A Champion’s Legacy

“I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in!” (Malachi 3:10)

 

“You have the legacy and heritage of a champion. You have a just need to believe for and expect the great things that God has in store for you. You have to expect God’s favor, abundance, and blessing in every area of your life, because He wants to give you victory in each and every situation and circumstance. You probably have many things in your past that you are thankful for, but even greater things are in the near future for you! The Bible says you won’t even have enough room to hold everything that God wants to pour out on you. It is impossible to out-give God, and you should be thankful for that, because He continues to give you His victorious legacy.” – Joel Osteen

 

What an empowering way to wake up every morning and realize we have an AMAZING, POWERFUL and LOVING God. We are Champions in Him and victorious through His promises, “for He will crush Satan under OUR feet!”

It’s Just Better

As I have sat through the series “You Don’t Have What it Takes” at Lifechurch.tv, I have gone through a whirlwind of emotions.  I’m slowly realizing the amount of effort I place in trying to be something to someone, to carry the load, to fix everything, to control my destiny, to control my finances and even anticipate the outcome of the economy.  I may not control these things in whole or any significant part; but in some way, I attempt to control each and every one of these things.  It is a seemingly valiant effort, which has become very tiring and, honestly, an effort at which I constantly fail.  I have come to the very eye-opening realization that I do not have what it takes.  But, in this moment, I have found this statement is a beautiful truth to grasp hold of.  

As I was reading this morning, I found that the very center of the Bible, the very center, is considered to be Psalm 118:8, which says “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”  Just when I thought I had a grasp on the idea of God’s perfection, I laughed and again realized what little I do in fact know.  This seems like such a simple statement, as so many of us would jump at the idea of an eternal refuge, something or someone that will save us from the idea of pain, loss, struggle and temptation.  Yet, why is it so difficult to live in the protection of the Lord, His Safe Haven, to trust in only him, to live by faith?  It seems so easy to trust in our own abilities, that we see fail so often; or to trust in our government leaders that make their best attempts, yet come no closer to offer any shelter from the affliction we all face.  But, trusting in this guaranteed sanctuary is still such a stretching concept that it takes our every anxious heart to consider making the first step and in the end we still pass it off as just a notion.

Psalm 118:1-15 (The Message Version) says:

1 Thank God because he’s good, because his love never quits. 2 Tell the world, Israel, “His love never quits.” 3 And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world, “His love never quits.” 4 And you who fear God, join in, “His love never quits.” 5 Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. 6 God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? 7 God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. 8 Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; 9 Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities. 10 Hemmed in by barbarians, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; 11 Hemmed in and with no way out, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; 12 Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in; in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt. 13 I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me. 14 God’s my strength, he’s also my song, and now he’s my salvation. 15 Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? “The hand of God has turned the tide!
 

The simple truth 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man’s opinions.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in your own abilities.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in governments or leaders.  It is better to take refuge in the Lord…period.  All these things are good.  It is just BETTER to take refuge in the Lord.

Marked by Struggle

I was listening to Chris Spradlin speak today and he made this comment, “A lot of our lives are marked by struggle.  When do we break free and live in purpose?”  When he said this, I sat there and pondered what exactly that meant to me…or maybe even what that meant to you. 

In the Bible it says that “A mans heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  So, why is it that our lives are marked by struggle and why does most of the world constantly live in pain?  If we are earnestly seeking God, why aren’t we breaking free from this “struggle”?  Is it that we hear God’s voice and not like what we hear, so we turn away and keep searching for a different answer?  Do we cry out to Him for direction, yet disregard the path He’s offered and continue to live in this state of conflict?  There is perfect timing in everything, but God says, “Ask, and it shall be given you.  Seek, and ye shall find.  Knock and the door will open unto you.”   

I definitely think it’s sometimes hard to decipher the difference between the thoughts in your head and the whispers of God.  But, when your heart and mind align with God…should there really be much deciphering?   

In the end, we struggle because we can’t find freedom.  But, in reality, can we not find freedom because we didn’t hear God’s voice…didn’t seek God’s voice…or was it because we didn’t like God’s answer? 

What are your thoughts?

What does Justice, Mercy & Faithfulness look like to You?

So, I was listening to a Rob Bell sermon as I worked on this amazingly, exciting bank reconciliation and in the midst of all the numbers I hear this message and wondered what Justice, Mercy and Faithfulness looked like to me.  More than that, I wondered what it looked like to you?  This is what he says…  

You are so consumed with being in a right relationship with God in your own personal holiness and cleanliness.  You spend so much time making sure you don’t get gnats in your wine, that in the process you have neglected the bigger issues of the suffering of the world.  And because God’s heart beats for the suffering of the world and because you have missed the more important matters, all of your efforts at cleanliness have actually led you to be unclean before God.  “You strain out a gnat, but in the process you’re swallowing a camel” (Matthew 23:24).

 

Sometimes, you will hear somebody talk about it’s all about me and God.  Sometimes you will hear among Christians, spirituality defined, that when it all comes down to it…it’s just about me and God.  That sounds great, but the problem is, it’s not what Jesus teaches.  The obsession of the Pharisees, which started as a righteous, good, beautiful impulse to be right before Jesus…led them to miss the larger issues of justice, mercy, faithfulness.  Which God never stops talking about….Jesus never stops talking about….the first Christians never stop talking about. 

 

Be very careful when somebody takes their relationship with God and says all that matters is me and God.  God isn’t just interested in saving you.  God isn’t just interested in redeeming me.  God isn’t just interested in helping you work through your stuff.  God isn’t just interested in your own morality, purity and your devotion to Jesus.  God wants to use us to do something about the greatest suffering in the world.  Spirituality for Jesus is measured in whether you have received the grace of God.  Now convert all of that blessing into the blessing of others…take this beautiful gift that God has given you of life…this beautiful gift of new life in Christ…and spread it around. 

He died for us so that we could live.  And He would do it a million times over and for you or me alone.  He loves us that much.  So, how much do we love Him?  Do we love Him enough to forget ourselves and come to the aid of the world?   

So, this is the question…Are we individually devoted to God…Are we individually working for justice, mercy and faithfulness?  Do we love others as Christ loves us…and are we making an impact that affects the world and is not solely for personal gain?  If you think about it, if we are truly devoted to Christ we wouldn’t have to worry about ourselves; because we’re essentially His.  In the end, we would live for the cause…we would live for Him. 

What do you think?

Crossing the Line

I was listening to Craig Groeschel the other day at our all staff meeting.  He made a comment that the very thing that so many of us pursue is the very thing that kills us.  

Man, that statement really hit me.  It seems that even if our desires aren’t necessarily harmful, if they aren’t God’s will they can still be destructive.  When we become completely sold out to Christ, where we are crucified to Him, we experience His love, joy and peace in the purest form.  I think for me it’s hard to realize that giving up what I currently have, is worth the gain I will receive in Him.  It’s not that I don’t sacrifice for Him, but do you ever notice that our sacrifices still generally fall within a certain comfort level?  It’s that moment that God asks us to sacrifice something huge, that we start to become reluctant…or begin to wonder if that was really God that asked us to do that.   Can we cross the line of pain…or comfort…to live for the cause?  Or do we have to get to the point where we have nothing left, to realize the lesson He’s been trying to teach us all along? 

For me, I could easily give all of my belongings if God asked me to.  I would give up so many things that probably don’t matter much to me, but the moment I have to sacrifice a loved one or lose a friend…I break.  I don’t understand it and I fight to keep them without considering the ultimate purpose.  But, at the same time, God knows that and until I give that up…I will keep suffering from that.  But, in that, I pray that God keeps me in pain so that I eventually learn to find Him completely and crucify myself.   

I truly think that it’s a daily mindset to crucify yourself to Christ…to realize that it’s not about you; it’s about His purpose for you.  Can you, or I, be that person that steps over the line…completely sold out…trusting completely in His words…living only for His cause?  People need to see Christ’s love through us!  They need to see God in our actions, our words, and our heart…MORE than they see the Lifechurch logo on our shirts. 

DL Moody once said, “God willing I will be that Man.” 

That is my goal…God willing…I will cross that point of no return, where I honestly sacrifice my life…my desires…and ultimately live for Him.