a selective listener…

has anybody ever accused you of being a selective listener?  we tend to hear what we want to hear.  isn’t that true?  we leave off the parts we don’t like and we accept the parts that we like and we want to do.

it’s like the story of the doctor who’s driving down the road.  he looks out his car window and he saw an elderly man jogging along the side of the road with a very young, beautiful woman.  as he looked at the old guy he realized that the old man was his patient.  so he stopped his car, rolled down his window and hollered to the elderly man.  “what are you doing?” and the old man said, “i’m just doing what you told me to do.  you told me to get a hot mama and be care free.”  the doctor said, “i told you, you had a heart murmur and be careful!”  we all have selective hearing.  we hear what we want to! 

psalms 25.4-5 (niv) gives us a good prayer to pray.  show me YOUr ways, LORD.  teach me YOUr paths.  guide me in YOUr truth and teach me.  for YOU are GOD my SAVIOR.

just a thought from the front porch… 

our decisions become better and better…

another decision that makes a positive effect on our life is to decide to ask for GOD’s daily help. 

this is called prayer.  did you know that we’re commanded by GOD to ask HIM for help when we’re making decisions in our life?  HE commands us to come to HIM for help.  james 1.5-6 (nlt), if you need wisdom, if you want to know what GOD wants you to do, ask HIM and HE will gladly tell you.  HE will not resent your asking.  we just need to ask for GOD’s help every day. 

look at this prayer, “i want to thank you LORD for being close to me so far this day.  with YOUr help i haven’t been impatient, lost my temper, been grumpy, been judgmental or envious of anyone.  but i’ll be getting out of bed in a minute and i think i’ll need YOUr help then.”  i think so! 

let me tell you how these first three points we have been looking at work together.  GOD, the HOLY SPIRIT, becomes the leader of our life and takes up residence in our life.  then the bible gives us teaching for all of our decisions, sometimes specifically and sometimes generally.  then through prayer we ask GOD’s help.  we say, “GOD, by YOUr SPIRIT become my teacher so that when i read the bible, YOU help me understand it and then YOU help me apply it to the situations in my life.” 

look what JESUS said about the HOLY SPIRIT in john 16.13-14 (nlt), when the SPIRIT of truth comes, HE will guide you into all truth…HE will tell you about the future. HE will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever HE receives from me.

GOD promises to be our leader.  HE gives us HIS word to help us.  then HE promises to be our teacher.  is it any wonder then that our decisions should start to become better and better decisions when we have GOD’s help at work in our lives. 

what’s our part?  we’ve got to listen to HIM.

just a thought from the front porch…  

three true facts of forgiveness…

i heard about this little boy in washington d. c. who went up to a park ranger and said, “i want to buy the washington monument.”  the park ranger thought he’d have a little fun and said, “how much have you got?”  the little boy pulls out a dollar and eight-seven cents.  the ranger said, “son, let me say three things.  number one, it’s not for sale.  number two, even if it was for sale you couldn’t afford it.  it’s too expensive.  and number three, if you are an american citizen it already belongs to you.”

those same three facts are true of forgiveness in the life of a CHRISTian.  if you are already a CHRISTian, number one, you couldn’t buy forgiveness from GOD.  and even if you could, you couldn’t pay the price for it.  it’s too expensive.  but if you’re believer, you’re in GOD’s family, it’s already yours.  it’s part of grace.  forgiveness is your greatest need because you’re imperfect.  and it’s also GOD’s greatest gift.  HIS healing gift of grace is the greatest thing GOD gives you. 

how do you get that kind of healing grace?  it’s really pretty simple.  as simple as a, b, c.  admit, believe, commit.  if you want to have every sin forgiven in your life, here it is a,b,c – admit, believe, commit. 

a – admit

i admit i’ve blown it.  i admit i’ve sinned.  i admit GOD is right and i am wrong.  i admit that there have been many times in my life i’ve been god.  i’ve done what i wanted to do.  i didn’t check in with GOD and ask, “what do YOU want me to do?  what have you put me on this planet for?”  i did what i wanted to do.  i just agree with GOD.  i quit trying to make excuses, blame other people, etc. etc.  i just admit it.

b – believe

i believe that GOD wants to forgive me.  that HE wants to forgive me freely and instantly and repeatedly.  i believe in HIS grace.  i believe that JESUS CHRIST died for my sins so that i wouldn’t have to pay for them.  HE paid for them.  i believe that. 

c – commit

i commit my life to GOD.  i commit my sins to HIM.  i commit myself to JESUS CHRIST and say, “GOD, YOU take charge.  i haven’t done a real good job with my life so far so YOU be in charge.  YOU be number one.  YOU call the shots.  YOU be the manager.  YOU drive the car.”  and i commit it to HIM. 

what happens if you do that?  you’ll receive forgiveness. 

just a thought from the front porch…

why we wait to ask...

sometimes we delay in asking for forgiveness.  we know we’ve done something wrong and we know we could take it to GOD and ask for forgiveness but for some reason we procrastinate.  we wait.  there’s a lot of reasons for that.  sometimes we think, “i don’t want to bother HIM again.”

but it doesn’t bother GOD.  HE’s big enough to listen to all of our requests, all day.  that’s the kind of GOD that HE is.  you’re not bothering GOD. 

sometimes we think, “what i’ll do is get my life all together, all worked out, perfect in at least this one area and then i’ll go to GOD and say, ‘GOD, i’ve got it worked out.  now i want to confess it.’” 

don’t wait!  it never works.  first of all you’re never going to be perfect.  you’re always going to have things you struggle with.  and secondly, one of the ways to grow in your life is to confess it to GOD, to realize HIS forgiveness and then grow based on that. 

realize that guilt in many ways is like garbage.  you have to take it out repeatedly.  in your house you have to take out the garbage repeatedly or the house starts stinking.  that’s how life works. 
i’d guess that for most of you in your house you have different sized containers for your trash, your garbage.  in your bathroom you probably have one of those tiny, little containers for garbage.  under your kitchen sink you probably have a medium sized container for garbage.  out in your back yard or in your garage you have one of those big huge industrial things to put everything in.  that’s where you take out the trash. 

when the trash starts to fill up in your kitchen, what do you do?  you don’t get a bigger garbage container to hold the trash in your kitchen and fill it up.  that one fills up and you bring in bigger container and fill it up.  you bring in the one from outside and put it in the middle of your kitchen and fill that one up.  you don’t do it that way.  when the trash fills up, you take out the trash. 

it’s the same way with our sins.  when we’ve realized that we’ve sinned what do we do?  you take out the trash.  you say to GOD, “i confess it.  i realize that YOU’ve forgiven me.” 

listen, it’s foolish to let the garbage pile up in your house and smell up everything.  and it’s just as foolish, even more foolish, to let guilt pile up in your life. 

just a thought from the front porch…

some barriers we have to asking GOD…

notice here in matthew 7 verse 11 (nlt), if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your heavenly FATHER give good gifts to those who ask him.  we are to ask GOD to meet the needs in our lives.

now there are some barriers that people have to asking GOD to meet their needs. 

one is that we are not really convinced that GOD could love us like that. 

you may have truly given your life to CHRIST.  you may be truly forgiven of your sins, but you still live in bondage to your past and with an overwhelming sense of guilt and condemnation. 

but GOD says to those who are in CHRIST JESUS there’s no condemnation.  and one of the things that satan will use in our life to keep us anxious and worried is he keeps playing old tapes from our past.  so to break satan’s hold you must actually believe that GOD loves you and HE cares about your needs, that HE’s interested in your life and that HE is your father and HE delights in you.

another barrier is our view of GOD, our view that GOD is kind of distant and occupied with the bigger things in life and HE doesn’t really care about the details of my life. 

or maybe even more seriously.  some of us are not really convinced that prayer really matters or changes things. 

we’re kind of self-sufficient so we try to solve every one of life’s problems on our own but then we can’t figure it out and we get desperate so we turn to GOD in prayer.  rather than prayer being our first response, it’s our last resort. 

just a thought from the front porch…

if HE knows then why do I need to ask?

the fact is GOD knows what you need before you ask. 

there’s a logical question that goes along with that.  if GOD knows what i need before i ask why doesn’t HE just give it to me right now before i even ask? 

listen, prayer is not informing GOD of your need.  HE already knows about your need.  prayer is not informing GOD of your need.  it’s depending on GOD for that need. 

it’s saying, “this time, with this decision, with this need in my life instead of depending on myself, doing it my way, figuring out how i want to do it, GOD, i’m depending on you.  you show me how.  you show me what i need to do.  you show me what steps i need to take.  you show me where i need to wait and where i need to work.  you show me.  i’m depending on you.”

before we go to the next phrase in the LORD’s prayer let me ask you, what’s the greatest need in your life?  now you don’t need to tell me.  you can if you want to.  if you do tell me i can be as sympathetic as i can be but i can’t really meet that need.  i may love you and want to really meet that need but i can’t, GOD is the only one who can meet it and you need to recognize that fact today. 

just a thought from the front porch…

how to pray effectively…

james mentions in his book some conditions for praying effectively.

one condition is i must ask. 

that sounds simple but in a lot of our prayers we never ask for anything.  we say “thank you for...” and “bless...” and that's it.  we never pray specifically. 

the more specific your prayers are the greater you’re going to be blessed in the answer.  james says in 4.2 (niv), you do not have because you do not ask GOD.  be specific. 

throw away all your cliches.  i love to hear new CHRISTians pray because they don’t know all the language, and they’re so honest.  it’s refreshing.  do you ever listen to your kids pray?  they say the most honest and genuine things that are really meaningful.

another condition is to have the right motive.

james 4.3 (niv),when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  if you’re going to ask in prayer, make sure your motives are right.  not for selfishness but for a genuine reason – the glory of GOD or another way to say that is to make GOD look good.

just a thought from the front porch

i need it so how do i get it?...

so how do you rate on the “am i wise test?” that we’ve been taking here in chapter 3 of the nt book of james.  let’s review…  do you compromise your integrity?   how do you get along with people?  do you manipulate them and use them for things you want?  do you tend to antagonize anger?  always saying things that tick people off.  you know if you say it, it will push their hot button but you do it any way.  that is dumb.  james says that is dumb.  it’s not being wise.  if i’m wise i won’t antagonize your anger.

if i’m wise i won’t minimize your feelings.  feelings are neither right nor wrong, they’re just feelings.  when margaret, my wife has a feeling it’s valid.  whether it makes sense to me or not the fact is she feels it.  the same is true of me.  if i’m wise i will not minimize it. 

can your kids make suggestions to you?  can your husband make suggestions to you?  or your wife?  if i’m wise i won’t emphasize your mistakes.  i don’t rub it in, i rub it out.  if i’m wise i don’t try to disguise my feelings.

i don’t know how you did but i’m pretty sure it brought you around to the question how do i get wisdom?  james in the first chapter of his book says in verse 5 (niv), if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of GOD.

now we sometimes get confused here.  we think wisdom is like knowledge and all i need to do is read a book to get it or get an education.  no wisdom comes from GOD.  to get knowledge you look around.  to get wisdom you look up.  knowledge is something you learn.  wisdom is a gift.

wisdom is a gift from GOD.  leading up to our move from long island, i have sometimes asked GOD fifty times in a day for wisdom, GOD give me wisdom.  the last part of verse 5 (niv) says, ask of GOD who gives generously.  HE wants to give it to you.

if i’m loving and wise, i’m going to make it in life.  if you’re loving and wise you’re going to make it in life.  so why don’t you stop right know and ask JESUS to come into your life and to give you wisdom.

just a thought from the front porch…

just ask HIM…

so many times i don’t think before i speak and that get’s me in trouble.  i’m sure that is true about you too.  rick warren says the key to handling this is to engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear. james puts it this way in chapter 1 verse 19 (msg), lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.

you first, lead with your ears.  stop and listen to what they are saying.  if you do that then you will follow up with your tongue.  then what follows is you will let anger straggle along in the rear.  that really works.  lead with your ears + follow up with your tongue and if you do it in that order then you will minimize the potential for you to get angry or you let anger straggle along in the rear.

so what does your mouth say about you?   if you had some way to record what you say, you would see yourself in a whole different way.  you really would.  it would tell you a whole lot about the direction that your words are taking you.

maybe you would hear yourself say, “i’m sick all the time” or “i can never do anything”, “things are just getting tougher and tougher.”  where do you think that kind of talk is taking you?

let me ask you, what would happen if you would go to your kids and say, “i’m sorry.  i know you are so confused because of the way i talk to you.  sometimes i say something loving and then sometimes i say something harsh.  i’m human.”

or to your spouse.  what if you would apologize to him or her and say, “i don’t always talk lovingly to you as i ought to.  i sometimes tend to be uncaring, cold, indifferent and i can be bossy and harsh.  i can be so inconsistent and inconsiderate.  please forgive me.”  ezekiel gives the answer to the hurtful way we talk.  he says get rid of all your offenses you’ve committed and get a new heart and a new spirit.

james 3.4 (msg) says, a small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds.  we need a strong skilled hand to deal with this problem of our tongue.  what you and i need is JESUS CHRIST in control of our heart.  HE is the one who will give you that new heart and new spirit.  let HIM control your life.  let HIM control your tongue.  HE is the key.  just ask HIM.

just a thought from the front porch…

let’s pray…

no doubt there are people reading this who are overwhelmed.  you may be overwhelmed by fatigue – you’re really tired.  you may be overwhelmed by loneliness and there’s an ache inside your heart.  or any other number of things that could be overwhelming.  regardless.  let go of control, let other people help, let GOD give you strength.

if you will do these three things, you will find yourself developing the attitude of micah.  micah was an old testament prophet and he went through a period of despair and he said this: micah 7.1 & 7 (msg),   i’m overwhelmed with sorrow, sunk in a swamp of despair.  but me, i’m not giving up.  i’m sticking around to see what GOD will do.  i’m waiting for GOD to make things right.

let’s pray,

FATHER, i pray for those here on the front porch today who feel overwhelmed.  overwhelmed with responsibilities, time demands, deadlines, weighed down by worries, plagued by problems.  help them to experience new strength and energy today.

now you pray this prayer in your heart, in your mind.  “FATHER, i know i need to stop trying to control the uncontrollable.  it’s a waste of time.  so right now, once again, i’m letting go.  i’m asking you to take charge of the situation and take control of my life.  JESUS, i need you in my life.  forgive me for all the times i act like it all depends on me.  it doesn’t.  help me to let go of my pride and allow other people to help me.  i want to be connected to your family so i can receive support and i can give it to others.  help me to remember to praise you and to think about your word when i feel overwhelmed.  in JESUS’ name I pray.  amen.” 

just a thought from the front porch…

GOD specializes in impossible…

some of you will have a major decision to make this week.  the reason you don’t have wisdom is because you are looking at the problem and not the LORD.  “this giant problem.  how will i solve it?  i’m backed into a corner.  it’s impossible!” 

GOD specializes in impossible.  get your eyes off of the problem, the circumstance and get your eyes on the LORD.  if you have your eyes on the problem, you’re going to sink!  you must believe and not doubt.

james 1.6 (tev), whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. a lot of CHRISTians are like corks in the ocean, blown around, back and forth.  they are victims of their circumstance.  some of you are blown away right now because you haven’t been asking for wisdom.  eventually you pray but it’s as the last resort.   that ought to be your first option.

hebrews 11.6 (niv), and without faith it is impossible to GOD.  anyone who comes to HIM must believe that HE exists and HE rewards those who earnestly seek HIM.

if you want to receive anything from GOD you’ve got to believe in advance you’re going to get it.  that's faith. 

just a thought from the front porch…

when you pray expect an answer…

james 4.2 (niv), you do not have because you do not ask GOD. twenty times in the new testament it says, ask, and it shall be given.  the word in the greek literally means, “keep on asking, be persistent, be continual.”

admit, ask and then anticipate.  expect an answer in faith.  you anticipate an answer.  james 1.5-6 (tev), if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to GOD, who will give it to you; because GOD gives generously and graciously to all. but when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all.

if you want wisdom – first you’ve got to ask the right person, then you’ve got to ask the right way – in faith, believing, not doubting.  that means the key to wisdom is prayer, the condition is faith.

have you ever prayed a prayer then later while talking to someone say, “i won’t get it”?  folks, you set yourself up.  GOD says,” if you can’t believe you’re going to get it, don’t even waste your time to pray for it.”  you must pray in faith, believing, thanking GOD in advance.  doubt is debilitating.  it hinders GOD from working in your life.

remember peter?  peter is in the boat one day and JESUS comes walking on the water and peter jumps out and starts walking toward the LORD.  listen if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.  it doesn’t require faith to stay in the boat.  you’ve got to risk in faith and GOD will take care of you.

he starts walking on the water.  he’s got his eyes on the LORD but all of the sudden he looks down and thinks, “i’m not suppose to be able to do this.”  and instantly he started to sink.  the moment you get your eyes off the LORD and onto circumstance, you’re dead.

just a thought from the front porch…

how to get wisdom…

if you want wisdom from GOD, you admit your need and then ask, ask HIM for wisdom.  pray to GOD.  talk to HIM.  james 1.5 (tniv), if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask GOD…

how do you get wisdom?  by listening to oprah?  by reading cosmopolitan magazine?  by listening to rush?  by taking smart pills?  by going to school 90 hours a week?  the bible says you get wisdom by asking GOD.  that’s where wisdom comes from – GOD.  so you talk to HIM about it and you ask for wisdom.  proverbs 2.6 (tev), it is the LORD who gives wisdom; from HIM come knowledge and understanding.

if GOD was to come to you and say, “I’m going to give you one wish.  you can ask for anything in the whole world.  you can have one wish.”  what would that wish be?

there was a guy in the old testament that GOD came to and asked him that question.  GOD came to solomon and HE said, “you’re the king of israel and I’m going to grant you one wish.  what do you want more than anything else in life?”

solomon thought about it and said, “i’m so inadequate as a leader.  i don’t know what to do with these people.  more than any thing else i want wisdom.  i want to be able to think the way YOU think, to see things from YOUr point of view, be able to make decisions the way YOU would make them.  i don’t want to make mistakes.  i don’t want to have any regret when i look back on my life.  i want wisdom.”

and the bible said that pleased GOD and HE granted it to him, just like HE gives to us when we ask for it.  HE then said, “solomon, because you asked for wisdom, I’m going to give you the other three: wealth, fame, a long life.”  solomon not only became the wisest man but the wealthiest man, a famous person, and he lived a long life.

if GOD came to you with the same question, what would you ask for?  would you ask for wisdom?  proverbs says, if you don’t get anything else, get wisdom.  that is how important it is to GOD and the reason we don’t have it is because we don’t ask for it. 

just a thought from the front porch…

ask for help and be honest…

ask GOD and others for help. and be honest with GOD.

there’s a story in the bible about a father who came to JESUS CHRIST to plea for HIS help for his son. i love what this father said to JESUS, “i do believe. help my unbelief.” he had a heart to believe, to have faith. would you help me? i have this problem with doubt. JESUS responded to him and HE healed his son.

it’s not out of bounds for you when you’re wrestling with questions and issues to go to GOD and say, “would you strengthen my faith?” james 4.2 (niv) says, you do not have, because you do not ask GOD. go to GOD, not as a last resort but as your first priority. say, “GOD, lead me to wisdom to help me get answers. bring me to people who can help me in my life to strengthen my faith.”

and ask other CHRISTians for help too. that’s why small groups are so important. they’re little conclaves of safety where you can be honest with each other and say, “everybody seems to believe… but i have some doubts.” nobody’s going to condemn you. nobody’s going to judge you. they will encourage you and pray with you. they’ll help you get answers and help your process your struggle. that’s what community is about. james 5.16 (lb) says, admit your faults to one another and pray for each other. it says, so that you may be healed.

just a thought from the front porch…

if you are aware then you can care…

now in the story that JESUS tells in luke 10, the good samaritan did some things that we need to do if we’re going to learn to be kinder, loving people. if you want to become a kinder person, a great lover...

you must first see the needs of people around you. kindness always begins with the eyes – the way you look, the way you see. it always begins with your vision, the way you observe things. if you’re not aware of needs, you can’t care about those needs.

the bible says in luke 10.33b (ms), when he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. notice when he saw. that is the starting point.

there are wounded people all over your world but you don’t just see it. why? one word – busyness. hurry is the death of kindness.

listen. if you’re going to learn to be a kinder person, you’ve got to slow down. you don’t see it unless you slow down.

let’s say you’re going to take a trip across country. you’re married, you’ve got a family, and you want them to see what your country is really like. you’ve got a lot of different opportunities for transportation. you could take the plane. that would get you to other side faster, but you won’t see much of the country. because the faster you go, the less you see.

you could take a train, which would be slower than a plane. you would see definitely a lot more because you’re going slower. on the other hand, if you took a car trip with your family, you’d go even slower than a train and you’d see even more. but if you really wanted to see the country, you’d walk. if you’d walk, you’d see more of your country than if you took a plane.

if you want to see it, you’ve got to slow down. the slower you go, the more you see.

the bible says this, look out for the good of others. 1 corinthians 10.24 (ncv). notice look out.

the first step to kindness is to ask GOD to give you SPIRITual radar, that you would be on the lookout for people in need around you who are hurting emotionally, SPIRITually, physically and in any other way. those who need help. those who need encouragement. those who need concern. those who need a hug or a pat on the back.

just a thought from the front porch…