Being Patriotic

Be careful with patriotism. Being patriotic can also include being selfish and arrogant. At its best, patriotism can include a level of pride that doesn't acknowledge God.

Being Saved

People talk of being "saved." The problem with just believing in Jesus as the Messiah is that people often don't comprehend the work of the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian is more than just believing. (Even the demons have accomplished that!) Rather being a Christian involves true repentance from all sinful ways and true surrender to Christ in obedience. Without those things, so called "believers" are incomplete - and their salvation may not be as secure as they would like to think!

Problem Talk

We can always tell God about our problems. However, it may be more effective to tell our problems about God. Rejoicing in times of trouble is an incredibly effective life tool. Why is that? It is because when we are overwhelmed with our problems, reminding them of who God is the best way to put them in their place - and put God in His rightful place.

What's Important

It is always important to know God's will for us and to align our motives, direction and objectives with His. Ironically, it is equally imporant to know what God does not want us to do and where he does not want us to go!

God's Evidence

God never leaves Himself without at least one witness. There is always evidence of God in our midst and in our circumstances. Are you noticing it?

Obedience & Risk

Sooner or later, true obedience to God involves taking risks. The more obedient one is - the greater the risks he or she will be taking.

Dealing With Truth

When confronted by a disturbing truth, people often turn away and refuse to listen. But if we turn away from truth that the Holy Spirit has used someone else to confront us with, we are in danger of pushing God's truth so far away that it cannot transform us.

Or didn't you know that truth has a purpose?

Anger

Anger is like a double-edged sword. Used improperly it can can wound and destroy. But godly anger has a different look and purpose. It accomplishes much.

So what is the difference? Well, I notice that Jesus' anger accomplished much. But His anger was never about what was happening to Him. He was mistreated, misjudged, slighted, cheated, mocked, and even murdered. None of those things ever made Him angry. Isn't that odd?

How does that contrast with the things that make us angry?

Jesus got angry when people weren't showing proper respect and reverence for God. He also got angry when people were oppressing, cheating, hurting or otherwise taking advantage of the poor, the helpless, the sick, the children.

So it would seem that the anger I feel over the things you do to me is not godly and could never accomplish much. But anger I feel over the things you do to others is godly and could accomplish much. Now, will I take the time to discern the difference and apply myself accordingly?

Accomplishments

It is a human tendency to over estimate what we can accomplish ourselves and to under estimate what we can accomplish by truly teaming with others. I think it is the complexity of relationships that causes us to think, "I should just do this myself."

But what would a fool say?

God's Leading

Often we think the Holy Spirit (God) is leading us one way or another. We must be careful though, not to confuse our subjective feelings with the Spirit's leading. Being led by the Holy Spirit involves desire to hear God's Word and the readiness to obey God's Word. Moreover, it involves the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and His promptings?

Many have made choices based on how they thought God was leading them. Unfortunately, even the most spiritually mature will find themselves wondering, "What did God say? What did I hear?" And they begin to question what was really leading them - God or their own selfish desires. We must get better at questioning that before making our choices in life.

Love's Motivation

Love for others and for God is the response of those whom God has forgiven.

When we are not motivated by love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for the good in them. Instead, we focus on their faults and flaws. We focus on their wrongs. We don't forgive.

Is love then not possible without forgiveness?

Spotting Lies

A twisting of the truth is considerably more difficult to spot than an outright lie.

How then are we to keep from being deceived?

Religious Wrong?

In a free society, people must have a right to their religious opinions. but this doesn't guarantee that their ideas are right.

So religious freedom really just gives everyone the right to be wrong.

New Options

There is nothing so exhilarating as knowing that new options await. It fuels the anticipation that those new options will produce a better life. So it is fair to say that having options seems to give us hope in the future.

Good Old Age?

A life without God is likely to produce bitterness, loneliness and hopelessness in old age.

Growing In God

We learn more about God and are drawn closer to Him in difficult times than in times of prosperity.

It is said that everyone has a price. But those who are truly wise and godly cannot be bought at any price.

Bribes and extortion are used to hurt those who speak the truth --- and to help those who oppose the truth.

Meaningful Words

I have noticed that the more words we speak (or write), the less meaning each of those words has. I think then that it is better to be a man of few words.

Satisfying Work

Work done with the wrong attitude will leave us empty. When we are feeling unfulfilled in our job then, it is probably not that job that's the problem!

We must look beyond the things that we do in life to the reasons that we do them. We must look to the purposes that they fulfill in us. Even worthy pursuits can be futile with the wrong motives.

Death's Sifting

The certainty of death makes all human achievements futile. The only lasting legacy is achievement of the spiritual being that each of us are. What is your spiritual being accomplishing?

Life's Desires

Life without God is a long and fruitless search for enjoyment, meaning and fulfillment. This happiness (or any of these things) is not within human power to attain though. Our sin nature means we will always want more - and never be satisfied. Only God can calm that insatiable desire (for more) in a man or a woman.

Worry

Worrying about things to come shows that you do not really trust God with your circumstances.

This is not a judgment. Rather it is a call to repentance.

Pride & Generations

Price often keeps older people from trying to understand younger people. But it is also pride that keeps young people from listening to those who are older (and wiser).


Who could know that pride is the root of the generation gap mankind continues to struggle with?

Sin of Believers

God most often allows believers to sin and then experience the consequences. He does this for several reasons:

1. To show us our own potential for sinning.
2. To encourage us to turn from sin and encourage us to focus on Him.
3. To prepare us for even stronger temptation to come.

Even believers need this earthly discipline (judgment) in order to grow in Christ.

Peace's Secret

Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict. And we think of peace-making as a passive role (i.e., "have a peaceable spirit"). But an effective peace-maker actively pursues peace by building good relationships. He (or she) knows that peace is a by-product of commitment. So the real peace maker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise or are encountered, they are readily dealt with out in the open before they grow into unmanageable or explosive (i.e., divisive) dilemmas.

Making peace can be harder than waging war. But it is worth it.

Become vs. Overcome

We often like to think and talk about what we become in the future. but in the present, our duty to God is to overcome. So in reality - we must overcome in order to become!

So stop thinking and talking about what you'll become. What have you overcome? What are you overcoming now? What will you overcome? The answers to those questions point to whom you will become.

Bad Luck

There are a variety of reasons why bad things happen to good people. But one possible cause is our own unpleasant behavior or poor choices. It may take careful thought or wise counsel to determine the real cause of our suffering.

Salvation's Basis

The basis for our salvation is our belief in Jesus Christ. But the basis for our judgment is how we have lived. Do you know the difference between salvation and judgment? Shouldn't you?

Real Values

When we are in pain or our lives are threatened, our real values clearly show up. This is why the behavior of people in a disaster tends to deteriorate - their real values get exposed by their desperation.

God's Grace

The good news is that God's compassion, mercy and grace toward us are not limited by our faithfulness to Him.

Think of Me

I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and in my message. In other words, when you draw conclusions about me, make sure they're based on facts and reality. Don't be deceived about who I am.