Should I stay or Should I go?

Many people ask this question at some time in their life.  It could be while they are at a job, in a school, in a volunteer position, etc.   Let's talk about our home church this time.
Pastors hear so many stories and reasons why people leave their church family.  Some are legitimate like relocating due to a job or family issues, etc.  Have you ever met someone who "feels that God is moving us to a different church" ?  As our Pastor mentions at different times, when someone pulls the 'God' card, who is the Pastor to dispute what "God has said"? 
The local church is God's plan for every follower of Jesus!  Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, says that God has put each person just where he wants him/her (1 Corinthians 12:18). 
In our American culture, many people think we can 'choose' to go to any church we like, since "it's our life and we can do with it whatever we want."  Amazing how that thinking is so adverse to many other cultures, and is opposite of God's Kingdom principles!  Realize this, when we make Jesus Lord of our life, we are no longer our own boss, but we choose to become a slave to Him and He tells us what we should/can do....not us telling Him.  No, He's certainly not a dictator, but He knows what is the best plan to form His character in us - which is His ultimate purpose in our life.  God's purpose for us being on earth and saving us from eternal destruction in Hell is not to make you and me happy!  Sorry if that pops your theological balloon, but you won't find that teaching in the Bible; you will hear it from liberal, ignorant preachers.
So if the Lord has directed you to a specific church family, stay there until He gives you peace about joining with another church family.  If you have issues in your current church with someone else, one of the pastors, the music, etc, just remember this simple saying:  "Wherever you go, there you are!"   If you are angry, offended, hurt, etc, because of something or someone,  if you leave with unforgiveness in your heart, a wrong motive or bad attitude, a similar situation will occur in the next church you decide to attend.  The reason for this ... wherever you go, there you are and you will always be around imperfect people just like yourself. 
Surely some of us think this is outrageous talk!  But if you will be diligent in your study of Scripture, you will find the Holy Spirit knows exactly the right church family you need to be in and He never makes a mistake when leading His people!
God can never be accused of being a schizophrenic!
 

The Holy Who ?? Part 2

Let's take a look at some attributes, or qualities, of God the Holy Spirit. Just like we see qualities or personalities in each other, the Bible is clear regarding the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.  And yes...we'll address the 'power' seen in churches :)

Some people only view this person of the Godhead as a 'spirit being' who makes people feel good, laugh, fall down, act funny or speak in strange languages.  That perception of Him is false and because of shallow, uneducated teaching from pastors, Bible teachers, professors and ignorant Christians many people - followers of Christ and those who oppose Christ - are afraid of learning who He really is. 

Listed below are more than ten characteristics of the Holy Spirit given us from Scriptures.   I encourage you to find these verses in your bible, as it would take a lot of space to print them all...

a. Spirit of God    Exodus 31:3, 35:31, Isaiah 61:1

b. Spirit of judgment, burning    Isaiah 4:4,  Matt 3:11

c. Holy    Isaiah 63:10-11, Matthew 1:20, Mark 12:36

d. Spirit of  holiness  Romans 1:4

e. Spirit of grace (unearned favor) and prayer  Zechariah 12:10, 

    Hebrews 10:29,   Romans 8:26-27

f. Spirit of truth   John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13

g. Spirit of adoption (into the family of Jesus) Romans 8:15

h. Isaiah 11:2   Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge,

    fear of the Lord

i. John 14:16 & 26  Helper, Advocate, Friend, Comforter, Counselor, 

    Intercessor, Teacher

j. Spirit of power  Acts 1:8,  2 Timothy 1:7    

   He is God’s Power, manifested. “Power” in Ac1:8 – a Greek term dynamis 

   (pronounced du nah mes) the origination of our English "dynamite"

Before the Holy Spirit was given to humanity as a gift from Jesus, the power of the Spirit only rested on a few people, for a period of time.  You can read about this in Old Testament stories and see Jesus Himself being empowered by the Holy Spirit; He always empowered people to accomplish a 'God' task.  Jesus did not say this power was going to 'freak' people out!  Power is given to Christ followers to energize them in living a victorious life that overcomes temptations to sin; also, the power helps them tell others about this man Jesus- the ONLY savior of humanity from the bondages of sin and hell.   

So...What about people falling down, or having a feeling in their body?  Kenneth Hagin wrote a short booklet on this that you might want to read:  Why Do People Fall Under the Power? http://bit.ly/qviAFo    In order to keep this simple, when humans are in the Presence of God our body cannot physically withstand His power and presence - which is the reason for some people falling down while being prayed for, while praying by themselves, or while being in the presence of a Christ-follower full of God's power.  Many people, myself included, have sensed God's presence in a very powerful way and realize He truly is an awesome God!  There are other people who have seen God's power in operation and think they can imitate the power to impress other people....which leads to weirdness in the churches.  

God's intent is NEVER to show His power in order to draw attention to a person or organization--His purpose is always so people will look to Him or Jesus as Lord. 

Remember, one thing John the Baptizer said about Jesus is that He would 'baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire'.  In a physical sense, fire is a purifying agent when used correctly; this is a feeling some people receive in their body when they are healed of a disease or when they are instantly delivered from an addiction, etc.  

Finally, receiving the power of the Holy Spirit as a Christ follower is not an 'option'.  Acts 1:9 - Jesus commanded his followers to wait for the promise of this Holy Spirit...not a suggestion!  He said they would receive power in their lives to be a witness for others.  Also, Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18 to 'be filled with the Spirit', meaning the Holy Spirit - as opposed to the spirits that come in a bottle!   Here is a basic explanation of that phrase:

a.    “be filled” – to fill to the top/ to the full; to supply liberally

b.     the Greek translation is ‘be being filled’. This means a   

        continuous filling, not a one-time event.

I hope this has helped you understand more about the Holy Spirit.  You can read about His work in the early church in the book of Acts chapters 1-10; and see Paul's explanation of the Holy Spirit's gifts working in our lives as we follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us. You can reference Romans 8:1-30, 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, 14 and Galatians 5:16-25.

Never Give Up!

My 9 yr old daughter is starting to write short messages about things she is learning in life and how the Bible applies to her life.  I wanted to share one of them with you that will encourage you...(not sure why the white area is still in view, so please forgive the 'look')

Lots of people - I mean lots of people - give up on things like running, or playing baseball, or basketball because they think it's too hard. But with God you can do anything. Read Philippians 4:13;  it says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". How many things?  ALL things - not just some things, ALL things.

Do you think when you're in the middle of running a marathon and you give up you are going to come in 1st  place? No you're not - because you gave up. Do you think when your baseball team is losing a game 16 to 5 and you give up you can win? No - because you gave up.  Do you think that when you're playing a basketball game and the other team is bigger than you and you give up you can win? No - because you gave up.

Never give up! That's the last thing you want to do.

Let me tell you a story.  When I was in a baseball game, I had been in this slump where I kept striking out. Well, I was getting tired of it so I got up to bat and I said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"... and sure enough I hit it! I was so proud but the reason I hit was because I didn't give up.

Here is another story. Our basketball team was playing a team that had won 4 years in a row and no one had scored against them; it was our day to play them so we were all running as fast as we could, trying our hardest. Almost everyone of the team gave up,  but me and another girl didn't, so I stole the ball from the other team and passed it to her;  she shot and made it.  We didn't win but we made a shot off of them - because we didn't give up!

Just remember - don't ever give up !! 

The Holy Who?? Part 1

For the next few weeks, we'll discuss the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Now I'm sure some of you are just waiting to see what will be discussed since my family attended Assembly of God churches when I was growing up and I have worked for ministries or churches know as "charismatic."   We'll not go into weirdness or stupidity, but some weird beliefs and antics of others will be discussed! 
So often, we read the Bible or attend a church service and someone will talk about "the Holy Spirit", or they might say "the Holy Ghost".  In reading the Protestant bible, we find the book of Genesis as the first of the 66 books.  Interesting that the second verse of the very first chapter mentions the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (New KJV).  Jump over to the second chapter, verse 7, and we see where God breathed into a creature made simply of dust - breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. When we get to the book of Romans (yes, a letter written to people living in Rome), chapter 8 verse 2 refers to the law of the Spirit of life.
What do we notice about all three of these references?  First, in the beginning of time as we know it from a Jewish perspective, this "Spirit" was present with God and He gave life to a pile of dirt!  You try to go outside, put together some dirt piles and blow on them - just see if they will stand up, and become a human...bet you can't do that!
Second, there is a law - not a supposition or theory - that involves this "Spirit" and life;  we don't see death happening with this "Spirit", we see life. Anytime someone of a religion or a church says they 'have the Holy Spirit' and their attitude or lifestyle seems to be anything but life-giving,  you might ask them (or yourself) if they really "have" the Holy Spirit;  He does not bring death to a person, unless He helps them put to death their evil ways and attitudes.  Instead, He always empowers people with hope, expectancy, joy, love - attributes of  health and life.  
The term 'pneuma' has a root meaning "to breathe or blow";  this is the term translated "Spirit" or "Ghost" we read in the Bible. Interesting that the Spirit of God 'blew' breath into the first human, huh?  
If you are needing life in your 'world', why not check out more about this Spirit of God?  
Next time, we will look at some attributes of the Spirit.  

Get rid of your BA degree...

A couple of months ago, we discussed our attitude.  Joyce Meyer has a new book titled Power Thoughts that has prompted me to consider my thinking and my attitude....again!  Many of the following thoughts are from her book...if you need help in your thought life or attitude, find a copy of this book! It's the sequel to Battlefield of the Mind.  Oh, when you see the letters BA, that's my abbreviation for 'bad attitude' :)
Scott Hamilton, one of USA's Olympic gold medalists, said "The only disability in life is a bad attitude."  Winston Churchill noted that "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."  Nothing will hinder or handicap us in life as severely as a bad attitude.  Attitude refers to the system of thoughts, mental posture, mind-set, or way of thinking with which a person approaches life.
For example, a person with a BA towards work will think like this:  My boss is too demanding;  No one here appreciates me;  This company needs to pay me more and treat me better...  How can someone with those thoughts constantly running in his mind ever enjoy his work?  Being negative about our job never changes our employer or the job requirements; instead, it only leaves us feeling drained of any desire or ability to accomplish our work.
If you employed someone with that type of attitude, would you consider him/her for a promotion?  If this describes you, maybe it's time to evaluate your own attitude towards your work/employer or even your family members or church.
CHOICE-that's the key word we're talking about.  We each choose what type of thoughts we allow to stay in our mind, which determines our attitude;  change your thoughts and you will have a changed attitude.
So maybe it's time for some of us to attend an AA meeting- I'm talking about "Attitude Adjustment"!  And while you're in class,  you might consider turning in your BA degree.
Remember, God believes you can do whatever He has called you to do: housewife, employee, employer, teacher, pastor, plumber, electrician, etc.  Philippians 1:6  I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Love - do we really?

A few weeks ago, my family attended a local conference.  Granted, the speaker wasn't someone that I would pay (again) to see, nor did he keep my wife or kids' attention very long, but I got something from what he said!  Leasa mentioned his speaking style certainly wasn't like our pastor's -- kuddos to Pastor Todd :)
When we say that we "love" someone or something, using that word can be confusing in the English language. We say that we "love" our car - until it starts costing too much to keep;  we "love" food - because it makes us feel good and settles our hunger.  Then we say that we "love" a person- our spouse, friend, pastor, parents, teacher, kids, etc.  
Here's the principle to determine if we really 'love' someone or something....if we can't get from it/the person what makes us feel good, or can't use it for our sake -  do we still "love" it?
The bible teaches us that God is the essence of and author of Love- and true love is found only in Him.  Because He loves people so much, He was willing to give the one person most precious to Him- His Son, Jesus - as the ultimate sacrifice to pay the penalty for humanity's wickedness.  Jesus didn't die on the cross because He knew people liked him or accepted His teachings; no, He died willingly, taking a risk that NO ONE would ever love Him or accept His sacrifice for them.  He and His Father, God, gave up His life even though there was no guarantee that anyone would accept His offer of freedom from sin. 
Now that's real LOVE!
So now we have to ask ourself this question:  If the thing or person you say you "love" would not be able to give you what you wanted or needed, or it/he/she could  not be used by you for your purposes/plans/desires....would you still "love" him/her/it??

This applies to every area of our life, but especially to those in our family and friends that we value...do we really love them with an attitude of giving ourself for/to them if they could never give back? 
Sobering thought, huh??

Breaking Bondages

If you attend church, many words are said that come from the Bible, yet are not in most of our daily verbage. Some people might call this 'Christianese'.  One example is found in Isaiah 10:27 where we read that the "anointing of God", which - in one simple explanation - is His power and approval,  "breaks and destroys bondages" (yokes of burden).

Anointing oil was used by the Jewish priests in Bible history as a specific ointment placed upon a person or item to 'set it apart' to be used by God. Example: King Saul and King David were anointed with this special oil by Samuel the preacher when he appointed them as king.  By the way, for us city peeps, a yoke is used on oxen or cattle so they can carry weight or pull plows, or keep two or more together.  With that explanation in mind, one translation of this text describes this 'anointing' as a 'fatness' or thickness that prevents a yoke from being secured onto an animal, object, etc.

In a practical manner I want to specifically look at this phrase as it relates to the Presence of the Lord in your church services and in our personal lives.  As we seek Him - meaning pursue God and His thoughts/desires for a given situation - through worship and prayer, God is pleased and moves in our personal life and church family.  There comes upon us and/or the persons we are praying for a 'thickness' that prevents spiritual bondages from taking hold in his/her life, thus the 'anointing breaks the yoke of bondage'.

No matter the name of our church, if it speaks Truth and exalts Jesus, every time we meet for service, people come to be encouraged,  healed and set free from bondages or 'yokes of burden';  it's our responsibility as believers to allow the Holy Spirit to minister and one important way of doing that is by 'saturating' the services in prayer beforehand, and even during the service.  Preparing the service by prayer causes this 'anointing' to be upon the people, from the 'pulpit to the pew'! 

As you begin to understand how powerful this anointing from God can be as it rests (unseen by the natural eye) upon people, let's be passionate about prayer and making intimate time w/ Jesus a priority. 

We are reminded in Isaiah 58:6 (Amplified) is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?

I hope this has given you some insight into a Bible phrase we often hear, yet may not fully understand its meaning.