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Adverse circumstances have descended upon multitudes of people around the world because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
You and I are feeling anxious, wondering what is going to happen next. We feel stuck or stalled in life while we wait out this deadly disease that is stalking the earth. Without question, you and I are certainly facing significantly adversity. But imagine a day like this. You get up, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, drive to work and do your job. Then people you care about mercilessly pummel you with rocks. Then they drag your severely battered, bruised and bloodied body into a ditch outside of the city. Abused. Abandoned. Alone. Left to die. Most likely you and I will never experience a day like the one just described. But the apostle Paul of the Bible did. Our scripture passage for this week reveals a serious, adverse scenario that became life-threatening for God’s chosen servant. “…. they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he arose and entered the city.” Acts 14:19-20
I am certain a physical beat-down with stones was not scheduled in the Apostles’ day-timer for that morning! So how did Paul respond to a stoning? Verse 20 states “he arose and entered the city”. Which city? The one where he had just been stoned! Are you kidding me? Did you get hit with one rock too many brother Paul? Did you lose some of your marbles during the stoning? How in the world could you walk back into your adversary’s backyard? What in the world were you thinking?
Paul turned a stoning into a ministry opportunity. By the grace of God, he marched right back in to share the Rock of salvation with those who threw rocks and tossed him out of town.
Persecution propelled him forward. Difficulty moved him to greater determination and diligence in his ministry of declaring and sharing the Good News! Contrast the disciple’s response with Paul’s. They stood around. Hung out, probably sucking their thumbs and whining about their situation! Paralyzed by fear, troubled by the tribulation they had encountered, they retreated while Paul advanced. The disciples were more near death then Paul. Paul was wounded and traumatized in his body. But his ministry colleagues were troubled in their spirit.
As Christians you and I must come to grips with verse 22, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Note “many tribulations”. You and I must pass through them to enter God’s kingdom. This being true, we need to learn how to advance through adversity if we are to be victorious overcomers like Paul and our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe it is entirely possible that Paul successfully endured a stoning because he personally witnessed Stephen’s stoning in Acts 8. Stephen’s courageous testimony of faith and subsequent martyrdom touched Paul’s heart. The apostle was inspired witnessing Stephen advance through adversity. In Acts 9, on the road to Damascus, Paul received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. The same spirit of Jesus that was in Stephen also resided in Paul.
Advice For Advancing Through Adversity.
Adversity is part of life. Christians are not exempt from tough times. So when trials, tribulation, testing, challenges, difficult seasons and opposition raise their ugly heads, will you retreat or advance? The current Coronavirus crisis is a test of our fortitude, our determination, our commitment to advance during this time of uncertainty, confusion and concern. Faith in Christ stands firm in the face of adversity. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.” I Peter 4:12-13 “Therefore, take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:5 A Word For Your Week: When the going gets tough, the tough advance through adversity to fulfill God’s will. Setbacks.
They happen. Seasons of setbacks, short or long, are an inevitable fact of life. Setbacks hurt because setbacks set us back. Currently, our world, nation, families and friends are struggling with setbacks caused by the coronavirus. Health issues, finances, “normal” America routines and lifestyle are under assault. Every day “Breaking News” announces some setback somewhere. I don’t know about you, but setbacks are not one of my favorite things. I prefer the idea of coming back from setbacks. The Lord, who Christians love and serve, knows this and has put within our hearts a comeback spirit. Facts About Setbacks And Comebacks
The Lord Jesus Christ experienced setbacks. In the last twenty-four hours of His earthly life He was betrayed by Judas’ kiss, publicly denied three times by Peter, falsely accused and beaten by the religious leaders, spit upon, scourged and tortured beyond recognition by Roman soldiers, nailed to a wooden cross, taunted as He bled to death and died. Serious setbacks resulting in DEATH. But there was a comeback in Christ. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1-8). Death gave way to RESURRECTION! God’s Son came back from a setback…and promises to come back for all who believe in Him. JESUS IS THE COMEBACK KING! Glory to God! What does Jesus’ comeback mean for you and me? It means we can be comeback kids for Christ. Why? Because the same spirit that raised Jesus from dead resides in us. Christians bear in their body the life of Christ. We have power over setbacks because we are resurrection people. In II Corinthians 4:7-10 the apostle Paul declares that Christ’s followers are comeback kids. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and nor from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Coming back from setbacks was personal to Paul. Study Paul’s list of personal setbacks in II Corinthians 11:22-30. Remember what Paul endured when you are thinking you are having a bad day. Paul always came back from setbacks. He knew he could do all things through Christ’s strength and power in Him. Paul was knocked down, but never stayed down. Setbacks gave way to comebacks in Paul’s Christian life. COME BACK FROM YOUR SETBACK (Take the five following steps to turn your setback into a comeback.) 1. Slam the door on self-pity. Stop sucking your spiritual thumb and throwing pity-poor-me parties. You suffered a setback. So what? Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Climb out of the pit of depression and isolation and come back to life. 2. Be strong and courageous. It takes guts to leave the ruts of a setback. Setbacks force us to choose to be courageous or cowardly. Summon strength from the Lord and courageously turn your back on your setback and head down the comeback trail. 3. Report for duty. Step off the setback sideline and step back on to the comeback field. Love and obey your God, serve your family and friends, minister to lost and hurting people. Choose to overcome a setback and make your life count again. 4. Encourage others. Everyone loves a comeback story. You are being watched by family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and church members. Will they be encouraged because you came back from your setback? Are you going to be one of God’s comeback kids who inspire other people to comeback from their setbacks? 5. Fight to the finish. Come back for the rest of your life. The Christian faith is a lifetime commitment. Setbacks will come and go. Choose to keep coming back after every setback. Keep going forward in faith to finish your race victoriously (see II Timothy 4:5-8). If you are currently experiencing a setback, this question is for you: Is your setback a tombstone or a stepping stone? Has your setback buried you in discouragement and depression? Or do you see God’s comeback light at the end of the setback tunnel? Don’t stay stuck in your setback. Don’t die before you are dead. Sit up, stand up and comeback in the name of the Lord. You, yes you, can be a comeback kid for Christ! “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 A Word For Your Week: Choose to comeback from your setback. Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to do? I have been there and so have you.
Millions and millions of people are there right now over the uncertainty of the deadly Coronavirus stalking the world and our nation. Lately I have met with good, godly, sincere people who anxiously wonder what is happening and how it impacts the health and well-being of their families as well as the financial implications regarding their jobs, businesses and the overall national economy. Being quarantined in homes, social distancing and shut down business ratches up the sense of what do we do now. Not knowing what to do when you need to know what to do can be very disconcerting, discouraging and depressing. So what should we do when we don’t know what to do? Take your Bible and thoroughly study II Chronicles 20. I mean really get after it. Dig deep into this inspiring passage. Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was hemmed in and being harassed by three hate-filled, arch enemy armies. Suddenly surrounded on all sides by a massive military machine bent on his nation’s annihilation (verses 1-2), Jehoshaphat, stressed and distressed, confessed he felt powerless. In a time of severe, sudden crisis, Jehoshaphat wasn’t sure what to do. And yet, the king did know what to do when he didn’t know what to do. “O our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee.” II Chronicles 20:12 Jehoshaphat took his eyes off his enemies and looked to the Lord. “Our eyes are on Thee” was the king’s response to his powerless position. Fear gave way to faith (verse 3). Instead of panicking, Jehoshaphat prayed. Surrounded and somewhat terrified, Jehoshaphat knew to turn his attention to the Lord. He called all the people to fast and pray (verses 3-5, 13). The king laid out his pressing and perplexing situation before God. Then he waited with as much patience as he could muster up (verses 6-12). I don’t know about you, but I love this guy. Jehoshaphat is so human. I can identify with him and his dilemma. What I admire about this king is that while under a life and death attack, his attitude and action was astounding and outstanding. I want to learn to respond to life like he did. Not knowing what to do about the enemy armies, Jehoshaphat knew to look to the One who reminded him through the prophet Jahaziel that “the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (Verse 15). Sometimes you and I don’t know what to do because we think the battle belongs to us. We try to figure things out on our own and fight a fight that God wants to fight for us. The Spirit of the Lord, through Jahaziel, directed Jehoshaphat what to do when he didn’t know what to do (verses 14-22).
So what happened? What needed to happen happened. In response to Jehoshaphat’s faith, God routed the enemy, destroyed them, and Judah collected the spoil (all of the enemies possessions and goodies!). Jehoshaphat and Judah returned triumphantly to Jerusalem. As they rejoiced in the Lord, the surrounding nations took note and feared them and their God. Then Judah had rest (peace) on all of their borders. Life’s battles belong to the Lord and life changes when God steps in. What To Do The Next Time You Don’t Know What To Do 1. Turn your eyes from circumstances to Christ. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:3 2. Refuse to panic. Choose to pray and praise God! “And when they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes and the sons of Amon were routed.” II Chronicles 20:22 3. Do all you can do and trust God to do what He can do! “When the disciples had prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31 4. Stand by and watch God do His thing. “And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord that He will accomplish for you today.” Exodus 14:13 5. Reap the benefits of God working on your behalf. “And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.” II Chronicles 20:25 My friend, you may not be surrounded by three invading armies right now, but it might feel like it. Wondering what to do next is normal and valid. There are many people like you who feel overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their control. The good news is this: It is possible to OVERCOME when feeling OVERWHELMED! What God did for Jehoshaphat, He will do for you and me. You and I CAN DO SOMETING when we don’t know what to do. We can focus our faith, calm our fears and look to God to show us what to do. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, AND HAVING DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND FIRM.” Ephesians 6:13 A Word For Your Week: Do what you know to do when you don’t know what to do! Panic. Hysteria. Fear. Toilet paper hoarding!
The whirlwind of panic is swiftly sweeping across the world because of the coronavirus. In the Bible (Mark 4:35-39), a sudden, violent storm arose on the Sea of Galilee. The gale force winds accompanied by boat-swamping waves were so severe that the followers of Jesus thought their boat would sink and they would drown in the depths of the churning waters. (Mark 4:35-41). Enter PANIC. Peter and his buddies pushed the proverbial panic button. They pressed it hard and long. But while Peter and the boys panicked, Jesus slept like a baby in the back of the boat. Simply amazing! Jesus sleeping while the boat is sinking. The Lord’s followers couldn’t understand how the Master could sleep at a time like this. Peter was so panicky, that he woke Jesus up and accused the Lord of not caring about the disciples. Two blunders: waking the Lord up from a nap and accusing Him of not caring. Have you ever accused the Lord of not caring about you when you were going through a life storm? Peter, at the height (or depth!) of his personal panic attack, thought they were going to perish. Jesus didn’t panic even though panicky Peter pathetically attempted to convince Him the ship was going down to Davey’s locker. Hey Peter, drowning was not the plan of the day. The Lord and His followers were not going to perish. God was sending them across the lake to do ministry, not to the sea’s bottom to die a miserable death. Instead of panicking like Peter, Jesus took charge. “And being aroused, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” Mark 4:39 Proactive, bold, and confident, full of faith, the Lord got up, rebuked the wind and told the sea to be quiet! The winds died down and the waves ceased. Perfect calm in a perfect storm. Then Jesus lovingly but firmly rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. Peter panicked because he lacked faith. The boat wasn’t sinking, but the disciple’s faith was. Jesus had given them authority over trouble. Instead of exercising it, they panicked and would have perished had Jesus not been on board. The lesson for you and me: Don’t push that panic button, JESUS IS ON BOARD! Are you prone to pushing panic buttons? Let’s talk straight about our current national situation. From Washington to Wall Street to Main Street, panic buttons are sounding loud and clear. Governmental leaders, financial gurus, political pundits, pulse-taking pollsters, media maniacs, vote-seeking politicians, and people everywhere are screaming panic at the top of their individual and collective lungs! Self-righteous, self-absorbed, self-seeking, self-ambitious people in strategic places have stirred up storms in order to tempt good people like you and me to panic! Trust me on this. There are people in places pf power and influence who want you and me to push the panic button. Panic means someone has to bring calm and order to the situation. Guess who the deliverers might be? They are the people pushing the biggest panic buttons! Their goal is to control your life and mine. They will manipulate storms to stimulate fear and stampede people to panic. Be on guard against panic because panic producers are in reality power hungry peddlers of confusion and disorder that paves the way for them to ride in on their white horses and save the day. Sounds like end times, Anti-Christ stuff doesn’t it? Without question potentially devastating storms have arisen and are threatening to swamp and sink our ships. Worldwide viruses. Health issues. Tumbling stock markets. Personal and family finances. Rising food and prescription costs. Upcoming national election. Taxes. Up and down retirement funds. Terror threats. The car breaks down. Scuttlebutt your company is laying off workers. Health issues. Relationship stress. Negative media messages. Panic button stuff—if you panic and forget that Jesus is on board! A feeling of perishing can lead to panic attacks and pushing panic buttons. Panic people abound. Bless their fearful little hearts. Panic attack is the theme of this season. Here are a few observations about potential panic producing situations.
So Christian, what are you going to do? While panic’s voice stalks our land, will you cry with the misguided throng or trust in Jesus who inhabits your heart and is your life? Has this man-produced “perfect storm” caused you to hunker down in panic mode in the bunker of fear and unbelief? Or do you have “perfect calm” in this season of storms because you are hunkered down with Jesus in the bunker of faith and trust in Him? If you are struggling with a spirit of panic, do this right now” Panic, hush, be still in the name of Jesus! If in the future if you are fearful and the panic button is looking good to you, get over it right away. Rebuke panic. Reaffirm your trust in the Lord. If you think you have to worry about something, think about what our nation will be like if the panic button people have their way? When Jesus is on board, everything will turn out all right! “The steadfast of mine Thou will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, not let if be fearful.” John 14:27 A WORD FOR YOUR WEEK: When tempted to panic, DON’T!!! Growing people energize me.
There is nothing more refreshing or uplifting than talking with someone who is growing in their personal life. I have the privilege, honor, joy and sacred responsibility of helping hurting people find healing, restoration and renewal through God’s love in Jesus Christ. My ministry’s emphasis is renewing purpose and restoring joy. The restoration process is based on biblical truth and principles that God has established so you, me, and others can heal our hurts and restore our lives. I thank God every day for the opportunities I have to see lives changed in powerful ways. A major key to healthy, triumphant and joyful turnarounds in life is going and growing forward. If I could shout it from the very tip-top of Mt. Everest, I would tell this spiritually and emotionally growth-stunted world to GROW UP and GROW FORWARD! Many people miss so much good in life because they remain stuck in non-growth ruts. Mired in the muck of yesterday, they have no idea how good it is on the other side of the past. Yesterday’s failures steal the possibilities of tomorrow’s success. The Bible tells us that Paul was a go forward and grow forward guy! God’s goodness and grace had radically revolutionized his life (I Corinthians 15:9-10). Writing to the Christians in Philippi, in the shadow of an executioner’s sword, he shared with his brothers and sisters in Christ the pivotal decision he made to grow forward. “But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 His decision to grow forward was based on three things. First, he did “one thing”. ONE THING! A single, strategic decision altered his entire life course. Paul focused his faith on forgetting yesterday and reaching for tomorrow. Second, Paul chose to forget the what was behind and to reach for what was ahead. He made a conscious, willful decision to look, go, and grow forward. The apostle of grace was determined to slam the door on the past and open new doors to the future. Third, Paul “pressed on”. A powerful word here that means he reached and grasped and lunged like an Olympic athlete that is running full speed to cross the finish line in a race. The runner’s goal is to hit the tape first and be declared the winner! What was Paul “pressing on” for? Running in the faith race, Paul ran for the prize of prizes. The lofty goal of the high call of knowing, loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of his earthly life, Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord , the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Fighting a good fight, keeping the faith, finishing the course and receiving the crown of righteousness is all about growing up and growing forward. Paul’s deepest aspiration was to “know Him” Philippians 3:10 reads “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” To know Him means to personally experience Christ, not just be informed about Him. Knowing Jesus will lead to growing in Him. The only way to grow in Christ is go grow forward. You see, Jesus is not dead in a grave, but resurrected and alive forever! The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the greatest go forward and grow forward event in time and eternity! My fellow Christian, going backwards is a downward call. Growing forward is always an upward call. Which call are you listening and responding to? Three Timely Tips For Growing Forward
Focus on the future, not the past. We arrive at God’s destination by looking out the windshield of life, not in the rearview mirror. The familiarity and false security of yesterday will rob you of the fantastic opportunities of today and tomorrow. Keep your head screwed on right. Refuse to look to the left, right, or back. You and I never gain ground when we are walking backwards! Choose to look straight down the road. Growing forward people travel there and are waiting for you to join them. 2. Be willing to s-t-r-e-t-c-h! Allow the Holy Spirit to stretch you where you need stretched! We all have room to grow. Not everything is perfect in our lives! We know where we need to grow. So, let go and let God grow you up. People who stretch and grow forward are the ones who really enjoy God’s richest blessings in life. S-t-r-e-t-c-h and be blessed! 3. Reach for God’s very best. Do you believe God has a wonderful plan for your life filled with abundant blessing? If you do, reach for His promises and grab hold of His plans to prosper you and make you successful in Christ. Be bold. Don’t hold back. Reach for the Lord’s best with the arm of faith. God’s very best awaits those who make the effort to go and grow forward. If you want to GO UP, GROW UP! If you want to get ahead, GROW FORWARD! “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” II Peter 3:18 A Word For Your Week: Go forward by growing forward! Enough is enough.
It is time for Christians (who I am addressing today) to take a stand against the irreverent, rampant, revolting, unchecked evil that is ravaging our nation. Let’s call evil what it is. Evil is evil. Evil will never be good. Evil people are boldly, unashamedly, unapologetically, fanatically in some cases, standing against everything that is holy, righteous, good and decent. Unafraid, emboldened by the evil one who they blindly serve, evildoers stand up and speak out for what they erroneously believe. Deceived and duped by the devil, they spew their poisonous ideology on naïve people. I have a question. Why is it that many of God’s good people are strangely, eerily silent as evil attempts to destroy America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and history? I have an idea. It takes courageous commitment and unshakeable convictions to take a stand in our current culture. Demonic forces, evil people and weak Christians put pressure on you and me to sit down and shut up when we should be standing up and speaking up. People who stand for nothing will fall for anything. There are people, even in the church, who fall for anything because they stand for nothing. Think about this. Not taking a stand for what you believe is taking a stand that you really don’t believe what you say you do. If you don’t clearly define where you stand, someone else will define your life for you, and you may not like their assessment! In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Lord declared that His church, the body of Christ, would prevail against hell’s gates. The original intent of the verse means that God’s people would push back the gates of hell, not be pushed back, pushed around and pushed down by gates of hell. How in the world, with a promise like that, can the church of Jesus Christ not prevail over the evil that hell has unleased through its gates? You, me and fellow believers must ask ourselves if we are prevailing or failing in the presence of Satan’s demonic hordes and evil minions. In the Bible, Peter exhorts us in I Peter 3:15 to defend our faith. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Defending Christian faith means Christians should take a stand for Jesus Christ in their daily life. You and I should be ready, prepared to share our faith with the people God puts in our path. If you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, do you stand up for His name and His Word? Is your faith in Jesus settled, firm, steadfast, immovable, unshakeable? Would you be willing to lay down your physical life for the Savior? Taking A Stand For The Cause Of Christ
Jesus took a stand when He died voluntarily on the Cross. His shed blood secured salvation for you, me and all who will believe. How can we not stand for Him who died in our place? There are brothers and sisters in Christ today, right now, in the world who are being killed because of their faith? Regardless of the persecution and suffering, they courageously choose to take a stand for Christ, knowing it may well cost them their earthly life. My brothers and sisters in Christ. take a stand. Stand up for Jesus and the Bible. Arise. Get up off your spiritual fanny (I said is nicely) to stand up boldly for Lord. Take a stand now while you can. Stand by yourself if necessary. Stand up to evil with the Good News! Multitudes of people are spiritually lost. Their hearts are empty. Without Christ, they are hopeless, helpless and powerless to save themselves from sin, death and the grave. Stand with Jesus to win the lost to Christ before it is too late. “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13 A Word For Your Week: Take a strong stand for Jesus Christ and Christianity every day. As a kid growing up, I remember, and you may too, the little rhyme “Sticks and bones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Cute. But shame on our parents for lying to us!
Words can hurt. Deeply. Haunt us. For a long time. On the flipside words can heal. Make a positive difference in our lives that lasts for a lifetime. As a Christian who loves the Lord, His Word and the country I am blessed to reside in, I am very concerned for our culture. Our words toward one another hurt more than heal. What I call moral rot is imploding our society. Good, godly character is absent in so many. Though the economy is at all-time highs, private and public moral behavior has sunk to all-time lows. Our deeds and words in so many quarters are absent of dignity, decency and plain old respect for God and people made in His image. Sadly, and to our personal and national shame, our words are riddled with ridicule. Peppered with vile, virulent, vicious and violent connotations. Our words for others have degenerated into disgusting, disrespectful, demeaning, belittling, cruel, crass, crude, rude, profane speech. How easily people hurl insults, cast aspersions, falsely accuse and assassinate reputations and character with hateful speech. Our words, if we are not careful, can marginalize, vilify and even demonize others. America doesn’t have a grammar problem. Education won’t solve the spiritual problem we have of speaking evil from evil hearts. Does it matter that your words matter? Yes, it does. Words have tremendous power to make or break relationships. The Bible has some definite things to say about our words. Here are just four references worth thinking and praying about. “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 “But no man can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come blessing and cursing, My brethren, these things should not be this way.” James 2:8-10 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” Luke 6:45 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 Straight talk huh? Little comment necessary. What if you and I were diligent and disciplined to speak words according to Paul’s guidelines in Ephesians 4:29? Gracious words. Kind, caring words. Words that build up and encourage. Words that support. Words that extend people the benefit of the doubt. Words that bring out the best in others. Words that spur others on to success. If we would return to the Lord (II Chronicles 7:14) and speak godly words to each other, revival could commence. A refreshing wind of spiritual, emotional, and relational peace, joy and unity would sweep across the fruited plains! I will pray and vote for that! Watch Your Words
Words are a blessing or a curse. Which will you choose? Words that bless or words that curse? “Words that do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” Mother Teresa A Word For Your Week: Watch your words because your words matter. Do you ever become impatient with God and His plan for your life?
If you answered no, you have another problem...you aren’t telling the truth! All of us, including Steve Roll, from time to time, are plagued with impatience with our Christian journey. Patience with the process of walking with the Lord is not the strong suit of most believers. Honestly, you and I want everything our way, on our timetable while we walk with God.. Israel had an impatience problem. The Bible tells us in Numbers 21:4 “And the people became impatient because of the journey.” Numbers 21:4 On the way to the Promised Land (a promised, prosperous land from God who keeps promises!), God’s chosen people lost their patience. In the context of our verse for this week, Israel spoke against God and their leader Moses (verse 5). Their impatience with the journey caused them to question the Lord and His servant. Time and time again, as you follow their journey, Israel’s impatience caused problems for Moses and reaped negative consequences for the people. Ultimately, their lack of faith, fear of the future and impatience caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until the unbelieving, impatient generation died off. (See Numbers 13-14). The Israelis paid a horrific price for impatience. Before you and I judge Israel, it is a fact that you and I, like Israel, have an uncanny ability to torpedo God’s very best for us through the spirit of impatience. Too often we fail to persevere through the process that matures our faith and makes us like Christ. We wimp out when we should hang in there with the Lord’s perfect plan for our life. The perfecting (making whole, complete, mature, lacking nothing) of our faith is a process that requires patience and endurance. No patience…. No perfection. You and I can become impatient with pursuing a college degree, impatient with the dating, engagement and marrying process, impatient with receiving a promotion, impatient with servers in restaurants, impatient with rush hour traffic on the highway, impatient with word processers (like the one I am writing on now!), impatient with healing, restoration, provision or direction etc. We are tempted to become impatient when we experience setbacks, when progress crawls at a snail’s pace, when another Christian’s journey appears to be progressing faster than ours, when the harvest of our labor is less than expected, or when other people wonder why our life isn’t showing more fruitfulness and success. The fact you and I must face with faith is this: Our times are in God’s hands, not ours (Psalm 31:15). Meditate upon, chew on this thought for a moment: Who are you and I to be impatient with God’s plan for our lives? How dare we suggest that our Lord doesn’t know what He is doing because we become impatient with the process? God, and God alone, knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. So who am I to dictate the direction and duration of my faith walk with Him? He, not me, planned everyday of my life before even the first day existed (Psalm 139:16). This type of erroneous thinking that I know better than God sounds arrogant and presumptuous doesn’t it? Being patient with our journey requires faith. II Corinthians 5:17 declares “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Our faith walk is a walk of faith. Walking by sight instead of faith always creates impatience. Why? Because we don’t see what the eye of faith trusts God for. Impatience with our Christian journey says something about the maturity of our faith. Immaturity breeds impatience. Maturity cultivates a consistent patience with God and His plan for our life. Good news! You and I can be patient (yes patient!) with our Christian journey because our Heavenly Father knows where He is leading us and knows how to get us there. Questions We Need To Answer
The Christian life is a faith walk with God that spans a lifetime. So how is your journey going? Are you plagued with destination disease…or are you enjoying each step of your walk with Christ? Be patient, yes patient, very patient, with God’s process of perfecting your faith and enriching your journey with Jesus. Patience with God’s plan always pays temporal and eternal dividends! “In your patience (endurance) possess your souls.” Luke 21:19 (KJV) A Word For Your Week: Be patient with your faith journey in Christ. Imagine with me.
You have spent three incredibly amazing, utterly unbelievable, life and eternity changing years with the Son of God. One day Jesus announces He is going to leave the earth soon and you won’t be going with Him. What might you be feeling and thinking about that? Surely you are going to miss Him and wonder what life will be like without Him. What would you like/need to hear from Jesus before He departs? Thankfully you and I have the answer to that question in the Bible. In John 14:27 Jesus said to His faithful followers “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27 Jesus knew His earthly exit would create some fear and trepidation in the disciple’s hearts. Assuredly their faith would be severely tested. Trouble would find its way into their lives. Fear and anxiety of the future would be a constant companion in the days ahead. I believe Christ’s words to them at this critical transition time would help them live fearlessly in a fearful world. The Lord laid out for them three things that would help them live with fearless faith.
Fearless doesn’t mean absence of fear. It means when faced with fear, not to fear. The disciples, and all who follow the Lord Jesus Christ, can have a peace-filled, non-troubling, fearless faith. Fearless faith in Christ is committed, courageous, confident, contagious and conquers life. Four Steps To Fearless Faith
Jesus said not to fear, not to be troubled in your heart because He gives you His peace. That’s pretty good advice for you and me to follow every single day. Confession of Fearless Faith I am a fearless Christian! I will not be afraid of anyone or anything. I belong to God. His peace fills my mind and heart. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has defeated every fearful and hurtful thing that can come against me. Therefore, I choose right now to be fearless. I affirm my faith in Jesus. With the Holy Spirit’s help, I draw upon the spiritual power, unconditional, unlimited love of God, and the stability of my sound mind in Christ to conquer my fears in Jesus’ name. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27 A Word For Your Week: No need to fear because Jesus is near. Fear, anxiety, worry, doom and gloom pervade our weary old world.
Negativity clouds the atmosphere over mankind. The world you and I live in lies in the grip of gripers, groaners, and moaners. Complainers, grumblers, blamers and whiners abound. What is sad and shameful is that many of the most polished whiners are Christians. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul has something to say about how Christ’s followers should witness to a lost world searching for salvation. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14-15 Paul’s exhortation to all of us who confess Christ as our Lord and Savior is simply this: DON’T WHINE, SHINE! Paul hits the proverbial nail on the head. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Christians are to do all things (all things means ALL THINGS!) without whining! Christian character and conduct is to be whine free! Let’s be very honest brothers and sisters in Chris. There is so much whining, complaining, grumbling, groaning, disputing, criticizing and judging in the holy bride of Christ. So why shouldn’t Christians whine? Because they are supposed to SHINE! God’s people prove they are His by shining in a whining world. Whining is the way of the world. Complaining and grumbling is the order of the day. But Christians “appear as lights in the world”, a dark, lightless world whose generations are crooked and perverse. The children of God are to live above reproach (above accusation), be innocent and blameless—this proves we belong to God. The proof of who God’s people are is in shining, not whining! Christians are the real deal when they shine and don’t whine! It is time for some straight talk. I HAVE DONE MY SHARE OF WHINING AND I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF. Lord, forgive Steve Roll for whining when he should be shining. People who are lost and struggling hear enough whining from the world every day. They certainly don’t need to hear whining from God’s people. Aren’t we supposed to be different? Don’t we have a message of hope that changes lives for time and eternity? How in the world will whining win the lost to Christ and the Kingdom of God? Some Thoughts About Whining and Shining.
Chew on this for few moments. As a professing Christian, to whine is to thrust an ungrateful fist in the face of a good and gracious God. If the church worldwide, would repent of whining, grumbling and complaining, revival would break out across our globe! If you find yourself whining, do yourself and everyone else around you a great big favor and stop whining! That’s right. Make a conscious, deliberate decision to shine and not whine! Resolve with all your heart to be a shiner, not a whiner! It takes guts to leave whining ruts, but you can do it. Shiner or whiner, you decide. Fellow Christian let’s shine for Jesus at all times and not whine about anything. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 “Who is like the wise man who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam (makes his face shine).” Ecclesiastes 8:1 A Word For Your Week: Stop whining, start shining! |
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