All the Colors in the Rainbow

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.... 
Genesis 1:1

If you believe that, there is a long succession of events, all of which tie back to that one statement.

And if you don't choose to trust and believe that first and fundamental statement of truth you are lost to all truth that God the Creator has revealed to His creation.  

Personally, the idea of being anchored to a standard, even when I fail miserably to meet that standard, offers me hope.

Hope for a bright tomorrow, when I just might reach high enough.

Hope for existence when this physical life, which we all know without doubt has an expiration date, has played out.

Hope for change.  Hope for something more.  Hope for reason and purpose that go beyond my limited wisdom and understanding.  

I'm not saying I like all the truth standards that have been set by this Spirit Being we call God.  I can't even say I fully comprehend all of it. Much of it escaped my understanding; until I became a parent.  

Many times I made decisions I knew were BEST for my children.  And many is the time they disagreed! They even tried arguing the logic with me.

Sometimes they choose to disobey.  At those times they paid consequences for their disobedience.  

Once in a while we were all blessed to see the wisdom of my decisions over theirs, since I knew more than they did, and I understood things they didn't grasp yet.  But whether they understood or agreed, there were consequences to disobeying.  

Those consequences were not always in my power to control.  

That's why I asked them to obey even if they didn't agree or understand.

If they disregarded my rule about looking before crossing the street, the consequence could have been as tragic as death.

I remember my oldest son one time snarled at me when I reminded him to stop and wait for the cross walk light.  He insisted he had the right of way and the cars were supposed to stop for him in the cross walk.

Technically, he was correct.  The law stated that pedestrians in a cross walk had the right of way legally.

In reality, he was flirting with disaster.  By disregarding the safety rule I was trying to enforce; stop and look before crossing; if a car didn't stop, right or wrong, legal or illegal, his flesh body would pay a high price regardless of any consequence to the driver.

The possibility of such a high price, death, was the uncontrollable consequence my rule was intended to save him from. He didn't "believe" he would be hit by a car and he surely didn't believe he would die if he was hit.  But his belief or unbelief wasn't going to be the deciding factor.  If a car hit him at a high enough speed, he would probably be killed.  So I put a rule in place to protect him.

The rule didn't make him "feel" the way he wanted to feel.
The rule was restrictive to his way of thinking, because he didn't believe anything bad would happen to him.
The rule kept him from doing what he wanted to do.

But the rule was put in place because I LOVE him.

Not because I wanted to control him.
Not because I wanted to make him "feel" bad.
Not because I didn't want him to be happy.

But because it was BEST for him; I enforced the rule.  And because I am the parent I didn't owe an explanation or have to defend my decision to do what I knew to be right and best for my child.

In the beginning God created..... in that truth is this truth.  God created us.  Each and every wonderful one of us.  In this respect, God is our parent.  He knows more than we do.  He LOVES us.  So He has put certain "rules" in place to protect us from our own foolishness.

If we disregard the rules there are consequences.  We can't be angry at God when we get hurt or killed or sick or made miserable by the consequences of our actions when we disobey His instructions that He gave us for our good.

Rainbows are a beautiful reminder of Gods awesome love and grace.  The rainbow was a symbol given by God to let His precious created people know that He wouldn't lose His temper and flood the entire earth ever again.

But there are consequences to our actions.  Negative consequences in some cases, that are paid whether we "believe" in them or not.

Gods truth remains true at all times, for all people.

Before we get too caught up in applauding a decision contrary to Gods truth, we might want to consider that truth very, very carefully.

I didn't know that....did you?

Raise your hand if your preference is to live in bondage, surrounded by chaos and at the mercy of stress and strife every moment of every day in every situation.

Yea, me neither!

Peace, calm, joy and reasonable happiness are a much better, much nicer alternative.

But how to achieve such a state of being in the midst of a tumultuous, chaotic world?

In the book of Philippians chapter 4 we find this section of scripture, words which almost seem to mock us in this current world of upheaval and strife!

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

HOW?!?!  How are we to focus on noble, pure and lovely things when arguing and fighting surrounds us?  When every other person we encounter believes their version of how life should be lived is the right one, but it conflicts with all the others?  HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE A SENSE OF PEACE AND BALANCE?

The entirety of Philippians holds the key:
Phil 1 -
Prayer is the beginning of peace taking hold of our thoughts and feelings
1: 12 -
Trusting God with the outcomes of whatever situations we find ourselves in
1:19-27
recognizing that our lives are filled with hope and joy when Christ is our Savior, and that because we have Eternal Life in Him we have no fear of the future or of death itself
2: 1-11
That when we put our hope in Christ, we are free from trying to "make something of ourselves" - for He has already made the best something of us we can ever be - Sons and Daughters of the Living God - and that by lifting and loving and caring for others, we ourselves will be cared for by the Creator of all things
What peace, not to carry weight on our own shoulders, but to be carried!
16-
we can rejoice greatly with abandon when we hold onto His words of truth. They will sustain us, strengthen us and hold us up, even when we suffer for His sake.  For we know that the suffering, due to the misery of this world, lasts only a moment, but the JOY coming is everlasting!
3: 1-15
We are warned and aware of the dangers to avoid, and put no trust in our fleshly ability to overcome, but allow His mighty Holy Spirit to bring us to victory!  We are not there yet, but we know what our end will be; life eternal in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
4-
When we live in unity with those who believe in Him and encourage one another in this walk of life, we discover that indeed, we have
PEACE that passes all understanding
HARMONY with our brothers and sisters in Christ
STRENGTH to overcome wicked perversity
JOY that cannot be extinguished
We turn over all things in prayer to God the Father, and receive with thankfulness His answers and our lives are ordered, calm, and a beacon of light to others that they, too, can bask in the safety of the harbor of Gods great love, grace and mercy!

Pick up the Book, read these great words and be motivated in your life today!

A way of foolish wickedness - a way of Eternal Life!

Proverbs 7

1 My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.

6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.

10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home on the appointed day.”

21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.

Take a closer look at verses 14 - 17.  How many of us are exactly as this foolish young woman? We confess our sins and seek forgiveness, but then, because our hearts are wicked and not yielded fully to God in total surrender, we turn right around and commit sin, the same sin even, all over again.

Repentance is not an outward action of the flesh, but an inward, true change of the heart, a turning AWAY from sin that leads to a new heart attitude.  That new heart attitude is what leads to new actions.  

When our heart hasn't changed, just going through the motions counts as nothing with the Lord.  He is ever ready to forgive and give us a fresh start.  For that I am extremely grateful, for I've had more than one totally fresh, clean start thanks to Gods grace.

But He knows the difference. He knows when we are simply "pretending" on the outside - and when we have truly repented in our hearts and are ready to surrender and let HIM change our hearts forever.

Godly sorrow leads to true repentance.  When you are sorry, not because you were caught or there were unwelcome consequences to your actions.  But when you are really hurt in your heart that you have dishonored the Lord, who is worthy of all honor and glory and praise.

Verses 24 - 27 tell the story of her end and the end of those who foolishly follow in her footsteps.  But that isn't the end of the whole story!  No - the whole story is that Christ Jesus came and died for us to not only be forgiven of our sin, but to redeem us from slavery to sin and set us truly free to be brand new creations with Eternal through Him!

Now that is a perfect ending to our story!

WHY REMINDERS NEED TO BE MANDATORY

SPECIALLY MADE FOR OUR RV WHEN WE WERE
TRAVELING, THE BLESSINGS FROM THE YEAR
REMINDED US OF GODS PROVIDENTIAL HAND

A wonderful friend blessed us with this gift last year at Christmas time that required our attention through out this past year, but has proved itself well worth the effort and a constant joy reminding us of the things we so easily forget; the daily blessings of God who loves us.

We get caught up in each days happenings and tend to forget the smaller, but no less important things that brought a smile to our face, gladdened our hearts and strengthened our faith.  We desperately need those reminders!  We need to repeat to ourselves - OFTEN - the blessings God has poured out on us, the joy of knowing His truth and being on the receiving end of His grace.  We need to recount how by our own actions we should reap consequence but by His mercy we are blessed instead!

As we move into this New Year 2014, Turn the Tide Ministries would like to encourage each of you to do what it takes to draw closer to the Lord, be ever mindful of His goodness and grow deeper in our faith.

We CHALLENGE YOU:

1.  Read the Bible daily; you are encouraged to join us in a daily reading schedule that will walk us through the entire Bible in two years (See the Daily Reading Schedule page)

2.  Pray each morning; they don't need to be long or fancy prayers, just acknowledge your need of help and believe God will provide what you need (Send your Prayer Request via the form to the left and we will pray for you!)

3.  Track the blessings and moments of growth God gives; in a notebook, on slips of paper in a "Blessing Jar" or in whatever manner that works for you, so you can remind yourself as often as needed that God is moving and working in your life.

4.  Tell others when prayers are answered, needs are met or the Lord pours out a particular blessing.  This is a great way to really seal those times in your own heart and mind

5.  Spend time in fellowship with other believers; this will afford continual encouragement and support as necessary.

Without constant reminders of our blessings and times of joy, those times when  we are sad or struggling with difficulties can overwhelm us and rob us of hope.  Arm yourself - list your joys, record your blessings and be ever ready to combat the notion that God has left you alone.  He declares He will never leave you nor forsake you - you just need to remind yourself of that TRUTH!

Sharing memories and the stories of our families is how we stay connected to those who have gone before us and encourage ourselves in the daily struggles of life we all face.  What are some of the ways you have reminded yourself and shared with others the goodness and joys and blessings of life?

What do YOU find the most difficult about.....

Two ears sometimes doesn't seem
enough anymore to HEAR all that's
going on in our world!

LISTENING....

This world has certainly gotten very noisy hasn't it?   Radio brought conversations and entertainment into our worlds without people needing to actually be present.  After that television brought the whole world into our homes.  With all the newest technology, we're being "talked to" even when no one is opening their mouth! Through text and email and social media status updates, it seems everyone has a voice and is trying to make it heard regularly and loudly.  It all competes fiercely for our attention.

Does God have a voice?  In all the noise you are listening to are you giving an ear to hear the Creator talk to you?  I don't mean through someone else or even something else.  I am asking if you are listening for God Almighty's voice?

God speaks to us regularly. Take a look in the Bible.  There He is, talking, talking, TALKING!  And then He tells us clearly that He is the SAME yesterday, today and forever.  He does not change.  Therefore, He has not stopped talking to His people.  The competition for attention has certainly intensified, requiring laser focus on the vital question; Are we listening?

When the Prophet Elijah had carried out Gods instructions and was now sought by the King of Israel and his lovely bride Queen Jezebel so they could put him to death, he went off to a quiet place by himself where he could seek counsel from God.  Read all of I Kings 19 for a full picture, for our purposes, I will summarize.

He sat under a juniper tree and began to pray.  God heard and sent an Angel to minister to him.  Then he made a request of the Lord, to hear what God would say.

I Kings 19: 12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a STILL SMALL VOICE.

That's God.  So big, so powerful, so confident that He doesn't need to arrive in flashy style.  He comes quietly, certainly, surely and speaks into our hearts answers to the situations and concerns of our lives.  He still speaks to His people. When we quiet all the competing noises we'll hear Him.  Psalm 46:10  BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

What do YOU find the most difficult about LISTENING FOR THE LORDS VOICE?
For me, it's letting go of the fear I'll miss something happening in "my world" and staying in that still place long enough to hear the only voice I truly need to listen to.

OBEDIENCE......

In our Fellowship Gathering this past week, we explored the difficulty many of us struggle with in being obedient to the simple and straight forward things God has told us to do.  We agreed that His commands were actually very beneficial to us and that obeying them ALWAYS turned out for our good!  We talked about several situations where people in the examples shown in the Bible had their excuses for NOT obeying and the end results, which were never preferable to Gods intended results.

After reviewing all the reasons and excuses, we realized that however you choose to word it, it all really came down to one word.  One word adequately describes every excuse and reasoning for failing to obey in spite of recognizing the benefit to ourselves to do so.

PRIDE.

Of the 5 stories we examined closely, the best example, we felt, was found in the story of Naaman.  Let's take a look together at II Kings 5: 1-14

1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.

2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man does send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.

8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore have you rent your clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.

11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? how much rather then, when he said to you, Wash, and be clean?

14 Then he went down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman thought he was quite a big deal, a very important man of some stature among the people.  Needing healing, he was sure the Prophet would treat him a certain way and make a big spectacle of healing him.  PRIDE almost cost him the healing.  PRIDE would have kept him from obeying the simple command he'd been given, even though he knew that obeying it would benefit him!

We looked at the story in Galatians 2 when Peter, in fearful PRIDE stopped dining with the Gentiles because he didn't want his fellow Jews to think badly of him.  We looked at Jonah who pridefully attempted to avoid God because he didn't think the Ninevites deserved to be forgiven and given a second chance!  We looked at the fearful spies of Israel in Numbers 13 who in their foolish PRIDE decided they knew better than God what could and could not be done in a situation.

We agreed the BENEFITS far outweighed any reason for disobedience.  A quick reading of Deuteronomy 28: 1-14 made clear that obedience to Gods commands carried a great deal of benefit and blessing.

What do YOU find the most difficult about obeying Gods commands?

Is it that you are uncertain of what they are?  I would encourage you to set aside time in your daily routine to shut off the competing voices, quiet your own heart, get still before the Lord, and begin digesting the spiritual food that will truly benefit you in every single area of life.  READ GODS WORD!  Some will sink deep into your heart and begin to bring about change that will amaze you.  Some will speak to you immediately of answers and solutions to situations you are facing.  Some will wait quietly in the background until you have need of it, but ALL of it will benefit you in more ways than I can describe or I even know.

Read Psalm 46 in its entirety.  You will be pleasantly surprised to discover.....

Beginning January 1, 2014 Turn the Tide Ministries begins at the beginning once more on a two year reading schedule that will walk you through the entire Bible.  SUBSCRIBE RIGHT NOW so you receive the updates, schedules and Sunday Sermons delivered to your email inbox to read and savor at your convenience.

THEME FOR 2014:  DO IT NOW!

Radio's, Sin and this thing called CHURCH

Remember when the radio was the
focal point of every home?  It's
still a great source of information.

  I was listening to the radio this week and was especially pleased to hear an interview about     to start with Pastor Jim Cymbala.  At one time I was part of the choir of a sister church with   the Brooklyn Tabernacle and had the distinct pleasure of attending not only several Sunday   services at the Brooklyn Tab, but also of taking part in several choir workshops.  Attending     a Tuesday prayer night at the Brooklyn Tab is not an evening you are likely to forget.  I’m a   fan, too, having read all of his books and looking forward to reading the newest one.  

Can you imagine my shock when the first thing I heard Pastor Cymbala tell the radio host interviewing him that only 6% of Americans are actually Biblical Christians!  He went on to clarify that what he meant by that was only 6% of those identifying themselves as Christians in recent polls also specified belief that Jesus is the one and only way to heaven.

When I could force my dropped jam to snap shut I realized I wasn’t actually that shocked after all.  Over the last several years that Turn the Tide Ministries has been traveling the US and sharing the message of the Gospel, we’ve visited a lot of churches and talked with a lot of folks.  Folks in church, not attending church regularly at this time and those who have never attended church.  In every one of these categories of people we’ve heard their own versions about all the different ways to reach heaven.  We’ve listened to argument after argument that God surely isn’t going to “send” so and so to hell just because they are

·        Homosexual

·        Fornicators; living in sin

·        Abusing drugs or alcohol

·        Telling white lies

·        Only stealing from their company because they are underpaid

·        Cheating on their husband/wife but it’s the spouses fault

See I Corinthians 6:9 and Ephesians 5:5, then we’ll talk more about that.

What we’ve learned over the last few years specifically is that there is a serious sin problem plaguing  American Christians.  The sin problem isn’t as simple as that people are sinning and need to repent.  It’s a tougher problem even than that!  It’s a problem exacerbated by the fact that few church leaders are preaching against sin, they make light of sin or they are simply excusing it altogether!  If I had a dollar for every time someone told me “Oh, my pastor said God won’t hold (fill in the blank) against me.  I’ll just be forgiven.”  

Forgiveness isn’t automatic and though it is freely given it isn’t cheap and easy.  In first recognizing that we are sinners, that we have committed sin, we must repent in sincere sorrow and ask forgiveness in a heart that does not plan to continue in sin.  That doesn’t seem to be a concept anyone understands anymore.  The teaching we’ve heard goes along the lines of as long as you show up in church regularly and drop money in the offering plate or bucket or basket, you are okay with God and don’t need to concern yourself with much more than that, unless it’s something really obvious, and even then, the teaching goes, grace will cover so just get on with your life and don’t worry about it.

 

HUH!?!?! 

It seems anything goes, as long as you can report a certain number of church attendee’s.  We were invited to visit a church down south and attended the praise and worship practice.  I was frankly shocked at the harshness of the worship leader toward those volunteering their time to provide music.  Perfection was his goal and nothing less down to the minutest detail would be tolerated.  Turns out the worship leader was also the Pastor.  Made me wonder how he behaved toward the sheep entrusted to his care when they fell short of the perfection he demanded.  I discovered the answer the next morning.  

The music was indeed pitch perfect.  It was also cold and lifeless.  There was not so much worship as there was a performance, which the audience, ummm, I mean, congregation, dutifully applauded for when it was over.  The preaching was also lifeless.  No evidence of the Holy Spirit present or invited.  As much as was humanly possible all was orchestrated to a cold, calculated perfection that left me craving some time with God the Father to recuperate from the exhaustion of just watching the attempt to master perfection through the flesh.

YUK!

In a recent editorial, J. Lee Grady, the Editor of Charisma, a Christian magazine, made the following observation.

“I don’t care if you have strobe lights, fog machines, killer musicians and a home-run sermon every week. If people don’t see true brokenness in the pulpit and experience real pastoral care, they will never grow into disciples. Shallow, professional leaders produce shallow Christianity.”  

I agree wholeheartedly!  On the other end of the spectrum, we sat in a service with barely a handful of people and very little polish in evidence.  It was clear these were not trained or educated folks.  Just people reaching out to the Lord.  And they did not quit crying out and singing and praising Him until they broke through and reached the Throne room.  The music was off key, it was obvious none of them actually knew how to play any of the instruments, but it was one of the sweetest sounds we’d ever heard.  I’m guessing it was to God, too, because He showed up and the service was anointed.  The prayers were powerful and the love was evident in abundance.

We have moved so far away from the biblical model we find in the book of Acts, where the truth was preached at all costs, including the cost of their very lives.  Nowadays, we are so concerned with "our" reputations, we have little to no regard for the reputation of the only one that counts.  That of Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Most church leadership would and DOES reject this style of church service.  They appear content to please the people in return for the mammon they worship, oh sorry, I mean, the money they NEED to keep the church doors open and the retirement funds full. 

Church has become about everything BUT Jesus and His gospel message and all about programs, formula’s and our own brand of Christian Celebrities (more on these next week) all carefully wrapped around God, clothed in the name of God but having very little to do with Him at all.  

Daily reading of THIS bread
will keep us well FED!

My bottom line here is similar to how I heard Pastor Cymbala end his radio interview.

When it comes to the gathering of the saints of God, and please do not misunderstand me, I know that gathering to strengthen and encourage and teach and disciple is of great importance, it should not be about well planned programs and it surely should not be about following the latest fad or church growth formula.  The planning stage should begin and end with a sincere and humble heart before God, our Bibles, a quiet time of contemplation and prayer and a fervent request for WISDOM from God the Father in how to “do” this thing we call church.    

PRAYERS REQUESTS MAY BE MADE BY FILLING OUT THE FORM AT THE TOP LEFT OF THE PAGE.  WE PRAY DAILY AND HOST PRAYER SERVICES ON FRIDAY EVENINGS.  WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP TURN THE TIDE MINISTRIES IN YOUR PRAYERS, AND MAY THE GOD OF PEACE BLESS US ALL WITH WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.