grace is the key to joy. the two words go together. they have the same root word in greek. to realize that everything GOD does in you and through you is by grace, rather than working for it and earning it. grace is the secret of joy.
paul uses his life as an example. he was the super-star legalist before he became a believer. and he found it didn't work.
look at what he says, philippians 3.4-6 (ms) even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. you know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an israelite from the elite tribe of benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to GOD's law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in GOD's law book.
if you want to compare lists he says, i’ve got you beat by a long shot.
just a thought from the front porch...
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
rules can rob the joy in a relationtionship...
now joy is a recurring theme in the book of philippians. paul talks about joy seventeen different times in this book and he keeps returning to this point, repeating himself. this is a good teaching tool. any good communicator knows that you often have to repeat something many times for people to really get it.
philippians 3.1 (ms) and that's about it, friends. be glad in GOD! i don't mind repeating what i have written in earlier letters, and i hope you don't mind hearing it again. better safe than sorry—so here goes.
paul is concerned that the philippians don't lose their joy. and in this passage he gives some safeguards to them and to us on how to keep our joy.
now legalism is a kill joy. it destroys the joy in your CHRISTian life. it can ruin a family, people, churches. so it is very important to resist it.
so what is legalism? well, legalism is substituting rules and regulations for my relationship to CHRIST. it comes in very subtly as a believer. it gets the focus off what GOD has done for you and gets the focus on what you have to do for GOD. and when you flip the focus around like that, you're going to lose your joy.
he continues in verses 2 & 3 (ms), steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. all they're interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, i call them. the real believers are the ones the SPIRIT of GOD leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with CHRIST's praise as we do it.
now paul is angry here. he is talking about a group of people who were called judaizers who had set up this matter of being a CHRIST-follower upon following a bunch of rules and he is frustrated.
you can tell he’s frustrated with them because he calls them barking dogs…those dogs. now when we think of dogs, we think of warm, cuddly pets but in the new testament times dogs were not pets. they were wild scavengers that would attack human beings. it was the worst thing you could think of to call somebody a dog. he’s saying if somebody tries to steal your joy by putting rules on you that are not in the bible then they are dogs.
just a thought from the front porch...
philippians 3.1 (ms) and that's about it, friends. be glad in GOD! i don't mind repeating what i have written in earlier letters, and i hope you don't mind hearing it again. better safe than sorry—so here goes.
paul is concerned that the philippians don't lose their joy. and in this passage he gives some safeguards to them and to us on how to keep our joy.
now legalism is a kill joy. it destroys the joy in your CHRISTian life. it can ruin a family, people, churches. so it is very important to resist it.
so what is legalism? well, legalism is substituting rules and regulations for my relationship to CHRIST. it comes in very subtly as a believer. it gets the focus off what GOD has done for you and gets the focus on what you have to do for GOD. and when you flip the focus around like that, you're going to lose your joy.
he continues in verses 2 & 3 (ms), steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. all they're interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, i call them. the real believers are the ones the SPIRIT of GOD leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with CHRIST's praise as we do it.
now paul is angry here. he is talking about a group of people who were called judaizers who had set up this matter of being a CHRIST-follower upon following a bunch of rules and he is frustrated.
you can tell he’s frustrated with them because he calls them barking dogs…those dogs. now when we think of dogs, we think of warm, cuddly pets but in the new testament times dogs were not pets. they were wild scavengers that would attack human beings. it was the worst thing you could think of to call somebody a dog. he’s saying if somebody tries to steal your joy by putting rules on you that are not in the bible then they are dogs.
just a thought from the front porch...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
if you want to really live...
today's value system says do everything you can to build a nest egg to provide security for yourself. your whole goal in life is to become secure and financially independent. so security becomes the goal of life rather than service.
but GOD is looking for people with courage, who are willing to risk for the kingdom of GOD, who are willing to serve GOD with reckless abandonment.
look at what paul says about epaphoditus and his return home. philippians 2.29-30 (ms), give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! people like him deserve the best you can give. remember the ministry to me that you started but weren't able to complete? well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it.
look at the words, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it. he risked his life and almost died for the work of CHRIST to make up for the help the philippians could not give to paul.
and paul challenges us over in his letter to the romans in 12.1 (ms), 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.
another way to say offering is sacrifice, what am i sacrificing for CHRIST? what are you sacrificing? i know some guys that don't even have enough guts to tithe. they are so worried about their security – "how can i make it on 90%?"
i meet so many bored men, unfulfilled. they don't like their job; it is just a living. why are there so many bored and unfulfilled men? they have lost the spirit of adventure they had as young men. they aren't risking anything anymore. when you stop risking you are dying. they don't have anything to live for, any challenge, any goals bigger than themselves.
mark 8.35 (ms), self-sacrifice is the way, MY way, to saving yourself, your true self. what good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? what could you ever trade your soul for?
if you want to live... go for broke for JESUS CHRIST! give up your life. give up your reputation!
about 65 years ago, nicolai lenin talked to a little group of 12-14 people and said, "give me 100 totally committed men and i will change the world." evidently he got them because over half of the world is under communist domination. that is the power of commitment.
2 chronicles 16.9 (ms), GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.
just a thought from the front porch...
but GOD is looking for people with courage, who are willing to risk for the kingdom of GOD, who are willing to serve GOD with reckless abandonment.
look at what paul says about epaphoditus and his return home. philippians 2.29-30 (ms), give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! people like him deserve the best you can give. remember the ministry to me that you started but weren't able to complete? well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it.
look at the words, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it. he risked his life and almost died for the work of CHRIST to make up for the help the philippians could not give to paul.
and paul challenges us over in his letter to the romans in 12.1 (ms), 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.
another way to say offering is sacrifice, what am i sacrificing for CHRIST? what are you sacrificing? i know some guys that don't even have enough guts to tithe. they are so worried about their security – "how can i make it on 90%?"
i meet so many bored men, unfulfilled. they don't like their job; it is just a living. why are there so many bored and unfulfilled men? they have lost the spirit of adventure they had as young men. they aren't risking anything anymore. when you stop risking you are dying. they don't have anything to live for, any challenge, any goals bigger than themselves.
mark 8.35 (ms), self-sacrifice is the way, MY way, to saving yourself, your true self. what good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? what could you ever trade your soul for?
if you want to live... go for broke for JESUS CHRIST! give up your life. give up your reputation!
about 65 years ago, nicolai lenin talked to a little group of 12-14 people and said, "give me 100 totally committed men and i will change the world." evidently he got them because over half of the world is under communist domination. that is the power of commitment.
2 chronicles 16.9 (ms), GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.
just a thought from the front porch...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
i'll do it if it's convenient...
paul says of epaphroditus, philippians 2.25-27 (ms), you sent him to help me out; now i'm sending him to help you out. he has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he's been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. he nearly died, as you know, but GOD had mercy on him.
who is this man? as you know paul is the writer of this book of philippians and he is in prison in rome and the people in philippi took up an offering to help paul with his expenses.
now rome was 800 miles away and 6 weeks travel over rough terrain and this man epaphroditus said, i’ll take it, i’ll take the offering. i’ll make the trip and at great expense, he travels 800 miles by foot to rome
but on the way there he caught a disease or infection and it was deadly. he nearly died. it wasn’t a runny nose, he almost died, but epaphroditus is persistent in spite of his sickness.
now epaphoditus did not say, i’d like to help you but it’s not convenient for me. i want to stay home with my family. i can’t be gone that long.
no he said, i’ll take it and he took out on an 800 mile journey on foot. he got sick along the way but he didn’t turn back. he didn’t say, i got sick out here, things got rough so that must mean it is GOD’s will for me to turn back. no, he was a man of commitment, he finished what he started.
james 2.17 (ms), isn't it obvious that GOD-talk without GOD-acts is outrageous nonsense? or as the niv puts it, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
GOD is looking for people of action. if you believe, let me see it. "put your money where your mouth is!" faith without any action is dead.
do you know what the number one complaint from wives is about their husbands? the number one complaint from wives is passive husbands, passive husbands. they are aggressive at work, taking the lead, but at home they are the frozen chosen. they hide and abdicate leadership to the wife or kids or anyone else that will take it. and for sure they are passive in their spiritual life.
GOD uses men of action who take the initiative. spiritual awakenings occur when men in a church become participators, not just spectators. they are men of action for the cause of CHRIST. they put the cause of CHRIST before personal comfort.
just a thought from the front porch...
who is this man? as you know paul is the writer of this book of philippians and he is in prison in rome and the people in philippi took up an offering to help paul with his expenses.
now rome was 800 miles away and 6 weeks travel over rough terrain and this man epaphroditus said, i’ll take it, i’ll take the offering. i’ll make the trip and at great expense, he travels 800 miles by foot to rome
but on the way there he caught a disease or infection and it was deadly. he nearly died. it wasn’t a runny nose, he almost died, but epaphroditus is persistent in spite of his sickness.
now epaphoditus did not say, i’d like to help you but it’s not convenient for me. i want to stay home with my family. i can’t be gone that long.
no he said, i’ll take it and he took out on an 800 mile journey on foot. he got sick along the way but he didn’t turn back. he didn’t say, i got sick out here, things got rough so that must mean it is GOD’s will for me to turn back. no, he was a man of commitment, he finished what he started.
james 2.17 (ms), isn't it obvious that GOD-talk without GOD-acts is outrageous nonsense? or as the niv puts it, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
GOD is looking for people of action. if you believe, let me see it. "put your money where your mouth is!" faith without any action is dead.
do you know what the number one complaint from wives is about their husbands? the number one complaint from wives is passive husbands, passive husbands. they are aggressive at work, taking the lead, but at home they are the frozen chosen. they hide and abdicate leadership to the wife or kids or anyone else that will take it. and for sure they are passive in their spiritual life.
GOD uses men of action who take the initiative. spiritual awakenings occur when men in a church become participators, not just spectators. they are men of action for the cause of CHRIST. they put the cause of CHRIST before personal comfort.
just a thought from the front porch...
Monday, July 27, 2009
who is our enemy, anyway?...
i was a youth pastor for many years. i loved it. i gave it up when i got too old for the all-nighters. haha!.
i had one group that had three brothers in it who were very competitive with each other. we had a basketball team and all three were on it. after every game they would check out which one got the most points. it mattered that much. that mattered more than who won. i'm sure that isn't a problem anymore. they have matured. i hope.
but one game, they were all three in the game and the oldest brother stole the ball and was running down the court to make an uncontested layup when just at the last moment a player came up behind him and stuffed the ball and he missed the basket. the situation was the player was his own brother who was on his own team.
sounds a lot like churches who are so afraid of competition from other churches. they are afraid when one church moves too close that they will take people away from them. i'm sorry, our calling is not to build our kingdom but GOD's kingdom. what would happen if we weren't so competitive and we were cooperative. we might be closer to getting the job accomplished that HE died for us to do.
our enemy is not us but satan and he is really excited when we get this mixed up.
just a thought from the front porch.
i had one group that had three brothers in it who were very competitive with each other. we had a basketball team and all three were on it. after every game they would check out which one got the most points. it mattered that much. that mattered more than who won. i'm sure that isn't a problem anymore. they have matured. i hope.
but one game, they were all three in the game and the oldest brother stole the ball and was running down the court to make an uncontested layup when just at the last moment a player came up behind him and stuffed the ball and he missed the basket. the situation was the player was his own brother who was on his own team.
sounds a lot like churches who are so afraid of competition from other churches. they are afraid when one church moves too close that they will take people away from them. i'm sorry, our calling is not to build our kingdom but GOD's kingdom. what would happen if we weren't so competitive and we were cooperative. we might be closer to getting the job accomplished that HE died for us to do.
our enemy is not us but satan and he is really excited when we get this mixed up.
just a thought from the front porch.
i can't do what GOD wants, alone...
paul brings up another man and the qualities in him that GOD values. philippians 2.25 (niv), ...i think it is necessary to send back to you epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.
now paul as you know was a super star. he could have taken on the whole world it seems single-handedly but he recognized that even he would get more accomplished if he worked together with other people. he needed to cooperate and that is what GOD wants from us.
he describes this cooperation with three terms, three relationships. he says, he’s my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.
three things about the CHRISTian life:
1. it is a family, we're related. 133 times in the new testament paul uses the word "brother" to describe the relationship between CHRISTians.
2. it is a fellowship. we have the same task, assignment. we have the great commission. we are to serve together and work together not independently.
3. it is a fight. when you became a CHRISTian you became an enemy of the devil. we are to defend each other and protect each other and support each other. life is a battle.
let me ask you, can other CHRISTians use these terms about you? my brother, a fellow worker, my fellow soldier.
there was an article that said, only 10% of men in america have real friends. only 10%.
listen, CHRISTian men don't know how to relate to each other. they are afraid to let anybody get close to them. they keep each other at a far pace. and that is true of many CHRISTian women too.
men, women, there is a tremendous power in unity. judges 20.11 (ms), so all the israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.
what would happen if your church and my church were really united? what could we do for and with GOD? what if all the nazarene churches on long island were really untied? in new york, in the united states? what if and that is GOD plan.
paul and epaphroditus were more interested in cooperation than competition. what if that was true of you and me. what would GOD do through us?
just a thought from the front porch...
now paul as you know was a super star. he could have taken on the whole world it seems single-handedly but he recognized that even he would get more accomplished if he worked together with other people. he needed to cooperate and that is what GOD wants from us.
he describes this cooperation with three terms, three relationships. he says, he’s my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier.
three things about the CHRISTian life:
1. it is a family, we're related. 133 times in the new testament paul uses the word "brother" to describe the relationship between CHRISTians.
2. it is a fellowship. we have the same task, assignment. we have the great commission. we are to serve together and work together not independently.
3. it is a fight. when you became a CHRISTian you became an enemy of the devil. we are to defend each other and protect each other and support each other. life is a battle.
let me ask you, can other CHRISTians use these terms about you? my brother, a fellow worker, my fellow soldier.
there was an article that said, only 10% of men in america have real friends. only 10%.
listen, CHRISTian men don't know how to relate to each other. they are afraid to let anybody get close to them. they keep each other at a far pace. and that is true of many CHRISTian women too.
men, women, there is a tremendous power in unity. judges 20.11 (ms), so all the israelites were completely united, and they gathered together to attack the town.
what would happen if your church and my church were really united? what could we do for and with GOD? what if all the nazarene churches on long island were really untied? in new york, in the united states? what if and that is GOD plan.
paul and epaphroditus were more interested in cooperation than competition. what if that was true of you and me. what would GOD do through us?
just a thought from the front porch...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
are you consistent?...
paul here in the last few verses of philippians 2 is looking at 2 men and what GOD values in them. one of them is timothy. verse 22 (niv), timothy has proved himself... he has served with me in the work of the gospel. "prove" means tested character – integrity. timothy's name means "he honors GOD." he did not cave in to pressure.
GOD is looking for people today like timothy who are not afraid to be different from the culture around and to stand alone. HE is looking for people who are consistent.
it has been said, "if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." so what are you willing to stand for in life?
listen, GOD need people of conviction, who cannot be bought at any price, who are not wishy-washy but who are committed to their values, and are consistent in their beliefs and convictions.
there are so many people even in our churches who are half committed to everything and that is no commitment at all.
proverbs 10.9 (nlt), people with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.
integrity. a nice personality will make a good first impression but success over the long haul is built on character, not on image but on character. people of integrity will not be afraid of what is going to be found out.
is your private life consistent with your public image?
let me ask you men, would you be willing to have your son or daughter look over your shoulder at what you look at on the internet when you are alone with the door shut? it is no wonder some of you are angry all the time with the junk you look at on the internet. it affects you.
proverbs 20.7 (ms), GOD-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children. inconsistent parents produce insecure children. the kids don't know where their parent's are coming from. an uncommitted or inconsistent husband or wife produces unstable marriages.
GOD is looking for people of consistency, of integrity
just a thought from the front porch...
GOD is looking for people today like timothy who are not afraid to be different from the culture around and to stand alone. HE is looking for people who are consistent.
it has been said, "if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." so what are you willing to stand for in life?
listen, GOD need people of conviction, who cannot be bought at any price, who are not wishy-washy but who are committed to their values, and are consistent in their beliefs and convictions.
there are so many people even in our churches who are half committed to everything and that is no commitment at all.
proverbs 10.9 (nlt), people with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.
integrity. a nice personality will make a good first impression but success over the long haul is built on character, not on image but on character. people of integrity will not be afraid of what is going to be found out.
is your private life consistent with your public image?
let me ask you men, would you be willing to have your son or daughter look over your shoulder at what you look at on the internet when you are alone with the door shut? it is no wonder some of you are angry all the time with the junk you look at on the internet. it affects you.
proverbs 20.7 (ms), GOD-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children. inconsistent parents produce insecure children. the kids don't know where their parent's are coming from. an uncommitted or inconsistent husband or wife produces unstable marriages.
GOD is looking for people of consistency, of integrity
just a thought from the front porch...
Saturday, July 25, 2009
people are more important than things...
here is this 2nd chapter of philippians paul who is in prison has looked at conflict, complaining and change. now he turns his attention to two men and their qualities that GOD values.
the first man is timothy. here is what he says in verses 19-24 (ms), i plan (according to JESUS' plan) to send timothy to you very soon so he can bring back all the news of you he can gather. oh, how that will do my heart good! i have no one quite like timothy. he is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of JESUS. but you know yourselves that timothy's the real thing. he's been a devoted son to me as together we've delivered the message. as soon as i see how things are going to fall out for me here, i plan to send him off. and then i'm hoping and praying to be right on his heels.
it would be great if someone would say about us, verses 20,21 (ms), he is...genuinely concerned for you. most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of JESUS
paul says timothy is the only one he knows that cares not just about himself but about other people; he's compassionate.
people of compassion put people before profits because over the long haul relationships are more valuable than things. the bible says, if i have not love i am nothing. now abides these three things: faith, hope and love. but the greatest of these is love. you can be a success in everything else but if you don't have love in your life you're a failure. GOD is looking for people of compassion.
now compassion is protecting the needs and rights of people. too often we're just in it for ourselves, not caring what other people need or want.
is it possible to get so wrapped up and committed to your business that you forget your family? phillips translates this verse, they are all wrapped up in their own affairs.
a good example of the man of compassion is the good samaritan in luke. he was on a business trip from jerusalem to jericho. along the road he finds somebody who is mugged, a victim. he stops and administers first aid, takes him down to the local holiday inn, gives them his gold card and says, "charge it to my account." compassion for a total stranger. would you or i do that for a stranger? GOD is looking for people of compassion who put people before profits.
just a thought from the front porch...
the first man is timothy. here is what he says in verses 19-24 (ms), i plan (according to JESUS' plan) to send timothy to you very soon so he can bring back all the news of you he can gather. oh, how that will do my heart good! i have no one quite like timothy. he is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of JESUS. but you know yourselves that timothy's the real thing. he's been a devoted son to me as together we've delivered the message. as soon as i see how things are going to fall out for me here, i plan to send him off. and then i'm hoping and praying to be right on his heels.
it would be great if someone would say about us, verses 20,21 (ms), he is...genuinely concerned for you. most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of JESUS
paul says timothy is the only one he knows that cares not just about himself but about other people; he's compassionate.
people of compassion put people before profits because over the long haul relationships are more valuable than things. the bible says, if i have not love i am nothing. now abides these three things: faith, hope and love. but the greatest of these is love. you can be a success in everything else but if you don't have love in your life you're a failure. GOD is looking for people of compassion.
now compassion is protecting the needs and rights of people. too often we're just in it for ourselves, not caring what other people need or want.
is it possible to get so wrapped up and committed to your business that you forget your family? phillips translates this verse, they are all wrapped up in their own affairs.
a good example of the man of compassion is the good samaritan in luke. he was on a business trip from jerusalem to jericho. along the road he finds somebody who is mugged, a victim. he stops and administers first aid, takes him down to the local holiday inn, gives them his gold card and says, "charge it to my account." compassion for a total stranger. would you or i do that for a stranger? GOD is looking for people of compassion who put people before profits.
just a thought from the front porch...
Friday, July 24, 2009
it all comes down to a choice...
romans 5.3-4 (ms), we continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever GOD will do next. in alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged.
the way GOD produces the fruit of the spirit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, self-control – is by putting you in the exact opposite situation.
you want to learn love? GOD is going to put you around some unlovely people. it's easy to love the lovely. you want to learn joy? HE'll put you in some tragedies and you'll learn that joy is different than happiness. peace? it's easy to be peaceful setting on the beach in tahiti or long island. but peace is learned in chaos. goodness? HE'll put you in situations where you're tempted for badness. self-control? HE'll move you nex to a dunkin donuts or a baskin-robbins. GOD allows us in the opposite situation in order to help us grow.
what do you want to change the most about yourself? the power to change comes from GOD's power and your choices. when you choose to do the right thing, GOD gives you the power. what GOD tells you to do HE gives you the power to do. whatever you want to change it takes cooperation with GOD. HE will work it in if you will work it out.
GOD has promised to give you both the desire, the will power and the ability to make those changes. HE will do it through HIS word and through HIS SPIRIT. HE will energize your life to make those changes. but it starts with our choices.
just a thought from the front porch...
the way GOD produces the fruit of the spirit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, self-control – is by putting you in the exact opposite situation.
you want to learn love? GOD is going to put you around some unlovely people. it's easy to love the lovely. you want to learn joy? HE'll put you in some tragedies and you'll learn that joy is different than happiness. peace? it's easy to be peaceful setting on the beach in tahiti or long island. but peace is learned in chaos. goodness? HE'll put you in situations where you're tempted for badness. self-control? HE'll move you nex to a dunkin donuts or a baskin-robbins. GOD allows us in the opposite situation in order to help us grow.
what do you want to change the most about yourself? the power to change comes from GOD's power and your choices. when you choose to do the right thing, GOD gives you the power. what GOD tells you to do HE gives you the power to do. whatever you want to change it takes cooperation with GOD. HE will work it in if you will work it out.
GOD has promised to give you both the desire, the will power and the ability to make those changes. HE will do it through HIS word and through HIS SPIRIT. HE will energize your life to make those changes. but it starts with our choices.
just a thought from the front porch...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
a whiner or a winner. it's your choice...
it is important to note that there is a parallel between GOD's resources and your choice. GOD has the resource of HIS word; you're supposed to read it. GOD has the HOLY SPIRIT; you choose to depend on HIM. GOD uses circumstances; you choose your response to circumstances.
james 1.2-4 (ms) consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. you know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. so don't try to get out of anything prematurely. let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
you see, the CHRISTian life is not a one time event. you're born again and then sanctified but you've also got to grow, develop, work out the salvation you've been given. you develop it. and the more you use your muscles the more you develop your muscles. there is a process going on in your life to produce mature character. that's GOD's goal – CHRIST like character in your life.
and james is saying i can choose my response to life.
victor frankel, the famous psychologist, was imprisoned in one of the concentration camps in world war 2. he said one day they had stripped him naked, taken his clothes, shoes, family, his wedding ring. he said they had taken away everything physically that they could. but standing there in front of the nazi soldiers he realized there was one thing that could never be taken from him. that was his choice to respond to the circumstances he experienced in life. and that is ultimate freedom.
you cannot choose what is going to happen to you next week, next month, next year. we don't have that choice. a little over 2 years ago we found out that margaret my wife had cancer. not our choice but we found that you can choose how you're going to respond, how you're going to react -- whether it's going to make you or break you, whether you're going to be bitter or better, whether it's going to be a stepping stone to maturity or a stumbling block to failure. your choice is the way you choose to respond to the circumstances that come into your life.
now what really matters in life the most is not what happens to you. what happens in you is what matters most. and that is a choice.
we've seen people put in the same bad circumstances. one will come out a winner and the other will come out a whiner. one's complaining and the other is turning it into a gold mine.
you do have a choice.
just a thought from the front porch...
james 1.2-4 (ms) consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. you know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. so don't try to get out of anything prematurely. let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
you see, the CHRISTian life is not a one time event. you're born again and then sanctified but you've also got to grow, develop, work out the salvation you've been given. you develop it. and the more you use your muscles the more you develop your muscles. there is a process going on in your life to produce mature character. that's GOD's goal – CHRIST like character in your life.
and james is saying i can choose my response to life.
victor frankel, the famous psychologist, was imprisoned in one of the concentration camps in world war 2. he said one day they had stripped him naked, taken his clothes, shoes, family, his wedding ring. he said they had taken away everything physically that they could. but standing there in front of the nazi soldiers he realized there was one thing that could never be taken from him. that was his choice to respond to the circumstances he experienced in life. and that is ultimate freedom.
you cannot choose what is going to happen to you next week, next month, next year. we don't have that choice. a little over 2 years ago we found out that margaret my wife had cancer. not our choice but we found that you can choose how you're going to respond, how you're going to react -- whether it's going to make you or break you, whether you're going to be bitter or better, whether it's going to be a stepping stone to maturity or a stumbling block to failure. your choice is the way you choose to respond to the circumstances that come into your life.
now what really matters in life the most is not what happens to you. what happens in you is what matters most. and that is a choice.
we've seen people put in the same bad circumstances. one will come out a winner and the other will come out a whiner. one's complaining and the other is turning it into a gold mine.
you do have a choice.
just a thought from the front porch...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
if you are plugged in you have the power...
another thing we can do to help us become like CHRIST is to depend on GOD's SPIRIT moment by moment.
this is where the power comes in. look at this illustration JESUS gave in john 15.4-5 (ms), ...in the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with ME. I am the vine, you are the branches. when you're joined with ME and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
a branch is totally dependent upon the vine. when it is cut off from that vine, it won't bear any grapes, or figs, or whatever. a branch cannot produce fruit by itself. it's got to be connected. and JESUS is saying that's the way we have to be with GOD. we have to be plugged in. GOD has the power. but it's not automatic. it's when you're plugged in, tuned in to GOD that the power comes through you.
fruit is an inside job. how would it be if i planted a old, dead tree. then two weeks before harvest i tie a bunch of apples to it. a lot of CHRISTians are trying to do this. they are trying to tie good works onto their life to look like they are making progress, when it's something they just picked up from the outside rather than let it flow through their life as they depend on GOD's SPIRIT. and that's a choice.
how do you know when you're depending on GOD's SPIRIT? check your prayer life. whatever you pray about you're depending on GOD for. whatever you don't pray about you're not depending on GOD for.
what does it mean to depend on GOD? it means to pray continually. your decisions, your feelings, your relationships, deadlines, purchases, everything. whatever you want GOD to bless, that's what you pray about.
you are aware that GOD is constantly with you. you practice HIS presence and have a running conversation with HIM. you whisper up a prayer to GOD no matter what you're doing. talk to GOD about anything and everything. that's what it means to depend on HIS SPIRIT.
just a thought from the front porch...
this is where the power comes in. look at this illustration JESUS gave in john 15.4-5 (ms), ...in the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with ME. I am the vine, you are the branches. when you're joined with ME and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
a branch is totally dependent upon the vine. when it is cut off from that vine, it won't bear any grapes, or figs, or whatever. a branch cannot produce fruit by itself. it's got to be connected. and JESUS is saying that's the way we have to be with GOD. we have to be plugged in. GOD has the power. but it's not automatic. it's when you're plugged in, tuned in to GOD that the power comes through you.
fruit is an inside job. how would it be if i planted a old, dead tree. then two weeks before harvest i tie a bunch of apples to it. a lot of CHRISTians are trying to do this. they are trying to tie good works onto their life to look like they are making progress, when it's something they just picked up from the outside rather than let it flow through their life as they depend on GOD's SPIRIT. and that's a choice.
how do you know when you're depending on GOD's SPIRIT? check your prayer life. whatever you pray about you're depending on GOD for. whatever you don't pray about you're not depending on GOD for.
what does it mean to depend on GOD? it means to pray continually. your decisions, your feelings, your relationships, deadlines, purchases, everything. whatever you want GOD to bless, that's what you pray about.
you are aware that GOD is constantly with you. you practice HIS presence and have a running conversation with HIM. you whisper up a prayer to GOD no matter what you're doing. talk to GOD about anything and everything. that's what it means to depend on HIS SPIRIT.
just a thought from the front porch...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
sheer will power doesn't work...
romans 12:2 (nlt) ...let GOD transform you into a new person by changing the way you think...
if you want to be changed, start by changing the way you think.
psychologists found this out about 2000 years later. they discovered that the way that i think determines the way that i feel. the way that i feel determines the way that i act.
in a lot of behavior modification and people trying to change their life, they are trying to change the actions rather than going back to the root of the actions. there is no action without a thought behind it.
if you're acting depressed it's because you feel depressed. you feel depressed because you're thinking some depressing thoughts. the key is to start with the way that you think. you can't fight a feeling.
think of it this way. you set the speed boat on automatic pilot to go east. all of a sudden you say you want to turn the boat 180° around and go west. now there are two ways. one way is to grab the steering wheel and force it by sheer will power to the opposite way. even though the automatic pilot wants to go east you are forcing it west. the tension says goes east, but you are forcing it to go the opposite direction.
you are forcing yourself to go opposite to your own nature. the whole time you're holding the wheel you're getting tired because there is tension and soon you let go of the steering wheel and ... go off the diet, start smoking again, reading material you've been trying to stop reading ... or go back to that friend that is a negative influence or whatever it is. sheer will power doesn't work.
the bible says change starts in the mind – by changing the way you think, change the automatic pilot. if you change it, the direction changes easily.
what is your automatic pilot? finish this sentence: "it's just like me to be ... " that is the agenda you've set in your life.
one of the things you ought to start choosing to think about is GOD's word. JESUS said, thy word is truth. if you want to change start filling your mind with the scripture. psalm 1.1-3 (ms) how well GOD must like you...you thrill to GOD's word, you chew on scripture day and night... when we meditate on GOD's word it gets into our mind and changes us.
philippians 4.8 says think on these things and it tells you the kinds of things to think about. colossians 3.6 let the word of GOD dwell in you richly. psalm 1.19, thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against GOD. joshua 1.8 the secret of success is meditate on GOD's word day and night and you'll be successful.
you begin by thinking GOD's word. if you're not having a daily quiet time you're not seeing much change in your life. or at least not as much as you could be seeing.
just a thought from the front porch...
if you want to be changed, start by changing the way you think.
psychologists found this out about 2000 years later. they discovered that the way that i think determines the way that i feel. the way that i feel determines the way that i act.
in a lot of behavior modification and people trying to change their life, they are trying to change the actions rather than going back to the root of the actions. there is no action without a thought behind it.
if you're acting depressed it's because you feel depressed. you feel depressed because you're thinking some depressing thoughts. the key is to start with the way that you think. you can't fight a feeling.
think of it this way. you set the speed boat on automatic pilot to go east. all of a sudden you say you want to turn the boat 180° around and go west. now there are two ways. one way is to grab the steering wheel and force it by sheer will power to the opposite way. even though the automatic pilot wants to go east you are forcing it west. the tension says goes east, but you are forcing it to go the opposite direction.
you are forcing yourself to go opposite to your own nature. the whole time you're holding the wheel you're getting tired because there is tension and soon you let go of the steering wheel and ... go off the diet, start smoking again, reading material you've been trying to stop reading ... or go back to that friend that is a negative influence or whatever it is. sheer will power doesn't work.
the bible says change starts in the mind – by changing the way you think, change the automatic pilot. if you change it, the direction changes easily.
what is your automatic pilot? finish this sentence: "it's just like me to be ... " that is the agenda you've set in your life.
one of the things you ought to start choosing to think about is GOD's word. JESUS said, thy word is truth. if you want to change start filling your mind with the scripture. psalm 1.1-3 (ms) how well GOD must like you...you thrill to GOD's word, you chew on scripture day and night... when we meditate on GOD's word it gets into our mind and changes us.
philippians 4.8 says think on these things and it tells you the kinds of things to think about. colossians 3.6 let the word of GOD dwell in you richly. psalm 1.19, thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against GOD. joshua 1.8 the secret of success is meditate on GOD's word day and night and you'll be successful.
you begin by thinking GOD's word. if you're not having a daily quiet time you're not seeing much change in your life. or at least not as much as you could be seeing.
just a thought from the front porch...
Monday, July 20, 2009
to change means you change your thinking...
now growth is not automatic. it doesn't just come passively, spiritually. change is a matter of choice and i can choose what i think about.
proverbs 4.23 (tev), be careful how you think. your life is shaped by your thoughts.
you aren't what you think you are. but what you think, you are. your thoughts don't just direct your life, they are your life. and if we could see on a giant screen what you think about we would really know who you are. whatever change you want to make in your life starts with your thoughts.
ephesians 4.23-24 (jer), your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the `new self' that has been created in GOD's way.
change always begins with new thinking. the bible word for change is the word "repentance". in greek it means "to change your mind". when i repented i changed the way i thought about GOD, the way i thought about myself, the world, others. i changed my outlook. when i became a
CHRISTian it changed my whole perspective on life and i began to see things differently. i began to challenge some of those old ways of thinking, old values.
just a thought from the front porch...
proverbs 4.23 (tev), be careful how you think. your life is shaped by your thoughts.
you aren't what you think you are. but what you think, you are. your thoughts don't just direct your life, they are your life. and if we could see on a giant screen what you think about we would really know who you are. whatever change you want to make in your life starts with your thoughts.
ephesians 4.23-24 (jer), your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the `new self' that has been created in GOD's way.
change always begins with new thinking. the bible word for change is the word "repentance". in greek it means "to change your mind". when i repented i changed the way i thought about GOD, the way i thought about myself, the world, others. i changed my outlook. when i became a
CHRISTian it changed my whole perspective on life and i began to see things differently. i began to challenge some of those old ways of thinking, old values.
just a thought from the front porch...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
HE is going to use what works...
if GOD is going to make me like JESUS, which is HIS ultimate purpose for me, then HE's going to take me through some situations that JESUS went through
hebrews 5.8 (ms), though he was GOD's son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered. just as we do. how do you think you're going to learn it? hebrews 2.10 (nlt) says, through the suffering of JESUS, GOD made him perfect. how do you think you're going to be made perfect?
HE works first through HIS word, then the HOLY SPIRIT, then, if those two don't work, HE uses circumstances.
for instance: scripture says, be humble. before honor is humility. you read it from the word and ask GOD for the power to get rid of the ego in your life. that's GOD's ideal way of dealing with that. but if you don't learn to be humble from GOD's word, HE will humiliate you through a circumstance.
and it's very easy for GOD to humble me. HE has 1001 ways to do it!
even if you read the bible six hours a day, it's still not the major section of your life. how many hours a day do you have circumstances? twenty four hours a day. GOD often has to depend more on the third way than the first two. those are the tools that he uses in your life.
proverbs 20.30 (tev), sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.
we rarely change until we get desperate. we don't change too often when we see the light, but we always change when we feel the heat. GOD lights a fire under us and we get moving. often we will put up with things we know needs to be changed in our lives until we begin to be uncomfortable. GOD sometimes has to bring some thunderstorms into our lives to say, "do something. I want you to change. don't get stuck in a rut." (a rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out.)
just some thoughts from the front porch...
hebrews 5.8 (ms), though he was GOD's son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered. just as we do. how do you think you're going to learn it? hebrews 2.10 (nlt) says, through the suffering of JESUS, GOD made him perfect. how do you think you're going to be made perfect?
HE works first through HIS word, then the HOLY SPIRIT, then, if those two don't work, HE uses circumstances.
for instance: scripture says, be humble. before honor is humility. you read it from the word and ask GOD for the power to get rid of the ego in your life. that's GOD's ideal way of dealing with that. but if you don't learn to be humble from GOD's word, HE will humiliate you through a circumstance.
and it's very easy for GOD to humble me. HE has 1001 ways to do it!
even if you read the bible six hours a day, it's still not the major section of your life. how many hours a day do you have circumstances? twenty four hours a day. GOD often has to depend more on the third way than the first two. those are the tools that he uses in your life.
proverbs 20.30 (tev), sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.
we rarely change until we get desperate. we don't change too often when we see the light, but we always change when we feel the heat. GOD lights a fire under us and we get moving. often we will put up with things we know needs to be changed in our lives until we begin to be uncomfortable. GOD sometimes has to bring some thunderstorms into our lives to say, "do something. I want you to change. don't get stuck in a rut." (a rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out.)
just some thoughts from the front porch...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
GOD uses your problems...
now GOD uses problems, pressures, headaches, difficulties, stress to get our attention. HE uses circumstances to help us grow.
romans 8:28-29 (ms), GOD knew what HE was doing from the very beginning. HE decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love HIM along the same lines as the life of HIS SON.
there is nothing that could come into the life of a believer without GOD's permission. HE doesn't say they are all good, but HE will use them for good to fit into a pattern. there is a DIVINE pattern.
where are my problems coming from? did i cause them? are they from the devil? from GOD?
now, it really doesn't matter where the problems in your life come from. no matter what the source is GOD can use it in your life if you'll let HIM. all things can fit into a pattern for good -- to make me like JESUS.
if GOD is going to make me like JESUS, which is HIS ultimate purpose for me, then HE's going to take me through some situations that JESUS went through.
there were times when JESUS was lonely. there were times when JESUS was tempted. there were times when JESUS was tempted to be depressed or to get angry and blow up or to be impatient. and GOD allowed JESUS to go through those things. do you think HE's going to spare you from those things? HE's more interested in your character than your comfort.
just a thought from the front porch...
romans 8:28-29 (ms), GOD knew what HE was doing from the very beginning. HE decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love HIM along the same lines as the life of HIS SON.
there is nothing that could come into the life of a believer without GOD's permission. HE doesn't say they are all good, but HE will use them for good to fit into a pattern. there is a DIVINE pattern.
where are my problems coming from? did i cause them? are they from the devil? from GOD?
now, it really doesn't matter where the problems in your life come from. no matter what the source is GOD can use it in your life if you'll let HIM. all things can fit into a pattern for good -- to make me like JESUS.
if GOD is going to make me like JESUS, which is HIS ultimate purpose for me, then HE's going to take me through some situations that JESUS went through.
there were times when JESUS was lonely. there were times when JESUS was tempted. there were times when JESUS was tempted to be depressed or to get angry and blow up or to be impatient. and GOD allowed JESUS to go through those things. do you think HE's going to spare you from those things? HE's more interested in your character than your comfort.
just a thought from the front porch...
Friday, July 17, 2009
GOD's ultimate goal is not to make us happy but...
now when you pray the prayer, GOD forgives you of your sins and HE comes into your heart to live. this is where the power comes from to change.
romans 8.11 (ph), once the SPIRIT lives within you, HE will bring to your whole being new strength and vitality. GOD will bring power into your life.
now the HOLY SPIRIT is GOD HIMself. HE's in spirit form. and when you commit your life to GOD, HE comes into your life.
1 corinthians 3.18 (nlt) as the SPIRIT of the LORD works with us, we become more and more like HIM. GOD's number one purpose in your life is not to make you happy, but to make you like JESUS.
genesis 1.27 when GOD first formed the world he said, let us make man in our image and HE's been wanting to do that ever since. that is his ultimate goal -- to change you.
GOD's ideal is to tell us how to change through HIS word and give us the power to change through HIS SPIRIT. you read it and then HE empowers you to do it. .
just some thoughts from the front porch...
romans 8.11 (ph), once the SPIRIT lives within you, HE will bring to your whole being new strength and vitality. GOD will bring power into your life.
now the HOLY SPIRIT is GOD HIMself. HE's in spirit form. and when you commit your life to GOD, HE comes into your life.
1 corinthians 3.18 (nlt) as the SPIRIT of the LORD works with us, we become more and more like HIM. GOD's number one purpose in your life is not to make you happy, but to make you like JESUS.
genesis 1.27 when GOD first formed the world he said, let us make man in our image and HE's been wanting to do that ever since. that is his ultimate goal -- to change you.
GOD's ideal is to tell us how to change through HIS word and give us the power to change through HIS SPIRIT. you read it and then HE empowers you to do it. .
just some thoughts from the front porch...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
GOD is the energizer for change in your life...
paul talking about our growing and changing as CHRIST followers in philippians 2.13 (ms) says, so be energetic in your life of salvation and then he shows where that energy comes from, that energy is GOD's energy, an energy deep within you, GOD HIMself willing and working.
GOD is the energizer for change in your life. HE will give you the power to do what you want to do, need to do, and know what is right to do. HE will empower you, energize you. and that is great to realize.
HE will give you the will power and the ability. HE'll give you the desire and the capability to change. we are not on our own if we have a personal relationship with HIM.
now one of the ways HE does this is found in 2 timothy 3.16-17 (ms), every part of scripture is GOD-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live GOD's way. through the word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks GOD has for us.
the bible changes our thoughts so it changes us. that is so important for us to understand. if you want to get serious about change, you need to get into the book. read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, live it in your life. the more you get the word of GOD in your life, the more you're going to be changed.
people say, "i don't have any faith." "are you reading the bible?" they say, "no." what do they expect? the bible says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.
GOD energizes you through HIS word.
just some thoughts from the front porch...
GOD is the energizer for change in your life. HE will give you the power to do what you want to do, need to do, and know what is right to do. HE will empower you, energize you. and that is great to realize.
HE will give you the will power and the ability. HE'll give you the desire and the capability to change. we are not on our own if we have a personal relationship with HIM.
now one of the ways HE does this is found in 2 timothy 3.16-17 (ms), every part of scripture is GOD-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live GOD's way. through the word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks GOD has for us.
the bible changes our thoughts so it changes us. that is so important for us to understand. if you want to get serious about change, you need to get into the book. read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, live it in your life. the more you get the word of GOD in your life, the more you're going to be changed.
people say, "i don't have any faith." "are you reading the bible?" they say, "no." what do they expect? the bible says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of GOD.
GOD energizes you through HIS word.
just some thoughts from the front porch...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
GOD does not want cookie-cutter CHRISTians...
now we all have things in us that we want to change and we know that in this matter of the CHRISTian life there needs to be change. but there is some confusion with some who think that the prayer that we pray to ask JESUS into our life is the beginning and the end.
that is a great happening. JESUS comes in and forgives us of our sins and the relationship happens but with every relationship there is also a growth process, there is change that happens.
now paul deals here in his letter to the philippians with this very issue. look at what he says.
philippians 2.12&13 (ms), what i'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning...keep it up. better yet, redouble your efforts. be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before GOD. that energy is GOD's energy, an energy deep within you, GOD HIMself willing and working.
now it seemes like he is saying there is a part that we do. he says, keep on doing what you've done from the beginning...keep it up. better yet, redouble your efforts. be energetic in your life of salvation. there is a part that we play in our life of salvation.
do you see that GOD does not want cookie-cutter CHRISTians. HE doesn't want a bunch of spiritual clones walking around, everybody copying each other. no, what does the gospel mean in your life? you are unique and individual. HE doesn't want you to be billy graham; HE wants you to be you.
then he says, be reverent and sensitive before GOD. he is saying, take your salvation seriously; it has eternal implications. it's a life or death issue here. nothing is more important than your own spiritual growth. take it seriously.
just some thoughts from the front porch...
that is a great happening. JESUS comes in and forgives us of our sins and the relationship happens but with every relationship there is also a growth process, there is change that happens.
now paul deals here in his letter to the philippians with this very issue. look at what he says.
philippians 2.12&13 (ms), what i'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning...keep it up. better yet, redouble your efforts. be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before GOD. that energy is GOD's energy, an energy deep within you, GOD HIMself willing and working.
now it seemes like he is saying there is a part that we do. he says, keep on doing what you've done from the beginning...keep it up. better yet, redouble your efforts. be energetic in your life of salvation. there is a part that we play in our life of salvation.
do you see that GOD does not want cookie-cutter CHRISTians. HE doesn't want a bunch of spiritual clones walking around, everybody copying each other. no, what does the gospel mean in your life? you are unique and individual. HE doesn't want you to be billy graham; HE wants you to be you.
then he says, be reverent and sensitive before GOD. he is saying, take your salvation seriously; it has eternal implications. it's a life or death issue here. nothing is more important than your own spiritual growth. take it seriously.
just some thoughts from the front porch...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
a complaining CHRISTian is a bad witness...
philippians 2.13-15 (niv), do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of GOD without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
so what are the results of not complaining?
do everything without complaining or arguing... and then he gives us three results. so that you may become blameless ... this means that when you don't complain, nobody can find fault with you. nobody can point a finger at you.
... and pure... the greek word here means "having integrity". non complainers are people of integrity.
children of GOD without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
our culture is so negative. when you find a person who is genuinely positive they stick out like a sore thumb. the contrast is obvious. they shine like a star in the middle of a dark night.
it is so different to be positive in this world, to not be a complainer, not be critical, not be a put-down person, that when you become that in your own life, you will shine like a star.
the point of the passage is paul is saying that CHRISTians are to react differently to the circumstances in life. a complaining CHRISTian is a bad witness. a positive attitude is a great witness; it has impact
how do you make an impact in the world so that the world takes notice? check your attitude. be positive in a negative world.
now some of you are saying, pastor bill, i would like to be more positive, but you don’t understand what i am going through. if you had to put up with the situations in my life you’d complain too.
listen that is why you need a power beyond yourself, that is why you need JESUS CHRIST. HE is the antidote to our culture and our nature. HE makes us new people inside.
for some of you the complaining is an embedded habit. the only way that will be broken is by an external power in your life who will begin changing you from the inside out. and that is JESUS CHRIST.
just a thought from the front porch...
so what are the results of not complaining?
do everything without complaining or arguing... and then he gives us three results. so that you may become blameless ... this means that when you don't complain, nobody can find fault with you. nobody can point a finger at you.
... and pure... the greek word here means "having integrity". non complainers are people of integrity.
children of GOD without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
our culture is so negative. when you find a person who is genuinely positive they stick out like a sore thumb. the contrast is obvious. they shine like a star in the middle of a dark night.
it is so different to be positive in this world, to not be a complainer, not be critical, not be a put-down person, that when you become that in your own life, you will shine like a star.
the point of the passage is paul is saying that CHRISTians are to react differently to the circumstances in life. a complaining CHRISTian is a bad witness. a positive attitude is a great witness; it has impact
how do you make an impact in the world so that the world takes notice? check your attitude. be positive in a negative world.
now some of you are saying, pastor bill, i would like to be more positive, but you don’t understand what i am going through. if you had to put up with the situations in my life you’d complain too.
listen that is why you need a power beyond yourself, that is why you need JESUS CHRIST. HE is the antidote to our culture and our nature. HE makes us new people inside.
for some of you the complaining is an embedded habit. the only way that will be broken is by an external power in your life who will begin changing you from the inside out. and that is JESUS CHRIST.
just a thought from the front porch...
Monday, July 13, 2009
if you can't say anything good then don't say anything...
please understand that complaining is a habit. and habits are only broken by replacement with something else. you see, you don’t take something out of your life and leave a void in your life. you have to replace it with something else. so you take out the negative complaining and replace it with positive speaking.
ephesians 4.2 (ms), watch the way you talk. let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. say only what helps, each word a gift.
the bible says we're going to give an account of every idle word. and paul is saying, hey, don't let any junk come out of your mouths but only that which helps people with their needs, that benefits them. if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all. replace your criticisms and complaints with compliments.
now this is a crucial factor in parenting. affirmation always gets better results than nagging. always.
ephesians 6.4 (lb), don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. rather, bring them up with loving discipline and GODly advice.
now parents, do your words help your kids or do they hinder your kids? are you building your kids up or tearing them down? be positive in your speaking. you did that again? can’t you do any better? are you building them up or tearing them down?
just a thought from the front porch...
ephesians 4.2 (ms), watch the way you talk. let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. say only what helps, each word a gift.
the bible says we're going to give an account of every idle word. and paul is saying, hey, don't let any junk come out of your mouths but only that which helps people with their needs, that benefits them. if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all. replace your criticisms and complaints with compliments.
now this is a crucial factor in parenting. affirmation always gets better results than nagging. always.
ephesians 6.4 (lb), don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. rather, bring them up with loving discipline and GODly advice.
now parents, do your words help your kids or do they hinder your kids? are you building your kids up or tearing them down? be positive in your speaking. you did that again? can’t you do any better? are you building them up or tearing them down?
just a thought from the front porch...
Sunday, July 12, 2009
do you want victory over your complaining?
if you want to get victory over complaining, look for GOD's hand in your circumstances. search for it…look for it.
2 corinthians 4.17-18 (ms), these hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. there's far more here than meets the eye. the things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. but the things we can't see now will last forever.
now paul is saying there are problems that come into our lives, no doubt. but the way you look at them determines your attitude. because GOD is working these things for good in your life and the good that you're going to get out of them will be much more long lasting than the problem. the problem is temporary in light of how long you're going to live in eternity. so look for GOD's hand in the circumstances.
positive people realize that GOD is controlling circumstances. GOD is fitting everything into a pattern and HIS purpose is greater than your problem.
you see the reason why over and over in the bible we are told not to complain is this, complaining is, in essence, rebellion against GOD. and when i complain about my circumstances that are beyond my control i'm really saying, "if i were GOD things would be different. if i were in charge the whole human race would be much better." that's rebellion and that's why it's so serious. GOD says don't do it.
you see we are challenging three things:
#1. i'm questioning GOD's wisdom. "do YOU really know what YOU're doing? do YOU see what's going on? is this really wise?"
#2. i'm doubting GOD's care. "do YOU really love me? really care for me?"
and #3. i'm forgetting GOD's goodness. and i'm focusing on what i don't have rather than focusing on what i do have. i'm being ungrateful.
often the things that i personally complain about the most, are often the very things GOD knows i need the most in order to become all that HE wants me to be. it is a warning light of GOD. HE's saying, "there's something wrong here. let's change it. stop complaining. start changing!" the only way you change other people is by changing yourself. then they have to react to you differently.
just a thought from the front porch...
2 corinthians 4.17-18 (ms), these hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. there's far more here than meets the eye. the things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. but the things we can't see now will last forever.
now paul is saying there are problems that come into our lives, no doubt. but the way you look at them determines your attitude. because GOD is working these things for good in your life and the good that you're going to get out of them will be much more long lasting than the problem. the problem is temporary in light of how long you're going to live in eternity. so look for GOD's hand in the circumstances.
positive people realize that GOD is controlling circumstances. GOD is fitting everything into a pattern and HIS purpose is greater than your problem.
you see the reason why over and over in the bible we are told not to complain is this, complaining is, in essence, rebellion against GOD. and when i complain about my circumstances that are beyond my control i'm really saying, "if i were GOD things would be different. if i were in charge the whole human race would be much better." that's rebellion and that's why it's so serious. GOD says don't do it.
you see we are challenging three things:
#1. i'm questioning GOD's wisdom. "do YOU really know what YOU're doing? do YOU see what's going on? is this really wise?"
#2. i'm doubting GOD's care. "do YOU really love me? really care for me?"
and #3. i'm forgetting GOD's goodness. and i'm focusing on what i don't have rather than focusing on what i do have. i'm being ungrateful.
often the things that i personally complain about the most, are often the very things GOD knows i need the most in order to become all that HE wants me to be. it is a warning light of GOD. HE's saying, "there's something wrong here. let's change it. stop complaining. start changing!" the only way you change other people is by changing yourself. then they have to react to you differently.
just a thought from the front porch...
Saturday, July 11, 2009
what does, i'm bored really say?...
whenever we are complaining, we are usually being ungrateful. you can focus on either the negative or the positive. is the cup half empty or half full? it all depends on how you look at it. why is it that we often don't value what we have in life until it's gone?
we, in america, have so much to be grateful for even during this time of upheaval. yet we take so much for granted. overseas, american tourists are known for their complaining.
of course there are things in your life that you are not satisfied with. there are some things in your marriage that you don't like, things in your business, habits in yourself, your mate, your children, your boss. but i believe there are also some things in those situations and people that you could learn to be thankful for.
the bible says that CHRISTians are to be different. we are to do everything without complaining and arguing that we may be the sons of GOD, blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation in which we shine as lights of the world. we stand out in a crowd. we shine like lights because we're different.
philippians 4.11 (ms), i've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. i'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. remember that when paul wrote this he was in prison at rome. the situations do not determine happiness.
when you learn to be happy and joyful in spite of the circumstance, that is maturity. that i am not determined or controlled by the circumstances around me.
have you ever thought that boredom is actually a complaint -- a complaint against GOD? you're basically saying, "GOD, you gave me a raw deal. frankly, i can do nothing with the circumstances that you dealt me. and if i were GOD i could do a better job. i am bored, GOD, because you did not give me what i really need in life and therefore life is lousy." develop the attitude of gratitude.
just a thought from the front porch...
we, in america, have so much to be grateful for even during this time of upheaval. yet we take so much for granted. overseas, american tourists are known for their complaining.
of course there are things in your life that you are not satisfied with. there are some things in your marriage that you don't like, things in your business, habits in yourself, your mate, your children, your boss. but i believe there are also some things in those situations and people that you could learn to be thankful for.
the bible says that CHRISTians are to be different. we are to do everything without complaining and arguing that we may be the sons of GOD, blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation in which we shine as lights of the world. we stand out in a crowd. we shine like lights because we're different.
philippians 4.11 (ms), i've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. i'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. remember that when paul wrote this he was in prison at rome. the situations do not determine happiness.
when you learn to be happy and joyful in spite of the circumstance, that is maturity. that i am not determined or controlled by the circumstances around me.
have you ever thought that boredom is actually a complaint -- a complaint against GOD? you're basically saying, "GOD, you gave me a raw deal. frankly, i can do nothing with the circumstances that you dealt me. and if i were GOD i could do a better job. i am bored, GOD, because you did not give me what i really need in life and therefore life is lousy." develop the attitude of gratitude.
just a thought from the front porch...
Friday, July 10, 2009
all not for...
now being grateful is another way to deal with the problem of complaining
look at what paul says in i thessalonians 5.18 (niv), give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD's will for you in CHRIST JESUS. the word all here is extremely important, especially in the day in which we live.
GOD says "i want you to be thankful in all circumstances." it does not say "for all circumstances". you cannot always be thankful for the circumstances, but you can be thankful in the situation. i know that GOD is working all things for good. HE has a pattern and HE fits even the bad things in our lives into that pattern for good. GOD's purpose for my life is greater than my problems, so in everything i can give thanks. not for but in.
so i learn to be grateful for what i have. it's a tremendous antidote for complaining.
just a thought from the front porch...
look at what paul says in i thessalonians 5.18 (niv), give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD's will for you in CHRIST JESUS. the word all here is extremely important, especially in the day in which we live.
GOD says "i want you to be thankful in all circumstances." it does not say "for all circumstances". you cannot always be thankful for the circumstances, but you can be thankful in the situation. i know that GOD is working all things for good. HE has a pattern and HE fits even the bad things in our lives into that pattern for good. GOD's purpose for my life is greater than my problems, so in everything i can give thanks. not for but in.
so i learn to be grateful for what i have. it's a tremendous antidote for complaining.
just a thought from the front porch...
Thursday, July 9, 2009
i'm going to take responsibility...
now in life there are three kinds of people, there are accusers, excusers, and choosers.
the accusers are always going around saying "it's your fault." when adam sinned he took it like a man and blamed his wife, "eve did it," and then he blamed GOD, "YOU gave me that woman."
the excusers say, "i'm a product of my environment. it's not really my fault."
but the people that are really successful in life are neither accusers nor excusers. they are choosers. they accept responsibility for their own decisions. when they reap what they sow they take it and move ahead.
one of the major difficulties that we have in our society is that there are a lot of children running around looking like they are adults. just because you look like an adult doesn’t mean you are one. an adult is a person who admits it when he has a problem. who isn’t always making excuses and always accusing.
which one are you?
why don't you if you need to just stop right now and say something like this, "GOD see how i have never taken responsibility for my own actions. that i usually blame other people, i even have blamed YOU for the problems that i have created. GOD i am so tired at being a child. help me to be an adult and accept responsibility for the messes i have made in my life and to realize that i have reaped what i have sown.
thank you GOD for listening to the honesty of my heart and for how YOU have cleaned up the sin in my life and headed me on a new path of enjoying my life and not complaining about it. i give YOU control and i trust YOU and i love YOU. in JESUS name i pray. amen"
just a thought from the front porch...
the accusers are always going around saying "it's your fault." when adam sinned he took it like a man and blamed his wife, "eve did it," and then he blamed GOD, "YOU gave me that woman."
the excusers say, "i'm a product of my environment. it's not really my fault."
but the people that are really successful in life are neither accusers nor excusers. they are choosers. they accept responsibility for their own decisions. when they reap what they sow they take it and move ahead.
one of the major difficulties that we have in our society is that there are a lot of children running around looking like they are adults. just because you look like an adult doesn’t mean you are one. an adult is a person who admits it when he has a problem. who isn’t always making excuses and always accusing.
which one are you?
why don't you if you need to just stop right now and say something like this, "GOD see how i have never taken responsibility for my own actions. that i usually blame other people, i even have blamed YOU for the problems that i have created. GOD i am so tired at being a child. help me to be an adult and accept responsibility for the messes i have made in my life and to realize that i have reaped what i have sown.
thank you GOD for listening to the honesty of my heart and for how YOU have cleaned up the sin in my life and headed me on a new path of enjoying my life and not complaining about it. i give YOU control and i trust YOU and i love YOU. in JESUS name i pray. amen"
just a thought from the front porch...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
we are free to but not free from...
now in this matter of taking responsibility for what you do and not playing the blame game it is very important to understand this. GOD has given you the freedom of choice. but once you have made the choice, you're never free from the consequences of that choice.
parents, this is so important for you to teach your kids. if you are always bailing them out of every wrong that they do then they will never learn this and they will be in trouble in life.
many people will say, i can’t believe that GOD has given me cancer, when they have smoked all their life. of course GOD gives you the freedom to do whatever you want with your body but he will not keep you from the consequences of those choices.
this is such an important principle for you to understand.
i hear so many people complaining about being in debt. but is it possible you were irresponsible about spending and saving? that you made a purchase you really shouldn't have made?
i hear people saying, "i'm just not appreciated at home." could it be that maybe you don't appreciate the others at home. we reap what we sow.
whatever you want in life, you've got to give it out. that is an inviolable rule of GOD. if you want friends you've got to be friendly. if you want appreciation at home you've got to give appreciation. we reap what we sow.
accept responsibility for my own life and the choices that i make. the changes that are going to take place are because i choose to change.
just a thought from the front porch...
parents, this is so important for you to teach your kids. if you are always bailing them out of every wrong that they do then they will never learn this and they will be in trouble in life.
many people will say, i can’t believe that GOD has given me cancer, when they have smoked all their life. of course GOD gives you the freedom to do whatever you want with your body but he will not keep you from the consequences of those choices.
this is such an important principle for you to understand.
i hear so many people complaining about being in debt. but is it possible you were irresponsible about spending and saving? that you made a purchase you really shouldn't have made?
i hear people saying, "i'm just not appreciated at home." could it be that maybe you don't appreciate the others at home. we reap what we sow.
whatever you want in life, you've got to give it out. that is an inviolable rule of GOD. if you want friends you've got to be friendly. if you want appreciation at home you've got to give appreciation. we reap what we sow.
accept responsibility for my own life and the choices that i make. the changes that are going to take place are because i choose to change.
just a thought from the front porch...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
we love to blame GOD...
i have found it so interesting how we blame GOD whenever bad happens. tonight i am going with my daughter and son-in-law to see the dodgers play the mets. now do you know that someone is going to blame GOD for the win or the loss. i prayed for the dodgers to win and GOD answered my prayer. does that mean that my prayer was answered but the good CHRISTian met fan who prayed that the mets would win his prayer wasn't answered. and we do that with GOD in so many ways.
sometimes the team has to take responsibility in winning or losing.
now i want the dodgers to win but i'm not going to blame GOD if they don't. if they lose or win it just may be their own fault.
just a thought from the front porch...
sometimes the team has to take responsibility in winning or losing.
now i want the dodgers to win but i'm not going to blame GOD if they don't. if they lose or win it just may be their own fault.
just a thought from the front porch...
don't be lame and blame...
in conquering our complaining after we have admitted that we have a problem we then must accept responsibility for our own life.
listen. many times complaining is just an attempt to blame other people for the problems i've created or excuse myself and put the focus on somebody else.
i brought the problem into my life, i'm the cause of it, but if i complain maybe i can shift the focus onto somebody else and it will make me feel just a little bit better. we like to pass the buck and it makes us feel better.
proverbs 19:3 (ms), people ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed?
what’s he saying? he’s saying, do not complain how the ball bounces if you drop it! ok. when i bring problems into my life, i have no legitimate right to complain and many times complaining is just an excuse to be irresponsible and to not accept the fact that i caused this situation.
folks. we reap what we sow. and when i reap what i sow i have no legitimate right to complain about the results. you are free to choose what you want to do in life. GOD has given you the freedom of choice. but once you have made the choice, you are no longer free. you're free to make the choice, but you're never free from the consequences of that choice.
just a thought on the front porch...
listen. many times complaining is just an attempt to blame other people for the problems i've created or excuse myself and put the focus on somebody else.
i brought the problem into my life, i'm the cause of it, but if i complain maybe i can shift the focus onto somebody else and it will make me feel just a little bit better. we like to pass the buck and it makes us feel better.
proverbs 19:3 (ms), people ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed?
what’s he saying? he’s saying, do not complain how the ball bounces if you drop it! ok. when i bring problems into my life, i have no legitimate right to complain and many times complaining is just an excuse to be irresponsible and to not accept the fact that i caused this situation.
folks. we reap what we sow. and when i reap what i sow i have no legitimate right to complain about the results. you are free to choose what you want to do in life. GOD has given you the freedom of choice. but once you have made the choice, you are no longer free. you're free to make the choice, but you're never free from the consequences of that choice.
just a thought on the front porch...
Monday, July 6, 2009
it is serious to GOD...
now if you want to conquer this problem of complaining that does nothing but make you and those around you miserable you need to admit that you have a problem.
admit it is a problem for you, not for other people, but for you.
proverbs 28.13 (lb), a man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. but if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.
often the most difficult part in learning how to handle complaining is recognizing it in your self. if someone recorded you for a week, what would it reveal about your speech. how much time do you spend griping, complaining, arguing, and saying "life stinks." you've got to admit it's a problem for me.
now the words admit and confess are very important. listen, complaining isn't just a bad habit; it's a sin. we need to confess it. it's a sin; it's serious.
complaining was the sin that kept the israelites out of the promised land. GOD destroyed them in the desert because they grumbled. seven times, scripture says, they murmured. and GOD said, ok, one more time around the desert and finally he said, ok guys, just die there.
the reason the children of israel never got into the promised land was because they were complainers. that's how serious GOD says what we're talking about is. admit it!
just a thought on the front porch...
admit it is a problem for you, not for other people, but for you.
proverbs 28.13 (lb), a man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. but if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.
often the most difficult part in learning how to handle complaining is recognizing it in your self. if someone recorded you for a week, what would it reveal about your speech. how much time do you spend griping, complaining, arguing, and saying "life stinks." you've got to admit it's a problem for me.
now the words admit and confess are very important. listen, complaining isn't just a bad habit; it's a sin. we need to confess it. it's a sin; it's serious.
complaining was the sin that kept the israelites out of the promised land. GOD destroyed them in the desert because they grumbled. seven times, scripture says, they murmured. and GOD said, ok, one more time around the desert and finally he said, ok guys, just die there.
the reason the children of israel never got into the promised land was because they were complainers. that's how serious GOD says what we're talking about is. admit it!
just a thought on the front porch...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
i used to be a perfectionist...
i used to be a perfectionist. i found that it came out in my hair. when i was a teenager it took me at least 30 minutes to comb my hair. it had to be perfect. even in the summer with our car not having air conditioning i wouldn't put the windows down because i was afraid it would mess up my hair. i made everybody riding with me miserable.
finally i realized that was a horrible way to live both for me and for others. in the matter of my hair i found that people like me even when it is messed up.
in our CHRIST relationship i have found a lot of people have been saved from bondage into bondage. but by grace i have been set free.
just a thought from the front porch..
finally i realized that was a horrible way to live both for me and for others. in the matter of my hair i found that people like me even when it is messed up.
in our CHRIST relationship i have found a lot of people have been saved from bondage into bondage. but by grace i have been set free.
just a thought from the front porch..
can you do anything right?
here is another person who has trouble complaining who needs to control it. and that is the perfectionist. you cannot please this person. i mean nothing is ever right for this person. it is never good enough for them.
have you ever had someone ask you, is that the best you can do? that was a perfectionist
proverbs 27.15 (ms), a nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet.
nagging perfectionists. nothing is ever right. always arguing. nothing destroys the warmth of a home faster than complaining. nothing destroys the harmony of a marriage faster than complaining. nagging doesn't work. it just makes everybody upset.
have you ever thought that if your kids are complaining continuously, that maybe you are setting the example? you taught them how to complain.
make a family pact that says, we’re not going to complain. in this home complaining is outlawed. your family is not perfect but it is your family. and you’re not doing any good by complaining. you’re not helping the matter by complaining.
remember. that's not what GOD wants CHRISTIians to do. HE wants us to be different. philippians 2.14-15 (ms), do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
just a thought from the front porch...
have you ever had someone ask you, is that the best you can do? that was a perfectionist
proverbs 27.15 (ms), a nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet.
nagging perfectionists. nothing is ever right. always arguing. nothing destroys the warmth of a home faster than complaining. nothing destroys the harmony of a marriage faster than complaining. nagging doesn't work. it just makes everybody upset.
have you ever thought that if your kids are complaining continuously, that maybe you are setting the example? you taught them how to complain.
make a family pact that says, we’re not going to complain. in this home complaining is outlawed. your family is not perfect but it is your family. and you’re not doing any good by complaining. you’re not helping the matter by complaining.
remember. that's not what GOD wants CHRISTIians to do. HE wants us to be different. philippians 2.14-15 (ms), do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
just a thought from the front porch...
Saturday, July 4, 2009
what if our forefathers were cynics?...
i wonder where we would be if people in our past had lived with the attitude that nothing will ever change? for sure we wouldn't be celebrating independence day. we wouldn't be allowed to go to church tomorrow and worship the way we will. we wouldn't have all the freedoms that we take for granted.
this cynical attitude of there is nothing we can do that so many have about our economy and all that is happening around us will only keep us in the down times that we are in because we will not live with hope which leads to faith which brings us to be used by GOD to make a difference in our situations.
war is horrible. but it has been used to give us what we celebrate today. i am so glad that our forefathers lived with the hope that things can change and we can have a part in making those changes.
happy independence day!!!
just a thought from the front porch...
this cynical attitude of there is nothing we can do that so many have about our economy and all that is happening around us will only keep us in the down times that we are in because we will not live with hope which leads to faith which brings us to be used by GOD to make a difference in our situations.
war is horrible. but it has been used to give us what we celebrate today. i am so glad that our forefathers lived with the hope that things can change and we can have a part in making those changes.
happy independence day!!!
just a thought from the front porch...
this needs to be changed...
we have been looking at the problem of complaining and conquering it. and we have found in the scriptures some examples of different kinds of complainers.
solomon is a great example of the cynic. the cynic loves to say, ''nothing will ever change.''
solomon the writer of the ot book, ecclesiastes in 1.2-4,9 (ms) says, smoke, nothing but smoke. there's nothing to anything - it's all smoke. what's there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? one generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes - it's business as usual for old planet earth. what was will be again, what happened will happen again. there's nothing new on this earth. year after year it's the same old thing.
what a cynical depressing outlook on life. look at this phrase. what was will be again, what happened will happen again.
i'm sure a mother picking up after children could say this. you’ll get it all clean and 20 minutes later it’s back the way it was.
what's the use? i mean i just got this place picked up and… what was will be again, what happened will happen again.
is that you? why even try? it won’t make any difference? nothing will ever change?
listen, we serve the ONE who was resurrected. HE makes changes. HE came to this earth because HE knew HE could make a difference. this is another attitude that we need to be honest about if we have and then we need to conquered it.
just a thought from the front porch...
solomon is a great example of the cynic. the cynic loves to say, ''nothing will ever change.''
solomon the writer of the ot book, ecclesiastes in 1.2-4,9 (ms) says, smoke, nothing but smoke. there's nothing to anything - it's all smoke. what's there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? one generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes - it's business as usual for old planet earth. what was will be again, what happened will happen again. there's nothing new on this earth. year after year it's the same old thing.
what a cynical depressing outlook on life. look at this phrase. what was will be again, what happened will happen again.
i'm sure a mother picking up after children could say this. you’ll get it all clean and 20 minutes later it’s back the way it was.
what's the use? i mean i just got this place picked up and… what was will be again, what happened will happen again.
is that you? why even try? it won’t make any difference? nothing will ever change?
listen, we serve the ONE who was resurrected. HE makes changes. HE came to this earth because HE knew HE could make a difference. this is another attitude that we need to be honest about if we have and then we need to conquered it.
just a thought from the front porch...
Friday, July 3, 2009
how do i respond to someone who says, no one appreciates me?...
now if someone says, no one appreciates me and it is true that is sad. and if they say it and it isn't true then that is also sad.
now the truth is if i am the one hearing it i have two responses. i can brush them off and not give them any appreciation or i can leave the reason why they are saying it to GOD and reach out in appreciation no matter the reason. you see i am not to judge the reason i am just to respond to someone who needs appreciation or affirmation no matter their intent.
the truth is we all need to give appreciation just because we should give it. GOD wants us to look to those who are in our world who are hurting no matter the hurt and respond to them with love and affirmation.
what would this world be like if we were affirmers not adjudicators?
now something personal. i appreciate you taking the time, some of you 7 days a week to stop and read the ramblings of a retired minister on long island. GOD has been so very good to me to give me the opportunity to share with you things i have learned from experience or from other GODly people i have met along the way and of course from GOD HIMself. but i appreciate you in your faithfully coming to the front porch no matter when you do. i appreciate you!!!
just a thought from the front porch...
now the truth is if i am the one hearing it i have two responses. i can brush them off and not give them any appreciation or i can leave the reason why they are saying it to GOD and reach out in appreciation no matter the reason. you see i am not to judge the reason i am just to respond to someone who needs appreciation or affirmation no matter their intent.
the truth is we all need to give appreciation just because we should give it. GOD wants us to look to those who are in our world who are hurting no matter the hurt and respond to them with love and affirmation.
what would this world be like if we were affirmers not adjudicators?
now something personal. i appreciate you taking the time, some of you 7 days a week to stop and read the ramblings of a retired minister on long island. GOD has been so very good to me to give me the opportunity to share with you things i have learned from experience or from other GODly people i have met along the way and of course from GOD HIMself. but i appreciate you in your faithfully coming to the front porch no matter when you do. i appreciate you!!!
just a thought from the front porch...
some say, no one appreciates me...
moses was another type of complainer. he was the "martyr" and the martyr loves to say, "no one appreciates me." no one appreciates me.
look at numbers 11.11-15 (ms), moses said to GOD, "why are YOU treating me this way? what did i ever do to YOU to deserve this? did i conceive them? was i their mother? so why dump the responsibility of this people on me?...i can't do this by myself—it's too much, all these people. if this is how YOU intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. i've seen enough; i've had enough. let me out of here."
a martyr. these people are pros at having pity parties. when they are sick or under pressure they want everybody to know about it. “oh i feel so bad.”
moses the whiner. do me a favor and kill me. i've seen enough; i've had enough.
so how do you react when you don't get your way? do you mount a complaining campaign? and you whine and fuss and argue and debate…but mom, but dad. the martyr.
just a thought from the front porch...
look at numbers 11.11-15 (ms), moses said to GOD, "why are YOU treating me this way? what did i ever do to YOU to deserve this? did i conceive them? was i their mother? so why dump the responsibility of this people on me?...i can't do this by myself—it's too much, all these people. if this is how YOU intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. i've seen enough; i've had enough. let me out of here."
a martyr. these people are pros at having pity parties. when they are sick or under pressure they want everybody to know about it. “oh i feel so bad.”
moses the whiner. do me a favor and kill me. i've seen enough; i've had enough.
so how do you react when you don't get your way? do you mount a complaining campaign? and you whine and fuss and argue and debate…but mom, but dad. the martyr.
just a thought from the front porch...
Thursday, July 2, 2009
what if...
what if jackie robinson would have said, life is not fair because i am black and they wouldn't let me play baseball with the big boys so i'm going to quit playing.
what if bill gates would have said, life isn't fair because i didn't graduate from harvard so i won't be able to amount to anything.
what if helen keller would have said, life isn't fair because i can't hear or see so i just give up and i won't try.
what if paul would have said, life isn't fair because here i am in prison and all they'll let me do is write.
what if JESUS would have said, life isn't fair because it seems everyone has turned their back on me and they hate me, so I'll just go on home to heaven.
what if you lived your life with the excuse that life isn't fair and you waisted your whole life.
what if...
just a thought from the front porch...
what if bill gates would have said, life isn't fair because i didn't graduate from harvard so i won't be able to amount to anything.
what if helen keller would have said, life isn't fair because i can't hear or see so i just give up and i won't try.
what if paul would have said, life isn't fair because here i am in prison and all they'll let me do is write.
what if JESUS would have said, life isn't fair because it seems everyone has turned their back on me and they hate me, so I'll just go on home to heaven.
what if you lived your life with the excuse that life isn't fair and you waisted your whole life.
what if...
just a thought from the front porch...
please don't say, "life isn't fair"...
we are dealing with different types of complainers. the whiner is one of them and one of his favorite phrases is, "it's not fair." in other words, "i don't deserve this. everybody else gets all the breaks."
here are some verses that shows you that things haven’t changed much. matthew 20.9-12 (ms), those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. when those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. but they got the same, each of them one dollar. taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ''these last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.''
nothing new under the sun, it’s not fair.
now have you learned the fact of life that life is not fair? that is a phrase that we don’t use in our family. one time brett was saying something about something not being fair. and stef said, this was back when they was very, very young, but brett life isn’t suppose to be fair. that is one of the phrases that i’m sure they will put on my tombstone – but life isn’t fair.
GOD never said it is going to be fair. it will be fair in heaven. HE will settle the score in heaven and hell.
listen, life is not fair and as long as you complain about the fact that life is not fair it only makes you more miserable. and it will never change the fact that life is not always fair. so complaining does not work.
just a thought from the front porch...
here are some verses that shows you that things haven’t changed much. matthew 20.9-12 (ms), those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. when those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. but they got the same, each of them one dollar. taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ''these last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.''
nothing new under the sun, it’s not fair.
now have you learned the fact of life that life is not fair? that is a phrase that we don’t use in our family. one time brett was saying something about something not being fair. and stef said, this was back when they was very, very young, but brett life isn’t suppose to be fair. that is one of the phrases that i’m sure they will put on my tombstone – but life isn’t fair.
GOD never said it is going to be fair. it will be fair in heaven. HE will settle the score in heaven and hell.
listen, life is not fair and as long as you complain about the fact that life is not fair it only makes you more miserable. and it will never change the fact that life is not always fair. so complaining does not work.
just a thought from the front porch...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
whining kills all potential...
whining and complaining don't work. they just kill your faith and give you excuses not to try. they rob you of hope and the ability to be creative in finding the answer. GOD doesn't always want to just give us the answer, HE wants us to find it and that takes faith, work, risking, and creativity. and whining and complaining kill all of those, it kills all potential.
just a thought from bill's front porch.
just a thought from bill's front porch.
why do they get all the breaks?...
there are many different kinds of complainers found in the bible.
david was a whiner. these type of people wake up negative. they may rise but they will not shine. they rise and whine.
some people get up saying, good morning, LORD. the whiner get's up saying, good LORD it’s morning.
you know what i'm talking about? the poor me approach to life.
the whiner and david whines all through the psalms. psalm 73.11-14 is an example of this, what's going on here? is GOD out to lunch? nobody's tending the store. the wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. i've been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? a long run of bad luck, that's what— a slap in the face every time i walk out the door.
david is saying, hey how come the bad guys are prospering? at least i’ve been trying to live for GOD and i don’t get any breaks. have you ever felt like that?
that's not what GOD wants CHRISTIians to be, HE wants us to be different. philippians 2.14-15 do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
just a thought from the front porch...
david was a whiner. these type of people wake up negative. they may rise but they will not shine. they rise and whine.
some people get up saying, good morning, LORD. the whiner get's up saying, good LORD it’s morning.
you know what i'm talking about? the poor me approach to life.
the whiner and david whines all through the psalms. psalm 73.11-14 is an example of this, what's going on here? is GOD out to lunch? nobody's tending the store. the wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. i've been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? a long run of bad luck, that's what— a slap in the face every time i walk out the door.
david is saying, hey how come the bad guys are prospering? at least i’ve been trying to live for GOD and i don’t get any breaks. have you ever felt like that?
that's not what GOD wants CHRISTIians to be, HE wants us to be different. philippians 2.14-15 do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.
just a thought from the front porch...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)