Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the tools used to keep us from following God's direction for our life. What is it that you were suppose to do yesterday? last week? last year? or 10 years ago? If we just do what God wants us to do when He tells us to do it or be what God wants us to be when He want us to be it, we will find that we bring Him more glory in the process. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Take time to sit at the table with God, allow Him to incline your heart to Him, get your directions from Him and then obey Him. Quit wasting your life.

Oh, here's the picture!

Spirit of God

I am sure there have been times in my ministry when I felt like I did last night, but I do not remember it. As I delivered God's message last night I felt more in tune with the Spirit of God than any other time that I can remember while preaching. I told Mary Anne last night that it was kind of like an outer body experience. I know that sounds crazy, but I felt that the Spirit of God was controlling everything I was saying. If you were there, I hope you did not take the message lightly. God is up to something in many people's lives at HC and other places. There are others that have determined to walk at a safe distance is best. My prayer is the same as Paul's was for the Colossians:

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:9-10, ESV). 

May we walk together in unity seeking to be all God desires us to be. 

WORDS

Just doing a quick search on the internet reveals that many have studied how many words people say a day. Most of the studies end up with men speaking about 2000 words a day and women 7000 words a day (women say that is because they have to repeat everything to the men at least twice). But words are powerful. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits”. Furthermore, it says “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18, ESV). James had much to say about the tongue and concludes with “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison”. (I am guessing James had someone say something really mean before writing his letter.)

So, men have 2000 chances on average and women 7000 chances on average to bring healing and help.

Proverbs 15:4 Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim. (The Message)

Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (ESV)

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY TODAY!

I'm A Genius

The first call I got on the phone Monday morning was very encouraging. The person on the other end said you are a genius. Now, those who know me best, or at all, knows that is a bit of a stretch. The caller went on to say that when I had the idea of LIFEgroups, I was a genius. Why? Because it is a place where relationships are developed, nurtured and intertwined. There is something special that happens when a group of believers, disciples, Christians, get together and eat, pray, study, laugh, and cry together. Here is the deal on my genius. If each of us would just obey Christ no matter what anyone says, He makes us look smarter than we are. He is the genius. Most of us need more than a sermon or a lesson. We need friendships without the masks.

SEX, SEX, SEX and more

Every person over the age of 16, maybe younger, should have to listen to this sermon on SEX. It is 1:02 long but you will waste that much time today. I challenge you or dare you to listen. Whichever prompts you to listen. It is David Platt the pastor of The Church @ Brook Hills.

You can click here and listen or download the sermon Sex in Salvation History at itunes.
That is the SEX, SEX, SEX part.

Here is the "more" part.
Today, devotion from My Utmost for His Highest goes right along with the sermons I have preached the past two weeks. Please click here and read.

Have a great week.

Flexible

Yesterday Rick Warren entered the following on Twitter.

“Study the STOPS of Jesus, not just his step -the interruptions he allowed. Every healing was an interruption! R U flexible?”

Flexibility – that is what God desires. As we seek to follow Him we might not enjoy every direction He calls us to travel. It was evident in the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus was not looking forward to the next few days (Matt 26:38-39, but He remained flexible in God’s hands (Matt 26:42). As Jeremiah put it, we need to remain as clay in the potter’s hand (Jer 18). Flexibility is what God desires from us. He knows better than we what our day, week and lives hold.

What if Jesus did not stop when He was interrupted? What opportunities would have been missed? How many opportunities have we missed because we refused to be flexible to God’s call in and on our lives?

One of the greatest quotes I have ever read was from Elizabeth Elliott.

“When the will of God and the will of man collide, someone has to die.”

Who is dying in your life today? You? Or God?

At the Table

There is another great story from 2 Samuel that I did not cover at our WOW Wednesday last night. It is one of Ricky’s favorite stories of the Old Testament. It is the story of Mephibosheth (I will use Meph for the rest of this blog.) from 2 Samuel 9.

David’s best friend was Jonathan, Saul’s son. David had made a covenant with Jonathan that he would remember his family (1 Sam 20:14-15). Meph is Jonathan’s crippled son. Meph refers to himself as a “dead dog” (v8). He realizes he does not warrant anything from David. David gives Meph everything that belonged to Saul (v9). Here we see the power of a covenant. David gives Meph permanent access to eat at the Kings table (v10).

 Here is a type we see here of Christ.

• Meph was shown grace by David. So were we by Christ…
• Meph had done nothing to warrant such treatment. Neither had we…
• Meph could not do anything himself – he was a cripple. Neither can we…
• Meph benefited from a covenant made. So did we…
• Meph was dependant on David. We are dependant on Christ…
• Meph enjoyed what he did not deserve for the rest of his life. So can we…
• Meph always ate at the kings table. So do we…
• Never forget you are just a cripple sitting at the Kings table.