As One (Aug 31)

In my absence, we have a guest speaker today. Please listen to this recording of a message entitled, “As One”, by Steven Kromer.

The audio is available online...

http://faithcommunityfamily.org/messages/08-07-13.mp3

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship." -A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Life Blood (Aug 24)

After a recent bike ride, I was cooling off in my pool. I often just walk around in the pool and tend to use the time to think about things. As I was walking, I just happened to look to the side, just in time to see a big mosquito sitting there biting me. Needless to say, the mosquito was soon floating on top of the water dead. I had no idea that the mosquito was biting me until I happened to see it when I was just looking around. Isn't that how it usually is? Oftentimes, you don't realize that you're being bitten by mosquitoes until later that night or the next day when you are itchy. There they are, sucking out some of your blood and you don't even know it. You sure find out about it later, though.

Blood is often thought of as a source of life. I guess that's because without it, you'd be dead. Sometimes when people are injured and bleeding, they have to be careful to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, lest they lose too much blood and pass out, die, or some other adverse effect.

Now, I know that the mosquitoes aren't going to suck out so much blood that you fall over dead (or are even weakened, for that matter), but I still want to use it as an example today. How often do we allow something or someone (“the enemy”) to suck out a little bit of life from within you (perhaps so little that it's seemingly unnoticeable) and we think nothing of it or don't even feel it? If you are a Christian, God has filled you with Life through His Spirit. His Life is both everlasting and abundant. This Life empowers you to live for God. He fills you with strength, peace, and joy. You can rejoice and live for Him no matter what. But there is an enemy that doesn't want you to have such abundant life. You will run into many temptations that may entice you to turn from that Life and back to where you were—in sin and death.

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It seems pretty simple: God gives you abundant life and the thief steals abundant life. Now, if you are tempted and fail in some huge way and you see massive sin in your life as a result, it's like having some huge gash on your arm and blood is just gushing out. If it's not stopped, you'd bleed to death. There wouldn't be any more life in you. In much the same manner, I think it would be pretty obvious to you that you were no longer filled with God's abundant life, but rather sin and death. However, when instead of a huge gash on your arm, you only have a little mosquito, you might not even notice. You'd certainly not be in any hurry to seek first aid, because you wouldn't think you were in any life-threatening situation. You just lost a little speck of blood, after all. So, maybe there is something bothersome in your life that you are letting wear at you a little bit. Maybe there are times when you doubt God (but just a little bit). Or, maybe the enemy is telling you lies about your faith in God or about your prayers not being answered and you're beginning to believe the lies (but just a little bit). It's like you have mosquitoes drawing out a little bit of life, a little bit of strength, slowly wearing you down, draining your faith, ever so slightly destroying what God has done in you. The mosquitoes begin to steal your joy. They take away a bit of peace. How much is just a little bit and how much is too much? Why do we become concerned when we have a huge gash but don't seem to notice the little tiny mosquitoes stealing from us?

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The Lord comes so that you might have life...and have it more abundantly!

Pray Always (Aug 17)

1 Thessalonians 5:17

17 Pray without ceasing.

I've spoken before on this scripture, I believe. Pray without ceasing. I told you before that prayer is your connection with God. It is your line of communication with the creator and master of all things. It is in prayer and in the Word that you will truly know God. It is then that you can make your requests known to God and also praise and worship Him. It is also then that He will speak to you. How can you live without prayer? That's why the scriptures tell us to always pray. Today I want to look at another aspect of that verse, though. Pray without ceasing. Don't quit. Keep praying and don't give up. Maybe you don't see an answer to your prayer right away and you feel like giving up. Maybe you have worried and worried about some difficult things in your life and you don't see a solution. Maybe you're looking at some impossible situations and you want to throw up your hands and say, “I quit!” Have faith. Trust God and don't give up. He is faithful. He will come through in the end.

Luke 18:1-8 NIV

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

You see, this unjust judge wouldn't listen to this lady that kept coming to him looking for justice. Finally he heard her and saw to it that her needs were met, not because he cared about her or wanted to do the right thing, but because he couldn't take the incessant begging any longer. How much more will God hear your continual prayer since He is not only just (unlike the judge), but He also loves you and cares about you and wants the best for you. Do you have faith? Will He find faith in those that come to Him to ask or are you praying heartless petitions? Sometimes people think that they have not given up because they are continuing to pray. But they have already given up in their hearts because their prayers are no longer backed by faith. They continue to rattle out the words, but the words no longer have any meaning to them.

James 5:16

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Are your prayers not accomplishing anything? Where's your heart? If you have a hidden sin in your heart, you cannot have communion with God and your prayers will be empty words echoing through your own ears. Do you have an issue with someone? You need to take care of that so that your heart can also be right with God. What prayer gets results? The effectual (able to produce a desired effect), fervent (marked by great intensity of feeling, zealous) prayers of a righteous (free from guilt or sin) man.

Don't give up! Keep praying always! Don't resort to worrying or figuring out how you'll fix things yourself or turn to other people! Keep coming and asking God! Just be sure that your prayers are effectual and fervent and that your heart and life are righteous before God!!! Then you will see the power of God!

Hurts Will Be Healed (Aug 10)

2 Chronicles 7:13-14

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We've often shared the verse, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land,” and we speak of God's abundant mercy to forgive you when you humble yourself, pray, and seek Him. But what does it mean when God says that He will heal their land? I included the previous verse, because although it is not as well known, it definitely puts things in context. God speaks of judgments, trials, and pestilence that is send from Him. Then, He says, if people humble themselves before Him and repent, they will be forgiven and the hurt from the trials will be healed. Today we want to look at the healing power of God.

If you've ever gotten hurt, I'm sure that you looked forward to the healing of the injury. I once broke my hand and found it to be an inconvenience to wear a cast for three weeks, but I knew (through numerous x-rays) that the injury was slowly healing. After the cast came off, I had to tape a couple of my fingers together for another few weeks and limit myself to light-weight tasks, but once again, the healing was almost complete. Now, my hand is fine. Imagine how troublesome it would be if that injury was never healed. Of course, as soon as it happened, I was looking forward to the healing. I didn't want to remain in that broken condition any longer than I had to. I have a friend that injured her shoulder. After numerous surgeries and therapies, it seems that the injury keeps coming back. Sometimes it never seems to get any better—the injury persists. I know that she must be frustrated. She wants so much for it to be healed, but the injury persists. I can't imagine having a persistent injury like that and I certainly can't imagine being in such a condition and not wanting it to be gone (not wanting healing).

I can't explain why some people have injuries and some people don't, or why some people have diseases or other hardships when others seem to get a smoother ride. I want to focus more on the healing of spiritual and emotional hurts. Maybe you have heard God calling you in the past, but you have ignored His voice and followed your own way instead. Or perhaps you used to follow God, but have been more or less taking a different course lately. You feel that pain in your heart as you are convicted of your failings. Maybe God has sent some trials or judgments to reveal to you the error of your ways. These things are devastating; they hurt and are frustrating. But God says that if you humble yourself, and pray, and seek his face, and turnheal that which is scarred by the pestilence. Maybe you have some emotional hurts or have been through difficult times. I believe that God wants to heal you, too. I have seen some difficult times when locusts, in the form of people, have come in to devour and destroy me and everything around me. You look around at the devastation left in their path and sometimes it seems as if even others don't even see it. Where do you go? How do you even begin to put things back together and fix the things that are broken? Maybe it seems hopeless! I believe in a God that says that He will heal the land!
from your wicked ways, then He will hear you: He will forgive your sin and

Luke 5:18-25

18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? 23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. 25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

Sometimes, when Jesus healed someone, he first asked, “What do you want me to do?” and the person would respond that they desired to be healed. In this case, Jesus saw the peoples' faith and forgave the man's sins. When people were shocked in disbelief, Jesus said that it was just as easy for Him to heal the palsy as it was for Him to heal of the sins. To illustrate this point, He healed the man and he was able to get up and walk. If you are spiritually or emotionally hurt today, you can come to Jesus and when He asks what you want from Him, you can ask for healing. He is both willing and able to do this. But first, you must humble yourself. Set aside the pride and selfishness and seek the Lord and pray to Him. Turn from your wicked ways (we call that repentance of sins) and lay your whole life in God's hands. He will hear your cry. He will forgive you and heal you. He will not just forgive you of your sins and give you a new heart and life, but He will also restore that which has been destroyed by the enemies of God. Rejoice in the healing power of God!!!

Flesh or Spirit? (Aug 3)

Romans 8:5-17

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Are you living after the flesh or after the spirit? Are you working your way towards death or towards life and peace? Does your life please God or does it displease Him? Is the Spirit of God dwelling in you or do you have no part with Him? This scripture gives us much insight towards answering these questions. Examine your own heart. Examine your own life. Do you mind the things of the flesh or of the spirit? Sure, you may be a member of a church and call yourself a Christian. Perhaps sometimes you're nice to people and you do some of the things that would be expected of a Christian. But is the Spirit of God dwelling in you? Have you been given new life through Christ? Just because you come to church, read your Bible, sing songs at church, and maybe even have some things to share with other people, it doesn't mean that you please God. The scripture says that they that are in the flesh cannot please God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. You may say that you love God (although perhaps half-heartedly) and that you are fighting “on His side”, but in fact if you do not have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you are actually fighting against Him, as an enemy. Examine yourself to see if what you say about your life is real. You see, the Spirit of God raised up Jesus from the dead. If that same Spirit dwells in you, you will also be given new life. This life will be a different life than before. You will be a different person. You won't continue to lie, hate, cheat, be selfish, hurt people, fall to bad temptations, or otherwise be sinful. The life in you will be pure Godly life.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

If you find yourself to be “of the flesh” and not godly, there is hope! You don't have to stay that way, shrug your shoulders, and resign yourself to a life of death. You can have true life and peace! Humble yourself and pray. Repent, turning from your sin, and turn to God and he will hear you. He will forgive you and heal your heart.

Life of the flesh tends to be selfish and be about things that will satisfy you, even if that means hurting someone else. Life of the flesh will ignore God's word when He calls you to do things that you don't really want to do. It is often deceitful and fake. Life of the spirit glorifies God. This life is surrendered to Him and all of His ways. It is obedient to the call of the Lord, no matter where it may take you. Life of the spirit looks to put to death the old fleshly life and live only for God. Life of the spirit is not just calling yourself a Christian and doing a few Christiany things, but rather it is a life and heart change. And because of that life change in you, you will now be pleasing to God, a child of God, an heir in His righteousness. It will be a life that glorifies God. This change will be evident in all of your life, including your attitude and countenance. So, how will this indwelling Spirit of God be evident in your life?

Romans 12:9-21 (NKJV)

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is a pretty good description of what it means to life the Christian life. Remember, your life does not dictate your Christianity (or relationship with God), but your Christianity (or relationship with God will dictate your life. In other words, if you evaluate your life and relationship with God right now and find yourself lacking, doing a bunch of good stuff or trying to do all the stuff in this scripture above does not somehow make you a better Christian. But if you humble yourself before God and trust in Him, He will work in your heart and you'll then, as a result, see these things in your life.