Affirming

"Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all'." Proverbs 31.28b-29

Women need to be affirmed. They need to be told that they are loved, not because they forget, but because its part of who they are as women. It isn't a needy thing, but part of their make up. Women were created by God to be loved, part of loving them is telling them.

Her husband tells her that he loves her daily. He pours into her words of affection. But more than that, he affirms her. Her tells her that she's beautiful. He builds her up with his words. He tells her that she is the only one he's ever desired, reminds her that she stands out among women.

For a wife to know she truly is the woman of noble character, her husband must tell her how he sees her. It is a husbands job to love and affirm his wife. To show her how beautiful she is, inside and out, not simply to him, but to God as well. A husband must affirm his wife.

I'll be honest, this is one I need to work on. I love my wife. She's the most incredible and beautiful woman in the world. But she needs to be told that. I'm a pastor, I speak publicly for a living, but honestly sometimes with her it's just hard to get words out. So I have to find a way. Today I wrote her a note and put it in her purse for her to find later in the day when she's at work. Men, how do you communicate your feelings to your wife? Words? Music? Poetry? How ever you speak to her, and however she needs to hear it, tell her, and tell her often.

My wife just called me, an the edge of happy tears. She found the card and felt so special. I have affirmed her for the morning, but that doesn't mean I'm done for the day, just like saying I love you on our wedding day doesn't mean I've said if for life. It's a daily thing, like breathing. Affirm your wife, and watch how much more incredible she becomes because of it.

Peace be with you

Respected

"Her husband is known in the gates,when he sits among the elders of the land." Proverbs 31.23

The man of Proverbs 31 is not only trusting of his wife, but he is trusted by the people of his community. He is known by the public, and he sits with the leaders of the city. He is involved in the business of the community, people know him and respect him. This may seem like a fairly simple description; but as I was reading it I got the impression that this is more than simply being respected by the community.

As we read the last verses of Proverbs 31 we see the description of a noble woman, a wife of noble character, and in this one verse, I think it is telling us that her husband is a noble man, a man of noble character. I think this verse takes all of the characteristics of the woman, and here applies them to the man she is married to.

Men, if you want to marry a woman that is described here in Proverbs, then you have to be a man of noble character. To be worthy of a the woman described here, we must live to the same standards, with the same integrity and work ethic. Our passion for God must dominate our lives, our focus must be on Him and the benefit of others, especially the good of our families. We must be men of noble character.

Peace be with you

Trusting

"The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31.11-12

The first characteristic we see is that he trusts her. It isn't a head knowledge believing that she is capable, but it comes from his heart. He knows that he can trust her. He doesn't have to worry about anything in the home, in her work, or in their marriage. She does him good; not harm or evil, but good.

A husband must trust his wife. He must believe her, and believe in her. He must know that she is capable of incredible things. My wife and I were at a Tim Hawkins performance a few months ago and he was talking about how incredible his wife was. He made the joke, "If she ever leaves me, I'm going with her."

The wife of noble character works hard, and does so much, both in and out of the home. Her husband trusts her. He knows she is faithful to him, and he knows she is able to do whatever she sets her mind to. He trusts her, and therefore supports her. He wants her to do well and succeed in whatever she does. And when that happens he has no lack of gain. The love and respect he has from his wife grows, their marriage and life together is strengthened.

The wife of noble character, must have a husband who trusts her, that is his first characteristic, trust.

Peace be with you

The Proverbs 31...Man?

For Christmas I bought my wife a new Bible. She told me after opening it and looking through it that she always wanted one like it. It's a woman's devotional Bible. It has information about each book at the beginning, the main verses pulled out in each section, thought starters, reading plans, and the cover was blue and green.

I also bought her a highlighter that is specially designed for Bible pages in that it won't bleed through. And so after she had confirmed that she loved it I highlighted a passage for her, Proverbs 31.10-31. The heading in the NASB is "A Description of a Worthy Woman" while the NIV has it "The Wife of Noble Character". I read through it, and I see my wife. The characteristics of the unnamed woman are the same that I see in my wife; confident, sure, hardworking, respected, and in love with God. The woman is the focus of the chapter, many women desire that those same characteristics be said of them. But she is not the only one listed in these verses.

In order for a woman to be a wife, there has to be a husband. And in Proverbs 31.10-31, that man is seen. I believe that if a woman is going to be the wife described at the end of Proverbs, she must have the husband who is also described here.

The Bible has a lot to say to men, I've thought about starting another blog focused simply on that subject. For now we'll start here, and for the next few days we'll examine the man of Proverbs 31.

Peace be with you

Holiness

The big thing for the Church of the Nazarene is holiness. We are a holiness denomination. It's called by many different names, sanctification, Christlikeness, Christian perfection, to name a few. But it all comes down to the same thing, growth in grace to become more like Christ and go deeper in our relationship with God. Holiness is about life transformation.

Holiness is essential. Leviticus 11.44a, "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy." God commands us to be holy. We are God's people, we reflect Him, and so we need to be like Him, to look like Him and act like Him. We must be Holy because our Father and Master is holy.

Look at Exodus to Deuteronomy, these books are filled with God telling His people that they, and all they own, build, and work on, is Holy because it is God's and that they are His people. Holiness is essential for those who belong to God. Hebrews 12.14, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." The NIV says, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." In order to see God we must be holy.

Holiness is not absolute perfection. Sanctification is not the inability to sin. Though there are some who will claim that it is. Sanctification is being set aside for God's use. It is being cleansed from a desire to sin, not the ability, and that desire for sin is replaced by a desire for God. It comes after salvation, where we are cleansed of the stain and guilt of sin. Holiness takes us deeper and makes us more like Christ. It transforms us into the image of Jesus, Romans 8.29-30, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."

God created us to be holy, and many feel that they can't be. I think part of this is due to a false understanding of holiness. And I think part of it is failing to realize that we don't make ourselves holy. Leviticus 21.8b, says, "for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy." God is the one who sanctifies us. The blood of Christ washes us from sin, and the life that Jesus lived is our example of holiness, He is the model we are to imitate. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to help us become more like Christ.

Holiness is not an option, it is essential, because without it we will not see God. If our lives are not transformed into the image of Christ, we cannot see God because if we don't look like Christ we look like us, a sinful human being. Holiness is life transformation, and that is what Jesus came to accomplish. He talks all through the Gospel of John about giving eternal life. Eternal life is not something that must wait for heaven, it is available now, because it is holiness. It is a life transformation that God has made possible. God is holy. Jesus serves as our example of holiness, He shows us what God is like, and the Holy Spirit works in our lives to make us holy.

That is the point of Christmas. God loved the world that He sent His only Son to save the world as John 3.16 tells us. Jesus came to earth to show us what God is like, and to pay for sin. Jesus came to die and rise again so that we could be cleansed from sin and begin this journey of holiness. And He sent the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, so that we could become a holy people.

This whole post started with me talking to myself about how every sermon needs to be a holiness sermon. And when we see that holiness is about life transformation to mold us into the image of Christ, we see that holiness is the reason we preach. It is all about holiness.

Peace be with you

Christmas Crown

This is my first Christmas as a senior pastor, and honestly it feels like any other week right now. About a month ago a man in the church was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. There is no known cure, and we know that God is able to work miracles, but in many ways this disease is a death sentence.

As I've sat and visited him, there is this feeling that I really can't describe. I'm not freaking out. I had an incident my second week on the job where I was at the hospital with a family that didn't know if husband/dad/grandpa was going to make it through the night. I'm by no means an expert, and probably never will be, but the overwhelming shock of the situation is gone. It's just a different feeling sitting with a man who knows that unless God does something, he is going to die from this disease. It isn't like cancer where there is a chance of beating it. It really is a final countdown.

As we talked last week he told me that he's a little afraid because he's never been through death before, none of us have, but Jesus has. And Jesus will walk with us every step of the way. I was looking through a catalog a few minutes ago and I saw something I had gotten my mom for Christmas a few years ago. Most people have a star or an angel on top of their Christmas tree, my mom has a crown of thorns from Jerusalem. This Sunday, Christmas day, my sermon text is Philippians 2.1-11. It talks about how Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death. He came, to die; not to wear a crown of gold, but one made of twisted thorn branches.

Before the sermon I'm using a clip from the Skit Guys called "Christmas Connection". In it two guys are discussing what happened to baby Jesus, and one finally realizes that the Jesus born in the manger is the same Jesus that died on the cross. Once he puts it all together he says, "I guess we should just try to view Christmas instead of one isolated event and more of an ongoing story about our salvation." It's important that Jesus came, but more important than that is why He came.

I talked with my mentor yesterday, and he said, "Often times we look at death as a failure, as a loss, 'He lost his battle with cancer.' 'I lost my father.' But with Christians it isn't that way. Death is a gain, not loss and failure." As he was talking my mind went to Paul's words in Philippians 1.21-23, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;" For the Christ follower, death is gain. Death is the gateway to life that never ends, a perfect life with no sadness, sorrow, or pain. Paul said to depart and be with Christ is very much better.

Jesus came to make all of this possible. That is the point of Christmas. Jesus came to die on the cross, to defeat sin death and hell by rising again. He did this so that we can not only experience eternal life with Him in heaven, but so that we would be able to experience it now, and face the journey of death with courage and confidence. That is what Christmas is all about.

Peace be with you

Computer Problems

For the last two weeks my sermon writing day has began with computer issues. I have adopted my mentor's sermon writing process in part. Monday you read the text, that's it. He writes it out, sometimes I do this recently I haven't been just because the sections have been large. Tuesday I read and take notes on things I observe, questions that I have, and words or phrases that intrigue me and I want to look at in the original language. Wednesday is commentary day, reading what other people have seen and found. My mentor says one of the biggest mistakes you can make with sermon writing is consulting a commentary too soon because at that point you no longer know what your original thoughts are. After working with the text for three days, Thursday is the day I sit down to write, and for the last two weeks, Thursday has begun with computer issues.

I have spent hours in store and on the phone with people who aren't providing the customer service that a company should provide. People say they can't do anything and that I need to call this number. I call the number they give me another number. In store they say there is nothing they can do even though I have a warranty I paid for. It's a very stressful experience that I don't wish upon anyone. And it's the last thing you need when you're trying to write a sermon for Sunday.

But I've come to see in the last few hours that the computer issues have been God trying to get my attention. Last week I sat down Saturday to write the sermon for the next day, and as I'm writing it hits me that the message isn't for this week, God is leading me in another direction. I had to save it for the next week and come up with something new. Fortunately it's God who is guiding all of this and He doesn't drop the ball. He laid the four weapons of the enemy on my heart that past week because that was what He wanted me to preach.

This week is our children's Christmas program at church. There will hopefully be visitors, the parents of the children in the program. The section of John I was going to be using last week is fully focused on salvation, and my thought was God wants it this week so I'll save it, and it's pretty much done. But as I sat down yesterday to finish what I had started five days earlier, I was greeted by more computer issues. More time on the phone, more frustration, and once it's resolved, not motivation to write a sermon.

My wife and I went to lunch, and since she's going to be taking on Wednesday night children's ministry we were able to spend the afternoon together at a Christian book store looking for material and resources for Wednesday night church. While we were there I saw something that I had been meaning to buy but had forgotten about. It's a four dvd pack by Louie Giglio called The Heart of Passion. Last night we watched two of them, Indescribable and How Great is our God.

I have seen both of them before, but last night I was reminded of how awesome God is. In both of these Louie talks about the universe, the wonders that are out there, the size of all of it. Indescribable focuses on the greatness of God, how God is at the heart of everything, and how Jesus came to die on a cross. How Great is our God focuses on the size of the universe and us in it, how small we are compared to how big the universe is, and how small the universe is compared to God. And yet how God, the creator of all of it knows each of us by name, and cares about each of us. God Himself holds us together.

As I listened to him I realized that God wanted me to share that with the people this Sunday. That the God who made the vast universe, a universe full of wonders, billions of galaxies, countless stars, cares about us so much that He came to a speck in the universe to die on a cross in order to save us from sin. It truly is indescribable, God truly is so great.

Christmas is all about the creator showing us how much He loves us. He came to earth, a place you can't even see if you look at a picture of our galaxy, and died on a cross to save us. That is what Christmas is all about, it really makes computer problems seem insignificant.

Peace be with you

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

John MacArthur has a book called, Twelve Extraordinary Women, one of them is Mary. I haven't read all of it, but the parts I have are very good.

Mary is a woman who was highly favored by God more than any other woman in the Bible. She was chosen by God out of all of the women who have ever been born, to be the instrument that brought that brought the Messiah into the world. But while she is the most highly favored women, MacArthur points out that we must be careful not to elevate her too much. She was simply a woman. She is not the central focus of worship, her Son is.

Mary was a humble woman. She was an average girl, from a common family, in a poor town of Israel. She is pledged to be married to a carpenter. She is a descendant of David, but not from the royal line as Joseph was.

Mary is an example of faith, sincere worship, and trust in God. She was dependent upon Him. When the angle came to her she was probably a young teenager. An angel came to her and told her she would give birth to the Son of God. She asks how this can happen, physically it was impossible because she was a virgin, and the angle told her that nothing is impossible with God. This blessing came with hardships. Mary was an unwed girl, and everyone would have thought she had been unfaithful to Joseph. She could have faced stoning, and she would have been despised by the community. She knew all of this, but her response to the angel was, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."

Mary humbly submitted to the will of God. She was a young woman, but had a mature faith. In Luke 1.46-55 we have what is known as The Magnificat, and Mary in it rejoices in God. She talks of Him as her Savior, one who has looked upon someone like her, and blessed her. She speaks of how He is mighty and has done great things, and that His name is holy. He gives mercy to those who fear Him, and shows His strength. He humbles the proud and the mighty, but He fills the hungry. He reminds Israel of His mercy. Mary saw God as the giver of every blessing, as the source of grace.

As Jesus grew she was there for Him. She loved Him as only a mother can. And even as their relationship changed from parent/child to Lord/servant, she stayed at His side, even at the cross she was present for her Son in His last hours. Mary is an example of a Godly woman, and a Godly mother. She was fully focused on the worship of God, even when it meant watching her first born take His rightful place and then suffer and die.

John MacArthur closes his chapter on Mary with this, "Mary never claimed to be, or preached to be, anything more than a humble handmaiden of the Lord...The lowly perspective reflected in Mary's Magnificat is the same simple spirit of humility that colored all her life and character. It is truly regrettable that religious superstition has, in effect, turned Mary into an idol. She is certainly a worthy woman to emulate, but Mary herself would undoubtedly be appalled to think anyone would pray to her, venerate images of her, or burn candles in homage to her. Her life and her testimony point us consistently to her Son. He was the object of her worship. He was the one she recognized as Lord. He was the one she trusted for everything. Mary's own example, seen in the pure light of scripture, teaches us to do the same."

Mary, the woman who gave physical life to Jesus through birth, serves as an example to all of us of faith, trust and worship. Let's emulate her life, not deify her and disgrace her memory.

Peace be with you

Joseph, the Carpenter who Raised Jesus

The last two weeks in our evening service at church we've looked at the people who were given the privilege to raise Jesus. As I was looking at their lives it's evident that they were models of God worshipers, as well as men and women and parents. Their lives and characteristics set them apart, and they were blessed with the privilege of spending years with Jesus.

Joseph is one of the famous characters in the Bible, but he is seen in only four chapters of the Bible, two in Matthew and two in Luke. Later in His ministry people identify Jesus as the son of Joseph, but tradition holds that Joseph died before Jesus began His ministry. We know that Joseph was a carpenter from Nazareth, that his father was named Jacob, and that he is a descendant of David's son Solomon, who followed his father as King.

Scripture tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. We see in scripture that he waited on, and obeyed God. We see compassion in him, and the protectiveness of a husband and father. Joseph did what few men in his position would have done. He could have had Mary stoned for adultery. But instead he risks his own reputation and standing in the community to be obedient to God. He raises a son that isn't his, he sets an example of masculinity to a young boy, and to all of us today.

It wasn't easy, I'm sure it was intimidating. There is a line in The Nativity Story Joseph and Mary are on there way to Bethlehem, they talk about how they will know when Jesus is more then just a child. As they talk Joseph says, "I wonder if I will even be able to teach Him anything."

Joseph was obediant to God. He took on a task that would be socially frowned upon, and a task that no one would feel capable of, but he was blessed greatly. This past week I realized that Joseph had more one on one time with Jesus than anyone else who ever lived. The hours they would have spent together in the carpenters shop, the son learning the skills of the trade from His father. A boy having a man pour time into His life. Jesus was fully human, and as every boy does, needed a man to help Him become a man. Joseph would have talked with Him about God, about the scriptures, about worship and righteousness.

Joseph is a model to all men. We are to be examples of righteousness in our lives. We must be willing to do the difficult thing. And when we have the opportunity, we must pour into the lives of boys. We must teach them the things of God, the things that make a man a man. We must bestow masculinity and initiate boys into manhood. Joseph did this with the human side of Jesus, and Joseph was blessed with time with God. Joseph is a model of a man and of a father.

Peace be with you

Two Men

As I've talked about the weapons of the enemy we've seen two Biblical examples of their usage. One in the beginning with the first humans, and they failed. With that failure came sin and death. But the second man came to make all things right. He came to pick up the battle where it left off and win the war. He faced the same weapons, and the same enemy, but He was victorious.

Romans 5 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Verses 12-21).

Jesus came and faced the same test as Adam and Eve. He faced the same weapons, but He was victorious. As in any fight there are hits that we take. Adam and Eve took them, were knocked down, and defeated. Jesus took the hits as well. His were worse because of Adam's loss. His involved a beating, a crucifixion, and a tomb. But Jesus got back up.

I think of a line for the movie Rocky Balboa, "But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!"

I think of the line from the movie Robin Hood , "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."

Two men faced the same weapons wielded by the same deadly enemy. One man fell and didn't get back up, and because of that defeat the world is in the state that it is. Another man came to fight the same battle. It looked like He had been defeated, but what appeared to be a loss was really the ultimate victory. And it's a victory that He offers to us.

Jesus has showed us how to fight the battle against Satan; and it's a battle He has already won. He invites us to share that victory. The whole reason He came to earth was to win this victory, the prize is ultimate glory, and the redemption of the universe. And Jesus calls us to share in the victory, the redemption, and the glory.

We face the same enemy and the same weapons that Jesus faced. We will be knocked down, but we don't have to be defeated. There is a song by Chris Tomlin that I've written about before. It tells us that Jesus has overcome, that through His victory we have peace, and that in Him we can take the hits, rise and move forward victorious.

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions." The Lamb of God was humbly slain, the Lion of Judah rose in power. He calls us to rise with Him.

Peace be with you

Weapon 4: Division

Division, "the act or process of dividing; state of being divided."

Satan uses his final weapon in Genesis 3.1, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'" Did you notice how he divides them? It says he said to the woman. Verse 6 tells us that Adam was there with her, but Satan doesn't address him, just her. He doesn't invite Adam to share what God said. He divides them and Eve is forced to assume a role she was never meant to have.

When this happens, nothing good can occur. Eve takes the fruit and eats it, and then gives some to Adam who also eats. And when they do, sin enters the world. They cover themselves with fig leaves as verse 7 says, and then in verse 8 they hide from God. They are not only divided in the battle, but as a result of the loss they are cut off from God. They are divided from their source of life and as a result all of creation is cursed as well.

Jesus too is tempted with division. Satan tries to get Him to work for His own glory instead of Gods. In verse 3 he tries to get Jesus to selfishly use His power for His own benefit, and not rely upon God to sustain Him He tries to get Him to be separated from His true source of life.

Again in verse 6 Satan invites Jesus to take matters into His own hands. To test and see if the scriptures are true and put God to the test. Jesus again would be doing things His way, not God's. And in verse 9 Satan offers Jesus a way to fulfill His mission in a way that removes the cross. He simply needs to turn His back on God and worship him for a moment, and it can all go away.

Each time Jesus refuses, Jesus stays connected to His Father, His source of life. He brings the promises that scripture tells us of God. He remains faithful and trusts that God's plan is best, and that God will not abandon Him.

Division is the result of the other three. If we buy into the lies of Satan's first three weapons, division is a natural result. We are deceived that God and others don't care, or that we're the problem, and so we take off by ourselves. We are discouraged and embarrassed by results and so we avoid people who could help us. We have doubts that we can succeed, or that God will be faithful, and we run and look for the easy way. And in all of these situations we end up alone.

Division is a death sentence. Jesus said, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." (Mark 3.24) Where there is division nothing can get accomplished. Where people refuse to work together there can be no progress. Jesus beat division and stayed faithful and connected to His Father. We have the tools to do the same.

We surround ourselves with the belt of truth, and we refuse to buy into the lies of Satan. We cover ourselves we the breastplate of righteousness, and firmly stand in our relationship with God. We have sure footing because of the shoes of peace, and we stand our ground assured that God is with us. We take up the shield of faith and we stand in rank with others and fight together to win the battle. We put on the helmet of salvation and embrace the promise that we now belong to God and that nothing can separate us from Him. And we draw on the power of the sword of the spirit, and cut through the lies and barriers of the enemy.

We must stay connected to God and we must have fellowship with others. I think of the line from Gladiator as Maximus and the others prepare for their first battle in the Colosseum. He says to them, "Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive." If we stay together we survive.

Don't allow Satan to separate you from others and from God. Stand firm, pour into the truth of Scripture and spend time in prayer, communicating with God. Stay together, and we not only survive, but through the power of Christ, we kick tail.

Peace be with you

Weapon 3: Doubt

Doubt, "To be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe. To distrust."

Satan's third weapon is doubt. We see this again in Genesis 3.1, "Did God really say,..." Right at the beginning we see God's word brought into question. If Adam and Eve cannot trust what God has said, how can they trust God. Doubt is a powerful weapon becasue it begins so subtlety.

As soon as Satan can get us to begin to question the truth of God, and what God has really said, our trust in God is shaken. At this point, Eve misquotes God, adding things into God's instructions and boundaries. And at this point Satan is free to twist what God said further, and spin lies causing them to stumble.

It is ok to ask God questions; it's ok to wonder. But there has to be trust that no matter what God is right. God has our best interest at heart, and that no matter what happens it will result in the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom.

Doubt is an attack not only on belief, our faith, but on our identity as well. We see this with Jesus in Matthew 4. "The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God...'" At the very beginning of the temptation, Satan begins by challenging who Jesus is. In Matthew 3, Jesus baptism, verse 17 says, "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

Right before His temptation begins, Jesus is given an identity by His Father. Satan challenges that. It's an invitation for Jesus to prove to Himself that He is who the Father says. It's an invitation to use His power for selfish gain, to satisfy a need He has.

Doubt causes us to need to prove ourselves. It causes us to take matters into our own hands and do things in a way that God hasn't prescribed for us to do. But when our trust that God is able, or that He has our best interest at heart, what other option are we left with?

Adam and Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was useful for gaining knowledge they eat. They question God, and doubt that He knows what's best. They take matters into their own hands, and fall into sin; they curse all of creation with their doubt. Jesus responds to Satan's attack by falling back into the arms of His father. Matthew 4.4, "Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'"

The armor of God is given to us to overcome doubt. Truth surrounds us and reminds us that God has our best interest at heart. Righteousness is the relationship we have with God. Peace is assurance in the path we walk with God. Faith guards us from the lies Satan throws at us, twisting what God has said. Salvation reminds us that God has forgiven us, that we belong to Him, that we are His children. The Spirit is with us daily to remind us, we are to pour ourselves into the Word and find the truth of God there.

Doubt is a powerful weapon, but Jesus has overcome it. In His victory He shows us how to block and counterattack. Don't be overcome with doubt, but live off of the words of the Father.

Peace be with you

Weapon 2: Discouragement

Discourage, "To deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit. To dissuade (usually followed by from ). To obstruct by opposition or difficulty; hinder. To express or make clear disapproval of;"

Satan uses his second weapon in Genesis 3 also. Discouragement is the act of removing confidence or hope from someone. Satan discourages Eve's trust in God. He begins by misquoting God, and then brings out a lie making God seem like the bad guy. Genesis 3.4-5, "The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"

Satan discourages them from following God by shaking their trust in God. In verse one he says, "Did God really say...?" Eve misquotes what God said by adding limitations to what He gave. It opens the door for Satan to work. He makes his offer seem better than God's and Eve falls into sin.

Discouragement also hits us through difficult circumstances. We look at a task and begin to lose hope in the abilities we have to accomplish it. We can begin to doubt that God will come through for us. We can begin to wonder if God made a mistake in choosing us for the job. Jesus faced this weapon in the desert as well.

Matthew 4.8-9, "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.'" Jesus had come to save the world through His death on the cross. Satan here offers Christ the opportunity to save the world without the cross. If Jesus is given the world He can do what He pleases with it. He can save it without dieing for it. All He has to do is compromise just for a second.

I can imagine as Jesus is on the mountain top and Satan is making his offer, he adds a few other things, possibly along the lines of what Satan says to Jesus in the Garden in The Passion of the Christ. "Do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin? ... No man can carry this burden I tell you. It is far too heavy. Saving their souls is too costly. No one. Ever. No. Never." Satan uses his weapon of discouragement well. He offers Jesus the chance to do what God sent Him to do, but in an easier way; a way that wouldn't involve pain or death, just a small bow, one single act of worship.

It's a tempting offer, an offer that seems hopeful, better and easier. But Jesus knew that He could not save the world by compromising and coming to our level. Instead He must stand firm, knees locked, and be encouraged that God's plan is the best. He defeats Satan's second weapon with the truth of Scripture and hope and trust in God. "Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, "YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY."'"

Jesus overcame discouragement, where Adam and Eve gave in. Jesus knew that God's plan was the best plan, that God's plan was the only way. He wasn't discouraged by the difficulty, but encouraged by the love and presence of the Father.

We too must overcome discouragement, but we don't have to do it alone. God has given us truth, that shows us His plan is best. We have righteousness, the relationship with Him that guards our lives. Peace, which gives us sure footing on difficult ground. Faith, trust in God and what He says. Salvation, to guard our thoughts and help us hear what God is saying to us. And the Spirit, the sword, the word of God. It is a love letter to us, written from God's heart to ours to encourage us through the struggles of life.

With the weapons and armor of God, we can deflect and defeat Satan's second weapon of discouragement.

Peace be with you.

Weapon 1: Deception

Deceive, "to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude". Delude means, "to mislead the mind or judgment of; deceive". Deception is the first weapon we see Satan use. In Genesis 3 he enters the scene of a perfect creation, in the disguise of a serpent. He begins talking to a woman and the first recorded line of Satan is "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Right away he begins to lead the creation away from God by presenting a question that begins to convince Adam and Eve that God is keeping something from them, that He is holding them back. Eve responds to his question "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" Eve has now misquoted God. Satan has done his work.

God had given them freedom to eat from any tree in the Garden (Genesis 2.16). God had never told them not to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, simply not to eat of it (Genesis 2.17). Eve said they would die, but God had said that they would surely die (Genesis 2.17). In these statements Eve has taken away from God's generosity, making it seem like their right to eat the fruit of the garden, not as a privilege from God. She adds restrictions to what God has instructed, making God seem restrictive. She has taken away from the severity and surety of God's word; He means what He says, and His authority is absolute. Deception leads us away from the truth of God. It leads us away from the good that God has for us, because we become convinced that it is not the best. That is deception.

Satan works through deception gradually, giving partial truths. We see this same tactic with Jesus temptation in the wilderness. In Matthew 4.6 Satan quotes Scripture to Jesus, trying to get Him to throw Himself off of the Temple, proving Himself to be the Messiah of Israel. It sounds great, Jesus jumps, angles catch Him, the priests realize that He is the Messiah, they make Him King and He never has to go near the cross. But Jesus knows that a ministry based on miracles and wonders is doomed to fail. People's faith only lasts as long as the miracles do, and when it gets hard they are gone. We see throughout Jesus' ministry that He refuses to give Himself to people who only want Him for His miraculous power (John 2, 6). And Jesus responds to Satan's weapon of deception in the same way we are to. Jesus counter attacks with the Truth of Scripture.

God has given us the Belt of Truth to surround ourselves with. It is truth that keeps us from being mislead, and truth that keeps us focused on the true words of God. We battle deception with truth. We have the Breastplate of Righteousness to cover our hearts. Righteousness is protection from the relationship with God. It covers our bodies, front and back, and guards the relationship with have with God so we aren't lead astray. We have the Sandals of Peace. They give us sure footing as we follow God's plan for our life. We have the Shield of Faith, to protect us from all of Satan's deceptive lies. God has given us the Helmet of Salvation to cover our head. Salvation guards our minds and gives us assurance that we belong to God. We are protected from deception by the knowledge of salvation. Finally, we have the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. This is the same weapon Jesus used, and that Eve failed to use. No lie, no deception, can stand against the truth and authority of the Word of God.

Deception is a powerful weapon, and it is only the first one in Satan's arsenal. But God has armed us for battle, and has given us the tools to block, and counter attack this weapon.

Peace be with you

Four Weapons of the Enemy

I have been blessed with an incredible mentor, and several other Godly men who have guided me during the different chapters of my life so far. They've always been there to pour into me. During times of success they've reminded me of humility. During times where I've made mistakes, or could have done or be doing things better, they've offered correction in love. During times of doubt they have offered encouragement.

The last few weeks of ministry, and life, have been busy, chaotic, unstructured, abnormal, full, and anything else you can think of along those lines. Wrestling practice started the second week of November. We had the community Thanksgiving service. My wife put in her two weeks notice at work and ended up being promoted. A layman in the church was diagnose with Lou Gehrig's disease. And now the Christmas season is here. It's been a trying and draining time.

There have been good moments thrown in there. The job promotion for my wife was us stepping out in faith and God providing showing us that He would take care of us and that we could trust Him. Our new District Superintendents have been a huge blessing in this first month of their service. And I've gotten to throw out a few ideas for ministry and building the Kingdom. And as I've seen and heard many times, when stuff like this happens be ready for an attack.

I don't remember when my mentor and I had this conversation, but over the last few days I've been thinking about it. Today I sorted through the index cards in my man bag until I found it. There are four weapons the enemy uses against us. Deception, Discouragement, Doubt and Division.

Over the last few weeks I've experienced all of them. I was planning on just writing about discouragement and talking about how it affects so many parts of our lives. But then I remembered the conversation and found the card, and now I realize why it affects so much of life. Satan always uses the first person with each attack. He gets us thinking, "There must be something wrong with me." But know what? There isn't anything wrong with me, and there is nothing wrong with you. Jesus told us that Satan is a liar, the father of lies, and when he lies he speaks his native language (John 8.44).

Over the next few days I want to talk about each one of these. I've already talked about the weapons God has given us, and it is those weapons that protect us from and fight back with, against Satan's. I'll show what weapons we use against each of Satan's. Don't believe the lies he throws at you, believe the truth that God lovingly hands to you.

Peace be with you

Holiday Trees Response

I saw this this morning on a friends facebook and needed to share it. It's a response to the White House calling Christmas tree's Holiday trees.

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God ? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Why He Came

This past Sunday I preached out of John 6.1-21, the feeding of the 5,000 and the walking on water. At the end of the service we took communion. I hadn't really planned what I was going to say for it, I found myself in one of those situations where I just trusted God would give me something.He did, but sadly I can only remember bits and pieces of it.

The people wanted Jesus as their King because He had feed them. They saw in Him, someone who could meet their needs. They had no interest in His way or the plan of God, they simply wanted Him because He had filled their bellies with bread. And these same people who now wanted to make Him King, would in a little over a year cry out for His crucifixion. Jesus knew that they only way they could ever really be satisfied was to have His body be broken for their sin. He had to take the punishment that their sin, and ours, deserved. He allowed His body to be broken so the world could freedom from sin.

But it wasn't enough for sin to deal out it's punishment, it had to be paid for. For that His blood had to be shed. Death was the only thing that could pay for sin. Romans 6 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Jesus couldn't simply take the punishment for us, He had to purchase us back.

The cross was the whole reason that He came to earth. On Christmas Eve during college I did something most people probably wouldn't do. I watched The Passion of the Christ. It was during college that I finally began to get it. The cross what why Jesus came. Jesus came to be King, but not one who was elected by popular vote; He came to be crucified that way. He came not to compromise and save the world by becoming like the world; but to life the world up to His level, to call the world to a higher standard, a higher quality of life.

Jesus came so that we could have life abundantly (John 10.10). He came to earth to show us how God would have us to live, to show us what God is like, and to make it possible for us to live in relationship with Him. Jesus came to bring us back to God, and to help us live as God would live life.

As December begins and the countdown to Christmas really starts, let's not forget the real reason we celebrate this time. God came down to save a lost and dieing people. He came to take our punishment, to buy us back, and to transform us into the people He created us to Be. Jesus made it possible for us to be Holy, for us to be Christlike. That is what we celebrate when we take communion. That is what we remember at Christmas.

Peace be with you