning do indeed solve most, if not all, of life’s physical dilemmas. Having solutions to problems provides security.  Having security and options allow you to focus on other matters and enjoy the nonmaterial aspects of your life. If you are not worried about how you’ll pay the bills if you go back to school for another degree, then you access the decision differently than if you know that you’ll have to work while you go to school part-time. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that life is easier and more comfortable if you have the financial resources to grease the wheels of daily life. However, it’s tempting to make the quality of our life conditional upon this fact and to view ourselves as totally without choices or resources if we don’t have as much money as we’d like. Too often people are more willing to grumble that life is unfair than to invest in repositioning themselves for more options. ”

T. D. Jakes, Repositioning Yourself: 
Living life without limits 
(Atria Books 2007) Page 125-127

In case this morning sermon didn’t do it for you, Here is a song and a text.

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Whatever it is you may be going through
I know He’s not gonna let it get the best of you You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You’re not going under
‘Cause God is holding you right now

Mandisa: Overcomer


more than conquerors_wide_t_nvWho shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

7 Scriptures to look up before you shout “legalism”

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There is a growing group of Christians today that want nothing to do with any kind of restriction from scripture or common sense Christian values in matters of faith and life. Any objection to the kind of movies they watch, the kind of music they listen to, the way they dress, the jokes they tell, getting wasted, the use of curse words or inappropriate language is usually seen as being “legalistic.”

The problem here is, I think, we want to be mere men, but we are not mere men. We want to be like everyone else, but we are not everyone else. We want to be normal, but we are not normal. We want to be ordinary, but we are not ordinary. God made us and called us to be extraordinary. And instead of letting scripture shape the way we live, we water it down a little for culture to have a little wiggle room around truth.

But it is important to understand that the things we watch and listen to have profound effects on us. Like my spiritual father used to say, “what goes in comes out.” Therefore, we must be determined to bring glory to God in every area of our lives, allowing scripture to be the determining factor in our daily choices. Because there are things we should not tolerate as Christians. So, before you tell that joke, before you watch that movie, or download that album, here are a few scriptures you might want to consider:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

  • Are my actions, words and deeds, tweets and Facebook posts glorifying to God? Do they bring honor to God? Do they lift others up and not bully them or make fun of them. Are the songs and movies and music videos I’m watching glorying to God?

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:4

  • the question is usually asked, did Jesus ever tell jokes? Of course he did, even though the scripture is silent, one can assume he did because he was fully human. What I cannot imagine though, is Jesus telling dirty jokes. His jokes must have lifted people, taught them some life lesson. It was corrective of bad behavior. It was soothing to the ear and never out of place.
  • The real question is, am I engaged in filthy gestures and behavior? Do I have any indecent habit and attire? Do I have a tendency to excite lust by using impure and obscene words? Do I enjoy foolish, idle, vain, corrupt, unsavory and light words? The last time I checked “Crude joking” and all the above were “out of place” for the believer.

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Romans 14:23

  • Are there activities I am engaged in that I am not quite sure whether I should be engaging in?

All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful, but not all things build up, “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 10:23

  • What profit or help am I getting from what I am watching, listening to, wearing or telling? What value am I adding to others?
  • Am I building myself spiritually by the activities I am engaging in? Are others encouraged, build up by the jokes I’m telling, the words I’m saying, the songs I’m singing, the conversation I’m having? What spiritual benefit is being imparted?
  • Am I putting myself under bondage? Am I forming habits that are spiritually crippling? Are some things becoming my master? Is there any kind of addictions forming?

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they are found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2

  • Am I spending my money, time and energy wisely? Am I investing my time and money and energy wisely?

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Ephesians 4:30

  • Are my actions offensive to the Holy Spirit’s presence? Do my actions drive away the Holy Spirit or do they draw Him near?

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 1 Corinthians 8:9, 11

  • Are my actions and activities causing others to stumble?

ONE THING IS NEEDED

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My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from

your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Proverbs 4:20-21

 At times, life can seem so overwhelming! Maybe your thinking as you read this; that’s how I feel about my life right now. You may feel like you just don’t have the time to accomplish everything you need to and you’re being pulled from every direction. Your job may be demanding more of you than ever before, your kids need you, the cat had kittens, the oil needs changed in the car, you were asked to teach Sunday School for the next month and the list goes on and on.

 So much to do, so little time! Let’s face it, even with all the great technology we have at our finger tips, we live in a very demanding world that can pull at us from every direction.

 Thinking about the pressures of life reminds me of two sisters in the Bible that Jesus came to visit. One sister, Martha was on the go, cleaning, cooking, preparing and serving. She wasn’t just doing a little serving that day, the Bible says she was doing; much serving. Running here and there, doing this and that, she was on the move!

 Then all of the sudden Martha notices that her sister, Mary was nowhere to be found. When Martha looks for her sister, she finds her sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening along with others in the household.

Martha immediately starts to complain to Jesus about her sister’s lack of caring to help. But Martha found herself shocked by Jesus’ response. And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42.

 Martha was not doing anything wrong; she was just allowing the things of life to distract her from the most important thing, taking time to sit still long enough for Jesus to speak into her life.

 If we aren’t careful we can fall into the same trap Martha did, doing this or going there and not sitting still long enough for Jesus to speak to us about our day or our life’s journey.

 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matt 6:33 I like to say, “The concerns of life will fall into place.”

 Declaration to Life

With so many demands pulling on me, one thing is needed. I choose to spend time with Jesus and His Word!

Written By: Jensen Ministries 
Larry & Chaunda Jensen
lrjensen@sbcglobal.net

A Blood Donor saved my Life!

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Hmm, I mused to myself…A Blood Donor saved my Life too: Jesus.
This is a powerful and timely reminder… I encourage you to read it!

JC's avatarThe Sound

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Last year our church did it’s first blood drive. It was in preparation to be a donor that I learned about the plight of those with blood diseases, especially Sickle Cell Anemia. I had no idea that, of the 80,000 or so people with the disease, 99% were African Americans. Anyway, despite my dislike for needles, I happily made my donation.

Well, yesterday I found myself sitting in one of the American Red Cross offices waiting to make another donation. Truthfully, I had been avoiding their calls, but they had a donor match for my blood type and the person was in need of blood. So there I was silently thinking about the needle prick and whether I was hydrated enough for them to find my veins; I have small veins.

The donor in front of me greeted everyone by name and I speculated that he was a regular donor…

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You are the only Jesus some will ever see…

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A few years ago Kathleen Harris wrote the song “You are the only Jesus some will ever see.” In many ways, she and a few others singing the song over the years have made the phrase very popular in Christian circles. Take a look at a few lines in the song:

If not you, I wonder where will they ever find the One who really cares?
If not you, how will they find the One who heals the broken heart, gives sight to the blind?

If not you, I wonder who, will show them love, and love alone can make things new?
If not you, how will they learn there’s one who’ll trade their hopelessness for joy in return?

Cause You’re the only Jesus some will ever see You’re the only words of life, some will ever read So let them see in you the One in whom is all they’ll ever need You’re the only Jesus, some will ever see

I’m sure you would agree with me that this is a great song, but are there biblical grounds for such lyrics? Is it possible to fill such a role in God’s redemptive agenda? Could our lives ever sufficiently show God’s redemptive work to the point for others to take notice and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus? Does the way we live as Christians have any part to play in God’s strategy of gospel proclamation?

Apparently, many today do not think that the idea of being “the only Jesus some will ever see” is possible or even biblical, to say the least. They contend that people come to faith in Jesus only through the proclamation of the gospel. Others claim that since we are too sinful, just a perfect Jesus can draw anyone to himself. And of course, it is the work of the Spirit to bring the unbeliever, not ours.

While they are not entirely wrong, it is clear that they’ve overlooked a significant aspect of Christian witness.

What happened to Jesus’ call for us to be light of the world? This certainly means that someone could see God’s light shining through us.

What happened to Jesus’ call for us to be salt of the earth? This certainly means someone could positively be affected by our lifestyle. And sadly, negatively impacted.

What happened to Jesus’ call for us to be the city on the hill? This certainly means that someone could see that there is something different about us.

What happened to Antioch’s little Christs? It was in Antioch that people in the city began to notice how different the followers of Jesus were. It was not because of their preaching and teaching. It was their lifestyle that made the difference.

What happened to “follow me as I follow Christ?” I’ve always wondered what in the world Paul meant by “follow me as I follow Christ.” Paul was very careful to live his life in such a way so that others would be able to understand what he was preaching to them.

What happened to 1 Corinthians 9:22? To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

What happened to “written epistles?” Our preaching and proclamation must always match our way of life? Our talk must match our walk for others to take notice. We must walk the walk not just talk the talk.

What happened to Jesus’ high priestly prayer, when he prayed for love and unity among believers? A passion and unity that will cause the world to believe in who he is.

What happened to the local church which the hope of the world? You see, in God’s redemptive plan he “chose the church to be the manifold wisdom of God.”

There are three kinds of people:
1. Those who feel like their lives are so sinful, messed up and weak, and they can do nothing about it.
2. Those who tell others how immoral and messed up they are and what they need to do about it, but won’t lift a finger to do clean up their own life.
3. Those who know that they are not perfect but daily lay down their lives looking for opportunities to allow the of God to shine through them.

I’m tired of hearing the false humility of Christians who in the name of being real speak hopelessly about their inability to represent Jesus adequately. Could it be that we are missing out in our calling? I’m tired of hearing the half-truth about how it doesn’t really depend on us and the transforming work of grace in and through us but only upon the message of Jesus proclaimed. The gospel is not just what you declare, it is also what you live out. It is about us availing our lives to the Holy Spirit and allowing him to work through us. I’m tired as well about the hypocrisy and sinfulness of the church – mine included. Because of our hypocrisy and sinfulness, the way of the truth is maligned, and we give unbelievers all the excuses to reject Christ.

Jesus is calling every one of us today, and he is saying: “Just as the Father sent me, so I’m sending you.” He is asking us to go out and be his hands and feet. He is asking us to go out and “faithfully preach the truth in one hand and with the weapons of righteousness in the other.” He is asking us to go out and heal the sick, raise the dead, stand for justice, fight for the poor. He is asking us to go out and love unconditionally, give selflessly, serve unreservedly. He is not coming down here to do that. He is not asking us to be perfect. He is only asking for us to avail ourselves of him and his Spirit. He is asking us to take this little light of ours and let shine – because we may be the only Jesus some will ever see.

Rivers in the desert: Feel it rushing to and through you…

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Enjoy a few powerful seconds from last night’s meeting at church. His presence was truly in the house. This is what I crave every time we meet.

Revelation 22:1, 2

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Prophetic Prayer:

May his river of life, healing, and joy flow in and through you today. May his river of gladness fill up every dry and barren place in your life. May all the fruits of the Spirit be birthed in you, and may you be productive in every good work as you yield to His ever flowing stream.

May it be that through you healing and blessings might come to those all around you. That He may restore unto you the years the locust has eaten. That you may eat in plenty and be satisfied. That you may become a champion for the poor, the disadvantaged, and the underprivileged.  May it be that you be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Hear my cry oh Lord

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Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;

from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

I imagine that some reading this prayer today could be in all manner of places (the end of the earth) and in all manner of circumstances (when my heart is faint). But no matter where you are and no matter the circumstance there are three places you can always run to:

His presence: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

The rock that is higher than I is an image of safety. The safest place to run is to God when you are overwhelmed and stressed – “he will hide you in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal you under the cover of his tent; he will lift you high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5

His presence: Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings

The shelter of your wings is an image of protection. Deuteronomy 32:11 says, “he encircles you, he cares for you, he keeps you as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, he hides you in the shadow of his wings, from the wicked who do violence, the deadly enemy who surrounds you.”

His presence: Appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over me

Love and faithfulness to watch over me is an image of security. Everybody needs a sense of security, an assurance that everything is going to be alright. God delivers this to his children every single day by reassuring them that everything is going to be all right. The scripture says that the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord is what preserves us, and by his steadfast love we are upheld.” Proverbs 20:28

The safest place to run when you are overwhelmed with life’s many woes is right into the arms of Jesus. There you will find all the help you will ever need. Run to him today!