Renewed Strength

No More Business as Usual

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:29:00 -0200

No More Business as Usual

Are we just doing the ‘usual’? Do we feel better about ourselves when we help the Church with its ‘usual’ programs? Many of our communities are going downhill and turning away from Christian values in alarming numbers. If we are not satisfied with this (which we really shouldn’t be!) then the ‘usual’ obviously isn’t working!

I just read a blog post by North American Mission Board (NAMB) president Kevin Ezell that is also titled “No More Business as Usual”. The article talks about a Church planter’s conference that was expected to attract about 800 attendees. 2,200 registered! This is great news that so many are willing to do more to the kingdom of God! But, will theses 2,200 individuals be able to change the world on their own? Sure it’s a great start, but it’s time for all of us to get out of our comfort zone, put aside our own hobbies, and truly Serve the Lord and do his work.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus gives us the Great Commission when he said;

“Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Jesus did not say “All of the Pastors need to…” or “Deacons and Elders should….” Or even “It would be nice if you…”. He said Go, and he means all of us! It is easy to convince yourself that you don’t know how, you don’t know enough, or you’re not good at it. I know I have convinced myself of that many times. The answer to this is found in Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”Acts 1:8 NIV

We don’t have to know what to say or how to do it. Jesus wants us to be willing to do His work and rely in Him. His Holy Spirit will empower us and give us the words to say. It is our duty to be willing to do His work to spread the Good News to Jerusalem (your city), Judea (your state), Samaria (your country), and to the ends of the earth (World)!

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Oklahoma Fires

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 11:24:00 -0200

As I begin this blog post today, my mind and heart are full of the devastation caused by the fires here in Oklahoma. I must admit, I was a little afraid last night as I looked out my windows and saw the huge gray and black plumes of smoke that were only a few miles from me. As soon as I heard of a fire to the east of me, I heard about evacuations to the west, south and north. I could feel myself becoming ill with the fear.

My human side ran wild with terrible thoughts. I could imagine my little dog and myself trapped in this apartment. I wondered what it would be like to die in a fire.

As I prayed for my own safety and the safety of my family, I began to think about the firefighters who have worked for days on end and who are running low on supplies, including the necessary drinks to keep them going. They ask for Gatorade, water and ice. I wonder if they have enough. If I were able to drive, I’d take them some. Please agree with me in prayer for them. God will provide.

I thought of all those who have lost their homes and property…who have nothing at all left. No clothes, no food, no home, nothing. I’m trying to imagine waking up this morning knowing I have lost everything. Tomorrow I will call someone to take my donations to the drop off place in my town. Please join me in praying for these people. If they turn to God, they will be restored in every way.

On the news last night, they told of a man in a black pickup, Chevy F150 who was seen throwing burning newspapers out of his window near one of the small towns that ended up being evacuated. Why? How many did he set? How does a person become so angry and cruel as to do such a thing? It seems there may have been other fires set intentionally as well. We don’t know. God does. Please pray for the man in the black pickup and any others who may have set the fires. These folks need God in their lives.

If you live in Oklahoma, please find out where you can drop donations of food, clothing and/or money. If you are able, maybe you can offer shelter. Most of all, please pray.

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Be Real Men

Sat, 04 Aug 2012 11:44:00 -0200

Be Real Men

What does it mean to be a real man? In order to be a real man, do you have to drive a big truck, wear camouflaged clothes, bring home the most money, or know all of the stats for the local sports team? There is diffidently nothing wrong with any of these, but does this really make us men? Did moving into that big new house or buying that new shinny car make you feel more accomplished as a man to be able to provide those things for your family? Sure it will, but does this make us men?

God calls for all women to submit to their husbands. Many men have heard this and will take up their role as head of the household. The problem is what they do with this position. Being the head of the household does not simply mean to do as you want and no one in your family is to argue with you. Men as the head of their household are called to a greater service and hold greater responsibility. (Ephesians 5:24-33) Men are called to lead and love their family, as Christ loved the Church.

Here are some facts I found to be quite startling:

95% of Church men say they don’t have male friends

According to New Man Magazine, “The typical US married couple only spends four minutes per day in ‘meaningful conversation’ with each other.”

On average, men spend one hour a year reading the Bible

The typical US congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female and 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories.

At least 70% of Christian men and 20% of women struggle with internet pornography.

1 Timothy 5:8 says “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” When Timothy is warning us about not providing for our family, he is not talking about providing a flashy house, car, and toys. As men we must provide a Godly example to our wife and family. More importantly, we must train and encourage our family to live their life for Christ. Otherwise, we are worse than an unbeliever! If you have not already, also read our post titles Be Strong & Courageous.

Are you actively leading your family to strengthen their relationship with Christ? Are you sitting on the sideline and watching her lead and teach your children? Or are you investing in their future by setting the example and strengthening them to live a life of Godly service? Let us all stand up and Be Real Men!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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People change, but marriage can still last a lifetime

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:36:00 -0200

People change, but marriage can still last a lifetime

I recently heard a story about a family friend. She married right out of college, thought she had a great life in the making, but then the real world hit. She felt that her and her husband had grown apart. She convinced herself that divorce was the only solution. She finally got the courage to call and tell him that she was leaving. His reaction, “ok, you can have the house, I’m keeping my car, we will divide everything else up later”. No argument, not fighting for what he has, just taking the easy way out. This same story plays out way too often in America. Somehow, people have convinced themselves that marriages are disposable and to just end it if things get hard.

I have heard all kinds of reasons (excuses) for divorce and most of them center around one or both individuals ‘changing’. The fact is; people do change, circumstances change, life changes, but your marriage can change and grow too. My wife and I have been married for almost 12 years. It has been really, it has been really bad. We have loved, we have fought, and we have been through counseling. We both have said and done things that hurt each other. Despite all of this, 12 years later, we love each other more today than we ever have.

Ephesians 5:25 tells us “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her” (HCSB). Love you wife as Christ loved the church. Those are some very powerful words. Christ lived his life and died for the Church (and all of us). Are you living our lives with our spouse, or are we living our life for our spouse? It is so easy to sit and think about someone else’s flaws. “If only he would….”, “I can’t stand it when she….”, but how much time do we spend considering our own actions and motives? It is very easy to get set in our daily routine, loose the newlywed excitement, and get comfortably in our relationship. However this is not excuse to let your love and devotion to your spouse slip.

A great marriage requires work and dedication. Love and happiness doesn’t happen by chance, but with some work, you can build your marriage into something that can survive even the toughest challenges life can throw at you! “..‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:5-6(NIV). “ Until Death do us part”. We all said it standing at the altar, saying our vows before God. Remember what you vowed. Remember that God is with you both. If you keep him in the center of your marriage, trust in Him, and truly love your spouse like Christ loved the Church, you too can have a Fireproof marriage that will last a lifetime!

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Be Strong and Courageous

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:23:00 -0200

Be Strong and Courageous

A phrase repeated many time in the Bible. Two simple words, with simple meanings:

Strong – of great moral power, firmness, or courage

Courageous – not deterred by danger or pain; brave

Now let’s take a look at what it really means to be Strong and Courageous. One of the best examples of this in the Bible is certainly the story of Joshua. Joshua spent many years helping Moses in the wilderness after the Exodus form Egypt. Moses was told by God that it was his time to die, and that Joshua would take his place to lead the Israelites through the Jordan River and to the land they were promised. Although Joshua had already spent many years helping Moses, there is a huge difference between helping the leader, and being the leader. This certainly takes an extra measure of courage to step up to the plate. God repeated the phrase “Be strong and courageous” many times to Joshua. God went on to tell him:

"No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.” - Joshua 1:5

I’m sure this was very comforting to Joshua, and should be comforting to us. God’s statement here does not only apply to Joshua. It also applies to us, IF we are willing to stand up, depart from our former sinful ways, and be a courageous leader for God.

If your anything like me, it is very easy to justify your own actions and think you’re doing things right. You may be thinking “well I am in a position of leadership at (work|church|home|baseball team|etc) and I do a good job, so I guess I’m already a courageous leader.” Cool, done, moving on. Hold on just a minute! Do you measure your success by the opinions of your peers, or the opinion of God? Are you putting others first and truly serving them, or just leading them for your own agenda? We all need to take the time to prayerfully examine out motives behind what we are doing. Being a strong and courageous leader doesn’t mean being a strong boss. It means you are of great moral power and brave enough to server others, while leading them on the path of what is right, not just what is popular.

The best example of this is a movie produced by Sherwood Pictures in 2011. It is a movie simply titled Courageous – Honor begins at home. If you have not seen it, I strongly recommend it. If you have a spouse, children, friends, or anyone else who looks up to you, you owe it to them to ask yourself, “Am I being a good father or just a good enough father”. I am no longer content with being a good enough father. My family deserves a strong and courageous leader of their family. A leader with great moral power who will keep their actions honorable and answerable to God. A leader who is brave enough to do what is right and unafraid of ridicule. This leader will be me. Will you be a Strong and Courageous leader for those around you?

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Are You Claiming your Blessings?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:25:00 -0200

Are You Claiming your Blessings?

It’s easy for us to sometimes wonder why we don’t get things our way. Why we didn’t get the promotion at work, why we can’t afford a new car, why were not happier in life, etc. It is also easy to think we deserve everything we want. If asked, most people today would tell you they are hard workers, dedicated to their job and family, and generally good people. So if all of this is true, and we are Christians who pray to God for the things we want or ‘need’, why isn’t God blessing us with what we ask him for?

Let’s take a closer look. Below were going to evaluate some of the most common reasons why we may not be receiving out blessings from God.

What are our motives? Do we want the promotion at work so that you are in a better position to serve others and Glorify God by being allowing others to see Gods love shining through you in how you speak, act, and treat those working for you? Or do you just want to make more money and be able to be someone else’s boss? "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Do you want a newer car so that you can show it off to your friends as a status symbol, or do you need better transportation so that you can make more trips visiting shut-ins, nursing homes, and those in the hospital or jail? "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'” Matthew 24:45

Are we truly being good People/Parents/Christians/Spouses, or just good enough? It is a lot easier to notice the faults of others then it is to notice our own faults. It is all too easy to convince ourselves that we are doing everything, or at least most things right. This week, make a conscience effort to self-examine everything you do. Are you showing selfless love towards everything you come into contact with? Are you wholeheartedly praying to God, and trust in him to show you the path his has prepared rather than just telling him what you want? Are you looking for opportunities to help others, even if it inconvenience’s you? And most importantly, do you trust God completely and seek to please him above all else?

Is your to-do list full of this items you think are most important, or are you asking God to show you his plan for your day and for him to help you work for His kingdom? “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33. It has been said, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans’. There is a lot of truth to this, but it should also stand as a warning. Be careful not to tell God your plan and expect him to bless it. Instead, live your life for Him, pray asking Him to show you His plan, and he will bless your good works.

In Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth, he reminded them of the Israelites that were lead out of the Egypt with Moses. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering lost in the wilderness. God promised them fertile land, flowing with milk and honey if they would put their trust in Him. However they continued to complain and wish for more. Paul gave Corinth this warning; “¹¹ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. ¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

So if were being good Christians, with good motives and asking God to show us His path for us, we will get the next promotion and new car and a bigger house, right? Well, not quite. However if you will strive to live your life putting God first, others second, and selflessly help other, God will bless your life even more then you can imagine.

God is ready willing and able to bless your life and everything you do. He will provide for your every need. He will open doors for you that you did not think would ever be possible. ⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

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How to Become a Christian

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:16:00 -0200

How to become a Christian

First, I want to applaud you for taking the time to learn how to become a Christian. I assure you that becoming a Christian can and will change your entire life for the better if you’re willing to truly live your life as a Christian. With that said, I hope you already have a understanding about what a Christian is. If not, I encourage you to read What is a Christian before going any further. I believe there are many misconceptions surrounding what it actually means to be a Christian and I don’t want you continue is such a important undertaking without a understanding of the basics.

Before we can have a relationship with God, we have to understand what is separating us from God. That thing is SIN! Ask yourself, ‘Am I a sinner’. If you have ever lied, cheated, lusted, lost your temper, been mean to someone else or refused to help the needy, then you have sinned. In fact, we are all sinners.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Sin is what keeps us out of heaven and away from God. Now the book of Romans gives us two very important passages of good news.

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God knows that we are born into a sinful world and are powerless to sin on our own. This is why he sent his son Jesus Christ to die for us.

"For the wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life (in heaven with God) in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

Jesus Christ lived a perfect and sin-free life. He did not need to be crucified on the cross because of his own sins; he died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. I have known this to be true since I was a small kid, but I did not truly understand the magnitude of Gods sacrifice until I became a parent. I cannot even imagine purposefully sending my son to be mocked, beaten, humiliated, and murdered without doing anything to stop it. This is exactly what God did. He then raised Jesus from the dead and ascended him into heaven to prepare a place for each of us. All so that you and I can receive forgiveness for our sins!

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Jesus has already paid the price for your sins. Now to receive this forgiveness you must accept Jesus as your Lord & savior and repent for your sins. To repent means to confess that you are a sinner then turn from sinful ways and turn to follow Christ.

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10

This is where a lot of people seem to get off track. You cannot simply ask for forgiveness and keep doing the same thing you always have. You have to work hard to resist your sinful nature and habits and strive to be closer to God. Now this doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect starting tomorrow. None of us are perfect! God know that we will mess up and make sinful mistakes. But you do have to try hard to work to have a closer relationship with Him. You cannot live your life however you want to and expect to still spend eternity in Heaven by simply doing something good every now and again.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

You don’t have to be in a Church, you don’t have to be on your knees in a white robe with Holy water on your head. All you have to do is stop what you are doing and ask Him to come into your life. Simply pray to Him and say something similar to “God, I believe that you created heaven and earth and that your Son died for me on the cross. I believe that your son Jesus Christ rose from the dead so that I may receive forgiveness for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sin’s and that you become a part of my life and help me as I learn to follow you and live my life how you want me to. Amen”

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What is a Christian

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:43:00 -0200

What is a Christian

By definition, Christian means “follower of Christ”. A 2010 survey showed that 83% of Americans consider themselves to be Christian. But what does this actually mean? By asking people on the street, you may get a wide range of answers to this question. Some believe being a Christian means going to Church, praying, being baptized, or growing up in a Christian home. All of these are important, but none of them alone make someone a Christian. Many believe that all of the people in or at least the writers of the Bible were Christians. In fact, the term Christian was not mentioned in the Bible until the New Testament. "And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26). The Church of Antioch was the first Gentile Church founded by the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul.

Now that we know what a Christian is and where the term comes from, what does it mean to be a Christian? As stated earlier, a Christian is a follower of Christ. Before you can be a follower of Christ, you must be a believer. This means that you believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ the son, who died on the cross and was raised from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins. Once you have a belief, how do you follow Christ? This is where the real work comes in. Truly being a Christian, and truly being a follower of Christ takes work and conscious effort. I know, you may be thinking you are already too busy and can’t handle more work. Work may be a deceiving term. There is great importance and benefit to spending your time reading the Bible every day, going to Church every Sunday, going to Bible study weekly, etc. but even if your schedule doesn’t allow this, you can still be a follower of Christ.

Being a Christian is more mental than physical. It does not matter where your physical body is located or what building you are in, what matters is in whom you put your trust. Ephesians 2:8 tells us “For by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God.” 1 John 2:4 tells us “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” . Being a Christian means putting your trust in God, obeying his commands, living your life to glorify him, show love to all around you, even your enemies. The following is a list of common misconceptions to being a Christian.

A Christian is not;

Spending all your time praying
Going to ever event the Church has
Going door to door, telling everyone you know about God
Wearing a cross around your neck
Memorizing and often quoting Bible verses
Being perfect

In fact, the last cannot be further from the truth!

John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

If you have not yet accepted Christ as your Lord and savior, I encourage you to do so now. Please continue to the following article to learn How to become a Christian.

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