Christian Homes and Special Kids

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The Angel’s Testimony

Years ago, I worked in a large office where there were many desks and workers but no walls. This open environment led to the natural result that there was a great deal of conversation and socializing. One day, a loud voice rose over the general hubbub. Mel, a fellow known for his intellect was responding to the comment of someone sitting near his desk. Mel stood up and began loudly denouncing the idea of faith in God and proclaiming the futility of prayer. He was proud of the fact that he did not need the drug and crutch of religion to make his way through life.

But, a verse out of Acts contradicts Mel’s philosophy. This verse quotes an angel sent from God. Because of a Roman Centurion’s prayers and giving, Peter is led by coordinated circumstances and dreams to open the Church to Gentiles. This went against Peter’s upbringing, training and desires. Yet, the hand of God was so clear that Peter could only obey.

The angel revealed a piece of reality. The fact is that our prayers and gifts of love ascend as a memorial before God Himself. A memorial is something that causes one to remember a person or event. Lack of prayer is either lack of faith that God exists or, if He exists, that He will hear or respond. God, forgive my weak faith and lack of prayer. Father, embed the testimony of your angel in each of our hearts.
The angel's testimony -- "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” (Acts 10:4)

Project:
-Evaluate your attitude toward prayer and giving.
-How much do you sincerely pray?
-Let’s embrace this truth and genuinely rejoice in the fact that God knows us and hears us.
-Let's ask God to energize our prayer life and inspire our giving.

Hugs and Gratitude

Hugs and Gratitude

In an earlier article, I wrote about how we need to draw back from the world. I received a comment on the article which warned of the dangers becoming isolated from the world.

“I would say this has a lot of truth to it, but it is very easy to become a hypocrite when are so separated from the "Worldly" people that we no longer fill any compassion for the "World". We have to remember that Gods greatest command was to love our neighbor as ourselves.” – Anonymous

I appreciate time and effort someone put into this comment and all the comments that have been made in reply to my articles on the Kings Academy blog because they help me and others to see a more refined message.

Sadly, it is easy to become isolated from the needs of others. When we lived for years in a suburb with people all around us, we barely knew any neighbors. When we did eventually reach out to them, they reacted to us as if we were suspicious strangers. (I guess we were.) And, too many times, I’ve been guilty of the hypocrisy of talking about the right thing more than actually doing the right thing. Whether we live in a crowd or in some lonely mountain pass, we can still choose to set our heart on self or on God and others. Isolation in religion with lack of love for those trapped in the world is choosing a focus on Self. Alternatively, having many friends and people activities without genuinely caring about their needs and without any sincere desire to know God better is -- focus on Self.

We don't have to look far to find where wrong values lead. A father was showing picutres of his wedding to his young son. The boy asked, "Is that when mother came to work for us?" How many times has my bride felt the same way?

Let's draw back from the fire of selfish desire, back from the world’s values which put possessions, popularity and power ahead of love filled relationships with our God and neighbors. As commanded in Romans 12, let's lay our body on the altar of sacrifice to God and embrace God’s values as revealed in His greatest commandments. Start by spending a few minutes looking into the mirror of God's Word and then find someone to encourage. Maybe give your spouse an extra hug, express some gratitude and listen to their heart.

"What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Too Close to Egypt

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Egypt …concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love.
(1 Kings 11:1,2)

Most of us know of the tragic result of Solomon’s flirtation with, lust for and marriage to hundreds of women. His sensual desires pulled him away from following the wisdom which he had grown up with and which God had put into his heart. Instead of learning from his father’s mistakes, he expanded on the sensual weakness that had so severely damaged David’s life and family.

If we are church-goers then we probably have several Bibles. We have wisdom all around us. But, in the United States, there is essentially no difference in lifestyle between most of those who claim Jesus as Lord and those who are not believers. How can this be? Do we often look into the mirror of Scripture but seldom see that we need to change something? Or, do we rarely look into Scripture and see ourselves? Alternatively, perhaps we see the need to change but do not go far enough.

"Only ye shall not go very far away."-Exodus 8:28

This is a crafty word from the lip of the arch-tyrant Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged Israelites must needs go out of Egypt, then he bargains with them that it shall not be very far away; not too far for them to escape the terror of his arms, and the observation of his spies. After the same fashion, the world loves not the non-conformity of nonconformity, or the dissidence of dissent, it would have us be more charitable and not carry matters with too severe a hand. Death to the world, and burial with Christ, are experiences which carnal minds treat with ridicule, and hence the ordinance which sets them forth is almost universally neglected, and even contemned.

Worldly wisdom recommends the path of compromise, and talks of "moderation." According to this carnal policy, purity is admitted to be very desirable, but we are warned against being too precise; truth is of course to be followed, but error is not to be severely denounced. "Yes," says the world, "be spiritually minded by all means, but …What's the good of crying down a thing when it is so fashionable, and everybody does it?" … If we would follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away into the wilderness of separation, and leave the Egypt of the carnal world behind us. We must leave its maxims, its pleasures, and its religion too, and go far away to the place where the Lord calls His sanctified ones. When the town is on fire, our house cannot be too far from the flames. When the plague is abroad, a man cannot be too far from its haunts. The further from a viper the better, and the further from worldly conformity the better. To all true believers let the trumpet-call be sounded, "Come ye out from among them, be ye separate." – C.H. Spurgeon

Some think we went too far in home schooling, kicking the TV out of the house, moving toward Christian community and so on. But, now I feel that I have not gone far enough from the world or close enough to the Lord Jesus in love. Have we gone far enough away from the world and near enough to Christ? Are the flames of destruction licking at our life or family? Is Jesus’ Name honored and His power revealed in my life and in your life or are we living too close to Egypt?

Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, (1 Kings 11:9)

Project:
Let us read and apply Romans 12.
Let’s daily look into the mirror of His Word and commit, by His grace, to making the needed changes He reveals.

It's Not My Fault!

But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. (Acts 7:57)

Once a couple started arguing in our presence and it soon became obvious that they were talking at but not hearing one another. When we encouraged them to repeat back, in their own words, what the other person was saying, they discovered that they had been “hearing” something very different from what was actually being said. Our natural tendency is to return hurt for hurt – with interest. When, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin to follow Christ’s words and return good for evil and blessing for cursing, we will see a revolution in our relationships. These Holy Spirit empowered relationships are the mortar of the house that God wants to build.

When do I “cover my ears” but when I’ve already made up my mind and don’t want to consider other viewpoints or even the facts. This type of attitude can come from the influence of fear, prejudice, pride, pleasure-seeking or poisonous wounds. One of the most difficult commands of Christ is to not only sincerely forgive those who hurt us but to actually love them. It is difficult for anyone to genuinely listen to someone who has wounded him in the past unless the grace of Christ has been embraced to truly forgive and to even give something of value into the life of that “enemy”.

As we come into a worship service and as we prepare to receive Communion, we are warned to examine ourselves and our relationships. If we realize that anyone has anything against us, that relationship problem has priority over worship. We are to leave our offering at the altar and go to the one who has a problem with us. It is vital to go in an attitude of repentance and praying that they will be able to “hear” us. Even if the problem is only 5% our fault, we should take the initiative to resolve that 5%. A fool is not interested in facts but only in airing his opinion. A fool sees every relationship problem as being someone else’s fault. May God forgive my foolishness and give me grace to hear the life-giving truth rather than saying, "It's not my fault!"

Project:
Let's take our hands off our ears and ask God to show us the truth.
Let's beg God to show us who has anything against us and let's do all we can to clear up at least our end of the problem. (Perhaps we need to ask forgiveness for the problems we caused, our lazy attitude, our rebellious attitude or some other attitude problem.)

'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?
(Acts 7:47+)

My Church is Like ????

A book I recently read spoke of the difference between the house churches which are multiplying rapidly in third world countries and the traditional church model we are used to with its bigger and bigger church buildings and staff centric services. Here is an excerpt:

Are the big churches the real McCoy? Or, are they a blend of four unbiblical models.

Harvard, where the professor is a preacher, the lecturn is a pulpit, and students are parishioners. Trouble is, they can sit and take notes for forty years, but they’ll never graduate, never get a degree, and never ever become professors themselves.

Hollywood, with its stage, entertainers, polished performances, costumed singers, applauding audiences, etc. All the church needs is popcorn.

IBM, where a board of directors runs everything from the top down, where permission to do things is denied or granted by the CEO and committees, where finances are the overriding factor behind policies, and where the institution competes with other churches for market share.

Wal-Mart, whose aisles and aisles of tempting merchandise offer something for every body, Seeker-sensitive megachurches, with their array of 100+ programs, mirror beautifully the “consumer heaven” ideal of Wal-Mart.
-- Megashift -- James Rutz

What metaphor would you currently use to describe your church?

What are the hallmarks of a Biblical church?

What metaphor would you ideally like to use to describe your church?

Participation in small groups, ministry and in worship is vitally important and defines how much life is actually in the Body. One of the most important questions to consider is how to encourage more participation (and I don't mean sitting in a pew or in a lecture class).

If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace.
(1 Corinthinas 14:27)

Comments?

Preschool

Preschool Loosens Parent-Child Bonds

Sweaty Treasure

Recently, I journeyed with a youth group as they traveled into Mexico to build a church. When we arrived, we found a good foundation, a somewhat crooked security wall and piles of materials. None of us knew where to start.

Rick and Sherry Owens have been coordinating the construction of church buildings in Mexico for over seventeen years and more than 130 churches. Youth groups learn how to build walls, mix concrete, tie rebar, shovel sand and work as a team in difficult circumstances. These groups experience a great outpouring of hospitality, gratitude and encouragement from the people they came to encourage. Week by week, group by group, the church building gradually rises while love flows between the youth groups and the congregation. We learned a little more Spanish while they learned a little more English. But, love was still communicated in spite of the language barrier.

We learned how to compensate for the mistakes of those who came before us as we also learned how to lay cinder blocks so that the wall grows straight and true. Some of our own mistakes became obvious as we tried to pour concrete support columns for the walls. A couple of the forms developed massive leaks of concrete and we discovered that more than positive thinking is required to stand the pressure in those columns.

Working elbow to elbow with friends and with strangers, we gradually discovered new levels of shared strength, commitment and faith. Many of the Mexican men working with us were preachers from other congregations. These men took turns spending the night at the site to prevent theft. One of the younger preachers had been a boy of fourteen when Rick and Sherry came to his town and helped his church family build a gathering place. That was the genesis of his desire to build God’s Church both physically and spiritually. In Mexico, a religious group without a building is considered an illegal cult. So, a building gives more than a place to meet, it also adds validation.

After only four days, we came away knowing that we could accomplish more than we expected in circumstances more challenging than we anticipated. In our society, it is extremely tempting to put our resources in entertaining, comfortable and temporary investments. This ministry provides a great way for young people to invest in eternity while getting a new perspective of the world. On this trip, we definitely invested our time, money, and sweat into an everlasting treasure.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:21)

Paper Crowns and Paving Material

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21)

My Bride and children will eventually die. My job has competition and may get outsourced. My body may get injured or diseased causing me to lose my job, my hobby or my comfort. The result of my work is soon obsolete and has no lasting value. Our land requires constant care or it will be overrun with briars and poison ivy. Houses and cars require continuing investment and maintenance or they begin to deteriorate and become worthless. Companies and markets are constantly changing or being manipulated so that stocks are untrustworthy and vigilance is required.

The problem is that every earthly treasure has a destroyer. Our treasure is revealed by what we would die for, by what we sacrifice to gain and by the effect of its loss. What could I lose that would cause me to wonder, “Why go on living?” The treasure of one’s heart has his inner thoughts, emotions, energy and even his identity wrapped around it. It’s a serious mistake and a real danger to us to invest our hearts in earthly treasures, positions or goals.

In fact, if our life energy is focused on an earthly treasure, it is a grace from God for Him to take it away or to shake our confidence in it. No worldly goal or achievement is worthy to be at the heart of our eternal soul. We’re designed by God to discover true joy when we put the focus of our investment, emotion and pleasure into things of eternal value. The men, women and children we pull back from the abyss become our spiritual heritage. They may even welcome us home some day. Our eternal relationships with one another and with the Eternal Lover of our soul are the ultimate treasure. In contrast, our earthly positions are as false as paper crowns and gold is merely paving material in the city of God.

He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot

Project:

* Let’s ask God, “Lord, reveal your perspective on my priorities and treasures.”
* Let’s put any earthly treasures on an altar in our heart and offer them to God.
* Let’s ask God, “Lover of my Soul, change my heart to primarily desire to know you and to love my neighbor into your Kingdom.”

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Anointed with the Oil of Blessing

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; (Psalms 141:5)

"You just keep saying the same thing over and over." My son thought my sharing was going on too long. It is hard for me to accept criticism. My first reaction is to defend myself and to resent the person who dares to point out my little, tiny weakness. At least, it’s tiny in my mind. But, when I catch my breath and take time to get my thoughts straight, then I can almost begin to appreciate someone having the courage to tell me the truth.

Those who are the closest to us and live with us all the time are the ones most likely to recognize areas that we could improve. But, it is with those who are closest that we tend to develop habitual patterns of self-defense, walls of silent withdrawal or escalating counter-attacks. Why would a little unasked-for advice bother me? Maybe it is because it inadvertently steps on a sensitive spot in my ego or tramples on a secret fear.

If we had to walk in the shoes of our spouse or children for a day, we might discover that our little tiny weaknesses are actually huge points of friction. After walking in their shoes, we might sincerely appreciate their incredible patience and love. One way to begin to recognize our weak areas is to analyze what traits in others irritate us. Many times we will have the same character flaws manifested in different ways. Impatience may cause some to become loud and irritated while in others it may cause a silent, dark scowl.

By God’s grace, may we be able to say (by our body language and response) “Give me your advice and criticism, smite me and reprove me; you are anointing me with the oil of blessing.”

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it (Psalms 141:5)

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Opening the Door to the Father of Lies

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10)

A friend asked me if I could come over on a certain Saturday and help him pour his concrete driveway. He asked several men that were part of our prayer group. I said, “Yes.” But, I didn’t tell him that I was only going to stay for the morning because I wanted to work on one of our showers.

So, I helped with pouring the driveways until the lunch break. Then, I told his wife that I had to leave and disappeared. I drove to the store and bought the parts for the shower and went home to fix up the shower. But, I was feeling guilty about leaving my friend and that caused me to be irritable and distracted. I ended up making a big mistake on the shower and reacting in anger. My reaction totally spoiled the afternoon and evening. Later, I found out that several others had to leave early and only one or two men were able to stay and help.

We sometimes have golden opportunities to demonstrate our faith and trust in God by putting His priorities ahead of ours. In this case, I should have recognized that this was a “good work” or a good deed for which I was created. As soon as I quit working on the good work ordained by God, I lost my peace and my work ended in a mess. I could have been a blessing but was, instead, a curse. When we put our projects ahead of God’s priorities we are opening the door to the father of lies..

Project:
Let’s commit to God, that by His grace, we will each put His priorities ahead of ours.
At the same time, let's not judge others and their priorities.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (Ps 143:2)

The Deadly Embrace

Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. (John 13:38)

As a father, I encourage our children to read God’s Word, to meditate on its meaning in their lives and to pray. Many mornings, when I wake them up, I bring a Bible to them to reduce the obstacles between them and hearing God. My hope is that they desire to hear God speak in to their thoughts and life because “As a man thinks; so he is.” Our thoughts define who we are and when, by God’s grace, our thought patterns change, the pattern of our life also changes. But, even when God speaks into our life and disturbs our thoughts, our natural tendency is to fear for our life. Like Peter, we deny Christ because of fear.

We fear to lose our supposed security, our little pleasures and our old way of life. When we genuinely follow Christ, we will often find ourselves in new, uncomfortable and challenging circumstances. One’s natural tendency is to hurriedly drop his cross, embrace his old way of life, and draw back into his comfort zone. What fickle lovers we are. One minute, I can be inspired to love, serve and forgive. But within seconds, someone or some thought can completely frustrate my earlier inspiration because something of Self felt stepped on.

Oftentimes, we are like a little child who makes a beautiful card that says, “I love you, Mommy.” Yet, that same child, just a few minutes later, may stomp his foot and obstinately refuse to help or obey her. Talk is truly cheap. Our actions reveal how much we are actually dying to Self or investing in Self. If we genuinely follow Jesus, we will go beyond cheap talk, embrace death to our old way of life and accept change in our walk. Self has us in a deadly embrace and the only way to escape is to embrace death.

He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)

Project:
Ask God for one thing to change in your life.
Seek God’s grace in how to implement the change.
Actually begin today to live the change.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Prayer:
Father, give me grace to not only hear Jesus but to love and follow Him even when my plans are disturbed and I begin to feel uncomfortable.

Focus Word: DEATH

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