God Can Be Confusing Sometimes

I find that God can really be confusing sometimes.  There are specific things we are told that we aren't to do throughout the Bible and yet we find exceptions to so many of the rules.  One example that comes to mind is where King David and his men are really hungry so they go into the temple and eat the bread, or something like that.  It was one of those things that is usually punishable by death and yet this time God lets it slide.

Here are a couple more example from the story about Samson. 

Judges 14:1-4(NKJV)

1Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 

2So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

3Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”

4But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

We've seen how when the Israelites took possession of the promised land they didn't quite drive out or kill all other peoples even though that was what God had told them to do.  We also know that God didn't want them to inter marry because the Israelis would be led to serve other gods.

So Samson's parents were obviously troubled when he wanted a Philistine wife.  Their immediate reaction was that they shouldn't do that.  And there was no question in their minds that they were right because they knew Gods commands. 

And yet this time they were wrong.  This time it was actually part of God's plan.  How were they to know?  I'll get to that in a minute.

Judges 14:6-9(NKJV)

6And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

7Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 

8After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 

9He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

Wait a minute.  Isn't one of those things you don't do touching dead bodies?  Doesn't that make one unclean?  And yet Samson scoops some honey out of this dead carcass and eats it.  This figures very prominently in the rest of this part of the story.  Now again, how are we to know?

I believe that this is why it is so important to have the Holy Spirit to guide you.  If something seems contrary to what you have read in the Bible I think you are right to to immediately doubt it just as Samson's parents did.  But I also think this is a small warning that even when we "know we are right" about something like this that we check in with God before proceeding, just to make sure.  This is where you have to listen to the Holy Spirit. 

Now how do you get the Holy Spirit?  By accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior.  By asking Jesus to come into your life and guide you.  How does He guide you?  By providing you with the Holy Spirit after you ask Him in.  The Holy Spirit will be that quiet little guiding voice deep in side you. 

If you haven't accepted Jesus yet, why not do it right now?  Just ask Jesus to come into your life and guide you.  Just have a conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus…."

Now one final thing from the story of Samson.

Judges 14:18(NKJV)

18So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down:      “What is sweeter than honey?     And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them:      “If you had not plowed with my heifer,     You would not have solved my riddle!”

Dude, I don't care how big and tough you are or how mad you are, probably not a good idea to go around calling your wife a cow!   :)

Ideas, Visions, and Revelations

Going back to our What Leads To Success theme, we come to the word Idea.  Along with the word idea I am going to use vision and revelation.

Have you ever had a vision or revelation from God?  An idea or realization that just pops into your head?  It's when the proverbial light bulb clicks on and we get it.  If you have spent much time reading the Bible you have probably experienced one of those moments.  You read a certain Scripture for the 20th time and all of a sudden it makes sense when it never has before. 

We know that God will provide those ideas, visions, and revelations in regard to His Word so that we can better understand His plan for our lives.  But what about in other areas of our lives?  Will He provide ideas, visions, and revelations in other areas of our lives as well?

I believe the answer is a resounding yes. 

Let's start with this Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16-17(NKJV)

16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 

17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We are promised that God will equip us for every good work.  Is the work you are doing good in God's eyes?  Would getting new ideas and revelations on how to do it better be an example of God equipping you?  Then I think it is safe to say that He will do that for us in all areas of our lives.

I'm sure we have all had the experience where an idea pops into our head for a new or different product.  We never act on it but then we see it or something like it being advertised on TV.  And we think to ourselves, "Darn, I had that idea first, I should have acted on it.  Oh well, who knew?". 

Well apparently God did.  He's the one that gave you the idea to begin with.  God has more ideas that will lead to blessings than we could ever imagine.  All we have to do is have the courage to follow the ideas, the vision that God gives us. 

I believe the idea realm works like the story of the talents.  The more ideas you act on when God gives them to you, then the more ideas He will give you.

So next time God gives you a new idea realize what it is.  A blessing from God.  Have the courage to follow God's idea which will allow Him to add blessings to your life!

The Humanity of Christ - Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate Christ's birth it takes on new meaning to our family this year because we are first time grandparents.  It's been so much fun watching a newborn grow.  It helps me to realize the fullness of Christ's humanity. 

Just think, Christ was born a baby and had to grow up like the rest of us.  You know as God it would have been a whole lot easier to just pop down here as Christ already in His late twenties ready to start His ministry.  He could have simply bypassed all of that growing up stuff, but He didn't.  He took on the full human experience so that He knows exactly what we go through.    

If God is willing to go that far for us, how far should we be willing to go for Him?  Is it too much to ask that we believe in His Son Jesus Christ?  I don't think so.  Have you accepted Jesus yet?  Christ took on the whole human experience for us, why not give the whole Christian experience a try for Him.  I promise you that you'll be glad you did. 

Just simply ask Jesus to come into your life and take over.  Just have a heartfelt conversation with Him.  "Dear Jesus…".

Every year we used to gather the family around and read the Christmas Story from the Bible.  Here are the verses that we read.  I hope they will be as much of a blessing to your family as they have been to ours.

Merry Christmas from The Common Christian!

The Christmas Story

Luke

5  In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

6  Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.

7  But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

8  Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

9  he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10  And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

13  But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

14  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

15  for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.

16  Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.

1. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

23  When his time of service was completed, he returned home.

24  After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

25  "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

26  In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

28  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

31  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

37  For nothing is impossible with God."

1. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Matthew

18  This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

19  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

22  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23  "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

24  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Luke

39  At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,

40  where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.

41  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42  In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

43  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

46  And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord

47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48  for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49  for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.

50  His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

51  He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

53  He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

54  He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful

55  to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

1. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

2:1  In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3  And everyone went to his own town to register.

4  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

12  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

17  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

2. and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Matthew

2:1  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

2  and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

3  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

4  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

5  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:

6  "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

7  Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

8  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

10  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

God Just Makes Me Smile Sometimes

Judges 10:3-5(NKJV)

3After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 

4Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called £“Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 

5And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

I love all of the things the Bible can teach us.  It's great to study it looking for all of these deep important lessons that will improve our lives.  I'm always on the look out for hidden meanings.  Always looking for hidden symbolisms. 

That's why this verse made me chuckle.  So there was this guy who had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkey and they also had 30 towns and now they are all dead and gone.  The end. 

What?  What could possibly be the significance of those things?  What do they mean?  After puzzling over it a while I just started to smile.  I believe it was a way for God to say "Lighten up.  Not everything in here has deep meaning.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.   Don't try to force it.  Don't try to find the meaning.  Relax and read.  Let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what I want you to get from this.".

Wow!  See how our humanity has such a tendency to sneak in there even when we are trying to do good.  We always want to be in control.  I'm in the Bible consistently and that is good.  Unfortunately without even realizing it I had gone from being in the Word so that God could reveal to me what  I needed, to pouring through the Word of my own accord.   Trying to find God's revelations to me through my power to search and find instead of relying on His power to reveal to me through the Holy Spirit.  Does that make sense? 

God is just too cool!  "Dear Lord, thank you for the 2X4 upside the head.  Got it!  Amen."

You Made Your Bed Now Lie In It

Did you know that some times you can go to far and tick God off to the point that He says "too bad for you, no answered prayers today!".  In other words, you made your bed now lie in it. 

Judges 10:11-14(NKJV)

11So the Lord said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? 

12Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and £Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. 

13Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 

14Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

So what is the best way to make sure that doesn't happen?  Ask Jesus to be your guide.  If you haven't done it yet, why not do it today?

Great Catch...Oh No He Fumbled It!

Judges 8:22-27(NKJV)

22Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

23But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 

When I read that I though "Yeah Gideon, way to go.  Turning down the chance to be king and directing the Israelites back to God. ". 

Sometimes when I am watching football I will see a guy make a great catch, and then just as quickly lose control and not complete the catch.  You know the feeling you get when you see that happen?  That is how I felt as I read the next part.

24Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

25So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. 

26Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 

27Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

To complete the football analogy, he makes the catch and with the best of intentions he's fighting for more yardage and he fumbles the ball, Oh no!

The first part demonstrates to me that Gideon's heart was in the right place.  He turns down the opportunity to be King and directs them back to God.   So when he asked for the earing's I don't think he was seeking to enrich himself at all.  I think that he thought he was doing a good and honorable thing in building this memorial for what God had done for them. 
 

Unfortunately he may have forgotten something else.  Didn't God warn against building alters other than in the temple or something like that?  What happened is that people started worshipping it instead of God. 

Here is the lesson that I draw from this.  We need to be ever careful that we stay focused on God.  What's the best way to do that?  By asking Jesus to come into your life and guide you.  Have you done that yet?  If not then why not right now?  Have a conversation with Jesus right now.  Simply ask Him to take control.  "Dear Jesus…."

Do You Drink Like A Dog?

Judges 7:4-8(NKJV)

4But the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 

5So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 

6And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 

7Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” 

8So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

Isn't it interesting that God tests us and chooses those who He wants to help Him do miraculous things.  Notice that not everyone gets that opportunity.  I'm sure that depending on the situation, God is looking for different things at different times but the thing that I want you to notice is that God doesn't call everybody to do everything.

Why do you think God does it that way?  Here is an explanation.

Judges 7:2-3(NKJV)

2And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 

3Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.

There it is in a nutshell.  If God called us to do only those things that we already feel equipped and able to do, where is the glory for God in that?  It's when He calls us to do the impossible and we step up and do it that God's glory can really shine through us.

A lot of the stuff we do for God on our own is pretty easy.  It's the things we gladly volunteer for.  But every now and then God calls us to do things.  Have you ever noticed that the things God calls us to do are usually harder then the things we volunteer for?  Not only are they harder but a lot of times they are things that we don't feel especially equipped for and so the calling is pretty uncomfortable and scary. 

That's part of God's plan.  When we accept God's call to do things that we don't feel especially equipped for it is just another concrete way of demonstrating our faith in God's promises that He will provide all we need to successfully do whatever it is that He has called us to do.

So the next time you feel God calling you to do something impossible, as I've said many times in the past, answer the call.  And now here is the next step.  When you answer the call and do what God called you to do, make sure that He gets all the glory!

Why Is That?

Joshua 24:31(NKJV)

31Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

And then they started to fall away.  It's a cycle that repeats itself over and over and over again.  Why do you think that is?  Here is my guess.  It has to do with the personal witness and experience.

In court the most persuasive testimony is the eye witness.  They were there.  They saw it happen.  So all you have to do is listen to them and decide if you believe them or not.  The farther removed you are from the eye witness testimony, the easier it is to doubt, to question.

It's no different with our faith.  As we read about these things in the Bible it can be easy to question because after all, we don't know these people.  If it had been us or our parents that had been the eye witnesses we would be much less likely to doubt.  Does that make sense?

That is why the personal relationship with Jesus is so important.  Once you accept Christ and begin to build that relationship with Him, we are no longer taking someone else's testimony about Him.   We know Him personally and it makes it so much easier to keep the faith.

How about you?  Do you have that personal relationship with Jesus yet?  All it takes is a simple prayer asking him lead and guide your life.  Go ahead, have a conversation with Jesus.  It's easy.  "Dear Jesus…"

We Count Them Blessed Who Endure

The next word on our What Leads To Success list is persist.  Some other words would be endure, hang on,  and my favorite; perseverance.  God has a lot to say about this through the Bible.  Let's start with one of my all time favorite passages.

Romans 5:3-5(NKJV)

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

There are two things that I take from this passage.  God is big on perseverance.  Not because He likes to see us struggle but because there is a purpose.  The purpose is that it is a part of a chain of events leading to God.  Let's look at some of the other verses.

Luke 11:5-8(NKJV)

5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 

6for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 

7and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 

8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Here God shows us an example of how persistence can help us get what we want or need.

Romans 8:24-25(NKJV)

24For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 

25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Perseverance is part of how we demonstrate our faith to God.  He gives us promises and while we may not see them fulfilled exactly as we expected when we expected, we continue to believe in His promises. 

2 Corinthians 12:12(NKJV)

12Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. 

Great things are accomplished through perseverance.  The story about Thomas Edison having 10,000 failed experiments on his way to inventing the light bulb. 

James 5:11(NKJV)

11Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

And we all know the story of Job.  Talk about perseverance.

2 Peter 1:5-6(NKJV)

5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 

6to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 

Here again we see perseverance as part of another chain of events in God's plan.  Perseverance leads to godliness.

Revelation 3:10(NKJV)

10Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 

And finally God promises to those of us who persevere that He will protect us in the final days!

Are You Kidding Me???

Judges 4:6-8(NKJV)

6Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 

7and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?”

8And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”

When I read this passage, the title was my first thought.  Are you kidding me?  Your going to over ride God's plan?  Your going to bargain with God?  Your going to tell God (in this case indirectly through the prophetess) "I'll do it but only on this condition."   Really?

I've written in the past about my belief that when God calls you should answer the call.  And the more uncomfortable that call makes you the more important it is to answer that call because God has identified an area of your life that He would like to help you grow in.  Well let me add to that.

I would strongly recommend that when God calls, not only do you answer the call but you do it His way!  If it was important enough that God assigned this task specifically to you then have enough faith that He has thought this thing through and He will equip you with all you need to accomplish the task.   God has promised us that! 

The Power of the Personal Testimony

I've written in the past about my belief in the power of the personal testimony.  Instead of trying to beat someone over the head with a Bible until they believe, simply share what your faith means to you and what God has done in your life in your own words. 

Well in addition to that being a great way to share your faith, it is also a great way to build and reinforce your own faith.  It's cool to hear what others have been through and how God has done miraculous things in their lives.  It's also interesting reading about the struggles others go through as part of their faith walk.  It let's us know that we aren't alone.

I ran across an interesting article on FB this weekend.  It was about Bono, the front man for U2.  I knew he was a spiritual person who has worked very hard for the poor but I didn't realize he was actually a Christian.  I found the interview to be a really interesting, uplifting, and thought provoking read and I hope you enjoy it as well!

(Click to read article)

  

What's The Deal With Diligence?

The next thing that leads to success is focus.  Focus like a laser beam.  Nose to the grind stone and all of that. 

Really?  That sounds like work.  Are you surprised?  It is work.  Or more importantly, focused work. 

 The other day I wrote about work and we started in Genesis.  Guess what.  We're going to start there again.  We always look to God for the example and He has provided it right from the beginning.  Take a look. 

Genesis 2:1-2(NKJV)

1Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 

2And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 

Now remember this is God we are talking about here.  He can do anything he wants.  Time is on His side as they say.  He could just work a little here, take a break, work a little there.  You know what I mean?  Nobody put a deadline on creating the world, but how did God do it? 

He worked for 6 days and then He rested.  He applied six focused  days of work to get the job done, and THEN He rested.  In other words He was focused on His work. 

In doing a search of the Bible for this post I couldn't  find a single example of God or Jesus yelling "Come one people, let's focus!".  I did however find many times where God does tell us to be diligent which is another way of saying the same thing. 

Proverbs 8:17(NKJV)

17    I love those who love me,     And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Notice that God promises that those who seek Him diligently will find Him.

Does that mean that those that seek Him only half heartedly might not find Him?  Sounds that way to me.

Proverbs 10:4(NKJV)

4    He who has a slack hand becomes poor,      But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Proverbs 12:24(NKJV)

24    The hand of the diligent will rule,      But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

Proverbs 13:4(NKJV)

4    The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;      But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Proverbs 21:5(NKJV)

5    The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,      But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

Proverbs 27:23(NKJV)

23    Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,      And attend to your herds;

Notice the theme here?  Why did God feel the need to say it so many times, so many ways?  Could it be an indication of the importance of the message? 

There is another meaning to focus as well.  That is center.  When you are the focus of something you are the center. 

John 19:18(NKJV)

18where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 

Isn't that interesting.  Jesus is the center.  And guess what?  If you focus on Jesus as the center of your life He will help guide you to the success in your life that He already has planned for you.  So what are you waiting for?  Stay focused on Jesus and enjoy the journey!

Give War A Chance

As I shamelessly borrow the title of PJ O'Rourke's book for this blog post. 

Sometimes experience is not only the best teacher, it is the only teacher when it comes to learning certain things.  In this example God uses the experience of war to teach the Israelites something.

Judges 2:7(NKJV)

7So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. 

Judges 3:1-3(NKJV)

1Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan 

2(this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), 

3namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 

Notice in Judges 2 that the Israelites follow God as long as all of the eye witnesses are alive but once they have all died off the Israelites start to drift off to serving other gods.  The further you get away from the miraculous events time wise, the less real it seems to the people and so the easier it is to doubt.  So what is God's solution?

The younger Israelis are going to have to learn from experience.    Many of the miraculous things that the older generation had seen were on the battlefield and so God is going to use that tool again to reach the next generation.  In this case learning from others experience just isn't getting the job done.

You know what else you really have to learn from experience?  FAITH!  That's right, faith.  Faith is like a muscle.  It has to be exercised to grow.  You start by watching your faith being fulfilled and rewarded in something small and then you have the faith the believe in something bigger.  And once you see your faith again rewarded you have faith in something even bigger.  Faith is just one of those things that you can't learn about without experiencing in my opinion.

So where do you start if you want to build your faith?  My suggestion is that you start by having faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  Invite Jesus into your heart to lead you and guide you along the path that God has prepared for your life.   It's a small leap of faith but it is the most important leap of faith you will ever take. 

Are you ready?  Just have a little conversation with Jesus.  Ask Him to lead you.  "Dear Jesus…"

But Rather Let Him Labor

Another of the things that leads to success is work.  Yep good old fashioned work.  Hard work.  Let's start at the beginning.    

Genesis 2:1-2(NKJV)

1Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 

2And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 

What lessons can we draw from this passage?  Number one, God worked.   As I wrote yesterday Scripture tells us that we are made in the image of God.  God worked so I figure it is probably a good thing for us to do as well.  Also notice that Scripture specifies that it was work that God did Himself, he didn't contract it out to others. 

Lastly God worked hard.  Really, really hard.  How do we know that?  Because it said that God rested.  Now come on.  We're talking about God here.  How can He be tired?  The only thing I can think of is that God worked his tail off! 

Let's look at what else Scripture tells us about work.

Proverbs 10:16(NKJV)

16 The labor of the righteous leads to life,      The wages of the wicked to sin.

Lots of good stuff here.  How does the labor of the righteous lead to life?  I can think of several ways.  First and foremost, we are made righteous through Christ.  So those of us that have accepted Jesus have eternal life.  Have you accepted Jesus yet?  If not why don't you do it right now?  Just ask Jesus to come into your life.  Have a conversation with Him.  "Dear Jesus…"

Another way that it leads to life is that our labor provides us with the resources to live, to tithe, to put food on the table, put a roof over our heads, take vacations, give to the poor, spoil our grandkids, whatever.  It is out labor that provides all of those things and when we are heirs with Christ we are told our rewards will be here on earth as well as in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:58(NKJV)

58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Ephesians 4:28(NKJV)

28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 

We need to work for God's kingdom.  We need to make that a priority.  We need to be steadfast in that work.  Our desire to sleep indoors and go shopping for our food keeps us steadfast in our regular work.  We need to make that same type of consistent effort when we work on God's behalf.  And God reminds us that we are building up rewards in Heaven so while we may not see results here on earth we need to keep working because God has promised that any work we do for Him will never be wasted effort.

In addition Ephesians makes clear that in order for us to be a blessing to others we need to work so that we will have something to give when others are in need.

Deuteronomy 12:6-7(NKJV)

6There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 

7And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.  

And finally after all of the hard work we are to rejoice in the success we have achieved through our hard work.  That success is a blessing from God!