Community of Faith

Over the last several months with all that is going on in this world around us, I’ve been studying the letters that Paul and James and John and Jude and Peter sent out to the early believers.

I keep seeing the same themes repeated in each letter. That in the end days there would be scoffers, false teachers, even believers that would follow the deceits and lead others into deceit with them. That the only way to avoid being deceived, was to stay true to the word of God that had been delivered to them.

They did not have printed Bibles.

They only had word-of-mouth. They had no other method of sharing God‘s word except person to person, through conversations one on one and in groups.

Think about how easily false doctrine could be spread, when the only way to spread God‘s word was verbally! And so the writers of each of the letters to all of the churches warned them not to fall prey to false teaching and fully expected they would be able to tell the difference between truth and deceit.

How is it possible that these men of God, giants of the faith, men who had literally walked with Jesus (except Paul and perhaps Jude), expected the believers would be able to discern between truth and lies when (until the letters were delivered!) they didn't have a written record to follow?

The answer is the same for us as it was for them; having been born again and filled with the spirit of the living God, we, like they, would be led by the Spirit into all truth! (John 16:13) We are to try every spirit against what we know to be God’s truth! (1 John 4:1) We are to trust the inner voice of the Lord himself by His Holy Spirit in us to guide us and keep us on the path of truth! (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18)

Learning to know and trust the leading of the Spirit unfortunately isn’t taught very well or very often in many of the churches.  We are too often by actions and sermons, led to trust and follow whoever happens to have the microphone and a title without question.

And again too often, even though the Bible tells us not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds to God‘s truth, that truth only gets lip service, and is swept away by false doctrine that we need to be “like” the world to “compete” with the world for people’s attention.  (Romans 12:2) Programs and classes and special meetings take the place of God’s word  leaving the idea that in and of itself God's truth and Gift of Salvation is not enough to attract and hold peoples attention.  We must have the latest in creature comforts, technology, music, seating and lighting with deep concern with people's comfort, putting extreme effort into not stepping on or offending opinions while offering the latest upgrade to the ladies room and the latest technology for the youth group.

What is actually being trumpeted is in fact conformity to the world couched in language to make us feel like we’re still doing the work of the Lord. This false doctrine or false ideology goes something like this; “if we behave like the world then the world will come to us and then we will suddenly change from being like the world and have opportunity to teach them about Christ."

However, it seldom if ever works that way!  We get - we ARE - quite comfortable with the worldly way of compromise and soon, it feels right and natural to us so we stay that way.  Before we know it we are defending it by saying "this is the way we've done it for a hundred years!" and no one remembers or cares how it was supposed to be, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide His church.  Besides, the world has changed, right?  And we need to keep up, right?  Except Jesus is the SAME, yesterday, today and forever.  Which strikes me as saying that if HE, our Head and Lord hasn't changed, why would He want His Body to change???  WHEW!! It gets exhausting, but following Jesus wasn't ever intended to be easy.

Take up your cross to follow me, Jesus told those disciples.  Take up your cross and follow ME, He is telling us today.  (Luke 9:23; consider that Jesus said this PRIOR to His crucifixion!)

And it is HARD!  My past is a MESS of sin and error and I have to LET THAT GO in order to follow Him and it is hard, especially with all the many souls who don't mind reminding me what a mess I was!! And the devil has a lot of fun reminding me and accusing me, too!  I have to forget what was and press on just like Paul had to do in his day. (Philippians 3: 12-21) Just like you have to do if you really want to follow Jesus.

Only by carefully following the precepts Jesus taught his disciples and his disciples taught their disciples and so on and so on, can there be no straying from the path. They were not to follow what some man said, which Paul brought out so clearly when he told them they were not of Apollos, they were not of Paul- they were to be imitators of God as the men of God imitated God himself. (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; 4:6)

Replicating not human behavior or beliefs but replicating spiritual truths taught one on one on one on one.... and the way that they kept each other from going down paths of deception was not by just gathering for a sermon and a few songs occasionally; but by "full sharing" - FELLOWSHIPPING with each other regularly - literally by living in community with one another.

All that brings me to a fine point here.  As I've prayed and contemplated and meditated on the letters the Holy Spirit inspired the early church elders to write to the groups of believers, I am convinced we as the Body of Christ aren't thinking according to the Word of God.  It isn't that we shouldn't be attending church services, NO! Quite the opposite! I am convinced that we are to be more fully, more completely in community with one another on a regular, daily, lifestyle way of life.

Particularly with the signs of the end times we are seeing occur right before our eyes, I find myself in need of daily encouragement in fellowship with likeminded believers.  I find I need to be surrounded more often by those who pray and worship the same God as I do!

I'm even wondering when the "mark" finally happens, how will we eat or meet our needs?  I'm wondering if the time is NOW to make provision as a community?  We know that wolves like to separate a sheep from the herd for easy pickings for their dinner.  I wonder if that concept should be taken further.  I"m wondering if we should be spending more of our lives together, not less!

Maybe the fellowship of believers should be plowing up church lands and planting food against the day we can't purchase it anymore?  Maybe we should be raising chickens, cultivating a community storage system and learning to operate more fully as a family of God instead of individuals who spend an hour on Sunday and another on Wednesday evenings together?

I suppose you might say I'm being extreme, but the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, without warning, and the Word of God does say that we are to WATCH and PRAY and be prepared in fellowship with one another. Even if the DAY doesn't come in our lifetime, what perfect preparation for the generations coming after us!  Drawing deeper into a lifestyle of fellowship with God and each other instead of being separate except on "occasion".

That is a HARD concept for the American mind in particular to grasp, with our fierce independent spirit and rugged individualism.  Yet, for myself, the more I study the "early church" the more I see this kind of lifestyle.  The more I consider what is happening in the world around us, the more I think community for a believer should mean so much more than Sunday and Wednesday.

I used to see the words of the scripture concerning the "end times" as something far off into the future.  Now?  I'm not so sure!  Now I wonder if that future is NOW!

1Peter 4:7-11 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

One Result of the COVID19 Shutdown

These last few weeks being forced into self quarantine in my home, I found myself spending a lot more time on social media and browsing the internet far more than usual. Doing so has reinforced for me a truth that I’ve known but I am now ever more certain of, and that truth is that there is no honest to goodness absolute truth outside of God’s word.

That may sound like a no brainer on first reading, especially to fellow Christians, but I’m asking you to think more deeply about this than perhaps you have up to this point in your life.  We are all influenced (whether we fully recognize that influence or not) by the things we read, the things we see, the movies we watch. We bring those thoughts inspired by all those different stimuli, we bring all those attitudes and those experiences with us into our church services, into our Bible reading, and into our prayer times!

As a result, aware or unaware of it, we actually end up diluting the truth from God‘s word with all the things that we see and hear and experience in the world around us. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough, God’s word tells us.(1Corinthians 5:6) And I have discovered over the course of the last couple of weeks in particular, just how true that truth truly is!

The bottom line of understanding that I’ve come to from this experience of Internet and social media overload?

The only way to truly walk WITH Christ is to walk IN Christ. And what I mean by that is not to allow myself to be diluted by others opinions and thoughts and lies and false truths that they put out there in the media, the news, the movies, the books, the entertainment, the opinion pieces, the editorials and the everything outside of God’s pure word.

At a certain point in my past, I had come to the realization that I needed to make a decision within my own heart to truly follow Christ and Him alone.  That led to a period of time (for me it was 3 full months) of shutting off the TV, shutting off the radio, shutting out the noise of the world (easier, as there wasn’t the World Wide Web available at the time!) and reading ONLY the Bible, Christian books and magazines and listening ONLY to Christian music.

It reminded me of when I first got saved. I had started reading the Bible at the age of six and I know that I got filled with the Holy Spirit at a very young age, outside any church experience. It was just me and God. Growing up in an abusive household, broken by multiple divorces, alcoholism and witchcraft practices, that time alone with God gave me protection and comfort that I don’t even have words to describe.  Then in my late teens, I left the church I’d been attending since the age of 3 and began a journey of seeking the God I had come to know through His Word.  I wasn’t finding it in the church I was at, and I didn’t find it in the churches  I began visiting. I often found myself at odds with what was being taught, but I was too young and immature, too naïve and uneducated to understand.

During the time that I spent attempting to follow church teachings, I have come to realize is the time that I became the most vulnerable and moved away from just following God, to integrating other peoples opinions, thoughts and ideas into my own thinking and actions in life. And I fell prey to the flesh, convinced that the actions of my childhood were at fault for my faulty thinking, were the reason for my poor decisions and basically for any and all sin that I committed. And I spent years paying the price for that idea that I wasn’t personally responsible. This allowed me to continue in sin and attempt to correct things in my flesh, rather than shedding them, as Gods Word tells us to do (Philippians 3:13), letting them go and confessing them as sin and being set free the way God‘s word tells me he wants me to be! Years of trying to reconcile the mess inside of me with the opinions of man that I was hearing inside and outside the church resulted in years of living confused, dazed, uncertain and unsure and vulnerable and …. sinful.

Before anyone starts to get the crazy and incorrect notion that I am trying to blame my sin on anything or anyone other than myself, let me be clear. I am responsible for how I responded to all of the information that I allowed into my life and to influence my thinking and therefore my actions. These are my sins and it is my need to go before my God and seek His forgiveness and be cleansed of all my unrighteousness by the precious blood of Jesus! Saying that leads right into one of the biggest truths that I have come to understand. That truth is that according to the Bible, each one of us is individually responsible for ourselves.

We are individually responsible to seek God and His righteousness with all our hearts FIRST and with diligence. We are individually accountable to God for the repentance of our sin and we are individually responsible to turn and follow Christ as a faithful disciple of His truth. We are INDIVIDUALS, not a collective, individually responsible before a God who created us, loves us, and cares for us but has set a standard of truth for us.

With all of that understood, we can then bring that into the body of Christ where we can encourage one another and love one another and lift one another up and build one another up and hold one another accountable and help one another to make whatever change needs to be made according to God‘s truth, not according to our opinion or any denominations doctrine or theology. We don’t wait to reach a “level” before being part of the Body, but within the Body, we are to be working toward that individual goal while collectively assisting and encouraging each other in that goal. (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:13)

In doing it this way, working individually and collectively, we positively influence each other to seek out Gods truth for ourselves and for each other.  In this way we all grow and have something productive to offer to the both the Body of Christ and the world around us.  A reading of the Gospels is an example of this principle being lived out in the daily lives of those first and early church disciples.

That is how we will build the Body of Christ in love, as the book of Ephesians tells us to do, rather than tearing each other down by our opinions and our ideas of what theology and what doctrine should be followed or what  behaviors should be displayed or how we should dress and what our hair should look like and how we should talk and what ministry should be defined as and how it should look and how we should go about it!

In all of these things that I have discovered both in the many years of my walk with Christ and reinforced just lately, one of the biggest discoveries I have made is that our God is an infinitely creative God who treats everyone singularly and individually and has the creative power to bring a specific life work to every individual that He created!!

When we go to God‘s word, and we begin everything, including each single day, with God’s perfect and undiluted truth, then we change from glory to glory; then we are convicted but not condemned; convicted of sin leading us to repent before Him and He brings change as He brings the balm of forgiveness.

The very act of starting each new day with a refresher course of truth enab les us to put aside our flesh just as his Word exhorts us to do, and then we truly discover the freedom in Christ He sent His Son to deliver us to! True freedom! We discover what it really means to be led by the Holy Spirit rather than led by the group mentality of the people we hang out with, or their opinions of how we should behave, or the theology of church denominations and religious institutions.

Jesus’ own words in the bible tell us that if we are filled with the Holy Spirit (which is God himself!) then that Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth! (John 16:13) Not ‘some’ truth, not somebody else’s truth, not even our own truth, but THE TRUTH, and ALL of it! (1Corinthians 2:13)  And that we will need no teacher beyond God holy spirit, (1John 2:27) because then we will have all that we need.

That is what will make us, all of us, healthy believers participating in a healthy body of Christ as opposed to being members of an audience being entertained by a select few on a certain day of the week at a certain hour for a certain amount of time with an expectation that we will pay a certain amount of money for the privilege. (Do not misunderstand, I am not advocating against the gathering of the saints.  That is ordained by God and is GOOD for the growth of the individual and the Body as a whole.  What I am advocating is change; a change in the audience/performer format currently followed in almost every church which results in sleeping, uninvolved Christians!)

God has a plan for His creation. And that plan is not discovered from the mind or heart of man or any group of men and/or women. God‘s perfect plan isn’t even simply or fully contained in the writings we call the Bible (which is holy and it is perfect but it’s not everything God intends), for that Bible itself tells us that God will reveal… there are further revelations… that the Holy Spirit will lead us to ALL truth… which we wouldn’t need if all the truth was already contained in the book. (A book by the way, which is perfect and is Holy but did not exist for many many many generations upon generations. And for generation upon generation has been subject to the translation, mistranslation and opinions of those who do the translations of that book!)

Try to understand what I am trying to convey here; that the book is perfect, the book is holy, and the book is our starting point, however, the fullness and the greatness and the totality of God certainly cannot be contained by a single book, (John 21:25), which is why Colossians 1:27 tells us we have Christ in us, which is the Holy Spirit, which in the book of Romans God through the Apostle Paul reveals to us, will be the vehicle that brings us to all truth!

If God intended that the written Word, the Bible alone, would be what brings us to all truth, he would have said so. He did not say that. He said His Holy Spirit, which resides in the heart of each and every believer, (a believer being those who have confessed Jesus is Lord and believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead for their redemption from sin, those whose names are written in the Lambs Book of Life), they will be led by the Holy Spirit of the living God in their individual daily lives!

We have become a culture and society plagued by what we call the ‘victim mentality’. I’m not responsible, I’m not accountable, I’m the victim of someone else’s behavior. I can see why Satan would push such a false narrative. With that mindset how easily he can then spread the lie that as long as you’re in church every time the doors are open you have a ticket to heaven and God will forgive any and all of your sins without you truly doing the work of repentance. And repentance is work! If you are sinning on a regular and daily basis, giving up that sin isn’t a fast and simple and easy thing. It’s like getting free of any addiction, there’s some hard work involved!

By promoting this “I am not responsible it is someone else’s responsibility” attitude and heart set even in the people of God who call Jesus their Lord, Satan has been able to steer people away from that personal accountability, away from that personal responsibility to seek first the kingdom of God which would truly set them free!

Instead we are given the false feeling that we have ‘done our duty’ before God, simply by sitting in the pew or chair in a building, singing a few songs along with the entertainment on the stage, and listening, unfortunately most of the time with half an ear and even less of our hearts, to somebody else preach or lecture us about some aspect or opinion or principal, hopefully even from the Bible, and then go home with nary a thought about what we’ve heard or how it would apply to our lives or any kind of discussion concerning it whatsoever!

This isn’t what the Bible teaches!

1Corinthians 14 indicates teaching is to be immediately followed by discussion among everyone there! Yet today, after we’ve “attended the service” we go about our lives, with the wrong notion but fully convinced in our hearts, that we’ve done what God requires of us since we put a few dollars in the offering plate and we sat through the service, that somehow that should please God and that God Almighty should give us a pass on anything else we do throughout the week! (This may not be your experience, but it is unfortunately the experience of far too many who name themselves Christians!)

If this isn’t you, then good for you! If you dig into God‘s word daily on your own seeking to know Him, seeking to understand His will for your life, seeking the foundational truth you need so that you can hear from the Holy Spirit daily and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading into all truth for your life, for the work of ministry God has called you individually to, then good for you!

But for the vast majority who call themselves Christians, that is simply not how this works.

In the last several weeks, I have come to understand to a far greater degree, the understanding God began to give me years and years ago but it has taken this long to truly take hold and build roots in my heart, that there is a slumbering sickness in the church of God across denominational lines and including every denomination and/or non-denominational gathering of Gods saints, for the most part. This is the prayer God has continually pressed on my heart year after year, that His Body would WAKE UP!!

Each of us needs to examine our own heart, as the Apostle Paul states clearly,(2Corinthians 13:5), but having examined our own heart, each of us is responsible to then move forward in the truth that the Holy Spirit reveals to us.

This then is me, moving forward in the truth the Holy Spirit has revealed to me. I have allowed myself to slip away from that individual accountability and responsibility, to die to myself in order that I might live to Christ, and to diligently and relentlessly seek to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and follow the leading of that Holy Spirit. If my journey can help one other soul make their own journey into truth, then it is well worth putting myself out there  as transparently as I can and allowing myself to be vulnerable. In fact, that very principle is one of the things God has clearly reiterated and reminded me of and made ever clearer to me in these last few weeks. Part of my joy as a Christian sister is ‘laying down my life’ for others!

It is not enough to just hear someone talk about God’s word. If we put the writings of Paul together, rather than set apart one sentence here or one sentence there, we discover that we do need to hear the word of God preached, but we also need to read and understand it for ourselves, discuss it with other like-minded believers so that each of us comes to a full and/or fuller understanding of how it relates to our lives as well as how we should be applying the principle from God‘s word, and how we can truly encourage one another to grow and change and be more productive as laborers in God’s field of harvest!

God has called us to be ambassadors for Christ, (2Corinthians 5:20), every single one of us is called to be an ambassador and a minister. Not a single one of us anywhere in the entire Bible is called to be an audience member.  Not a single one of us anywhere in God’s word is called to only to bankroll someone else’s ministry or ambassadorship! In fact Jesus himself laid out the very first and foundational principle, in Acts 1:8- when He declared to the disciples, “you will be witnesses to Me!”

These last few weeks in isolation, spent reading God‘s word, praying God‘s word, and with way too much time spent looking at what is going on in the hearts of others via their social media posts, I am more convinced than ever of several things.
the gathering of the saints is an absolute necessity for the strength and well-being of the  individual Christian and the Body of Christ as a whole.

• the gathering of the saints must be interactive, with every member fully engaging. 
• the gathering of the Church is to be as described in 2Timothy 3:16-17; All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

This happens with discussion, by encouraging one another, confessing to one another so that the word can be shared more fully with each other.  In this way the gathering becomes a place of learning and strengthening for the real work of ministry.

• the actual work of the ministry is to take place daily out in our regular daily lives, involving the people we see when we go shopping, the people that we work with, the people we live next to, the people we encounter at gas stations, the people we run into when we’re camping, when we’re fishing, when we’re simply living our lives!  We are equipped (Ephesians 4:12), we are ready ‘instant in season and out of season’ (2Timothy4:2) to share God’s truth. 

Too often all the saints of God share is come to my church, come listen to my pastor who is so smart. But we are all called to share the simple truth of gods word, God‘s salvation gift and God‘s everlasting love with a hurting, lost and terribly wounded world.  The gathering of the saints is to equip each and every one of us for this important work!  Not for us to sing a few songs and hear a great speech.  Not for us to have a social activity to attend.  But to prepare every single one of us as a witness and representative of the Lord God!

Not everyone will listen when we share and not everyone will receive it, but that isn’t our concern. Our concern is to share. The condition of the heart of that person who hears, is between that person and the Holy Spirit. Our only responsibility there after before and after sharing Gods TRUTH is to pray for people. Pray for the Holy Spirit work to occur, to enter the hearts of others and transform them from dead in trespasses and sins to alive for eternity through Christ Jesus the Lord!

1 Timothy 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Put aside the meme’s, the cliche’s, the niceties of false truth that God wants you to be “happy, healthy and wealthy” and grab hold of His Truth! Abundant life and true joy comes from obedience to Him.  Obedience to Him leads to others coming to know Him and His name being glorified.  His, not ours.

We say “HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED”  but is the way we live life proving that truth?  We fall so far short no matter how hard we try or how much we want to glorify His name!  I know I certainly do!  And once again, He and only He provides.  For even while we were sinners, He sent His son to save the world! (Romans 5:18)  By grace we are saved, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9) lest any of us should have anything to boast about.

Father, I sincerely ask in the mighty name of Jesus that these tiny little words might somehow make a difference in someone’s life, and lead them out of darkness and into the light of your warm and welcoming love! I am incredibly thankful to You, and more so as I get to know You better!  I pray that will be the experience of many others as well, as I humbly share Your message of salvation with any and all in the course of my life, as You give me opportunity.  Thank you so much for your love and care and leading in my life!  I am so grateful, and look forward to all You have for me!  I am listening for the trumpet sound and looking for Your Sons coming, and meanwhile I obediently will WATCH & PRAY as You instructed.  Thank You for saving me, thank You for working through me to reach others by being a witness for You, in Jesus name!

"WHAT" IS NOT ENOUGH - WHY YOU NEED "HOW"

Lately I have found myself quite often thinking in terms of "I wish I'd known that when I was younger," or more specifically "Oh if only someone had taught me that years ago!"

I remember hearing GREAT bible teachings when I was much younger than I am now, and with my head stuffed with impressive knowledge I bet I really thought I was something in the Lord!

So why then did I fumble and fall so often?  Why did sin still plague me and lead me fully astray far too many times?

I have since come to a wiser place and deeper understanding that knowledge and "knowing to the end of doing" are two different animals!

What good was it to know the greek word for this or the cultural reasons for that when I had no idea how to apply the TRUTH to my own thoughts and actions in order to produce godly fruit that glorified my God? (and  brought the blessings I so desperately wanted to see in my life?)

Have you ever felt that way?  Like you've just spent an hour or two even, listening to a really terrific sermon, a great teaching straight from the Word of God; it was so good you have a page or two of notes because what you were hearing excited your soul and stirred your heart.  Then you get in a quiet place the next day, on your own, just you and your bible and a willing spirit, and you begin to go over the notes and realize that it is terrific information, important information, life transforming information - but that's all you have.

Cold. Flat. Lifeless. Powerless. Information.

There is nothing about how that information is to be applied so as to bring about the life changes you really want, you desperately need to make.

And it is so FRUSTRATING!  You go back to the scriptures and read but the life and power and understanding just aren't there or at least, not easily understood; or you realize that you just don't get it.

This is why so many people don't pick up the bible and read it every day.  They know they "should" because that's what everyone tells them, but it is just dry words to them and the possibilities only seem to taunt them in the frustration they are feeling in being unable to grasp how to to apply and receive and enjoy the TRANSFORMATION AND NEW LIFE that is so obviously promised.

That may not be your experience but that was my experience.  I kept thinking there was a secret key ingredient that was just MISSING from me.  Maybe my past was too bad, too traumatic, too SINFUL  for me to experience what I came to call the VOILA' - that incredible moment when the Word of God and the desire in my heart came together to produce FRUIT!  Fruit that blessed me, blessed those around me, and glorified God Almighty!

It's why the focus here at Turn the Tide Ministries is on explaining and sharing as much as possible the PRACTICAL APPLICATION of what is in reality and truth a spiritual occurrence.

2Corinthians 5:17 shares a TRUTH
If any person is IN CHRIST they are a new person, the old has passed away, BEHOLD all things are become new.

How does that work exactly?  Perhaps you have confessed Christ as Savior (and if not, this is the first thing that must happen to begin a new life) and yet the same tired feelings plague you, the same nasty words come out of your mouth and the same defeated thoughts are swirling around in your brain.

THAT IS FRUSTRATING ISN'T IT?!?!

And most teaching stops with telling you what you SHOULD be, what you OUGHT to do, how things ARE SUPPOSED TO BE; but they never really tell you HOW!

Here's how, and if you will do your part, God who cannot lie will absolutely do His part.

Romans 12:2  YOU reject the ways of the world by simply NOT ACTING THE SAME WAY (Be not conformed to this world) and change your thought patterns by your will and decisions to the thought patterns of truth (by the renewing of your mind) and God will bring about the spiritual transformation so you ARE shining His light and living His truth and doing His will (that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God).

You renew your mind by reading the bible so it's in your head and the SPIRIT will bring it down into your heart in a spiritual act we can't understand but we can receive.

OUT OF THE HEART COME THE ISSUES OF LIFE; Proverbs 4:23

If the word of truth isn't in your head, it can't be brought to your heart and then come out in your life.

Get that word in there!  It probably won't happen overnight, but as you stay faithful, He Who is faithful will continue to work.

2Corinthians 10:5 tells us to cast down imaginations that exalt AGAINST GOD and instead, bring every thought into obedience to Christ.

How?  By being aware of what thoughts we are harboring and allowing to occupy our minds and asking God to help you get rid of those that don't please Him!

Practice; yes, just like if you were learning to play the piano, practice thinking right thoughts.  (Philippians 4:8)  You won't learn the piano overnight and you'll never learn without practicing!

We call this Practicing Intense Godliness.  We are deliberate about it.  We are committed to it.

Read Romans chapter 6.  Apostle Paul taught how to live as a new creation in Christ.  He gave practical advise for living as a Christian.  He didn't mention weekly meetings or financial concerns  because that isn't what living a Christian life is about.  Gathering with the saints, supporting the works of ministry are side effects of a Christian life.

The actual Christian life is about pleasing GOD in your personal everyday life first!  Romans 6 is an excellent starting point, and if you hit a sticking point that you aren't sure of, ask your pastor, your bible study teacher or click here  for help.

I have since discovered, as I pray you will too, that VOILA' moments are happening all the time as we walk with the Lord and grow deeper with Him in wisdom and understanding.  They aren't a one time thing but a constant in the life of those who choose to live a Christian life!

We pray that everyone reading these words will be inspired to GO READ GODS WORD and begin to see the transforming word of the Holy Spirit in their lives to their blessing and Gods honor, in Jesus mighty name, AMEN!

In Public or In Private; Speaking the Truth

We are not responsible for the behavior of others or their response to the truth in love we speak.

When we know we have done our part, in love, no matter how uncomfortable the situation may become, having done all, we are to stand. (Ephesians 6:13 and forward)

A recent public encounter:

I had been overcharged for product and would like to be refunded the excess amount. Speaking the truth in love, I was kind, polite and requested the error be corrected.  I was not rude or degrading to the cashier.  I also turned to the two people in line behind me and apologized for the delay.

Each response was different:

The cashier was flustered; she required further instruction to move forward with my request.  I had to remind her to please find a manager to handle the request if she were unable.

The first person in line behind me received my apology with grace.  She then waited patiently after affirming she would do the same if it were her who had been overcharged; she came into agreement with me and experienced the peace of God that passes all understanding.

The second person in line chose to be rude, bullying and overbearing.  Focused only on his own selfish need and want, he had no time for anyone else and wanted only that everyone else get out of his way.  He experienced frustration and anger.  It didn’t shorten his wait time or get him any sympathy from anyone.

The manager who finally responded to the cashiers request for assistance was either new or incompetent.  In any case it was obvious she didn’t know how to execute a refund for an overcharge.  Although I quietly suggested she void the initial transaction and simply re-ring my purchase correctly, she chose to ignore the suggestion.   

Instead of sharing her solution with us, thereby easing nerves and tension, she contributed to increased tension by fumbling about, failing to explain what she was doing, taking too long to do it and behaving with indecision.  Then she simply appeared to give up and without a word to any of us, she walked away without explanation.

Oh this is such a picture of the chaos and turmoil the Body of Christ suffers too often in this overly “politically correct” culture we find ourselves attempting to function in!

1 Thessalonians 2:1 -12

In Apostle Paul’s day it was no different.  He had to deal with many responses to his delivery of the word of God.  Some received it with gladness and were blessed, like the woman in line directly behind me.

Others had stone hearts and suffered because of that, while blaming Apostle Paul, so they lashed out at him in anger.

Still others, who were leaders in their communities, were stumped as to how to react to the truth of God being shared.  After trying to wrangle the truth to make it fit into their theology, they just gave up and walked away.  They refused to accept the truth or allow change into their hearts.

We who call ourselves Christian continue to have the same mandate as the first century believers. 

• To be witnesses to Christ (Acts 1:8)
• to preach the gospel, instant in season and out of season (2Timothy 4:2)
• to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as mature Christians so the light of Christ is shining for all to see; and hopefully to respond positively to!

Whether we are sharing the message of Hope, sharing a gospel truth or simply speaking truth in a given situation during the course of living our everyday lives such as the one I've described above, we should treat them all the same.  Speaking the truth in love.  Being in public, private or in a church setting should not change our behavior.

 

In this current cultural climate, we desperately need to be encouraged and reminded as Joshua was reminded and encouraged (Joshua 1:9)

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go!"

Kicking against the goads and overcoming SIN

Once upon a time, Paul the Apostle was Saul.  Saul was a devout Jew, who was born into the religious elite, grew up scholarly under the much hailed Gamaliel and was zealous, scripture tells us, for the religious laws of God as they had been taught and exampled to him.

ZEALOUS: fervent,   ardent,  fervid,   fanatical,   passionate,   impassioned,   devout,  devoted.  committed,   dedicated,   hard-core,   enthusiastic, eager,   keen,  avid,    card-carrying,   vigorous,   energetic,   intense,   fierce;

Personally, I really like that last one.  Fierce - ferocious aggressiveness.

That really describes who and what Saul was as he pursued what he thought he knew about the things of God.

Then he went up against Jesus.  Can you even IMAGINE trying to go up against GOD?

Job 9:4  God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.  Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

SHORT ANSWER:  NO  ONE !

Job 9 was part of our daily reading this week.  When you read that verse, did it give you reason to pause?  It did me.  I’ve been chewing on it, like Jack chews the bones I give him, all the rest of this week.  I found myself thinking “Now who would even try to go against God?” 

My own heart trusts and believes, so I cannot even conceive of one going against the Lord.

Then I thought of Lucifer, originally the angel of light.  He went against God and was cast out of heaven.  Now he is known as satan, the enemy of God, with a very bleak future, a very fiery eternity to look forward to.

And I thought of Saul who would later be renamed Paul.  He went against God, when he failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  And then he began to persecute Gods people.  Jesus stopped him cold in his tracks when he was on his way to Damascus to kill more Christians.  Struck him blind – or rather, allowed Saul to experience in the flesh the blindness he already really had in the Spirit – and asked him plainly “why are you persecuting ME, Saul?  It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  (you can look up what that means, it’s a great lesson in humility and discipline!)

I kept chewing, and then I REALLY answered the question of ‘who would go against God?’ 

The answer?  Me.  You.  All of us.  We all go against God each time we sin.  Sin is described as breaking Gods laws, or violating Gods will or missing the mark of the target He set for us, going outside the boundary or limits He gave us.  As Originator and Creator of all things He inherently has the right to set the standard.  So failing to meet that standard is sin.

And we surely do not prosper when that happens, do we?  

We do not reap joy or peace or righteousness.  Romans 14:17 (another of our daily readings this past week) tells us  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

I began to think about how easily we fall prey to the temptations of sin.  How easily we excuse our hearts when they covet, when they lust.  How quickly we excuse ourselves when we give in to sin. 

Romans 8:13  For if you live after the flesh you will die.  But if you through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body you shall live.

Colossians 3:5   Therefore mortify (put to death) your members which are upon the earth fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry.

The word mortify has several meanings.  To cause shame, humiliation or wounded pride.  To subdue, suppress, control.  It’s even been defined as to destroy, to blow up or blow apart.  King James translated it put to death.

Now let’s put this whole thing together and see where it leads us.  (isn’t bible study just the most fun, EVER?!?)

God created us, so we are subject to Him.  He gave us free will, so we can obey Him and reap all the wonderful benefits that come with that obedience.  Or we can disobey, do as we please and reap the consequences.

Even if we WANT to obey Him, this flesh trips us up and we sin anyway. (Consider Paul's plea to the Lord "who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  Romans 7:24) So God sent Jesus to pay the price of sin for us which we could NOT EVER have paid, and freed us from that burden giving us eternal life through Christ.  Yet we still have sin chasing us down and overcoming us, so how do we deal with it? 

I’m all for FEROCIOUS AGGRESSIVENESS -  both in receiving His forgiveness and in yielding to the Holy Spirit to controlling the flesh!  Who’s with me?

Living a life that honors God is not easy, but it is also not impossible.  Like Paul, we MUST forget the past which haunts us and press hard on to the future God has for us.  We cannot change what we've done, the sin we've committed, but having received Gods forgiveness we can submit to the work of the Holy Spirit and turn away from sin now and in the future.  If you have NOT ever asked God to forgive you of your sin and wash you clean as He has promised, RIGHT NOW is a perfect time to do so!  Repent  - turn away - from sin and ask God to cleanse you through the Blood of Jesus shed on a cross for YOU so long ago.  Believe that He has forgiven you and ask Him to live in your heart and guide you through this maze of life.  Prayer is our powerful weapon against all evil.  Lord,  I thank You that any and all who repent of sin, ask Your forgiveness and request the Holy Spirit to live in their hearts will RECEIVE what they ask and be transformed by Your spirit as they change their thinking and behavior to obey You.  I ask this in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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Sustainable Faith

(Enjoy this weeks sermon in video format if you prefer)

People are in a constant state of  SHOW  ME,  MAKE  ME  FEEL  IT,  PROVE  IT  TO  ME !

When the Lord prepared to deliver Israel at Israels request (Exodus 2: 23-24) He showed the people great signs and wonders through Moses, whom He had chosen to be their deliverer. (Exodus 7-13).  The Passover feast was established for Israel at this time and they were delivered from the oppression of the Egyptians.  They came to the Red Sea and fear caused them to tremble and cry out against God and He parted the waters and brought them across in safety (Exodus 14: 12-).  After seeing and experiencing such great deliverance at the hand of God they swore to obey and serve Him. (Exodus 14:30 - 15:22)
Almost immediately after praising the Lord for His deliverance they begin berating Moses with complaints.  They're hungry, they're thirsty.  We would like to think that thankfulness has a long lasting deep effect but the truth is the moment to moment need and desire of our flesh is what has the greatest influence over what drives us!  It's hard in the routine of daily life.
When there is deep sadness, discouragement and sorrow in our lives, remaining steadfast and faithful in matters concerning the Lord God are particularly difficult.  The truth is that even when everything in our lives is going GREAT it can be hard to sustain faith.  Our fleshly sin nature is constantly waiting to erupt and we have an adversary who is only too gleeful to assist those eruptions or indeed, be the catalyst for them occurring in the first place.

Why is faith so difficult even after we witness great miracles?  Did the Apostles have some secret to sustaining their faith even in the face of torture and death?  Is there a method to sustaining faith?
Yes, there is, but it isn't long term, one time, one size fits all.

Let's take a quick look at one of the Apostles, Peter, who denied that he knew Jesus at all, and how Jesus restored him after that awful situation.  John 21:15-19  Jesus gently, firmly reminds Peter that it ISN'T  ABOUT  PETER  IT  IS  ABOUT  JESUS!  Do you LOVE  Jesus?  Then serve Him.  Don't waste time dwelling on yourself, spending time berating yourself, beating yourself up or fashioning for yourself methods and agendas and unkeepable promises - JUST  LOVE  JESUS.  He'll provide the grace you need to move forward!  (Unkeepable may not be in the dictionary, but we all know those kinds of promises, made and just as quickly broken, don't we?)

The Apostle Paul confessed his weakness and need to "die daily" in ICorinthians 15:31.  In Philippians 3:12 he makes known his need to LET GO of things in order to obtain the better things of God.  It is the same for all of us.  We desperately need the constant, daily and ongoing reminder, the continual "cheerleading from God that He is on our side" in order to bolster our HOPE  and sustain our  FAITH.
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God is glad to provide it for the simple reason that He loves us.  The relationship between the Israel people and the Lord is a physical picture of the spiritual relationship we now have the opportunity to experience since Christs sacrificial death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin, now and  FOR  ALL  TIME !  Just as with Peter on the shore that morning Jesus offers us restoration based on His grace which is immediate, not on any works of our flesh!  Even if our own hearts condemn us, the Apostle John reveals in IJohn 3:20 For if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  

We are no surprise to the Lord.  Our actions, just as Peters actions after Jesus' arrest, are no surprise to God.  He loves us  NOT  because we get things right, for while we were still SINNERS  He loves us.  He loves us because HE  CHOOSES  TO.

Faith is not a method, not a program, not a series of steps you take to attain some goal.  Faith is sustained by the grace of God which works in us according to HIS,  GODS  PLEASURE.  It really is all about HIM and not about us.  And it pleases Him to show us His love over and over every day in every way  JUST  BECAUSE  HE CHOOSES  TO.

Need more proof?  Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  


Oh there's so much more to fellowship with the Lord!  We start right where we are, but He does not leave us there!  Subscribe to our updates and continue to grow and learn about this "walk" with a Lord God who loves you!  Questions?  Comments?  Please leave them below and we will respond.  Prayer requests?  Send them to us, we will pray for you!  Need to talk?  Email a number, we'll call you!  Changing lives one at a time.....TURN THE TIDE MINISTRIES