Devotional

March 15, 2013

RENEW YOUR MIND

Two thought systems incompatibly collide, clashing within your mind. Earth-grounded-fleshly and Heavenly-Kingdom-centered are the options. Which will dominate your thoughts? You have the power to choose what you think. You are the rancher for your own mind so get those wayward thoughts herded back in the right direction.

I am proud daddy today. Yesterday, my daughter Rozy spoke to the incoming president of ORU, Dr. Billy Wilson (during his listening tour of the university). Rozy was asked to represent the ORU School of Education, and she shared from her heart about the mission of the school and the call upon her heart to be a transformed educator that will transform the lives of others. Great job, Girl! I am certain you did awesome! If I had pictures, I would certainly post them. None yet, so this recent pic of Rozy playing a game will work for now. Simons aren’t competitive; we just like to win!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

“Transformed” is a powerful word – like the change of caterpillar to butterfly or from tadpole to bullfrog – God’s Word is speaking of a radical, complete change from one form to another. Paul uses that same idea in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (HCSB), “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Allow the metamorphosis God wants within you. Don’t adopt the standards of this world, but allow Christ life to be formed within you. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within.” (Romans 12:2 PHILLIPS) Don’t let the media that floods your thoughts on a daily basis push you into thinking like a person without a personal Lord and Savior.

Here are seven practical guidelines for allowing TRANSFORMATION in your mind.

#1 Fix and focus your thoughts on God.

“So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe.” (Hebrews 3:1 MSG)
“Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” (Colossians 3:2 MSG)

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#2 Speak a determined “yes” to the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in your thought life.

“Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them – living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored. But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about.” (Romans 8:5-9 MSG)

#3 Submit your thoughts to God.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23 NLT)
“Lord, try me and test me; look closely into my heart and mind.” (Psalm 26:2 NCV)

#4 Ask God to reveal His thoughts.

“Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” (Isaiah 55:6-8 MSG)
“That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it-What God has arranged for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16 MSG)

#5 Take control of what you think.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV)
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8 MSG)

#6 Read and meditate on God’s Word.

“Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15 NLT)

#7 Be quick to obey and to act on God’s Word.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22 NLT)
“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner on solid rock…Make daily choices to change our wrong thinking and mindsets.” (Matthew 7:24 MSG)

Thinking and meditating upon God’s Word has a powerful impact on your thought life. If you apply God’s Word to your life, you will be transformed!

March 14, 2013

Whole Man

God created us in His very own image planning for humankind to live on earth and to fellowship with Him. He designed the human body to live in health and wholeness. God’s perfect plan was not that we suffer in physical, mental or spiritual weakness and sickness. Sin – the original sin of Adam & Eve and the sin of every human born since – marred God’s intention, but Scripture reveals God’s loving desire for us to be whole.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as your soul is getting along well.” (3 John 2 NIV)

This verse highlights the “whole man” philosophy I heard often as a student at Oral Roberts University. God is interested in the healing, wellness, and salvation of the whole person – spirit, mind and body. John prayed that his friend would enjoy good health as well as the wholeness of his spirit. John’s concern for Gaius provides biblical warrant for desiring total welfare of our Christian friends!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV) (“more abundantly” KJV)

The intent of satan is to kill and steal and destroy in any way he can. In an attempt to hurt God, satan hurts the people that the Lord made and redeemed for at such a high price. Jesus was intent upon destroying the works of satan (1 John 3:8). Jesus gives life in abundance and that includes abundant health.

God’s intent is that we live and prosper in total health as He originally created us to live. The Lord has good plans in mind for His children. Ultimately, relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to receiving God’s ability to be whole in our spirit, mind and body. Through Christ, He gives us new life for the spirit, mind and body.

March 13, 2013

If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?

Life is more meaningful when shared.

Patti is my very best friend. She knows me best and still loves me. Praise the Lord! I also get to labor alongside of friends at Valley Fellowship Church. “Fellowship” is so much more than just the middle name of our congregation. I get to lead a great church. I love my church family!

Do you have a friend who sticks by you even after getting to know you really well? A good friend will tell you your faults and foolishness when prosperity rolls, and assist you with a hand and heart when adversity strikes. A wise person fortifies his or her life with Godly friendships. Make friends before you need them!

Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT)

A healthy friendship has great benefits including (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12):

Success
Encouragement
Defense
Strength

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Here are four keys to help you become the friend other people want!

#1 A friend is trustworthy.

“No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.” (Proverbs 11:13 GNT)
“In the heat of an argument, don’t betray confidences; Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.” (Proverbs 25:9-10 MSG)

#2 A friend shares joys and sorrows and doesn’t desert in times of trouble.

“Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” (Proverbs 17:17 MSG)
“Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.” (Proverbs 18:24 NRSV)

#3 A friend communicates directly and honestly.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (Proverbs 17:17 NLT)
“If you and your neighbor have a difference of opinion, settle it between yourselves and do not reveal any secrets.” (Proverbs 25:9 GNT)
“You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.” (Proverbs 27:6 ERV)
“The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and so is good advice from a friend.” (Proverbs 27:9 NCV)

#4 A friend sticks up for you even when you’re not there and guards your reputation.

“You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong.” (Proverbs 17:9 CEV)
“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15 NIV)

A faithful friend will think of you when all others are thinking of themselves and will see you through when others see you as through. If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?

March 12, 2013

Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the City Where You Live

Obedience to God’s directives ensures God-promised hope and future.

As Judah spiraled into sin, popular opinion assumed the fall of Jerusalem impossible. False prophets gave false hope, but God’s true prophet Jeremiah declared, “Those prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They have been prophesying false visions, idolatries, worthless magic, and their own wishful thinking.” (Jeremiah 14:14 NCV) Jeremiah’s audience ignored his true message.

The Jewish people didn’t think God would judge them, but they were wrong. Near the end of the 7th Century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar and his brutal Babylonian army besieged and destroyed Jerusalem. The army carried away thousands of Judah’s best and brightest as slaves and deported many thousand more into exile in Babylon.

God loved His people too much to allow them to continue in their wicked ways. He loved them too much to abandon them. He loved them so much that He allowed the cruelty of the Babylon to discipline His people. He loved them so much that even at the moment of chastisement He had good plans in mind for His people.

Because of sin, God sent His people into captivity. They were refugees forced to start over from nothing. Removed from their Judean homes, they were banished to Babylon – a different climate, a different language, a different culture. The exiled people must have felt like life would never return to normal. But God wasn’t done with them; He promised a hope and future.

As the exiled Jews struggled to support themselves in strange new surroundings, prophetic lies began to surface. Jeremiah once again proclaimed God’s unadulterated message (chapter 29). The Lord censured the false prophets, “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them” (Jeremiah 29:8-9 NIV). Apparently, some were trying to foster resistance and rebellion to the Babylonian regime, but God had other plans for His people. Jeremiah’s letter provided welcome comfort and clear advice for the remnant eking out existence in exile.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NIV)

God told them to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, invest their lives, and create a growing presence in their new locale. Gardens provided food and provided a source of income which allowed the exiles to serve others, not just take from others. God wanted His people to marry and have kids, even in the midst of difficult times. “Increase; don’t decrease” was His command. Pray for the city in which God had placed them. Their prosperity was dependent upon the city’s prosperity.

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Pray for the safety of the city.
Pray for the politics of the city.
Pray for the people of the city.

No doubt the Jews in Babylon were surprised to hear Jeremiah echo the vocabulary of Psalm 122. Psalm 122 had been used for hundreds of years to inspire prayer for the prosperity of Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122:6-9 NIV)

Now, they are commanded to use the same prayer for Babylon.

More revolutionary still was the advice to seek the welfare (s?a?lo?m) of the Babylonian regime, to pray for its welfare and not its downfall. Jeremiah by these words cast the people completely adrift from all those things on which they depended and which they regarded as essential to their own well-being, a nation-state, kingship, an army, national borders, the temple. Without all these Yahweh could give the nation new perspectives and a new understanding of their calling. For the present the action lay in Babylon. Such advice would not have been easy to accept for people who had been carried off from their homeland by those for whom Jeremiah was asking them to pray. (The Book of Jeremiah, 1980, Jeremiah 29:1-32)

“This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29: 10-11 NIV)

Could the directives God gave to the exiled Israelis help you to walk into your hope and future?

March 11, 2013

Do Something Awesome

Every time I visit Tulsa, Oklahoma, I am inspired by the audacity of a Pentecostal preacher who believed God to establish a world-class university. Oral Roberts keep this motto on his desk: “Make No Little Plans Here”! Last weekend, my daughter Kimberlyn went with a group of students to visit Oral Roberts University. Yes, Patti and I would like for her to go to ORU; we met there! No, we are not forcing her to go, but she is feeling like God wants her to continue her education at ORU. I was happy when Kimberlyn said, “Dad, they are putting that statement all over the place.”

Here are four suggestions to help you accomplish something great for God’s Kingdom!

#1 PLAN PURPOSEFULLY

Forethought is important. Jesus says, “Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 NLT)

Even when God specifically spoke, “You are NOT the one to build me a house (1 Chronicles 17:4-12),” David planned for a gorgeous temple (1 Chronicles 22:2-19). David gathered materials, selected skilled laborers, and saved enormous quantities of gold and silver. He opened the door for Solomon to walk through successfully.

#2 PREPARE PRAYERFULLY

Today’s prayers release tomorrow’s miracles. Prayers can’t be answered until they are prayed. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6b NIV)

“Planning and prayer should be intimately related. Through prayer, our plans are expanded with God’s wisdom, ennobled by God’s holiness, and empowered through God’s providence. Planning that honors the Lord needs to be based on a prayerful recognition of God’s grace, sovereignty, and resources.” (What Does the Bible Say About, p. 301)

Karl Albrecht suggests replacing the word “planning” with the word “futuring” because you can only really plan when “you have certainty about the situation in which the actions will take place and nearly full control of the factors that ensure success in achieving your outcome.” (The Northbound Train, 1994, p.60-63) Only the Lord knows what tomorrow holds, so do your “futuring” with lots of prayer.

#3 PROCEED POSITIVELY

Attitude affects outcomes. Learn from the example of ancient Israel (1 Corinthians 10:6). Don’t grumble or you just might miss your Promised Land!

“Positive thinking must be linked to positive behavior for success to be the outcome. Positive behavior is diligent, honest, truthful, loving, kind, generous, persistent, and joyful. You can think you are wonderful—even righteously so—but if you fail to work, or to do what the Lord has put before you to do, you will never succeed.” (Success God’s Way, 2000, Charles Stanley)

#4 PURSUE PERSISTENTLY

Keep your feet on the ground but keep them moving forward.

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16 HCSB)
“Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 MSG)
“Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:10b-12a NIV)

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March 10, 2013

Looking For Love

Have you ever gone looking for love, or for acceptance, or to have your needs met outside of God’s plan for your life?

Do any of you remember Johnny Lee’s 1980 chart-topping-single “Looking for Love”? I didn’t see Urban Cowboy (the movie that introduced the song), but the song got LOTS of radio airplay on my school bus. I wasn’t a country music fan, but I can still recall the lyrics, “Looking for love in all the wrong places. Looking for love in too many faces, searching their eyes, looking for traces of what I’m dreaming of . . .”

The Old Testament offers a great example of someone who went looking in the wrong place. David had no business living in the land of the Philistines (1 Samuel 27, 29). Here are two big reasons for NOT living in Philistia:

David was already anointed to be king (1 Samuel 16). He couldn’t be killed and fulfill God’s plan.
God warned the Israelis of the dangers of close relations with sinful outsiders.

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David and his loyal band of misfits become pirates and liars while living in Philistia. Could the bad influence of the people around whom David chose to live be the reason nothing is said about God for the 16 months David lives in Ziklag?

I know that Saul repeatedly tried to kill David, but God delivered David every time. Why did David no longer trust God’s protection in Israel? I think David suffered from three common worries.

#1 “I’m not sure my needs will be met.”

#2 “I don’t want to get rejected by my peer group.”

#3 “I want to feel accepted or loved.”

David suffered from that internal need for acceptance – to the extreme he was willing to seek it from a Philistine king. David tried in vain to meet his own needs. David certainly got no sense of peace from King Saul but King Achish of Gath was the wrong place to go looking.

Too often people seek out the wrong folks for security. God hasn’t called you to live life outside the community of faith. David’s decision to seek acceptance outside of Israel ended horribly. Ultimately David and his men get rejected by the Philistines who refuse to fight alongside of them. David even gets rejected by his own men when they return from being rejected by the Philistines. Finally, David recognizes his mistake.

Even after his experience in Ziklag, David struggled with this same kind of concerns, but David takes his emotions to the right place. Instead of looking for love in the wrong place, David goes to the Lord directly. I appreciate David’s willingness to bare his unprocessed sentiments in open worship.

“O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 NLT)
“Quick, God, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, All the friends I depended on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; Lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues.” (Psalm 12:1-2 MSG)
“My God, my God, why have you deserted me? Why do you seem to be so far away when I need you to save me? Why do you seem to be so far away that you can’t hear my groans?” (Psalm 22:1 NIRV) Every human knows this concern. Jesus used the words from this Psalm while hanging on the cross.

Your circumstances may be quite different than David’s, yet you feel those same pressure points of worry and concern. What will you do with them? Take time today to read all of Psalm 10, 12, and 22. See how the Psalmist David learned to handle those raw emotions.

God is never threatened by your honesty in prayer and worship. He knows everything about you and still invites you to come to Him. Get God’s perspective on your life. Don’t look for love in the wrong place. You are called to respond in faith to trials and difficulties in life.

For more insight into David’s Ziklag experience, check out http://www.pastorgreg.org/distressed-3-sources-to-encourage-yourself/.

March 9, 2013

Be the Right Person

Do you want to have a great marriage? Prepare early and start now. Start praying for your spouse now. “But I am not married yet” is no excuse for not praying. “But I am already married” is no excuse for not praying. Get it? Start now!

Single but wanting to get married? Ask God what are the qualities and characteristics that He wants in your spouse. Don’t let go of your vision! Use those characteristics as a guide to find the person God-picked for you. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. As you believe and pray, expect God to refine those desires. Allow Him to adjust unrealistic or dysfunctional thought patterns inside of you. When God gives you insight into the qualities that He wants in your spouse, hold on to that picture.

Long before you are married, use that list to help you weed out the ones that don’t match up. I had several things I knew God wanted for me in a partner. That list helped me, confirmed that Patti was the one for me. I can still remember my excitement as a student at Oral Roberts University, when I knew that she was the one. Patti is beautiful inside and out! I love my wife.

Singles, keep your standards high and live those standards. If you want to marry the right kind of person, BE that right kind of person.

That axiom applies to you that are already married. If you wish to be married to the right kind of person, be that right kind of person. It’s the Golden Rule – do to others as you would have them to do you. It’s virtuous practice – to see the change, be the change. It’s righteous routine – be holy for God is holy. It’s seed faith living – give of yourself first and expect God’s return.

Married but wanting to see a change in your relationship? Ask God what are the qualities and characteristics that He wants in your life. Don’t let go of your vision! Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. As you believe and pray, expect God to refine those desires. Allow Him to adjust unrealistic or dysfunctional thought patterns inside of you. Start with yourself but also invite the Holy Spirit to do His transformational work in your spouse. If God gives you insight into the qualities that He wants in your spouse, pray and hold on to that picture, but don’t try to do the Holy Spirit’s job.

March 8, 2013

Worship Connects People to God

Valley Fellowship Church is a Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered congregation that actively pursues the manifest presence of the Lord. Each time we gather we expect to meet with God. Each time we assemble we anticipate God doing something special. Each time we come together we desire God to show up too.

Valley Fellowship values worship. A strong component of our spiritual DNA is worshipers experiencing God individually and collectively on a Sunday morning. Motivated worshipers give God glory even if the music isn’t perfect, even if the singers are out-of-tune, even if it’s cold outside, even if their favorite song isn’t included, even if the temperature inside isn’t ideal, even if the sound system is buzzing, even if others won’t. Enjoying powerful praise and worship is so much easier in a Spiritually-charged congregational atmosphere where the majority give God glory. Passion within the congregation lifts and inspires people to connect with God.

Our worship is a powerful tool for connecting people with God! Valley Fellowship’s worship communicates God’s presence in a relevant manner, and we want to enlarge the number of motivated worshipers. Our worship opens the door for lives to be changed!

I enjoy the music of Paul Baloche, a gifted song-writer, a many-year-veteran worship leader, and a very talented musician. We sing several of his songs including Hosanna, Your Name, Open the Eyes of Heart, and Our God Saves because his music and lyrics connect people with God’s presence. I also appreciate Baloche’s honest heart for worship. Check out Baloche’s www.leadworship.com where you can find printable music, training videos, and several articles that could be a blessing for you.

In the May 2008 edition of Focus on the Family magazine, Baloche highlights:

Worship is much more than 20 minutes of singing at a church service. What I try to model for my family and my church is that worship has more to do with relationship than it does with music. It is impossible to worship a living God — sacrificing our bodies, emotions, minds and hearts — and not have it affect all our relationships. Of course, I go through seasons when life is hard and relationships are difficult. On occasional Sundays, I stand before my church and just go through the motions. But I can’t do that for long. We can’t separate worship from relationship any more than we can separate intimacy from a healthy marriage. Just as intimacy wells up from the mutual respect and love within a marriage, worship springs from a surrendered and grateful heart.

True worship is birthed from a relationship with the living God of everything. Is the Lord your Heavenly Father? Are you His child? Do you worship from a surrendered and grateful heart? Does everything in your life reflect the surpassing greatness of my loving Heavenly Father? By examining your own life, you can better support worship that connects people with God’s presence. “I will proclaim the Name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!” (Deuteronomy 32:3 NIV)

Are you ready to worship on Sunday with a passion and sound that draws everyone who attends into God’s presence? Huntsville, I expect to see you Sunday at 8:30 or 10:00 AM!

March 8, 2013

Good Marriages Don’t Just Happen

Good marriages demand effort and attention. There is no magic trick to pull off a good marriage. If you want a good marriage, it takes work. A refrigerator can be plugged in the electrical outlet and run fine for years without maintenance, but marriage is NOT an appliance. Marriage is a God-ordained relationship that must be cultivated and cherished, never neglected.

Here are five areas that demand attention for a good marriage.

#1 PRAY TOGETHER: Release God to work in your marriage. You have not because you ask not. Pray together; stay together.

#2 TALK TOGETHER: Actually talk to one another about everything – feelings, frustrations, hopes, happiness. Turn off the media, look at one another, and have a conversation about life.

#3 EAT TOGETHER: Don’t let our society steal the connection that comes when people share food together. The early church benefited from eating together and you and your spouse will benefit too!

#4 PLAY TOGETHER: Play a game, watch movie, or take a walk. Spend time together on a short vacation. Do you share a hobby? When was your last date with your spouse?

#5 SERVE TOGETHER: Find an area where you and spouse can serve your local congregation together. Couples make great teams for evangelistic outreach, kids’ teaching, prayer ministry, usher helps, greeter smiles, nursery diaper-changing, mission trips, and more! Serve the House of God and serve your house. Share household responsibilities. Can you work together to get the house, the lawn, or the checkbook done?

Good marriages don’t just happen; they take work but God will help you. Allow the Lord to soften your heart.

March 7, 2013

OPEN DOORS, OPEN OPPORTUNITIES

Are you ready to share Christ? Let’s make it hard to go to hell from Huntsville, Alabama. I am praying for an outpouring from heaven that covers the Tennessee Valley and raises the spiritual water level of every Christ-honoring, Bible-believing church. I’ve seen God move amazingly outside the United States, but I want to see U.S. altars filled with lives being changed for Christ’s glory.

God wants to move, but we have a part to play. God has open doors, open opportunities for us to share His message.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 NIV)

Have you prayed today? Have you asked God to use you to share Christ today? To be an effective messenger, spend time with Jesus Christ. Let your words be an overflow of a heart passionate about Christ. Maintain daily, intimate relationship with the King of the universe. Pray! Ask the Lord for lives to be changed. Prepare your heart and intercede for the lost. Talk to the Lord about your pre-Christian friend – then talk to your pre-Christian friend about the Lord.

After you have prayed and asked the Lord to use you – be alert! Be watchful during the roughly 160 hours a week you are awake and encountering other people. I have found that praying in the Spirit helps my sensitivity. You need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit – NOT YOU – will inspire a person to change. It’s His job, not yours. Be sensitive to the unction of the Holy Spirit and thankful for where the Holy Spirit has placed you.

Gratitude and joy are attractive. Be thankful! A wrong attitude will rob you of sensitivity. Don’t grumble about where you are. God can use you in the daily routine of your life.

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Colossians 4:3 NIV)

Are you looking for open doors? Don’t open the door yourself. Let God open the door. Wait on Him but wait alertly! Pray and be alert to know when a door opens. Attentive to the many opportunities God has prepared.

The Holy Spirit can tell you NOT to share. Do you realize that at times Paul was forbidden to preach the Word (Acts 16:6)? Sensitivity is required. The Lord said “no” to Asia, “no” to home, “no” to Bithynia, but “yes” to Macedonia. Paul has a vision in the night (Acts 16:9-10). He must have been awake to see a vision, instead of a dream. Could he have been spending a sleepless night seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Paul and his companions obeyed and walked through the door open by the Lord. Later, Paul proclaimed, “When I arrived in Troas to proclaim the Message of the Messiah, I found the place wide open: God had opened the door; all I had to do was walk through it” (2 Corinthians 2:12 MSG).

“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Colossians 4:4 NIV)

Is your message clear? Avoid religious terminology that is not a part of your natural vocabulary. Share the story of how Jesus Christ changed your life.

Remember to listen – I mean, REALLY listen. Your message will hit home when you listen. Don’t get so caught up mentally in the plan you have memorized that you are preparing your next sentence while the person is sharing.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6 NIV)

WISE REMINDERS:

#1 God has not called you to present a plan of salvation to every person you see today. But that is not excuse for neglecting the one to whom you ARE to share Christ.

#2 Don’t beat a person over the head for habits that offend you. You needed forgiveness, too.

#3 Avoid getting pulled into an argument. Make the issue Jesus Christ. Don’t win an argument and lose the person. Please, don’t muddy the water for the next person who tries to fish in that pond. Your goal is to win people, not arguments.

#4 You don’t have to study other religions in order to share Christ. The issue is Jesus Christ because He ONLY is the way, the truth, and the life. Share what you know!

#5 You are not called to bring every person to a decision. Sometimes you plant; sometimes you water; sometimes you reap.

“Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.” (Colossians 4:2-4 MSG)