Shake Loose!

Is there an area in your life in which you are imprisoned? Maybe you have a situation in which you feel trapped and are not able to see a viable way out of the situation. How is your attitude in the midst of your prison? Do you complain to everyone about how bad your life is at this moment? Consider how Paul and Silas conducted themselves while in a real prison:

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains came loose." Acts 16:25-26

Now that you have read those two verses....read them again.

Slowly. 

Are you feeling something within your spirit by the weight and power of this story? Consider the time of this event. It was about midnight. Imagine how dark it must have been. There was no electricity then so there were no streetlights. We don't know if the jail had any windows so there may not have been any moonlight in the cell. In all probability, it was DARK. We don't know the size of their cell, but I once visited the jails in Salem, MA from the 1600's and they were terribly small. Paul and Silas could have been in absolute darkness and pressured all around. They were likely not very comfortable. And yet they were not caught complaining. They were praying and singing to God! 

They must not have been singing quietly because the other prisoners were listening to them. In the midst of your prison, others are listening. Those who are enslaved are hearing your words. Unbelievers are also watching to see how your God is going to get you out of this prison. What kind of witness are you living? Do you gripe and complain in the way of an unbeliever who has no hope? Or are you singing hymns and living a life loud enough for others to hear? 

As Paul and Silas lifted their voices in praise, a violent earthquake came and shook loose the foundations of the prison. The same can happen in our lives! An encounter with God can shake us at our core in a way that we no longer see the prison surrounding us. The doors to what has held us will open and the chains on us will fall away! 

All this leads me to ask...why are you still in your prison? Are you spending time earnestly in prayer? Are you surrounding yourself in praise? When was the last time you shouted your praise to God? I'm talking a reckless abandonment to worshiping your creator? Dance like David danced! In the Bible, the tribe often sent into battle first was the tribe of Judah, the tribe of musicians. In order to win the battle they began with shouts of praise! It was praise that released Paul and Silas.

I pray each of you take the time TODAY to praise God for all He has done in your life. No matter how dark the prison looks at this moment, we each have a reason to give Him praise. The fact that you are reading these words means you have internet, you have vision, you have the comprehension of reading, you are breathing, you are free to read scripture without the fear of persecution! 

I am going to leave you all with a song often played at my church before the start of the service. SHAKE LOOSE! 

Fake Living Houses

Tonight I ran into an old friend I haven't seen in a while and we talked and caught up on what was going on in our lives. When the subject came up of where we were attending church and I asked if she was still attending the last church I knew her to attend, she responded with, "Yeah, I'm still hanging in there."  There are no words to describe how much her answer grieves me. When asked about our church home should we not answer with excitement? If talking about it causes us to become depressed, then perhaps we need to examine if this is the place where God wants us to fellowship. 

When we are planted in a life giving church it shows. It is also apparent when we are in an oppressive, dead, or spiritually controlling church. I have seen people in such churches and there is a spirit of heaviness around them. There is an inability to praise. There is a lack of light in their lives. They often appear to be walking with God, however it is a Judas faith. Just as Judas walked with Jesus, he was simply going through the motions. You can be serving in your church. You can be paying your tithes. You can be doing everything to give the appearance of a walk with God, and yet in your heart you are not "feeling" it. 

John wrote a letter in Revelation to the church of Sardis. In his reprimand he refers to them as  "having a reputation for being alive," but actually being dead. (Revelation 3:1)  He continues in verse 2-3 instructing them to "be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent." 

The church of Sardis is known for being "life-giving." However, the reality is the church is dead. There is the illusion of life, however it's members are spiritually perishing. Their works are lacking. Perhaps when it comes to serving within the church walls there are volunteers, but when it comes to stepping outside of the church, nobody shows up. There is encouragement and hope for such a church. They can throw out what has gone astray and strengthen the Godliness that remains. In the past they have not only heard, but received from God. The proper instruction has once been in this house gone dead. If they are willing to keep the original word they heard from God, then they can come back to life! However, repentance is necessary to resuscitate this house of worship. 

What happens in your heart when discussing your place of worship? Do you leave on Sunday (or whichever day you attend) feeling challenged in your walk, yet encouraged? Or do you leave feeling that you can check "attend church" off your "to-do" list? I am going to say something next that may offend some of you, but I feel it needs to be said. Is your church willing to operate their order of services according to the Holy Spirit? Or is their agenda and schedule more of a priority than what God wants to do during that time? If the latter is fitting of your church, it could be they have the appearance of being alive, yet in fact are dead. A church unwilling to allow God to move is unwilling to release their own agendas. Be very cautious of following this kind of leadership. This kind of leadership will also question when God is moving in your own life and cause you to doubt hearing His voice clearly. 

My prayer for each of you today is to ask if you are truly where God wants you to be. Do you attend a church because of a sense of obligation? Is it where your parents attended? Have you been there for years and are afraid to make a change? Do you fear losing friendships if you move to where God is calling you? Sharing from experience, making changes reveals  your true friendships. There are people who may be holding you back from stepping into what God is calling you to do and it is only by removal of those relationships that you can begin fulfilling your purpose. Count the losses as blessings! We should all be in a process of growth in our walk with God. This may mean we need to "graduate" to a different place of worship. Not all churches are the same. Some are content with being watered down and delivering a soft word. These are often referred to as "seeker friendly" churches. They want to make sure everyone is comfortable. However, as we grow and mature we need to be challenged. The reality is a soft word never truly changed anyone. Possibly for a season, but not long term, life altering, radical change.  It is only by hearing the unadulterated word of God that a heart is truly moved to repentance. 

This is a matter between yourself and God. Seek His guidance to ensure you are planted by streams of LIVING water!

Conversations on Islam

This evening I noticed my neighbor coming home after being gone a few days. She was returning from the hospital after having a baby. She invited me to come inside with her. We had conversed a few times in the past, but never actually sat down and talked. I accepted her invitation and joined her inside. Her mom was with her and they offered me tea and we talked about the baby. My neighbor is originally from Jordan and a devout Muslim. The mother mentioned to me that Friday is the beginning of their holiday. She explained it is similar in ways to Christmas for those of us who believe in Jesus. Her English is not fluent so she was having a hard time explaining it to me. 

My neighbor's father also came over while I was there. Within two minutes of him sitting down with us he began a conversation with me regarding Christianity and Islam. He explained to me his beliefs on Jesus and the Bible we follow and how the Quran holds many scientific facts. He detailed several things listed there that have been proven in science over the last 50 years. I can't say I debated with him, but I listened to him intently and did ask several questions in response based on what I felt the Holy Spirit was prompting me to say. And believe me, I was definitely praying for Him to lead me in everything I said! 

There are several statements the father made during our conversation that I found interesting. He explained to me how Muhammad came after Jesus and Muslims believe in Jesus also. He said the best part of it is because they believe in both, even if Islam is wrong, then they are still okay because they believe in both Muhammad and Jesus. However, if Christians are wrong, then we are not going to heaven because we reject Muhammad. When he explained this he was almost laughing as if to imply they are wise in their choice of embracing both "prophets." 

Another "point" he made was the Bible we read is not the real Bible. He claims there is a true hidden Bible in which Jesus states there will be another prophet after Him. However, the "leaders" of the time wanted this book hidden so as to not divert the strength of Christianity. He believes Jesus did not die on the cross, but was simply taken up to heaven. 

I find it interesting that I wrote yesterday regarding arguing the wisdom of the world against the "foolishness" of Christ. I truly believe these verses were given to me to prepare me for this encounter tonight. There were many scriptures I could have chosen to argue the statements he was making, however at the time I simply felt God leading me to listen. There were several questions I asked him that he was unable to answer. I asked him if Jesus did not really die and was not truly who He claimed to be, then why were all his followers and disciples willing to continue preaching His story even at the risk and often result of death. He stuttered as he answered it was because they believed in Jesus. He did not really answer the question. 

He also referred to the Muslim leaders we see on television and in the news currently. He said they are not true Muslims, but only claim to be Muslim because that is how they were raised based on the culture of where they live. In the same way our Christian leaders are not true Christians. In his opinion, the real war is not between Muslims and Christians, but between the leaders and the true believers of both religions. He stated the true Christian leaders are the ones you don't see. The ones who are Christian in name only and not their actions are given an elevated status and accepted more readily because they pose no threat. In his own words, a Muslim stated..."A true Christian is a threat to our religion, but most Christians do not really live what they believe so they don't threaten anyone." His statement was not meant in regards to a physical threat, but regarding a threat to changing someone's belief in Muhammad and accepting of Jesus Christ as the son of God. 

Friends, it is moments like these when we MUST know what our Bible says! If there is anything I learned through this exchange it is the importance of knowing why we believe what we believe and how to defend our faith. In our defending, we must be in tune with the Holy Spirit regarding not only what we should say, but also what we should not say. The biggest take away for me was how this man was very bold, with NO hesitation in explaining his faith. How many Christians are hesitant to discuss their faith? This man stated Islam is the fastest growing religion in America. He said it is not because they evangelize in the way of Christians, but because people are searching, reading the Quran, and realizing it "makes sense." This is a direct result of what I wrote yesterday regarding our attempts at understanding God through our human logic. If people are searching, are we giving them the real Jesus? Are we living out what we claim to believe? Are we showing love while being bold in our witness? Or are we so concerned with not being "offensive" that we are willing to let those around us perish in hell for eternity? Are we more in tune with being "relevant" to our culture than we are being obedient in following the true word of God?

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  John 14:6

Call Me Foolish

I want to pick up today with where I left off yesterday in 1 Corinthians.

"For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. 

Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength." vs. 18-25

What immediately comes to mind upon reading these verses is how often we attempt to reason the gospel to those who do not believe. In fact, I've known many atheists and agnostics who feel the way they do because they are attempting to understand Christianity through wisdom and they have never experienced the power of the cross. The reality is many Christians operate in their own wisdom as well. This is the reason why too many Christians live in the same way as the world. If we only have a head revelation of Jesus without ever having a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit, then we miss the one thing that will lead to true change in ourselves and in our lives. 

Our belief in the risen Savior is foolishness to the world. When we live by biblical values, we are called judgmental and old-fashioned. Living for a higher calling beyond whatever makes us happy is foolishness to the world. It is through foolishness to the world that we are saved. The disciples lived lives that seemed foolish to those living around them. To hear Jesus say, "Follow me" and immediately drop your fishing nets and never look back is complete foolishness! 

The verses here explain those in the world will stumble over our beliefs, yet when they are called and experience God's power they too can become as foolish as us! These verses give me so much encouragement in the face of persecution for my faith in Christ. Paul eloquently reminds us true wisdom is from God and His strength always defeats human strength. When I am weak in my flesh, His spirit makes me strong. When my human mind reaches its limits, His knowledge shows me new direction. 

Do you struggle with "understanding" God? My prayer for you today is to move outside of your earthly, human wisdom in regards to God and His word. I pray you experience a new and completely foolish level of wisdom in your life! I assure you when this starts to happen, you will begin to live life in a new way. You will have people, even other believers, begin to question your sanity. When that happens, hold fast to the word of God and let me be the first to welcome you to the "family!" 

Biblical Lessons on Division

Today I want to share with you some thoughts I had while reading 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

"Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.  For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry among you.  What I am saying is this: Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,”or “I’m with Christ.”  Is Christ divided? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say you were baptized in my name. I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize—not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect." 

Based on the current divisions within the church body, I would say Paul's words were not heeded as time passed. Perhaps the church in Corinth heeded them, but how quickly we disregarded them. There are so many things we allow to divide us within the body of Christ. Looking at the modern day church, it is apparent the spirit of division seen in Corinth is alive and well. 

Think about how often you have met someone who is a Christian and one of the first questions asked is where you attend church. Perhaps you ask this question yourself. Perhaps you have had people talk about a certain church or domination in a negative way. According to Paul we must all remember we are united "with the same understand and the same conviction." Do you associate yourself more with your church name or image than you associate yourself with the body of Christ as a whole? Can you fellowship with believers who attend a different church than you? Do you feel prideful regarding your home church when comparing to other churches? Is there boasting regarding how big the video screens are or is there boasting in how Christ is moving within the body there and the lives that are being changed? 

Let us not overlook the last line of the above verse. Paul wrote he was not sent "to baptize, but to evangelize--not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect." Paul is saying a gifting of clever words is emptying the power of the cross. This is evident by the number of churches headed by pastors with the gift of clever stories and anecdotes and a lack of churches with leaders who may not be as eloquent, but preach the power of the cross of Christ. Where has the power gone in our churches? Where are the miracles happening? I believe they are happening where the unfiltered word of God is preached. 

My prayer for each of you is to evaluate your own opinions towards other churches and believers who attend a different church or denomination. If there are prejudices that exist, I pray they are revealed in your heart and healing can begin. I also pray you would evaluate the reasons why these prejudices exist. Do you attend a church that frequently jokes about other church denominations? Does the leadership within your church discourage you from participating in fellowship with believers outside of your church? Pray about how to proceed if any of these apply to where you attend church. 

We will continue in 1 Corinthians tomorrow. 

Unity

"I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. There is one body and one Spirit, just are you were called to one hope at your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-6

One of the most beautiful aspects of the bible to me is that most of it is written to believers. As I read these verses tonight I thought of how appropriate these words are today to those of us who claim a relationship with Jesus Christ. Each of us have a calling from God. When we begin walking in that calling it can be easy to become self-righteous and impatient with others. When we reach new levels of revelation with God it can be easy to look at others who have not reached the same levels and judge them for where they are in their walk. We are told in these verses to walk in our calling with humility and gentleness. 

It has been my experience that some of my harshest, most hurtful critics have come from within the body of believers. Those who should have extended love and been the most accepting were the very ones who formed "cliques" and excluded those who did not fit their standards of cool. Whenever we accept or reject other believers we are working against unity within the body. We are commanded here, as well as in other scriptures, to do all we can to live in peace with other believers. Unity is not hard to achieve when we are living in humility, gentleness, and patience. These do not come about by accident. The verse above shares how we are to be diligent in keeping the unity of the Spirit. It is only through the grace of the Holy Spirit that we can live in true unity with others. 

When we keep in mind that we are all serving the same God it is easy to lay aside our own personal agendas. So often I have seen disunity come about as the result of believers focusing on their goal or vision, while neglecting the true vision of God. If our goal is each to witness to others with the love of Christ, then no personal agenda should ever take precedence to that. No fancy leadership titles or positions of spiritual authority should separate us from the calling of someone who has just recently been saved. Again, we are all serving the same God. 

My prayer for each of you today is that you would experience in infilling in your spirit of humility, gentleness, and patience. If there are areas of disunity in your life, I pray for the strength to diligently renew those relationships. Remember, we are all serving the same Lord according to each of our callings. 

Not Our Battle

I was reading last night In 2 Chronicles 20 about King Jehoshaphat's actions when faced with an upcoming battle. There are several things that happened that stood out to me. The King was afraid. His first action when faced with an upcoming challenge was to seek the Lord and to fast. The fast was not only for himself, but for all of Judah and even the surrounding cities. Jehoshaphat realized the battle was not his alone to fight. So often when facing a challenge, we enter in without seeking God or sharing with those who are willing to go into battle with us. 

Jehoshaphat stood before those gathered and prayed: 

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:6-12

Notice when he begins his prayer he does not immediately launch into sharing the needs of his people. He begins by acknowledging God and who God is and all He does. I feel he was not reminding God of His previous accomplishments, but reminding himself and those listening to his prayer. We need to do the same thing when experiencing a time of anxiety. Think back over the times in your life you have seen God move and list them as a reminder to all He has done already. Just like Jehoshaphat, humble yourself enough to admit you "do not know what to do," but your eyes are on Him.

The next scriptures give us the details of those gathered. All of Judah, including their wives and children, were within hearing. The Spirit of God spoke through Jahaziel saying, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” (vs 15-17)

This is a great reminder to all of us to remember that the battles are not ours, but the Lords. We can often become so focused on the trial that we rely on our own strength and willpower in order to win the fight. In response to this word from God, the people did not boast. They did not celebrate in knowing God was on their side. Verse 18 tells us, "Jehoshaphat bowed with is face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship Him. The Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting in a loud voice." Even as they were going into battle there were people appointed specifically for singing for God and some to praise His holiness! They sang "Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithful love endures forever." 

What might happen if we faced our battles in a similar fashion? What if instead of whining and complaining about our circumstances we bowed to God and sang songs of praise? What if our trust was fully in God rather than in our own abilities? In this story of scripture those coming to battle against Jehoshaphat turned against each other and the plunder was more than the people could even carry! God not only made them victorious, but sent them home "richer" than they were before the battle! 

How will you fight your next battle?