A Poem From the Past
When I re-committed my Life to Christ in 1999 I spent many days writing poems. I haven’t thought much about them for years, but when I woke up this morning the first poem I had written was on my mind. Reading the poem brings me back to the time and place that I was when I wrote it. I can remember the location, the time of day, and even the emotions that I felt when I penned these words to paper….
GRACE
You always knew my thoughts.
You always knew my heart.
You have seen all my faults,
Yet you refused to let us part.You’ve heard me curse your name.
You’ve seen my boiling blood.
You’ve seen me in my shame,
Yet you pulled me from the flood.Many times I walked a way from you.
Many times I let you down.
Many times I was ashamed of you,
Yet you offer me a crown.It’s now sin to which I turn my back.
It’s now the wicked whom I despise.
It’s your light that saved me from the black.
Oh how you’ve opened up my eyes.You’re my ever-glowing candle.
You’re the truth that set me free.
You’re my rock and my salvation.
Oh how you’ve lifted me.
If I had one word to describe who I was at that time in my life, it would be, “Genuine”. I had a genuine salvation experience with the Creator of the universe. I was genuinely transformed in my thoughts and deeds. I took every bit of God’s word as truth and wouldn’t spend a day without reading it. I was like a child in awe of this new life I had found. It didn’t take long to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life serving God in what I knew to be ministry. I wanted to reach the world for Jesus!
Since writing those words a decade ago, I have gone through a wide variety of experiences. I’ve had seasons that I could not have endured if it had not been for my trust and confidence in God. I have also experienced great tragedy and error because of my own foolish decisions and actions. I have had friends hold me up while going through difficult times, and others kick me down and leave me for dead. I’ve been mocked, ridiculed (Sometimes rightly so), falsely accused, and misunderstood. I’ve been loved, cherished, and been thought kindly of. It has been an interesting 10 years to say the least. Some experiences were exactly what I thought life in Christ would be, while others left me dumbfounded and in utter disbelief.
As I read over the poem and ponder on the last 10 years of my life, I hear these words ringing loudly in my heart today…
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. –Philippians 1:6
Whether you’re on a mountain top or hanging out in the valley of the shadow of death, know that God is not done with you yet. The same Christ that picked you up when you first cried out to Him is still alive today. If you’re in sin, repent and allow His grace to restore you. If you have been wounded in battle, allow His healing power to mend you. If you’ve been left for dead, allow His truth to bring you life. Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Keep marching on!
Extreme Home Makeover
The first time I saw the show I was hooked! Each week a construction crew would go to a home that was in dire need of a makeover. Because the home owners could not afford such a task they were pretty much hopeless, unless of course an intervention took place. That is where Ty Pennington and his team would come in. After being told their home was going to be renovated free of charge, the home owners would be shipped off on a weeks paid vacation. When the family would leave the premises, Ty and his team would immediately assess the home, get a game plan together, then go to work! By weeks end the house that many would have considered to be worthless would be transformed into a brand new home, worthy of the cover of ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ magazine.
More amazing then watching the transformation process take place is watching the expressions of the homeowners when they return to their property. The family is strategically placed behind a large bus that is blocking the view of their home. At the set time the infamous words are shouted, “Move that Bus”! The bus rolls out of the way and the family sees their new home for the very first time. Almost immediately tears begin to flow from their eyes. The magnitude of the transformation leaves them in a state of awe and amazement.
Watching the show reminds me of the way that Jesus Christ can transform the heart of anyone who calls upon His name. No matter how hopeless you may feel or how many times your name has been marred, Jesus can remove all hopelessness, all depression, all sin, all pain, all condemnation and the like. He can give you a new heart, a new direction, a new hope, a new life, and leave you in a state of awe and amazement.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. –1 Corinthiains 5:17
Surrender your life to Christ and let the renovations begin!
Resort Day
Royal DeCameron Resort, Panama
I was recently privileged to go on a missions trip to Aquadulce, Panama. There were two teams on this particular mission: a construction team and a medical team. The construction team was responsible for erecting two church buildings (One in El Cristo, and the other in Guzman), while the medical team was responsible for setting up medical clinics throughout the area. The effort was a great success on both sides!
The medical team treated over 800 people for physical ailments and were able to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to them; over 600 people gave their lives to Him! I was on the construction team. I hadn’t gone on a missions trip like that since 2002, so my construction skills were a little rusty! I was fortunate enough to be a part of a well seasoned team that knew exactly what they were doing! We accomplished our tasks ahead of schedule and were able to tackle other projects as well!
As we neared the end of our trip, talk began to stir about “Resort Day”. We were scheduled to spend our last day at the ‘Royal DeCameron Resort”, located just outside of Panama City. Everyone had worked hard and was looking forward to a little rest and relaxation. The weather could not have been more perfect when we arrived, and the beach and surroundings were absolutely beautiful. It was a perfect conclusion to a job well done by all!
As the sun was setting on that final night I made my way to a recliner on the beach. As I watched the waves crash upon the shore and listened to the sounds of the ocean, I thought, “It doesn’t get much better then this”. During our trip we endured bruises, cuts, muscle spasms and heat indexes of 110 degrees. Though we would have made the trip if ‘Resort Day’ was not on the schedule, sitting on the beautiful shore with perfect climate conditions made it that much more rewarding!
As I drifted off to sleep on the recliner, I thought about the following scripture:
l Peter 1:3-7
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Though the beach can in no way be compared to the grandeur of Heaven, I was reminded that we will face trials, tribulations, temptations, and persecution as we spend our days carrying the banner of Jesus Christ on this earth (Mat 5:10-12). Nevertheless, when our task is complete, ‘Resort Day’ awaits… and what a day that will be!
A Response to a Larry King Interview
2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NASB)
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
As I watched a recent Larry King show, I realized that this scripture is certainly relevant today. A well known Christian singer revealed that she has been in a homosexual relationship for 8 years, and that she is still a person of faith. When asked if she thought she be-lied her faith because so many people in the Christian world regard homosexuality as a sin, her response was, “Not every Christian denomination be-lies homosexuality”. She went on to say that she has had a “great deal of experience with many other denominations who openly accept the rich diversity of the types of believers within their communities, and it’s been a great honor for me to be in participation with many of them”. Larry then asked, “No problem for you to being Christian and gay?” She responded, “Not with myself personally, no”. When Larry asked if she felt that her Bible speaks against homosexuality, she went on to say, “I have definitely recognized that we are somewhat handicapped to our own interpretations of the sacred text”.
I could possibly see her argument in certain “Grey areas in the Bible”, but to misinterpret the fact that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis, Chapters 18 and 19) because of this lifestyle, or to misinterpret scriptures such as Romans 1:18-32 , 1 Corinthians 6:8-12, 1 Timothy 1:6-11 is absurd. The only way those scriptures could be misinterpreted is if you are gathering to yourself teachers who say what your itching ears want to hear, which was evident by her comment later in the show, “I have spiritual leadership in my life, the pastoral counsel of those who are dear to me…”
An interesting thing about this topic is that no one would argue that murder is sin, no one would argue that stealing is sin, but when it comes to speaking against sexual immoral acts, tempers are flared, emotions run high, and anger becomes the driving force of those who practice such behaviors. Instead of hearing the truth and repenting of the sin in their life, they cover their ears, gnash their teeth, and look for other teachers who will help them justify their actions.
Hebrews 10:26,29 (NASB)
26For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES …How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
With the exception of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the Bible teaches that there is no sin that cannot be forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. The above scripture supports the doctrine that professing Christ as our Lord does not give us a license to sin. It goes as far as saying that we are trampling Jesus Christ under our feet and calling His blood unholy when we are willingly living in sin, and thus nullify the sacrifice that He made.
Let it be known that this is not homosexual hate speech. God loves the homosexual just as much as He loves the thief, murderer, liar, adulterer, slanderer, etc. Jesus paid the price for “All who call upon the name of the Lord”. Anyone who teaches different is in error. The only thing homosexuality has to do with the topic at hand, is the fact that a professing Christian is justifying the behavior of something that the Bible, or as she calls it herself, “The Sacred Text”, clearly speaks against. What this is, is a wake up call for those who are willingly living in a lifestyle that the Bible calls sin. Regardless of how people may try to justify sinful behavior, someone who has surrendered their life to Christ cannot practice a lifestyle of sin and expect to receive the gift of salvation. If you believe otherwise, you have bought a lie. Those are not my words, but the words of the Sacred Text.
Before We Make the List
15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. –Psalms 103:15-16 (Amp)
Being a part of a large church has a lot of advantages! We can do more, buy more, impact our communities more for Jesus, etc. In addition to all the blessings, a big church also brings a greater awareness of how fast tragedy can strike. Our prayer chain leader sends out an average of 20 prayer request e-mails a day. The requests vary in nature; someone may be requesting guidance for a job situation while someone else is praying for the salvation of their friends or family members. Often times though, the requests are for prayers of healing for those who are suffering from ailments such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer disease, etc. Then come the prayer requests for the families who lost their loved ones through such ailments, or worse yet, through a tragic accident that caught us all off guard.
Recently, while reviewing the prayer requests, I realized that unless Jesus Christ returns for His church beforehand, my name will eventually be added to the list of those who have passed away. Ironically, the notion was not that of a gloomy nature but more of a peaceful awareness that our time on earth is short. As I was thinking about these things, another scripture came to mind…
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you. –John 15:16 (KJV)
I know I have had a lot of good intentions and made specific goals that I would like to accomplish, but this sudden awareness has caused me to ask, “If I were to die today, have I produced the type of fruit that will remain when I’m gone?”…”Would I leave families and people behind who’s lives have been changed forever because I led them to Christ?”… “Would the gospel of Christ still be spread through something that I was privileged to establish during my time on the earth?”
What about you? Have you been putting off doing things that you know the Lord would have you do? Have you been waiting for years (if not decades) for the “right moment” to witness to your neighbor? Is there a ministry or a cause that you know your supposed to be a part of, but have yet to get involved? Don’t wait until your name is etched on “the list” before you realize that time has passed you by. Consider this the season in your life to “go and bring forth fruit”.
Can I Ever Trust Again?
According to statistics, at least one out of every two people that read this have experienced the heartache of divorce, and a number of you know the pain that infidelity can inflict on the soul. Whether you have experienced those pains yourself or have witnessed your friends or family experience them, you can easily come to the resolve to never trust again.
If you are one of those who have experienced divorce, infidelity, or both, you may have thrown in the towel on relationships altogether. Before you completely dismiss the idea, know that God is able to restore your trust and give you a partner that will compliment you, as well as enhance your relationship with Him. The key being, of course, that you put your complete trust and confidence in Jesus Christ. Anything else is asking for trouble.
From the times that I served as a Singles Pastor, and being single myself, I have seen many traits that keep people who come from failed relationships from successfully entering a healthy relationship again. Some of those traits are as follows:
Discontented with Being Single
- When you buy the lie that you can’t be happy unless you are married, you fall into the category of discontentment. When this happens your goal in life is directed towards finding a spouse. If you seek hard enough you will find what your looking for, but if you leave God out of the process, don’t expect it to be a “Match made in Heaven”.
Ignoring the Red Flags
- People anxious to be in a relationship tend to overlook red flags. We must realize that no one is perfect and that our personalities will clash at times, but we must also be aware that there is a major difference between a personality clash and a red flag. If your dating someone who is abusive (verbally or physically), controlling, overly jealous, etc., get out NOW!
Carrying Your Luggage with You
- A major mistake is to bring your past hurts, pains and failures into your new relationship. This is especially the case if you are a victim of infidelity. Many relationships are destroyed because of accusations that stem from past pains. Just because your former spouse hurt you, does not mean your new spouse or interest will.
- Before continuing, I feel like I should emphasize that adultery, fornication, extra-marital affairs and other immoral acts are not normal behaviors for Christians. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and are walking in His truth, these activities should not even be an option for you, let alone a lifestyle or mindset. If you are living that way, please realize that you are deceived and the truth is not in you (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Regardless of how people may try to justify those behaviors, it was wrong yesterday, it is wrong today, and it will always be wrong. This is one of those “Red Flags” that cannot be ignored. Don’t be so desperate for a relationship that you turn your back on God.
Spiritual Incompatibility
- 1 Corinthians 6:14-15 warns us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Though this should be common knowledge, it can not be expressed enough. Don’t even think that your mission in life is to convert an unbeliever by marrying them. Evangelize to the lost all you want, but don’t marry one! Not only are you in opposition to God’s Word if you do, your asking for a life of misery.
- Also, don’t get involved with someone who’s belief system is not the same as yours. Make sure you are pursuing someone who has a genuine heart for God. The church is filled with people who label themselves Christians, yet they behave just like the world. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 tells us to steer clear of them completely.
Besides surrendering your life to Jesus Christ, getting married is the most important thing you will ever do. Don’t fall into the traps listed above. Don’t be anxious. Don’t be discontent. Put your trust in God and He will guide you to the right person… someone you can love, someone you can trust.
Jeremiah 17:7 (NASB)
7“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD.
Check out “Single and Satisfied“, a great sermon on a similar subject.
Shine Bright
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:14-18 (NKJV)
When you mention the word, “works”, someone will always mention that we are not saved by works but by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though that is true, if you were to accurately study the scriptures, you would find that your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ will cause you to produce good works. If that is not the case, then something is a-miss. James said it this way…
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? –James 2:15-20
Though it is possible to do good works without being saved, it is not possible to be saved without doing good works. The stronger your relationship with Christ, the more you will want to do things that promote and point people to Him. Though we often have good intentions, and even have ideas that would promote the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us, we easily allow ourselves to replace those “good works” with things that have little or no value concerning the Kingdom of God.
In business, we identify problems, come up with solutions, make a game plan, and put the plan into action. If the plan was unsuccessful, we come up with another plan, and keep repeating the process until the problem has been solved. What would life be if we would address the things that really matter in the same fashion that we address things in the business world? We see lost people, we see hurting people, we see people held captive by the powers of sin, yet we make no game to solve the problem, let alone initiate one.
Isn’t it time that we remove the basket that is covering the light of Christ that is in us? For once, may we come together in the likeness of Acts 2:44-47 and touch our communities for Jesus. It sounds like a pipe dream I know, but if we would spend the same energy promoting Jesus Christ that we would spend promoting ourselves in the business world for one year, we could literally turn our communities upside down for Him.
A Resolution Worth Keeping
The phrase that saturates America this time of the year is ,”New Year’s Resolution”. If you were to randomly ask people who cross your path, “What is your new year’s resolution?”, most of them would give you an answer. Of the answers, 99% of the resolutions would more then likely consist of things that would promote their health, their personal life, or their careers. Very rarely will you come across someone who has made a resolution to promote the lives of others, let alone the life of Jesus Christ.
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him… 39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” –John 4:28-29, 39 (NLT)
The woman had originally gone to the well to fill her water jar, but by the time her conversation with Jesus was over, she had left the jar behind, gone back to her village, and told everyone about Him.
40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:40-42 (NLT)
An entire community came to know Jesus Christ because of the testimony of one person. If she had not testified of the Lord, He and His disciples would have continued on their journey to Galilee, and no one would have known any different. Such a story causes me to wonder, “How many people have missed an opportunity to meet Jesus, simply because someone failed to open their mouth”?
May 2010 be the year that we set our agenda’s aside, get enthused about Jesus, open our mouth’s, and lead our communities to Him. That is a resolution worth keeping!
An Affirmitive Negative
As I was walking away from a sales representative who coerced me into filling out an application for a credit card, I began to feel a dissatisfaction within my spirit. Every time I told her a reason that I didn’t want the card, the sales rep came back with a counter response. After telling her no 3 to 5 times, I found myself saying yes and filling out the application. I didn’t want the card, I didn’t need the card, I had no intentions on getting the card, yet I still said yes.
In itself the incident was harmless. I can simply call the credit card company and cancel the card when it arrives in the mail. The dissatisfaction that I felt, however, was the sudden awareness that this type of activity is what leads people into failure, heartache and sin. When we allow our defenses to be broken down and don’t stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ, we will ultimately find ourselves saying yes to something that is far from God’s best.
Luckily for me, I had a chance for vindication! As I continued down the airport terminal, I came across yet another sales rep from the same company. Like the other one, she caught my attention by saying, “Sir, are you flying with US Airways today?” I responded, “Yes I am, and thanks but no thanks”. She started to tell me that she only wanted a few seconds of my time. I firmly interrupted her and responded again, this time with a deeper tone, “I said thanks BUT NO THANKS”, and continued on my way.
As I walked away from her and continued towards my gate, I could hear a still small voice say to me, “This is how you are to respond to every person and circumstance that tries to pull you away from me.” I then thought about the times of failures and pains that I have experienced in my life. The moments that brought me the greatest pain and tragedy were the moments that I knew better. If only I had responded with an affirmative negative, and continued on my way, I would be in a much better place today.
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. –Philippians 3:13-14
May 2010 be the year that you stop allowing people to tear down the boundaries that Christ has placed in your life. There is nothing you can do about your past, but there is something you can do about your future. Stand strong, stay committed, and move forward! Amen
Something to be Merry About
Besides the fact that Christmas is over commercialized and the existence of Jesus Christ is getting further and further removed from the stores we buy our gifts from, there is another dilemma that arises this time of the year… The dilemma that Christmas was originally a pagan holiday and that Jesus most likely was not born in December. Some of us want to fight keep Christ in Christmas while others say things like, “Why are we even putting Christ in a pagan holiday anyway”.
4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. –1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Though eating meat and celebrating Christmas are two different scenarios, the situation is similar. Paul would knowingly eat meat that was sacrificed to idols (pagan gods). He did it knowing that there is only one true God, and he gave thanks to that God for the food that had been provided. His conscience was clear because he in no way gave any honor or reverence to the supposed deity’s to whom the meat was offered. Instead, his reverence and gratitude was directed towards the Lord.
So then, what shall we do with Christmas? Should we continue to use it as a remembrance and celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Or should we lock forces with those who are fighting to remove the existence of Christ from the celebration? Hopefully your choice is the former. Some time ago a band of Christians fought to bring the influence of Christ to a pagan celebration, and they won; If you were to ask the question today, “What is the meaning behind Christmas?”, the majority of the world’s population would tell you that it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
What it boils down to is the heart behind the celebration. If Paul would have bowed down and worshiped the false Gods, he would have been in error. Likewise, if your reverence is directed towards the winter solstice this Christmas, you are in error. There is plenty to be concerned about and lots of ways to be distracted this Christmas, but let’s keep the “reason for the season”, and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29)!
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. –Isaiah 9:6
Merry Christmas to You and Yours!
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