even with other CHRISTians…

well it is the day after CHRISTmas here on long island and i hope it was a special day for you with your family and I hope your disagreements with them were at a minimum,  now many times judgment can lead to those disagreements and many times it starts with the CHRISTian in the family.  but the bible lets us know that judging isn’t acceptable to GOD even with other CHRISTians. 

james 4.11 tells us it’s wrong to judge when it causes you to speak evil about another CHRISTian.

(niv), brothers do not slander another.  anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.

anything that causes me to speak evil about another CHRISTian maybe even to ruin their reputation is wrong.  we are to hate wrong but we’re to love people even when they are doing wrong.

ephesians 4.29 (msg) says, watch the way you talk. let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. say only what helps, each words a gift.  CHRISTians ought to be known for their encouragement not their criticism.  we don’t need nagging; we need encouragement.  we know what’s right, we just need encouragement to do it.  i would like to be known as an encourager.  i think that’s what GOD wants us to be.

just a thought from the front porch…

faith is acting as if…

do you remember the story of joshua and the children of israel when they came up to the jordan river? it was very similar to moses at the red sea. the whole nation had to pass over the river in order to get into the promised land. it was springtime and the banks of the jordan were overflowing. it was impossible. GOD said to joshua and the leaders of israel, “take the leaders and put them out in front of the people and tell them to walk into the river. after they begin to walk into the river i will dam it up a little way north and the waters will recede and you will be able to walk across on dry ground.”

the leaders began to walk into the river. the water was up to their ankles, then their knees, then their thighs. they were probably thinking, “i'm not going to walk very much further!” but look what happened. the bible says in joshua 3, when the priests put their feet in the water, the jordan river will stop flowing.

they acted as if the water would part and it did! GOD released HIS power. now there was a lag time in their faith because GOD stopped the river up stream so some of that water kept flowing down but they kept walking in faith, they kept walking as if.

now the amazing thing is that GOD wants to share his power with you but you've got to follow the steps. first you admit you have the need, then you believe in faith, then speak in faith and then act in faith. step out in advance, acting as if.

some of you are waiting for GOD to do a miracle in your life and you think that you are waiting on GOD. in reality GOD is waiting on you. HE's waiting on you to take the first step. the power will not be released until you take the first step. it's withheld. it's a deliberate choice: “i don't feel it but i know that it's the right thing to do. i'm going to do it.” you act as if you have the power to do what's right and it will be supplied.

men, monday when you come home from work and you're exhausted and you're tired and want to be left alone. you feel lousy and cruddy and you do not want to face your kids or maybe even your wife. you want to walk in the door and say to everybody “don't bug me!”

instead of doing that, why don't you try this: on the way home, while you're driving home, why don't you take a little pill called isaiah 40.31 (niv), they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings as eagles. they shall run and not be weary. ... they shall play with the kids and not faint.

before you get out of the car and go into the house say, “GOD, YOU've promised to re‑energize me if i wait on YOU. so i'm going to wait here a minute, take a death breath. i believe in faith that you can re‑energize me. i'm going to say it, i'm going to speak it, i believe it. i'm going to walk in and act as if i've got energy and i'm going to play with those kids. i don't have many hours of the day with them in the first place.”

just a thought from the front porch…

what are you saying and then doing in faith?...

the bible says in the book of james that your tongue is the rudder of your life. it's like the little rudder that moves the giant ship. the way you talk to yourself and to others directs the course of your life.

the bible says in proverbs, death and life are in the power of the tongue. so what are you saying... about your marriage, about your job, about your health, about your finances, about your kids.

many of you are waiting for GOD to do something and believing HIM for a miracle but you're short circuiting it by the way you talk. you're believing it in one place but then denying and negating it by your complaints. “yeah, i believe GOD is going to save my marriage. but my marriage is the pits!” “yeah, i'm praying that my kids will really take a stand for the LORD, but my kids are hopeless! incorrigible!” “i'm really praying that GOD will heal me, but i'm never going to get well.” “i want GOD to change my life and help me break those bad habits but it's just the way i am! i'm never going to change!” you're short circuiting GOD's power in your life by your mouth.

GOD's power is not automatic. you must first admit you have a need for it, then you believe in faith, and then you speak in faith. nothing is too hard for GOD. after you believe in faith and speak in faith then you act in faith.

this is very vital and most people miss this point. act in faith. you must step out in advance before the power is released. GOD wants you to take action even before you feel anything.

“you mean i have to act as if i've got the power, even though i don't have the power, in order to get the power?” yes! that's what's called acting in faith. you act as if GOD is going to provide. and when you step out in advance, before you even feel it, then GOD sees your faith. do not wait for a feeling!

if the only time you pray is when you feel like it, the devil is going to make sure you never feel like it! you need to do those things you know are right even when you don't feel like it.

immaturity is living by your feelings. maturity is living by your commitments. you act as if, in advance.

so many people miss GOD's blessing on their life. “there is something i'd really like to do.... but i don't think that i can do it.” so you never even try! and as a result you never have the power.

if you had tried, GOD would have poured the power into your life to make you competent to do it once you had stepped out. but if you don't even try you will never sense GOD's power in your life.

just a thought from the front porch…