Every Whoever Doesn’t Spend Their Forever With God

This past Sunday at Grace was amazing – God did the work only He can do in the lives of people – lifechange took place – it was an awesome day.  The cardboard testimonies were a moving illustration of lives that are being changed by the power of God in our church family.   John 3:16 says “WHOEVER” believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life.   God wants every WHOEVER (which includes you and me) to believe, be saved and spend forever with Him.  But every whoever doesn’t spend their forever with God.

As we discovered in the service – when you “believe in’ (trust & follow) Jesus Christ there will be evidence of it in your life.  If there’s no evidence of lifechange, you need to test yourself to see if you’re really a Christian.     As Paul said in 2 Cor. 13 — Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

Here’s a recap of some of the things we discussed Sunday:

What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!    2 Cor 5:17 NLT

 A Whoever Who Lives Forever With God – Loves Other Christians 

  If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life. But a person who has no love is still dead.    1 John 3:14 (NLT)  

A Whoever Who Lives Forever With God – Obeys God’s Word

So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the Devil. Anyone who does not obey God’s commands and does not love other Christians does not belong to God.  1 John 3:10 (NLT)

A Whoever Who Lives Forever With God – Lives Like Jesus

 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.  1 John 2:6 (NIV)

 A Whoever Who Lives Forever With God – Has Jesus

This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life.  1 John 5:11-13 Msg  

Here’s the deal – if the Son of God really lives in you – there will be evidence of it…..    IS THERE?

Want to hear more?  Listen to the PODCAST:   WHOEVER WHENEVER HOWEVER at www.gfcfamily.com

Attractive Women

We tend to put so much emphasis on the external, but God says He’s more concerned with the heart than the outer appearance —- “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  (1 Sam 16:7b NIV) 

This morning I read from 1 Timothy 2 and verse 9 & 10 really caught my attention:  “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.  (1 Tim 2:9-10 NLT) 

Again, this stands in contrast to our culture that is so focused on the external.  Don’t get me wrong – I think you should do all you can with all you’ve got, but attractiveness to God is not based on looks – it’s based on character that produces good things (Godly works).  This is not an excuse for being sloppy or not trying to take care of yourself because your body is the home of God’s Spirit, but our culture has missed it totally when it comes to what’s important.

I showed the students in England last week a photo of Janet and told them: “My wife is HOT!”  She is very attractive to me, but not just in her external appearance.  She is also attractive because she has a tender heart that motivates her to do good things for people – she genuinely loves the kids she teaches – she cares about people who don’t know God – she has a special love for the elderly – and a great love for her family.

In light of the contrast between culture and the words of our Creator – consider this final thought today:   ^1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.   (Romans 12:1-2 Msg)

Play On Words

Writing email to church tonight and came up with these thoughts: 

“A God-given Vision requires a God-centered Vow resulting in a God-pleasing Victory.”  

“A great vision requires a great vow resulting in a great victory.”

Not too original, but about all my mind could come up with tonight – tired – limited creativity…..I’ll probably look at this tomorrow and laugh……time to go to bed.

WHY RESIST GOD’S LOVE?

This past week in preparation for my message this Sunday, I asked people on Facebook and Twitter a simple question:  “Why do you think people resist God’s love?”   The following are the unedited responses I got that you might find interesting.   I’d love to know if you agree or disagree with them and why.

“They don’t see it in the lives of professing Christians”  Russ

“Many people here in France just think it’s silly to believe God exists.  They don’t see it as resisting God, but being enlightened.”  Charles 

“For some, it’s difficult to have a concept of unconditional love without the love of an earthly father.  If that earthly relationship is neglectful or abusive, the concept of a Heavenly Father could be difficult to truly believe.”  Stephanie

“I was at a Beth Moore Bible Study a couple of weeks ago and she said that as a human we will never live in the spirit by accident, only by choice.  We have to choose to follow and open our ears to Him from which His love flows. So, that makes me think that we have to continuously “choose” to live in the Spirit. I think people who resist Gods love arent choosing to open their hearts and ears to Him and He wont force it, he didnt make us to listen to HIm, he gave us the “choice” to shut our ears..So those who resist it arent listening…They are tuned into a different radio frequency.”  Nesi

“Pride, peer pressure……”   Lance

“I think it’s because God’s love cannot be separated from His holiness….many people are fine submitting to His love, but submitting their lives to a holy God might require them to lay down some things in their life they might rather not.”  Jennifer 

“I would say that unconditional love is so impossible for us to attain that we almost feel guilty receiving God’s love.  No matter how I am or what I’ve done, God sent Jesus to die for me and give me the gift of eternal life.  For me to even think of doing the same for someone who has offended me is a tough thing to process through human nature.”  Shayne

“I think that most people believe that nothing is free…. To them that is. Though Jesus paid the price, they are hesitant to believe that their salvation is free. There has got to be a catch…. Just as the world teaches. Add this to the misconceptions of the things they think they have to “give up” to be a Christian. If they only knew how the Truth would set them free! “  Gene

“I agree with Christi and Nicholas-that some think they will have to give up worldly stuff, not knowing God will change their desires for the stuff they will want and that being a Christian can be lots of fun!”   Kathy

“Our nearness to God is always in direct proportion to our sense of sin.  When the HS is convicting of us sin we don’t perceive God’s love because we don’t feel worthy of it or we aren’t ready to deal with the sin.  Either way it presents a barrier to the constancy of the Father’s love which is always there regardless of our perception.”  Jane

“they don’t feel like they deserve it because of all the yuck in their life.”  Amy

“I believe there is two sides to ones resistance to God’s love.  First, I believe that people resist God’s love because of PRIDE, which is a result of a harden heart.  Second is the lack of Faith.  Having a hard heart effects the persons ablility to have FAITH, especially in the hard times when you need God’s LOVE the most….”    Steve

“They are afraid that they are going to have to give up all the “fun” stuff in their life or that they’ll get sent to some Third World country on a mission trip. It’s sad when you see someone resisting, because it means that they probably don’t have a relationship with God or truly know how much He loves each one of us. You usually can’t feel someone’s love unless you are in a relationship with them.    “   Christi

“Pride”   Alisa

“Some people value wordly pleasures so much and are afraid to give them up. They dont understand what is beyond this life.  “   Nicholas

ASAPH & THE FAT CATS

Read this and see if you can identify with these thoughts and feelings…..

3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. 4 They seem to live such a painless life;their bodies are so healthy and strong. 5 They aren’t troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else. 6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace,and their clothing is woven of cruelty.

7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! 8 They scoff and speak only evil;in their pride they seek to crush others. 9 They boast against the very heavens,and their words strut throughout the earth. 10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,drinking in all their words.

11 “Does God realize what is going on?” they ask.”Is the Most High even aware of what is happening?” 12 Look at these arrogant people — enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong? 14 All I get is trouble all day long;every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way,I would have been a traitor to your people. 16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.But what a difficult task it is! 17 Then one day I went into your sanctuary, O God,and I thought about the destiny of the wicked. 18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. 19 In an instant they are destroyed,swept away by terrors. 20 Their present life is only a dream that is gone when they awake.When you arise, O Lord,you will make them vanish from this life.

21 Then I realized how bitter I had become,how pained I had been by all I had seen. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. 23 Yet I still belong to you;you are holding my right hand. 24 You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you?I desire you more than anything on earth. 26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,but God remains the strength of my heart;he is mine forever.

 
27 But those who desert him will perish,for you destroy those who abandon you. 28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

These words were written by Asaph several thousand years ago in Psalm 73 - but he paints a pretty good picture of the thoughts and feelings many of us have today.   Have you ever wondered the things Asaph put into words?  I have.  But like Asaph, I keep coming back to the fact that God is sovereign and in control and even though I don’t understand everything that’s going on in the world – I SIMPLY TRUST HIM.  Some people would call that stupid – I call it faith; faith in a God who has changed my life and perspective forever.  In addition to this – I would have a hard time listing all the blessings of God in my life; they are too many to count!

Yes – the wicked do often prosper, but God’s love for them hasn’t stopped and He still desires that they would repent and trust their lives to Him.  However, He’s not only loving – HE IS JUST.  And they will eventually be judged for their wickedness.  I remember reading verses 17-19 years ago when Nintendo first came out and the picture that came to my mind was ICE WORLD —- and how when you’d make a mistake in this “Nintendo world” you’d slip off into total destruction.   That’s the picture of the future for the wicked unless they repent and turn to God.

I also noticed vs. 21.  When we get focused on what other people have instead of the blessings God has poured into our lives – we will always be tempted toward bitterness.  In fact, a lack of gratitude leads to a hard heart toward people and even worse – toward God.  According to Paul in Eph. 4 - those with hard hearts end up…..”hopelessly confused.  Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him.  They don’t care anymore about right and worng, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways.  Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.”

One remedy for a hard heart:  read these words of Asaph in Ps. 73 often and then share with others the great things God has done (and is doing) in your life.   As Asaph wrote:  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,but God remains the strength of my heart;he is mine forever.  As for me, how good it is to be near God!   I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

 

CRITICISM 101

Why rewrite what’s already been written!   This morning I read a blog by one of my favorite new authors: Mark Batterson.  His blog was entitled Criticism 101, and was so good – I’m reprinting it here.  You can check out Mark’s blogs at evotional.com.  Here’s Criticism 101:

Thought I’d share a few thoughts on the topic of criticism. I’m honestly surprised I don’t have more critics than I do, but I have my fair share. Here is a simple rule of thumb: if you are a leader you will be criticized. Period. If you’re not being criticized you might not be a leader! But how you handle it is so critical.

A few months ago I heard Brian Houston say something so good and so true: “I’d rather be a film maker than a film critic.” His point? There are those who do and those who criticize those who do. I’d rather be a doer than a critic. And I’ve learned that the more critical a person is the less they’ve probably done. Just shooting straight.

In the words of Teddy Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or the where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.”

Life is too short and the message is too important to spend our energies criticizing each other. Infighting must break the Heavenly Father’s heart. It’s self-righteous. It’s sideways energy. And when we take pot shots at each other we’re just playing into the enemy’s hands. We need to be about the Father’s business!

Let me share a few lessons I’ve learned about criticism:

1) Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees. Jesus didn’t have the time of day for the self-appointed critics who formed the religious establishment. He didn’t back down. He confronted their hypocrisy. If you follow in Jesus’ footsteps, you’ll offend some pharisees along the way!

2) Don’t play defense. Life is too short to get defensive. Celebrate your weaknesses and failures. That’ll defuse criticism quicker than anything else. Keep a humble spirit but keep playing offense for the kingdom!

3) Consider the source! An insult from a fool is actually a compliment and a compliment from a fool is actually an insult.4) Preach for an audience of one. The only person you’re accountable to as a preacher is the One who called you in the first place. Never forget it. And for the record, critics will also be held accountable for the criticisms they wield so easily and so quickly.

 

5) Don’t get into an argument! I love Proverbs 26:4, “When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are.” The very next verse says, “When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.” Those back-to-back verse seem to contradict each other but I think they reveal a deeper truth: if you’re arguing with a fool you can’t win.

The bottom line? Don’t be a critic. Be a doer of deeds.

19 Signs A Leadership Team Has Lost Its Mind

I follow Perry Noble on Twitter – yesterday he alluded to a blog he had written on the 19 Signs That A Leadership Team Has Lost It’s Mind.   You can find Perry’s blogs and info at perrynoble.com

I thought it was pretty awesome – thus the reprint on my blog.   Tell me what you think! 

#1 – The team spends more time seeking to imitate what is happening in other churches rather than begging God for HIS plan for their church. (Laziness!)

#2 – The leaders spend more time on the web to see what’s working instead of in the Word to see what God is saying.

#3 – Staff meetings become more focused on all of the “wrong” things other churches/leaders are doing (insecurity) instead of focusing on the problems that exist right under their nose.

#4 – The focus of the leadership meeting is not to lead and inspire and problem solve…but rather to just “make it” through the meeting.

#5 – The term “loyalty” is defined as, “we agree with the leader, no matter what.” Therefore dysfunction sets in as people are manipulated by fear and uncertainty…and they allow the “emperor to have no clothes” and pretend that everything is ok. (An environment of honesty MUST exist for a team to thrive!)

#6 – The focus of the agenda is to be reactive to what a few people may be upset with (usually big givers) rather than proactive about what Jesus said we should be obsessed with…advancing HIS Gospel.

#7 – The team is not willing to embrace taking risks because doing so could mean person loss for each member on the team.

#8 – Discussion seldom happens…lecture often does.

#9 – Decisions are made out of convenience rather than conviction.

#10 – The agenda of “Our Church Is Great” replaces the Biblical agenda of, “Our GOD IS GREAT!”

#11 – The people at the leadership table assume they are the smartest people in the organization; therefore, all other people should be ignored. (You REALLY need to listen to Andy Stanley’s leadership podcast from last month about this…AMAZING!)

#12 – The team is more focused on what random critics are saying than on what God is saying. (God does speak…but if He needs to direct your church it probably will not be through some bitter blogger or twitter person who has never been to your church, hates everyone and spends more time on the web bashing than in the Word learning!)

#13 – People are more concerned about protecting feelings than guarding the vision.

#14 – A leader will quickly sacrifice a team member instead of taking responsibility for a decision.

#15 – The people at the table actually believe the church would be in worse shape if they were not there.

#16 – A person disengages from the conversation if it’s not about their specific area.

#17 – When the people at the table get more satisfaction from being a leader than they do in simply following Jesus.

#18 – When the leaders never have a sleepless night over big decisions.

#19 – When the focus of the meeting is to impress other churches rather than minister to the people God gives them each and every week.

Rick Warren Tweets

I love following Rick Warren on Twitter.  Here are three recent tweets worth re-tweeting – or re-blogging.

“You don’t fully understand a thing until you can explain it in a simple way.  Confusing people is easy.  You must think to be simple!”  RW

“You’ll never do anything creative, innovative or worldchanging if you FEAR criticism.  Pioneers are easy targets for arrows.”  Mt. 10:28  RW

“Growing churches require growing leaders.  The moment you stop growing so does the church.  Read to lead.”  RW

15 Ways To Destroy Your Marriage – Perry Noble

Perry Noble is the Sr. Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina.  He is a leader I follow on Twitter.  Two days ago, he posted a link to his blog: 15 Ways To Destroy Your Marriage.   It was worth reprinting.  Here’s Perry’s blog on 15 ways to destroy your marraige:

#1 – Have an affair!  (II Samuel 11-12)

#2 – Refuse to run from tempting situations!  (Genesis 39:1-12, I Corinthians 6:18)

#3 – Look at LOTS of porn!  (Job 31:1)

#4 – Connect with “old flames” through online social networking and then convince yourself it is ok because you aren’t actually doing anything wrong!

#5 – Refuse to talk to your spouse about issues that make you angry…just bury them and let a huge pile build up so that you can explode irrationally on them when they totally do not expect it.  (Ephesians 4:25-27)

#6 – Have an affair!!!

#7 – Make sure you spend lots of personal time with the same person of the opposite sex that you are not married to…and when confronted on it say, “It’s business.”

#8 – Make “innocent” remarks to an attractive person of the opposite sex such as, “I wish I had met you before I had gotten married.”

#9 – Put an ad for yourself on an internet dating site…even though you are married…just to see what type of interest you could create!

#10 – Compare your spouse with other people OFTEN and convince yourself that you didn’t get God’s best when you agreed to marry him/her.

#11 – Have an affair!!!

#12 – Take your cues about sexual morality from Hollywood and your “friends” rather than God’s Word.  (John 14:15)

#13 – Begin to believe that your spouse’s main mission on this planet should be to meet your needs…and when they don’t then justify trying to get your needs met elsewhere.

#14 – Fantasize often as to what it would be like to be with another person other than your spouse.

#15 – Be willing to sell out years of marriage, the respect of your children and your character for an orgasm.

Like I said…we will be dealing with this on Sunday…because I am SICK AND TIRED of seeing marriages being destroyed and the church remaining silent about it.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

On of my former students who has been in the medical field for a number of years now – recently wrote this on her facebook page.  Pretty interesting with a touch of humor.

Let me get this straight. Obama’s health care plan will be written by a committee whose head says he doesn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke. What could possibly go wrong?    Margie