Be Careful...

   

      By now, most of us in the worship community have heard the announcement from Israel Hougton about recent events in his life. The responses from many in the church range from support and prayer to downright condemnation, while others are not quite sure what to do. But I have news...God has already told us what to do.

     In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul speaks about the Israelites who followed Moses and the consequences of their actions that displeased God. They all started with the same spiritual food and drink, but somewhere along the way they started doing their own thing, which caused calamity to come upon them. After describing their fate, Paul reminds us that what happened to them were examples written down as warnings for us, and the modern language tells us to check ourselves if we think we are standing. In other words, if any of us feels that we would never do any of the things that the Israelites were involved in, think again...

  

 These things happened to them as examples for us.

They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

~1 Cor 10:11-13 (NLT)

     There is nothing that one individual has gone through at one time that hasn't happened to another. Only God knows why people make the bad decisions that they make, even when a way of the situation is always available. It's not our job to figure that out for anyone, but it is ours to learn from their mistakes. It's not our place to censor or judge them, it's our place to humble ourselves and remember that the same thing can happen to us. No rational thinking person wakes up one morning and decides to do something that will destroy their family, ruin their reputation, and bring their ministry down. There is always a path to destruction that starts at a blind spot. What's yours? 

     Avoid the temptation to speculate, tear down or have a "holier-than-thou" attitude when you hear about someone who has sinned. The enemy is always looking for opportunities to knock us down from our high place. He's looking for you, too. He's watching to see what he can use, who he can send your way to take you out and shame you. He hates the worship of God; He hates God and all people; He hates when people worship God. His goal is to steal, kill and destroy completely, including those who lead others to worship God. Don't help the enemy!

     Selah…

   

What Jesus Really Cares About...

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

~1 Cor. 13:1-3 (NLT)

     That picture might offend some people...but in reality Christ spoke often about how we as Christians are to treat others, and although He wants us to know His word, He really wants us to do what we read and quote. A lot of us are very good at speaking, confessing, decreeing and declaring, but when it comes to relating to other people, a lot of that word we are saying gets lost somewhere in between the pages of the book and our hearts. I'm sure we have all experienced bad treatment at the hands of people who profess to be saved, and we have probably given out some of that same bad treatment either in response to what we received from them, or just because we forgot what mirror we had been looking at ourselves in:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

~ James 1:22-24 (NLT) 

     Regardless of who we are, what our gifts and talents may be, how many people are in our ministry or what we have been called to do, the most important thing is to love others and treat people the way we want to be treated. Sometimes it's the simple things that we neglect to do, that hold doors closed for us and open the door for the enemy to come in and do whatever he wants to do. From the front door to the pulpit, we all need to be loving and kind towards those we come in contact with if we want to please God. We are in the last days, and God is going to judge what we do, without regards for title, age, job description, resume, degree, or income. We will all be judged individually by the same word!

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.  If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." ~ Matt. 5:43-48 (NLT)

~

    My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.  If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,  doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?  But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?  Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. ~ James 2:1-9 (NLT)

~

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.~ John 13:34 (NLT)

~

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1 Cor. 13:13 (NLT)

     I believe that all of us can find ourselves somewhere in this message, whether we have been on the giving or receiving end of less than loving treatment. But...if you are reading this blog, you have been given the chance to do better and make amends, because it's never too late to get a new start in our walk with Christ!

What Are You Known For?

      What's the first thing that people say when your name or ministry is mentioned? Do you know what you are really remembered for?  After people read that wonderful book, see that powerful choreography or play or hear your "dope" poetry, what are people saying about you?  Our reputation is just as important as our talents and gifts. There are too many ministries today that are recognized as great, while carrying tainted reputations. Some of what is being said may be exaggerated, but if there is even a small amount of truth to it, it's time to think about what needs to be changed.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:35 (NKJV)

      It is one thing to be known for what we do, but quite another to be known for who we are. God is working on all of us, so none of us can point out anyone else's faults without first looking at ourselves. It's time for self -examination. If we find ourselves always snapping at others when we are stressed, maybe we are too busy, and need to ask for help. Moses could not lead the Israelites alone, he appointed elders to be in charge of the masses of people that he was responsible for getting to the Promised Land (Ex.18:25).  If we feel the need to talk about others behind their backs, we need to find out what is lacking in our own lives. We can make beautiful garments and put on grand productions, but weave tangled knots of confusion if our way of life does not match up to our craft.
 
      There is a dance minister on the East Coast who is well-known for his powerful ministry and exciting classes. He has danced with a renowned professional company in New York, and has his own company. The first thing people speak of after commenting on his phenomenal dancing is his graciousness towards everyone, and how they can't wait to be in his classes that are always full. Students don't want to leave his presence at the end of  class, because of what they receive from him spiritually as well as technically.  They feel loved, not abused. They are empowered, not dismantled.  People are drawn to him because of his loving heart. That is the ministry of Christ! Why have a fantastic public ministry, while behind the scenes people are being crushed by our behavior? Even if they never say anything about it, God sees what we do, and He hears everything that we say. Being a leader or having a title does not give us the right to harm anyone with our words or actions. We will have to answer to God for every person whom we have injured. If we are guilty of any of these things, we need to pray and ask for more of the fruit of the Spirit to be in our lives.

God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.

Gal 5:22-23 (CEV)

Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell him the truth.

Hebrews 4:13 (CEV)

     It has been said that our gifts determine our direction in life, but our character determines how far we will go with our gifts. It's never too late to humble ourselves, check our reputations, make changes,  pray for healing and make amends wherever we can. Let's make sure that our names remind people of God's goodness!

A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold.

 Proverbs 22:1 (CEV)