A Different Light

Deuteronomy 7:6 NLT
For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

For years I suffered from low self-esteem, insecurity, co-dependency and everything else that went along with it. When someone tried to give me accolades, I would dismiss it even though I would be craving it. I would also get religious about it too. I would say, "it's not me, it was all the Lord." But deep inside I wanted to feel important, I wanted to feel significant to someone, I wanted to be noticed! But God showed me that He sees me totally different. He sees me as someone special, someone significant. He sees me as His own special treasure! When I read Deuteronomy 7:6, at first it was tough for me to see me in this light, but the more I read it and meditated on it and spoke it out loud, the more I believed it. I can now say that God truly sees me as someone special, as someone significant, as His special treasure...and I can now say that about myself and believe it! Even if no one on this planet sees me this way, He, the creator of the universe, the creator of me, God sees me like this...and that is all that matters! 

If you suffer from low self-esteem, insecurity and co-dependency, make a decision for 2017 that you are going to start seeing yourself in a different light. Start reading Deuteronomy 7:6 every day, meditate on it every day, speak it out loud. You may not believe it about yourself the first day, or maybe even the first month, but the more you read, meditate and speak it, the more you will believe it.

Who's Assisting Who?

2 Cor 6:1a
"I am a laborer together with God,..."

The word "laborer" in the Greek is "sunergeo" which means "to put forth power together with and thereby to assist" according to Strong's Dictionary. I find it interesting that is says "assist." I find myself often doing things on my own, because I want to do them, or I think it should be done a certain way, or "by golly this is my project, my idea and its going to be done my way." I have found that in every instance that I have done this without God, the ultimate result is failure. Yeah, I may get a result I want, but it is usually temporary, and/or it is not satisfying.

When we do not include God in what we are doing, everything that we are doing is in vain. We MUST include God in EVERYTHING we do. Why? Because of what the Apostle Paul said, "I am a laborer together with God." Using a different word from Strong's Dictionary, I am assisting God.

Whatever it is you are doing or about to do, seek God first, and then assist Him. Remember YOU are assisting HIM, not the other way around. Don't seek God to get Him to help you do it your way. When you seek Him, you are surrendering your ideas and plans to Him, and by doing this you start assisting Him!

Enjoy the Now

Psalm 39:4 (NET)

“O Lord, help me understand my mortality
and the brevity of life!
Let me realize how quickly my life will pass!

Yesterday my wife, my mom and myself drove home from St. Louis. It normally is about a 9 to 10 hour drive, but yesterday it took 11 hours. We ran into rush hour traffic in Atlanta which is really what ate up the time, about an hours worth. That was after we stopped in Murfreesboro, TN at Culver's for lunch. Up until Murfreesboro the trip was relatively uneventful. But when we stopped at Culver's, that's when things started turning. Already we were hungry. I got a double bacon cheddar burger. When I bit into it, it had a nasty after-taste, like it was over cooked or burned. I took it back to the counter and told that lady it wasn't tasting right. She said she would bring me another. So I sat down and in a few minutes she came with a burger...minus the fries that I had with my original burger...but now no longer have. I tasted the burger...the same, it was definitely burned. I told mom and Tammy, lets go, I just want to get home. As we passed by the counter, the lady asked how it was, and I told her it was no different, it tasted burned (mind you I was polite about it, I wasn't nasty or anything like that to her). She offered to reimburse me for the meal which was kind. But after we left, I just wanted to be home. Then when we hit Atlanta traffic...still hungry because I had no lunch and nothing to eat since we left St. Louis, I DEFINITELY just wanted to be home.

God always has a way of getting through to us, and He did this morning. When I read Psalm 39:4, I realized I wasted away 11 hours of spending and enjoying time with my mom and Tammy. God reminded me that our life on earth is too short to be upset and crabby and anxious and complaining all the time. We weren't created to be like that. I learned a valuable lesson yesterday, no matter what the circumstances you are in, enjoy the now!

Rescue or Enable

Luke 15:17

But when he came to his senses (NET)

It's difficult to see a loved one in a destructive behavior. And although we try and try to help them, they don't change. God is the only One who can change them. Notice it says when he came to his senses. He had a rock bottom experience that brought him to where he needed to be, the place where the only choice was God. If we keep rescuing our loved one thinking they will change but they continue in their behavior, we pro-long the rock bottom experience that God needs them to get to. In essence we are enabling them to continue in that behavior. As hard as it is to let go, we must so that God can bring the LASTING change.

The Wrong Question

With all the things going on around us, the terrorist attacks, the racial tensions, the political agendas, not to mention our own trials, troubles, tribulations we ourselves are going through, we may be asking "why is God letting this happen?" And we seem to never get an answer or we get an answer that just leaves more questions. Well, perhaps we are asking the wrong question. Perhaps instead of asking "why is God letting this happen" we really need to be asking "God, will you help me through this, will you help those families who have lost those in the attacks, will you help me weather my own storm, will you help me in the middle of this fight I am in?" Those are the questions really we need to be asking. By asking "Why is God letting this happen" we will never get an answer that brings peace and resolution. If you ask "God, will you help me?" you WILL get answer that brings peace and resolution. Reach out to Him in your storms, in your fights and in your battles, reach out to Him in those times where you don't understand the "why" and ask Him to help you. He will bring you peace.

I came across this song a few months ago, and it really touched my heart this morning, probably because of what happened in Nice, France. This song really should become our anthem...

Rules or Grace?

Why is it that churches filled with people who say they have been saved by grace can become such ungracious people?

Why is it if you ask someone outside the church what they associate with the word “Christian” (especially “evangelical”), they might mention a conservative political agenda or judgmentalism or self-righteousness but not grace-filled love? I think it has at least partly to do with pride.

This is a major theme in Scripture. The writers of Scripture tell us that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This is because only the humble want to receive it.

Ortberg, John (2010-05-11). Love Beyond Reason (p. 140). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

The church has become filled with "do this" "don't do that" that we have forgotten about grace and God's love for us. If church has become more of a list of requirements, then we have really separated from what God truly intended when Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross. Church is not about rules and regulations, it is not about a list of requirements for getting in the door. Church should be a place where people from every culture, background and race can come and receive God's love and His grace. We, as the church, have not done a good job at extending grace and love, but we have done a very good job at listing rules and regulations and requirements for getting in the door. We, the church, need to get back to extending grace and God's love to EVERYONE, not just those we think "fit in" in the church.

The Gift of "Me Too"

I was reading in my devotional this afternoon about getting past your past. I've heard messages like this one many times as I had to get past a lot of my past. Here is what she said...

I was given the gift of “Me too.” The gift of knowing that I am not alone.
You are not alone. I encourage you to break the silence. To be a voice for the child you once were. Be bold enough to share what you have been hiding with a safe person. When you do, I believe that you will invite a new level of healing to invade your life!

When you are going through something, you think you are the only one, at least that's how I thought...that no one has ever experienced what I am going through, that no one could possibly relate to what I am going through. The enemy wants us to think that. Why? Because, according to scripture, if we do talk about it to others, we will get our healing...and thats the last thing the enemy wants. But it is what GOD wants...He wants to heal you. And the first step toward your healing is confessing it. 

James 5:16 (NET)

So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.

Yes, it can be scary. Yes, people may talk. But if you want to be healed, if you want to be rid of the pain and suffering, you must confess, because...and believe it or not...there ARE others who are going or who have gone through what you are experiencing. And through this God heals! 

I encourage you that if you have kept hidden something that is causing you pain and suffering, and you have been afraid to speak to someone about it...take the first step toward healing and confess it to someone...someone you trust, someone close to you. You may hear the words "me too!"

Rag Dolls

Over the years "the church" has painted a picture of God and of the church that is really not what God and the church is suppose to be like. The church is not a prim and proper place only welcoming perfect, upright, upstanding people. Unfortunately that is what the church has become. If we look back to the first century when Jesus was walking on the earth and when Paul was preaching, they always preached to the imperfect, the lepers, the prostitutes, the whatevers, the castaways of society, etc. The following is from the book Love Beyond Reason by John Ortberg...

This is the church the way it’s supposed to be. A group of rag dolls who have received love even though they know they didn’t deserve it, who then extend it to others because they refuse to allow raggedness to keep them from loving. Because love is God’s signature. And grace makes love strong.

The reality is everyone of us is a rag doll, a person with imperfections, a person who needs God's love. And what is awesome is that God is giving us His love...freely. We don't have to perform for it, we don't have to do everything right, we don't have to behave right, we don't have to speak right. In fact if you never ever changed, His love is still His gift to you and always will be! He already loved you SO much that before you were even a thought, God had already sent his Son to die for you! That's how much God loves you...

John 3:16 (NET Bible)
For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Servant or Master

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi (Phil. 1: 1).

James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jas. 1: 1)

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1: 1)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ (Jude 1)

Notice what all these writers said in their opening statements? They all stated where they saw themselves positionally as Christians. They saw themselves as servants. Some translations say slaves or bondservants, but the meaning is the same, they saw Jesus as their Masters and themselves as servants of the Master. We can say we are Christians till the proverbially cows come home, but do we see ourselves positionally as servants of Jesus. In the Western culture we do for ourselves, we do what we want, when we want, how we want, doesn't matter if someone gets in our way, we will plow right over them because "hey, they are in the way of what I want." Sometimes we say "need" but really it's what we want. This explains A LOT of our selfish behavior, motives, talk, etc...so much that we look at the New Testament and look at our lives and wonder "Hmmm, why do their lives look different that mine?" The reason...they saw themselves as servants of Jesus, not the other way around. Yep, you heard me! We get to the point where we see Jesus as doing our bidding so we can get what we want. If we started looking at ourselves as the servants and Jesus as the Master, our lives would be much different! They would be filled with peace, joy, unselfishness...the fruits of the Spirit!

Take Away...

Start looking at yourself as servants and not masters. When you see yourself positionally as servants of Jesus, the way it is suppose to be, your outlook and behavior will start to change!

A Curse and Coloring Books

Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow,
so a curse without cause does not come to rest.
Proverbs 26:2 (NET)

I still get amazed at how messed up we humans can take what God made so simple and make it so complicated. God has not made living this Christian life difficult, but somehow we humans think we need to add to what God has made and we totally mess it up, in fact, we make things rather spooky. For example, I just recently heard about coloring books and how some of the pictures are cursed. For the non-Christian yes this would be a problem, but as Christians we have the protection of God! In Proverbs 26:2 it says a curse without a cause does not come to rest. As children of God, there is not any curse that will affect us because we are God's children, therefore there is no cause to curse us and therefore if there is a curse, it will not land on us.  "SO WHAT" if that coloring book or whatever you are watching or doing has a curse on it...it isn't going to affect you! We've got to take the spookiness out of Christianity, live the life God called us to live and that is walk in peace, love, joy and not be going around like we are some kind of religious police finding all the things that can "get us." Truth of the matter is there is so much out there the could "get us" that we would drive ourselves crazy trying to protect ourselves from it all. The good thing is we don't have to, God is already protecting us! You don't even have to ask for it because He is already doing it!

Take Away...

Stop trying to find the things that are out to get you and live your life the way God intended, in peace, joy and love...He is already protecting you!

Stand and Shut Up!

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand
Ephesians 6:13(NET)

When we face a problem, a lot of times God has us do something. Then when we don't get the results that we want, we try to do more than what God was asking us to do. When Paul told the Ephesians that "having done everything" they were to stand. This means that once you have done what God has asked you to do, you are to stand...not sit...but stand, and not only stand, but to stand firm...unwavering, solid, being kept intact. This means that in that "standing time" we don't waver in our trust that God is taking care of the situation. We don't complain about how long this is taking, we don't worry that God won't take care of it, we don't pout when it isn't going our way, we don't talk about it and talk about it and talk about it over and over and over to our friends, neighbors, the people we work with...we are told to STAND! And really, for some of us, that should be STAND and SHUT UP! If we would put as much effort into standing firm and being patient as we do into worrying, complaining, and talking about our problems...we would get through those standing times with ease. It all really comes down to a trust issue, and that is trusting God to take care of the situation, whatever it may be.

Take Away...

When faced with an issue, do what God is telling to do, and when you have done all He has told you to do...stand firm and shut up!

The Smack Down

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.
1 Co 11:32 (NET)

A lot of us, when we hear the term "being disciplined by the Lord," instantly think that something horrible is going to happen. We think that when we doing something wrong, that we are going to get sick, or we are going to be in a car accident, or I'm going to lose my job, or whatever. I'm going to tell you the truth, if I believed like that about God, I wouldn't be serving Him. God is not a God that is sitting up there on His throne waiting for us to do something wrong, and when we do He is going to make something bad happen. God is a god of love! Wanting bad things to happen to us is the furthest thing from His mind. He wants the best for you. God doesn't cause you to get sick, He doesn't cause you to be in an accident, He doesn't make bad things happen to you because you did something wrong. Yes, He will discipline you when you do something wrong. But you know that word "discipline"...in the original Greek it means to teach, instruct, learn. God isn't going to smack you down when He disciplines you, He is going to speak to you, teach you and instruct you. Yes, you may feel bad about what He is saying, but He is saying or disciplining you because He loves you. So the next time God disciplines you, learn from what He is telling you, and use that as a sign that He still loves you!

Take Away...

God loves you and He will discipline you when you do something wrong, but His discipline is called teaching and instructing...and is done in love.

What ARE You Doing?

Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up
1 Co 10:23 (NET)

Todays world is really governed by "if it feels good, do it" and "as long as it doesn't bother anyone or me, its okay." It is very easy to fall into this mindset, but we, as Christians, must guard ourselves from falling into this mindset. While Paul said "everything is lawful" which means we can really do whatever we want, we MUST finish reading that sentence. A lot of people want to stop with "everything is lawful" but the last half of that sentence is VERY VERY important..."not everything is beneficial" and "not everything builds others up." A lot of us think that if it isn't bothering anyone, then its okay. But the truth of the matter is if what you are doing is causing your brother or sister in Christ to fall or stumble, or if what you are doing is causing someone NOT to believe in God or believe that Jesus is the Lord of lords, then you need to stop doing whatever it is you are doing. "Well how do I know if it is affecting someone, I can't question everyone around me, can I?" Well, no you can't. But there are things that you know that you shouldn't be doing but you do them anyways. The Word of God is also our guide for behavior, but we also have that little tiny still small voice, you know that voice in the back of your head, that we know we should've listened to, but didn't and now look at what happened. Y'all know the voice. That little voice is the voice of the Holy Spirit trying to give you guidance. Christianity is relational. Relational with God and relational with the people around us. We need to take note of what we are doing. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and then decide if whatever it is we are going to do is something that we really need to be doing.

Take Away...

Be mindful of what you are doing. What you do affects others and their relationship with God and Christianity.

Awake and Angry

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity
Ephesians 4:26–27 (NET)

I find it interesting that the emotion of anger is specifically addressed by the Apostle Paul. Why? Anger has many facets, and one of those facets is that anger, if not controlled, spreads like a heat rash in the south! Paul didn't say anger is wrong, what he did say is that we should address it IMMEDIATELY! Have you ever noticed that when you are angry with someone and you don't address it right away, you stay up all night, thinking of how that person wronged you...and as the night progresses, you are still awake and you start developing scenarios in which this person starts taking on characteristics that are totally unrealistic of that person, that they are out to get you and make you feel even worse! Next thing you know its time to wake up and go to work and you haven't had any sleep. Then while you are awake you start daydreaming the whole thing all over again! Anger will spread and start infecting areas of your life that seem totally unrelated. Anger will also affect you physically with upset stomach, irritability, unable to concentrate, insomnia, etc. However, if you address the anger right away and talk to that person that made you angry, you wont have to go through all of that, in fact, in most cases, whatever that person did to make you angry, they really didn't mean it at all. But, as Paul said, the devil will take any opportunity he can, and if there is anger to capitalize on, he will!

Take Away...if someone makes you angry, talk to them right away (in a calm way of course, not full of emotions), don't give the devil an opportunity!

Special Brownies

Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough—you are, in fact, without yeast. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:7 (NET)

There is a story that went around several years ago about a mother, in an attempt to make a point, made "special" brownies for her daughters. She added a "special" ingredient but didn't tell her daughters until she was about to serve them. When they all sat down to eat, the girls were excited and couldn't wait to eat the special brownies. The mother said "I just need to tell you about the special ingredient. It isn't very much, in fact very little of this 'special' ingredient went into the batter. The 'special' ingredient is dog poop. I just put very little, you won't even be able to taste it." As you can image the daughters were disgusted and wouldn't eat it. The mother said "it is only a little, not much." The girls still wouldn't eat it. Why is it that we can't eat a brownie with a little dog poop in it, but we sure can justify doing something we know is wrong, even if we do it "just a little bit." Y'all know what I'm saying! We seem to justify anything, but the truth is we know what we should and shouldn't be doing. We need to just stop doing what we know we shouldn't do because if we keep doing what we shouldn't be doing, it is going to spread to other areas in our lives. We need to take a regular inventory of our lives and do what Paul says, clean out the "old yeast"...the things in our lives we shouldn't be doing. 

Take Away...stop eating the "dog poop," and take an inventory of your life on a regular basis and get rid of the "old yeast," the things in your life that you know you shouldn't be doing. Ask God to strengthen you and give you help.

Talk and Walk

So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.
James 2:17 (NET)

Have you ever met someone who talked a lot of talk but had very little, if any, action that supported their talk? After being on stage when I was on the worship team and now being a pastor, I've come across many people who would talk the "Christian-ese" talk, you know, they know the right words to say, they would talk about all these wonderful things they were doing and they would throw in a "praise Jesus" every few words or so. The problem is their "walk" wasn't there. They would talk the talk, but their actions would be quite different. James said it perfectly, your walk, your actions, the way you behave will show if you have faith. If you really and genuinely have faith in God, faith in Jesus and call Him Lord of your life, your actions will follow what you say.  I challenge each of us, myself included, that we take a look at ourselves on a regular basis and see if what we are saying is being followed up by the same actions. If not, then a change is needed in your life.

Take Away...don't just talk the talk, follow your talk with actions that support your talk.

No, You Don't Know Everything

Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate about this matter.
Acts 15:6 (NET)

Just prior to this verse, some of the believers who were formerly pharisees said that the new gentile believers must be circumcised according to Jewish law. This was a new area for the apostles. They've never dealt with gentiles before, what were they to do? Like many of us, we encounter new areas that we have never experienced before, and sometimes when we venture out, we will make mistakes. In fact it is not a "will we make a mistake," it is more "when we make a mistake" because mistakes will happen. And yes, they will more than likely affect other people. As leaders when we encounter a "new" area, or an issue that rises up in the people that we lead, we need to take a note from the apostles and meet with key people to help decide what to do. As individuals we have got to face the fact that we do not know everything. I know this is going to hurt the pride of some people, but the reality is just because you are a leader doesn't mean that you know everything...because you don't. And if you think you know it all, you are deceiving yourself and you are deceiving God. When you humble yourself to hear the opinions of others in your leadership team, you will be able to hear from all sides and make a just decision. And even if you are not a leader, you still don't know everything. So when an issue comes up, find 1 or 2 people that you trust and seek their counsel.

Take Away...

When issues rise up either in your team or in your life, seek counsel. Don't think you know everything, because you don't...that's a fact!

Intentional Prayer

Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! 5:18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.
James 5:17-18 (NET)

I was sitting in my room where I usually go to spend my time with God and I started praying for people. The Holy Spirit stopped me dead in my tracks. He said listen to what you are praying. So I did and realized I was praying an un-intentional prayer. What I mean by that is that I was praying one of those standard prayers, "Lord be with them" and "Lord continue to work in their lives." The Holy Spirit said "Really? You don't think I won't work in their lives if you don't pray that? I am already working with them, what do you want to see happen? That is what you need to pray." So I thought about it and realized that with every prayer I do want to see a specific outcome for whatever it is I'm praying for. For example, I was praying for a couple and I was saying "Lord be with them and work with them" when I should be intentional about what I was praying for and pray "Lord, I want to see them walk in peace, I want to see them not argue with each other but start learning how to accept each other and their faults. I ask You that they learn how to deflect the arrows that the enemy is shooting at them." Intentional prayer, just like Elijah! He was very specific in his prayer in James 5:17-18, and God honored that! But what if you don't know what to pray? If you dig deep down, there is a reason you are praying for a situation, pray for that reason, it is there! I'm not saying you are going to get or see whatever it is you are praying for, but at least you will be intentional about what you are praying about!

Take Away...

When you pray for someone or something, be intentional and pray for the outcome of whatever it is you are praying for.

Got Up and Went

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went.
Acts 8:26–27 NET

The key phrase I want you to see is the last phrase, "So he got up and went." I can't tell you how many times I'd be going throughout my day and the Lord would tell me to do something, but I never "got up and went." Sad to say for most of my Christian walk, I didn't "got up and went." In fact instead of "got up and went," I would "rationalize and not do." It seems we can reason and rationalize our way out of anything and everything, but the truth of the matter is that when we do that we are saying one of two things, "God, you don't know what you are talking about" or "God, I just don't want to do it."  For example, I'd be walking through a store, and I'd see someone drop a piece of paper on the ground and I'd hear this little tiny whisper in my head, "go pick that up for that person." For the next hour I'd be telling God how that piece of paper was really nothing, and after that didn't work, then I'd go spiritual and say "God if it was really important, then You'd find a way to get that paper to them." He would eventually respond with "I am finding a way, and its YOU!" In all that time of arguing and rationalizing, in the matter of just a few seconds I could have been obedient to Him and picked that piece of paper up and given it to that person and walk away in peace. We need to be like Philip and start making our minds up that when God tell us to do something, we get up and go! 

Take Away...

Instead of arguing with God when He tells you to do something, make your mind up to do whatever He is telling you to do, and "get up and go!"

The Way Out

And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

I've written about temptation before, however I really felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to speak on this again. We are all tempted in some way just about every day of our lives. Not everyone is tempted by the same thing, but we are all tempted to do something, either good or bad. And its really not the good things we are tempted by that are the problem, it is the bad things that give us problems. I can't tell you how many times I've been tempted by the same thing over and over and over, and I fall into the temptation over and over and over, and it seems I keep going around that same proverbial mountain constantly. I cry out to God, "when is this thing going to be over." Then I read in Corinthians that God provides a way out and I say to God "where is this way out, because I sure don't see it." He said it is there, it is always there, you just are looking for it. So I took a step back and realize that I was looking for the way out after I did the actual action of what I was being tempted to do. You won't see the way out while you are doing the action of whatever it is you are being tempted to do. You see the way out WHILE you are being tempted and before it turns into an action. Every temptation starts as a feeling, which will then turn into a thought...and if you entertain that thought long enough it WILL turn into an action. The "way out" the Apostle Paul was talking about is seen during the feeling and thought part of temptation. "Well Kent, I can't help what I think about." That's true, you cannot control what thoughts pop into your mind...HOWEVER you can control what you do with them. When you are in the "thought" part of temptation, that is where you start saying "NO!" But that isn't enough. You MUST apply God's word to that temptation...the way out! Look at what happened with Jesus in the wilderness. Every time He was tempted He spoke the word of God to that temptation. That is what we need to do. You know the areas in your life where you are tempted, I encourage you to find the scriptures that speak to that temptation, and then speak those words when you are tempted.

Take Away...

Don't let your thoughts run you when you are tempted, God gave you the way out...His Word! Speak His word to your thoughts when you are being tempted to do something you know you shouldn't be doing.

Waiting on Tables

So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.
Acts 6:2 (NET)

The whole context of this scripture was that the disciples were tending to EVERYTHING! They were tending to prayer, teaching, waiting on people, etc. They fell into the trap that Moses fell into. It took Moses' father-in-law to speak up and say "Dude, you can't do it all!" The disciples realized this too and said "Bros, we can't do everything because it is taking away from the task we are called to do." This doesn't mean that "waiting on tables" was less important than teaching and prayer, it meant that they could no longer do what God was telling them to do. In fact in verse 4 they said the "waiting on tables" was a necessary task. As humans, we are limited in what we can do. We are also limited to 24 hours in a day. Us perfectionist (and those with pride...yep, I said that) think we can do everything AND we can do it better. But we perfectionist (and prideful people and you know who you are) have to lay down that thinking and come to the reality that we can't do everything and that we need to do only what we are called to do. Another way of looking at it is this...if you are trying to do everything when other people are called to do what you think you need to be doing when you are suppose to be doing something else, you are robbing the other people of what God has called them to do. In other words, I am called to teach and that is what I am doing. But if I think "well bless God I should be running the children's ministry and playing on the worship team and greeting" then I am robbing those that ARE called to do those things. 

Take Away...

Don't think you can do everything, because you can't. Do what you are called to do, and let others do what they are called to do.

Nothing is Impossible

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.
John 15:5 (NET)

There are many things in life that God has given us wisdom to do that we really don't need to ask for help. Its not that we don't need Him, its just that He already has given us what we need for many things. And then there are things that seem so daunting that we think there is no way we can do them. For example, many years ago I had a conflict with someone that I thought there was going to be no way for me to forgive this person. I would go through that roller coaster of "yes, Lord I forgive them" and then a couple days later I'd be back to being angry with them because I remembered what they did. I knew the right thing was to forgive them, but it was so hard and seemed impossible. Jesus is right, apart from Him, I can't do it. Apart from Jesus, there was no way my mind was going to let me forgive that person. So I said "Lord, you have to help me, otherwise I'm going to keep on this rollercoaster and go crazy." It took some time, but He helped me. He showed me things inside of me that were keeping me from forgiving.  We addressed them and I was eventually able to truly forgive that person. Without His help, I would never have known what to do. If we think we can do anything on our own, we are fooling ourselves. Jesus is not a liar, it is true that apart from Him we can accomplish nothing, we need His help, everyday. It is really a good place to be when you realize you can't do it on your own, it humbles us and allows Jesus to do His job.

Take Away...

When something seems too daunting, that there's no way you can do it...ask Jesus to help you and believe that with Jesus, nothing is impossible!

The Learning Phase of Contentment

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance.
Philippians 4:11 (NET)

A lot of people think that the Apostle Paul was this super human, that he was able to do things no other human could because he was different. I can't argue that he was different, but not in the way most people think. The Apostle Paul was different in the respect that he learned to trust God so much that it didn't matter what his circumstances were, he was content. The key word here is "learned." He didn't get contentment overnight. It probably took several years before he was able to have so much trust in God to be content no matter what was going on. I mean, look at what he endured in his years of ministry, imprisoned several times, ridiculed, slandered, who knows what else, but in all of that he learned to be content. He was going to have to go through those things anyway, so instead of being upset and angry and grumbling the entire time, he chose to trust God that He would take care of him and therefore he was content. This is something I am still learning. Yes, I'm in that learning phase, I haven't found contentment in every situation...but I getting closer. I can't tell you how many times I caught myself getting frustrated with traffic that I was grumbling, getting anxious, and angry..."what don't the lights turn faster, why can't the car ahead of me speed up, blah blah blah!" I am learning that when those things happen, I need to say "hey, I'm in traffic, I'm going to be in traffic, so it doesn't matter if I get upset or not I'm still going to be in traffic. Me being upset isn't going to get me through traffic any faster. So Kent, get over yourself and choose to be content, and I ask you Jesus to settle me down!" Yep, contentment doesn't flood me right away, but each time I say it, I feel a little less anxiety and frustration...and a little more at peace. You're going to have to go through your day in whatever circumstance you are in anyway, so why not choose to go through it content? It makes going through your day much easier!

Take Away...

When you find yourself getting worked up because of your circumstances, ask God to settle you down and do a little self-talking and choose contentment.

New Years Resolutions

I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man.
1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NET)

Yes, I know its January 2, but can we go back one day to January 1? You know, the day we all make New Years Resolutions (NYR), the day we say we are going to turn a new leaf and exercise more, or eat less, or be more patient, or whatever. But somehow those NYRs never seem to last, do they? I definitely notice this at the gym. The first two weeks of the new year and that gym is packed, by the beginning of February, the population at the gym has dropped by at least 25%, and by March it is back to what is was on December 31. We do this all the time to ourselves, and then when we don't fulfill our NYR, we start beating ourselves up..."see, you couldn't even do this!" or "if you can't do this, what makes you think you can do that?" or "see, you're just a loser, they all said you'd never last." Those words bite to the very core of our being...and the funny thing is, we allow it! We allow those words to eat at us, infect us, deprive us of sleep, make us agitated, etc. The Apostle Paul had every reason to think those same things and more, I mean the man killed Christians before he became one. From our point of view he had every right to be down on himself. But that isn't what he did. He chose to believe that Jesus cleaned the slate in his life, he chose to believe that Jesus really did die for him and that he now has new life! Paul, instead of beating himself up over past mistakes, chose life and went on to write two thirds of the New Testament. We have a choice. We can either continue to put ourselves down, and basically choosing death, OR we can choose life...choose the life Jesus died for. Yes we all made mistakes, you and I, and yes we will continue to make mistakes, and yes some of them may be whoppers, but Jesus died for it all so you don't have to continue to beat yourself up.

Take Away...

When you fall short of that NYR you made, instead of beating yourself up over it, say "yes, I didn't make this one, but that's okay, I'm no less a person of that, in fact I'm a better person because Jesus loves me!"

Plans for 2016

For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NET)

I have a journal that I write in everyday during my time with God...my "Coffee in the Cave" time. I journal what I believe God is speaking to me, how He helped me, how He instructed me, disciplined me, etc. I was reading through my entries in January 2015, and one thing struck me. Not once in all of January was even a thought that God would have Tammy and I start a church. We didn't even have a clue back in January 2015 that one year later, we would be starting a church. I like to think I know whats going to happen over the next few months and years, and its good to have plans, it gives us something to work toward. But one thing we absolutely MUST do is check with God before pursuing those plans. Why? Because He has plans also! He has plans for me that take priority over my plans. Yes, He will let me do my own thing for a while, until the plans fail, and yes they will fail, and it is usually at that point that He gets me back on to His plan. Some would think, "well, isn't that controlling?" Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but I look at what His plans do for me, they "prosper me, not harm me, they give me a future filled with hope." I don't call that controlling, I call that "plans I want to follow" plans! The whole point of this is to say, you never know what the future holds for you. You may think you do, but the reality is you don't. But we have God who knows the future! We have a God who has plans for each of us for the future...and they are not just any plans, they are plans that are going to prosper us and not harm us. They are plans that give us a future filled with hope and not dread! Make a choice that for 2016, you are going to be open to whatever God is leading you to do, you may be surprised at what you will be doing come December 2016!

Take Away...

Write down what you see yourself doing in 2016 and put it away for safe keeping. Then on January 1, 2017, look at it and see where God has taken you, you may be astonished at where He has lead you!