This will be a two part message, first I would like to present a simple teaching on spiritual warfare. I remember challenging our old congregation to pray a simple prayer "Lord show me to others as I truly am!" Some congregation members could not pray it as they knew their walk with the Lord was as phony as a $3 bill. My belief is that our lives should be transparent for all to see. When someone asks me about my past I share it as it was but, reminding them that the person they see today is not that person, thanks to the life changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I realize not many are willing to reveal their past or even their present flaws because our carnal nature would choose to hide those things we don't want others to see or know about. HELLO people let us not forget God sees all & knows all. What is hidden in darkness will eventually come to the light, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT! Honesty & integrity unique virtues in this day & age but also spiritual weapons, even though truth often hurts, but only for the moment, it will win out in the long run.
The moment is that instance were something interrupts our normal life. It could be an accident, a sickness or words some person speaks, whatever. Our reaction at that moment rises up from deep within us. In other words what we have put in us through reading, watching or listening to will formulate our response to whatever has transpired. If you choose to focus on what the media & parts of the church telling us, fear will rule your life. A simple checklist of what you are feeding into your soul is the new testament perspective on prophesy, it will exhort you (lift you up,) edify (teach you) or comfort you (1 Corinthians 14:3.)
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" Not a comfortable scripture to ponder, especially after you have just lost it & you are totally ashamed of what had come out of your big mouth. The first thing we have to do is ask God to forgive us & PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Holy Spirit help me not to lose it again. If we do not do that odds are we will sink lower & lower + be filled with self loathing & condemnation (neither of which are from God!) Do not be so foolish as to think you or anyone else has arrived at some spiritual sainthood. We are all a work in progress, IF we will allow the potter to continue to mold us into a useful vessel for the Lord.
What shows up in the moment is possibly frustration or anger from the frustration, unforgiveness, bitterness, to name but a few of the negatives that can so easily rise up. There can be many reasons for these wrong thoughts but guaranteed they are something rooted in your past or something you have been inputting into your soul. The Bible refers to these thoughts as a stronghold of the mind. It may have been words spoken over us again & again, these are curse words. Many times a person tries & tries but never seems to succeed, it doesn't take long before you start to believe you're a failure. If you are a born again believer YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! But if you do not learn how to defuse these wrong thoughts you start to expect those negatives & actually believe you deserve them just because of who you are, sad eh! Another reason is you feel you were born on the wrong side of the tracks or within a disfunctional family. Naturally the next step is to bow down to the plum syndrome (poor little unloved me) which will guarantee you a big old pity party.
What we have to do is take these curse words from our past to the foot of the cross. It could be your relationships, marriage or past marriages, manipulative controlling family members or friends, past failures to the foot of the cross. Remember it is not the person (flesh & blood) we battle but the spirit that is driving them. Ask Gods forgiveness for any mistakes you have made, any & all sin, for even believing the lies of the devil & plead the blood of Jesus over the foul root that has held you in bondage. Believe you are free once & for all & start to praise Him for His deliverance as He is worthy of all our praise.
The next time that negative thought tries to rise up rebuke it, GET OUT IN JESUS NAME. Devil you are a liar I am a child of God, He has given me the power to become an overcomer, more than a conqueror. Trust in the Lord & lean not on your understanding. the devil is real & he has power, but Jesus is the highest name in heaven, on the earth & under the earth! He is all powerful & like the old hymn is titled we have Victory in Jesus! As God proves Himself to us it is now our duty to reach out & help others around us.
We are to be people of compassion, that is someone who sees a need & then steps out to meet that need in other lives. It is not up to us to judge them for the state they are in but to help lift them out of that pit. Do not sit & pick them apart or try to figure out why they are the way they are, just love them for who they are. The love of God within us should compel us to find a way to be an encouragement rather than a discouragement to them. Lift them up rather than tear them down through our words. As Christians everything starts with prayer & a smile is a excellent followup.
Everything comes down to what we have been putting on the inside. That is what will dictate what comes out in the moment & if we will be equipped to meet the need whether in our own life or someone else's. For me the Word of God is the positive I choose to put in. One scripture that God has prompted me to memorize is Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. This also is spiritual warfare. When I was in public school we had to memorize stuff but now I choose to do so to make myself not only a better person but useful to God in reaching out & helping my fellowman.
Can you but imagine what an impact we the church would have on the world around us in 2012 if we put this simple message into practice. Food for thought!
Friday, 30 December 2011
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
The Day That Love Was Born
December 25 is the day the Christian Church celebrates the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The gift God gave mankind, His own precious son was the supreme act of love. It would have been far easier, less painful to have chose to come Himself, but instead He gave up His only begotten Son. Jesus left His rightful place in Glory knowing He would be crucified. By Jesus selfless act of obedience He allowed His love to open the door for mankind to receive forgiveness for their sin & come into a personal relationship with their creator.
God Himself saw the necessity of a sacrifice that would be all inclusive, the Sacrificial Lamb! But the lamb had to be perfect, unspotted, which meant in a spiritual sense, uncontaminated by sin. For this to take place He would have to be tempted & tested by sin itself & found sinless. Jesus came through with flying colors, tried tested & true!
As we learn in John 3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the people of the world but to save them from themselves & sin. He totally disregarded their ethnic, religious or sordid backgrounds. This could only be possible from someone who has a love foreign to this world, unconditional. By this act of love He has forgiven us our sins, no matter how horrendous they were or undeserved we may be, or feel we are. All we have to do is ask Gods forgiveness in Jesus name & the slate is wiped clean as if we had never committed them (l John l:9 forgiveness & Romans 5:1 justification) Too good to be true you say, agape love I say!
The love this world knows is perverted beyond comprehension in comparison to Gods love. It is self-centered & only sees through the eyes of lust, rather than compassion. What this world refers to as love is actually focuses on sex, materialism & power. Sex has been turned into a dirty word, while even the sacredness of marriage has been stained & tarnished & opened to make way for what God refers to as abomination, homosexuality. Materialism is a big word, I believe it to be the reason for every war, you know like the war in Iraq, which in all likelihood have nothing to do with anything but OIL. And the root cause of every war is the rule of supremacy "we want to be numero uno! Sorry for this rant in the midst of my Christmas message.
Each time someone receives Jesus into their lives His love explodes in their heart. It is as if the life that life itself had molded them into is shattered & a new person filled with Gods love & compassion starts to be transformed into what God calls a NEW CREATION. Gods love is needed today more than ever before. His love looks beyond faults & differences to see the needs. His compassion within us compels us to do something to offset those needs.
Gods gift to mankind His love, truly is the gift that keeps on giving. The love God has placed within a believers heart is FOR-GIVING! He has forgiven us our sins, does not hold our past against us, does not focus on our mistakes or family history but only looks upon our heart & what motivates it. Christmas comes but once a year but Jesus wants us to share His gift of love numerous times each & every day to all those we come into contact with. As we help to meet the needs of our fellowman they see a Christ-like-ness within us & they in turn are drawn unto Him, praise the Lord!
Merry Christmas!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
God Himself saw the necessity of a sacrifice that would be all inclusive, the Sacrificial Lamb! But the lamb had to be perfect, unspotted, which meant in a spiritual sense, uncontaminated by sin. For this to take place He would have to be tempted & tested by sin itself & found sinless. Jesus came through with flying colors, tried tested & true!
As we learn in John 3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the people of the world but to save them from themselves & sin. He totally disregarded their ethnic, religious or sordid backgrounds. This could only be possible from someone who has a love foreign to this world, unconditional. By this act of love He has forgiven us our sins, no matter how horrendous they were or undeserved we may be, or feel we are. All we have to do is ask Gods forgiveness in Jesus name & the slate is wiped clean as if we had never committed them (l John l:9 forgiveness & Romans 5:1 justification) Too good to be true you say, agape love I say!
The love this world knows is perverted beyond comprehension in comparison to Gods love. It is self-centered & only sees through the eyes of lust, rather than compassion. What this world refers to as love is actually focuses on sex, materialism & power. Sex has been turned into a dirty word, while even the sacredness of marriage has been stained & tarnished & opened to make way for what God refers to as abomination, homosexuality. Materialism is a big word, I believe it to be the reason for every war, you know like the war in Iraq, which in all likelihood have nothing to do with anything but OIL. And the root cause of every war is the rule of supremacy "we want to be numero uno! Sorry for this rant in the midst of my Christmas message.
Each time someone receives Jesus into their lives His love explodes in their heart. It is as if the life that life itself had molded them into is shattered & a new person filled with Gods love & compassion starts to be transformed into what God calls a NEW CREATION. Gods love is needed today more than ever before. His love looks beyond faults & differences to see the needs. His compassion within us compels us to do something to offset those needs.
Gods gift to mankind His love, truly is the gift that keeps on giving. The love God has placed within a believers heart is FOR-GIVING! He has forgiven us our sins, does not hold our past against us, does not focus on our mistakes or family history but only looks upon our heart & what motivates it. Christmas comes but once a year but Jesus wants us to share His gift of love numerous times each & every day to all those we come into contact with. As we help to meet the needs of our fellowman they see a Christ-like-ness within us & they in turn are drawn unto Him, praise the Lord!
Merry Christmas!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Friday, 9 December 2011
Three Christmas Nuggets
I want to look at three different Christmas nuggets & how they line up according to the Bible. The first one I will be looking at is Merry Xmas. Oh boy, oh boy I can still remember how that ticked me off when I was a new believer. My statement was nobody but nobody is ever going to take Christ out of Christmas. Many a Christian find their blood pressure rising when we see this saying in one store window after another. Let us go to one of my favorite reference books Websters Dictionary for an answer. Websters defines Xmas as, the X is the Greek letter for the Christos, the Christ & the word Xmas originated in the early 1600's. Oops, guess we allowed ourselves to get more than a tad carried away before checking out what we were getting so stewed up about.
As Christians we know Jesus is the way, the truth & the life & accept the Bible as the standard we are to live by. Then why is it such a large percentage of the Christian church continue a tradition that is a falsehood? The common nativity scene has the baby Jesus with His mother Mary & Joseph , the shepherds & the wise men from the east gathered around the manger. In Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger , because there was no room for them in the Inn. In Luke 2:16 And the shepherds went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. OK this obviously lines up with the traditional nativity scene but let us now look at the wise men from the east In Matthew 2:11 And when they (the wise men) had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and they opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (King James translation) Key words being HOUSE and the YOUNG CHILD, totally different then the baby in the manger. This passage of scripture is further explained in Matthew 2:16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town & in the nearby farms, for the astrologers (wise men) had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. (Living translation) After reading these scriptures it is obvious that the wise men (astrologers) were not present at the manger scene, thus not Biblical.
My son Jedediah gave me the third tidbit I want to look at the announcement given by the heavenly host at the birth of the Savior Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (King James Version) now let us look at the Living same verse Glory to God in the highest heaven, they sang peace on earth for all those pleasing Him. One of our most common sayings at Christmas time is "peace on earth & goodwill to men," yet is it in agreement with the Bible? I don't think so!
In my NKJ study bible this verse is explained as "the promise of peace & goodwill would come to those who welcome God's only Son." The Matthew Henry Commentary says If God be at peace with us, all peace results from it. All the good we have, or hope, is owing to God's goodwill; & if we have the comfort of it, He must have the glory of it.
The Anti-Christ spirit has been on the earth since the time of the Bible, possibly from the garden of Eden. It runs hand in hand with the lawlessness we see so rampant in the earth today. I recently received an e-mail in regards to the "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in England. Here are some of the signs carried by extreme members of the Islam. Europe take a lesson from 911, behead who insult Islam, butcher those who mock Islam, Islam will dominate the world are but a few. Hello that is not peace!
In Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. This is the sword of the Spirit Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living & powerful & sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, and of joints & marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. Conviction comes upon us when we hear or read the word of God & we then have the opportunity to change accordingly. But until His revelation comes upon us the Bible appears to be total nonsense.
Matthew 10:35 "For I come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. Matthew 10:36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household. Again Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men? Studying out 35 & 36 you will find Christ has to be first & foremost in our lives. Many a child has been born into Christian homes to become an idol. I have met people who worship their spouse or parent. Yes we love our family members but this love can not surpass our love of our Savior! Again it brings us back to picking up our own cross & living the Christ-like rather than the self-centered life of this world.
There are also many instances were a person receives Christ into their life & all those around them seemingly fall away. With some extreme religions when one of their own receive Christ they are considered dead & in some instances they will even hold their funeral. Yet Christ does bring peace into his followers lives by reading His Word, through our prayer life, in our times of praise & worship & the privilege of fellowshipping with Him & sharing Him with those around us (evangelism). If we have loved ones & friends unsaved they have to be targets of our prayers. Even though they may not be believers at present doesn't negate their being Christians in the future. Can you see how that brings peace into our lives? And the glorious promise for each of His followers of eternity in glory, Praise God!
I am not saying we are not to be peacemakers in fact the Good Lord has instructed us in Romans 12:8 "If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. As I said earlier those who are thorns in our flesh become targets of our prayers. Another scripture that comes to mind is Matthew 5:44 "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you."
There will never be Peace on Earth until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will hear of & even believe you are witnessing a universal peace but this will be a false peace.
Lots of food for thought in this one, look forward to your comments. More on Christmas in the upcoming blog.
Blessings as always
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
As Christians we know Jesus is the way, the truth & the life & accept the Bible as the standard we are to live by. Then why is it such a large percentage of the Christian church continue a tradition that is a falsehood? The common nativity scene has the baby Jesus with His mother Mary & Joseph , the shepherds & the wise men from the east gathered around the manger. In Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger , because there was no room for them in the Inn. In Luke 2:16 And the shepherds went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. OK this obviously lines up with the traditional nativity scene but let us now look at the wise men from the east In Matthew 2:11 And when they (the wise men) had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and they opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (King James translation) Key words being HOUSE and the YOUNG CHILD, totally different then the baby in the manger. This passage of scripture is further explained in Matthew 2:16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town & in the nearby farms, for the astrologers (wise men) had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. (Living translation) After reading these scriptures it is obvious that the wise men (astrologers) were not present at the manger scene, thus not Biblical.
My son Jedediah gave me the third tidbit I want to look at the announcement given by the heavenly host at the birth of the Savior Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (King James Version) now let us look at the Living same verse Glory to God in the highest heaven, they sang peace on earth for all those pleasing Him. One of our most common sayings at Christmas time is "peace on earth & goodwill to men," yet is it in agreement with the Bible? I don't think so!
In my NKJ study bible this verse is explained as "the promise of peace & goodwill would come to those who welcome God's only Son." The Matthew Henry Commentary says If God be at peace with us, all peace results from it. All the good we have, or hope, is owing to God's goodwill; & if we have the comfort of it, He must have the glory of it.
The Anti-Christ spirit has been on the earth since the time of the Bible, possibly from the garden of Eden. It runs hand in hand with the lawlessness we see so rampant in the earth today. I recently received an e-mail in regards to the "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in England. Here are some of the signs carried by extreme members of the Islam. Europe take a lesson from 911, behead who insult Islam, butcher those who mock Islam, Islam will dominate the world are but a few. Hello that is not peace!
In Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. This is the sword of the Spirit Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living & powerful & sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, and of joints & marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. Conviction comes upon us when we hear or read the word of God & we then have the opportunity to change accordingly. But until His revelation comes upon us the Bible appears to be total nonsense.
Matthew 10:35 "For I come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. Matthew 10:36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household. Again Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men? Studying out 35 & 36 you will find Christ has to be first & foremost in our lives. Many a child has been born into Christian homes to become an idol. I have met people who worship their spouse or parent. Yes we love our family members but this love can not surpass our love of our Savior! Again it brings us back to picking up our own cross & living the Christ-like rather than the self-centered life of this world.
There are also many instances were a person receives Christ into their life & all those around them seemingly fall away. With some extreme religions when one of their own receive Christ they are considered dead & in some instances they will even hold their funeral. Yet Christ does bring peace into his followers lives by reading His Word, through our prayer life, in our times of praise & worship & the privilege of fellowshipping with Him & sharing Him with those around us (evangelism). If we have loved ones & friends unsaved they have to be targets of our prayers. Even though they may not be believers at present doesn't negate their being Christians in the future. Can you see how that brings peace into our lives? And the glorious promise for each of His followers of eternity in glory, Praise God!
I am not saying we are not to be peacemakers in fact the Good Lord has instructed us in Romans 12:8 "If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. As I said earlier those who are thorns in our flesh become targets of our prayers. Another scripture that comes to mind is Matthew 5:44 "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you."
There will never be Peace on Earth until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will hear of & even believe you are witnessing a universal peace but this will be a false peace.
Lots of food for thought in this one, look forward to your comments. More on Christmas in the upcoming blog.
Blessings as always
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Thursday, 24 November 2011
You Are Who You Are!
Another hot button for me is our title phrase, to that you could add, you will never change! Change is one of the few constants every person faces in life. Interestingly enough we fight positive change tooth & nail while when negative changes come our way it's like we are being propelled down a slippery slope wide open & full tilt. Good habits take hard work to create while bad habits come naturally.
In my youth I was known as Gahne Kenny a party looking for a place to happen. I was cross addicted to both alcohol & numerous drugs so partying was a way of life. My life started to change on the day I became born again. When one becomes born again the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God to you & a marvelous transformation begins to take place. Now I love to party for Jesus by telling anyone who happens across my path why the silly grin on my face, Jesus is the reason! This definitely gets a reaction & opens many an opportunity for sharing my faith & leading others to Christ.
Too often we become so comfortable being who we are that change has no attraction to us. Yet are we really happy in the life & lifestyle we have become accustomed too? Often times fear holds us back from making what we see & know are necessary changes to enhance our lives. Another reason is we may not believe we are capable of making those changes. This was jack hammered into our brains (too often by our parents), teachers or peers with the words "you will never amount to anything," so we are just to be satisfied with whatever life gives you.
It is easy to see that any number of negative handles fit into our title phrase which can just deepen the guilt & shame the people already feel. Drunk, crackhead, sex trade worker, pervert, loser, hippie, weirdo & you fill in the endless blanks________________________!
It's hard enough for anyone to make changes in their life but this becomes almost impossible with others always putting you down.
I would like to go to the scriptures for a beautiful example of what I'm driving at, the good Samaritan & the Jericho Road from Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer had just questioned Jesus on what he should do to inherit eternal life. The lawyers response attempted to direct the Lords focus onto his fulfilling what the lawyer perceived as the higher demands of the law while questioning who the Lord was referring to as our neighbor.
Jesus story talked of how both the Levite & Priest chose to ignore the poor beaten, bloodied soul. In my minds eye I can see them crossing the road or shielding their eyes with blank or fearful looks upon their faces. Remember they did not know if the robbers were close at hand possibly even watching them. Both the Levite & Priest would seem to be a natural to stop & lend a helping hand but they chose not too, interesting.
Now the Samaritan (a foreigner in this area) only saw the need (compassion!) He was not paralyzed by fear for his own well being. He looked beyond the possible faults or differences, whether the man was a local, foreigner or even Samaritan, he just saw & acted upon the need. The fact he paid 2 Denarii (equvilent to24 days stay at the inn) for a total stranger is monumental to say the least of who this man was. You can have a persons first born or their spouse but do not go near their almighty dollar, that is taboo! For many, even some within the church, no-one else is allowed near their wallets, not even God! The beaten man must have been in a sad state to require almost a month to heal & strengthen his battered body. But would you or I have done the same, that is the question?
We buttonhole or stereotype people into classes or marginalize them in one way or another. This can even be by who they associate with, the families they come from or sad to say what we hear from others on them. We can also do this to ourselves by limiting or quenching an inner desire for change, in whatever way within our own lives.
Hopefully I have expanded or enlightened your perspective on our title phrase. I would now like to give you something else to ponder. it's not who you're neighbor is but are you a good neighbor, like the Samaritan? You are who you are, food for thought!
In my youth I was known as Gahne Kenny a party looking for a place to happen. I was cross addicted to both alcohol & numerous drugs so partying was a way of life. My life started to change on the day I became born again. When one becomes born again the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God to you & a marvelous transformation begins to take place. Now I love to party for Jesus by telling anyone who happens across my path why the silly grin on my face, Jesus is the reason! This definitely gets a reaction & opens many an opportunity for sharing my faith & leading others to Christ.
Too often we become so comfortable being who we are that change has no attraction to us. Yet are we really happy in the life & lifestyle we have become accustomed too? Often times fear holds us back from making what we see & know are necessary changes to enhance our lives. Another reason is we may not believe we are capable of making those changes. This was jack hammered into our brains (too often by our parents), teachers or peers with the words "you will never amount to anything," so we are just to be satisfied with whatever life gives you.
It is easy to see that any number of negative handles fit into our title phrase which can just deepen the guilt & shame the people already feel. Drunk, crackhead, sex trade worker, pervert, loser, hippie, weirdo & you fill in the endless blanks________________________!
It's hard enough for anyone to make changes in their life but this becomes almost impossible with others always putting you down.
I would like to go to the scriptures for a beautiful example of what I'm driving at, the good Samaritan & the Jericho Road from Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer had just questioned Jesus on what he should do to inherit eternal life. The lawyers response attempted to direct the Lords focus onto his fulfilling what the lawyer perceived as the higher demands of the law while questioning who the Lord was referring to as our neighbor.
Jesus story talked of how both the Levite & Priest chose to ignore the poor beaten, bloodied soul. In my minds eye I can see them crossing the road or shielding their eyes with blank or fearful looks upon their faces. Remember they did not know if the robbers were close at hand possibly even watching them. Both the Levite & Priest would seem to be a natural to stop & lend a helping hand but they chose not too, interesting.
Now the Samaritan (a foreigner in this area) only saw the need (compassion!) He was not paralyzed by fear for his own well being. He looked beyond the possible faults or differences, whether the man was a local, foreigner or even Samaritan, he just saw & acted upon the need. The fact he paid 2 Denarii (equvilent to24 days stay at the inn) for a total stranger is monumental to say the least of who this man was. You can have a persons first born or their spouse but do not go near their almighty dollar, that is taboo! For many, even some within the church, no-one else is allowed near their wallets, not even God! The beaten man must have been in a sad state to require almost a month to heal & strengthen his battered body. But would you or I have done the same, that is the question?
We buttonhole or stereotype people into classes or marginalize them in one way or another. This can even be by who they associate with, the families they come from or sad to say what we hear from others on them. We can also do this to ourselves by limiting or quenching an inner desire for change, in whatever way within our own lives.
Hopefully I have expanded or enlightened your perspective on our title phrase. I would now like to give you something else to ponder. it's not who you're neighbor is but are you a good neighbor, like the Samaritan? You are who you are, food for thought!
Thursday, 10 November 2011
It is what it is
One of the most popular sayings of today is "it is what it is." Here are but a few examples, the weather "it is what it is," there just isn't anything you can do to about it. The economy "is what it is," as far as your being able to change it, forget it! Our finance minister tells us it is the European economy that is seemingly hindering ours, "it is what it is."
Over 50% of marriages end in divorce, so why bother getting married "it is what it is." Families are drifting (or moving) apart due to geological changes necessitated by employment "it is what it is."
Pride is something that has been instilled into us from day one. Proud of our accomplishments, our looks, our heritage, of our bank accounts "it is what it is." One more, I can't help that I am fearful, my mother was the same way before me "it is what it is."
You can fit just about anything you want to into the sentence & complete it with "it is what it is." Newsflash the statement "it is what it is" is a cop-out, a defeatist attitude wrapped up in five little words "it is what it is!"
Now let's look at some of the scenarios I have presented. We may not be able to change the weather but we can change our attitudes towards the weather. Locally we need rain our water level is way down this year due to little rain over the summer so we should be thankful for the rain. During this past hot summer I personally loved it, it brought back wonderful memories of my childhood. Whether hot or cold we should try to find something positive in whatever the weather may be.
Each of us deal with the economy by doing our part. When I was a young buck living in the Niagara Peninsula jobs were a dime a dozen. You could quit a good paying job in the morning & have an equivalent one in the afternoon. Today it just ain't so. I believe many will find their niche in entrepreneurship. If you are a Christian seek God in prayer, take a serious look at your abilities, couple that with discerning the needs that are not being met in the immediate world around you & you now have a job. When people are employed the local economy improves. What is happening in Europe does not necessarily dictate our economy but each of us doing our part does.
Marriages fail to a large degree because one or both of the spouses are not willing to abide by their marriage vows. Another key reason is there is not enough marriage counseling being done before two people step into this lifetime commitment. I have had the privilege to lead numerous couples into holy matrimony but not without at least 12 hours of marriage counseling during which you present the ups & downs that all couples will face in their marriages. Of all those marriages I only know of four that ended in divorce less than 10%. Another unique aspect in those divorce figures are the fact that none of those four couples tied into a local church, one of the best support groups you will ever find.
In regards to the fact our families are spread all over the world in this day & separating one from another. Thanks be to God for Alexander Graham Bell & his invention the telephone (by the way he was home schooled way back in his childhood.) We also now have the internet (like that is what you're reading this food for thought on now.)
For anyone who knows me pride is something I continue to research on a regular basis. Pride is fear based. Prideful people put on a false front for others to see because they are afraid to be found out for who they truly are. Obviously not all pride is bad but when we are good or gifted at something it is always (for a Christian) better to give thanks to God. Humility is a lot easier to handle than pride (what I refer to as spiritual skunk oil.)
To be bound by fear is a horrible thing. Fear paralyzes many who come into contact with it. Fearful people emotionally react by either cowering or by lashing out. Gangs & other forms of terrorism can only function if people allow fear to be in control. You notice the automatic reaction after the destruction of the twin towers was the old eye for an eye. Back in the 60's "The Animals" had a hit song called War, within it was a line that still rings true to this day "War what is it good, for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" The USA chose to lash out after 911.
Within our Christian faith in 2nd Timothy 1:7 "We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love & a sound mind. You do not have to be bound by a generational curse but can become an over-comer through prayer & living out the simple truths of Gods Word.
There is one thing that "is what it is" & that is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God! I know because when Jesus came into my life I was an angry, bitter, miserable man bound by numerous addictions. When we pray in the name of Jesus, the power of God the Holy Spirit goes into action to bring deliverance to pass & bring glory unto God!
This is not a quick fix but a lifelong transformation to become a person who exhibits the character of Jesus Christ (the fruit of the Spirit.) In Romans 12:2 we are told not to be conformed to this world we live in but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (good stuff in bad stuff out) reading the Word of God. Transformation is from the inside out. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within a Christian & our spirit becomes born again. He then initiates the transformation by convicting us of the need of change. As we study the Word of God the Holy Spirit quickens scripture to us & desire rises within us to become more Christlike. This is how 2nd Corinthians 5:17 takes place "old things pass away & all things become new." You become a brand new creation on the face of this earth. Gods Word the same yesterday, today & forever! "It is what it is" food for thought!
May God richly bless you with the salvation of your soul!
Over 50% of marriages end in divorce, so why bother getting married "it is what it is." Families are drifting (or moving) apart due to geological changes necessitated by employment "it is what it is."
Pride is something that has been instilled into us from day one. Proud of our accomplishments, our looks, our heritage, of our bank accounts "it is what it is." One more, I can't help that I am fearful, my mother was the same way before me "it is what it is."
You can fit just about anything you want to into the sentence & complete it with "it is what it is." Newsflash the statement "it is what it is" is a cop-out, a defeatist attitude wrapped up in five little words "it is what it is!"
Now let's look at some of the scenarios I have presented. We may not be able to change the weather but we can change our attitudes towards the weather. Locally we need rain our water level is way down this year due to little rain over the summer so we should be thankful for the rain. During this past hot summer I personally loved it, it brought back wonderful memories of my childhood. Whether hot or cold we should try to find something positive in whatever the weather may be.
Each of us deal with the economy by doing our part. When I was a young buck living in the Niagara Peninsula jobs were a dime a dozen. You could quit a good paying job in the morning & have an equivalent one in the afternoon. Today it just ain't so. I believe many will find their niche in entrepreneurship. If you are a Christian seek God in prayer, take a serious look at your abilities, couple that with discerning the needs that are not being met in the immediate world around you & you now have a job. When people are employed the local economy improves. What is happening in Europe does not necessarily dictate our economy but each of us doing our part does.
Marriages fail to a large degree because one or both of the spouses are not willing to abide by their marriage vows. Another key reason is there is not enough marriage counseling being done before two people step into this lifetime commitment. I have had the privilege to lead numerous couples into holy matrimony but not without at least 12 hours of marriage counseling during which you present the ups & downs that all couples will face in their marriages. Of all those marriages I only know of four that ended in divorce less than 10%. Another unique aspect in those divorce figures are the fact that none of those four couples tied into a local church, one of the best support groups you will ever find.
In regards to the fact our families are spread all over the world in this day & separating one from another. Thanks be to God for Alexander Graham Bell & his invention the telephone (by the way he was home schooled way back in his childhood.) We also now have the internet (like that is what you're reading this food for thought on now.)
For anyone who knows me pride is something I continue to research on a regular basis. Pride is fear based. Prideful people put on a false front for others to see because they are afraid to be found out for who they truly are. Obviously not all pride is bad but when we are good or gifted at something it is always (for a Christian) better to give thanks to God. Humility is a lot easier to handle than pride (what I refer to as spiritual skunk oil.)
To be bound by fear is a horrible thing. Fear paralyzes many who come into contact with it. Fearful people emotionally react by either cowering or by lashing out. Gangs & other forms of terrorism can only function if people allow fear to be in control. You notice the automatic reaction after the destruction of the twin towers was the old eye for an eye. Back in the 60's "The Animals" had a hit song called War, within it was a line that still rings true to this day "War what is it good, for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" The USA chose to lash out after 911.
Within our Christian faith in 2nd Timothy 1:7 "We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love & a sound mind. You do not have to be bound by a generational curse but can become an over-comer through prayer & living out the simple truths of Gods Word.
There is one thing that "is what it is" & that is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God! I know because when Jesus came into my life I was an angry, bitter, miserable man bound by numerous addictions. When we pray in the name of Jesus, the power of God the Holy Spirit goes into action to bring deliverance to pass & bring glory unto God!
This is not a quick fix but a lifelong transformation to become a person who exhibits the character of Jesus Christ (the fruit of the Spirit.) In Romans 12:2 we are told not to be conformed to this world we live in but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (good stuff in bad stuff out) reading the Word of God. Transformation is from the inside out. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within a Christian & our spirit becomes born again. He then initiates the transformation by convicting us of the need of change. As we study the Word of God the Holy Spirit quickens scripture to us & desire rises within us to become more Christlike. This is how 2nd Corinthians 5:17 takes place "old things pass away & all things become new." You become a brand new creation on the face of this earth. Gods Word the same yesterday, today & forever! "It is what it is" food for thought!
May God richly bless you with the salvation of your soul!
Sunday, 30 October 2011
The Journey is as Important as the Destination
Do you enjoy road trips like I do? It doesn't even matter if I start out with a destination, I just enjoy the journey, colors, scenery or just the drive. Many Christians are looking forward to heaven but do we look forward to each & every day on life's journey? Hopefully you did not receive rose colored glasses on the day of your conversion nor some pie in the sky doctrine. What you should have received was encouragement to learn to read your road map of life, which is called the Bible.
The church of today needs a prophetic voice, it needs vision, it has to change to accommodate a world headed to hell in a hand basket. I did not say we were to compromise the gospel, not become a seeker sensitive church (see my last blog.) I question today if some of our churches truly want to grow. We've become so entrenched in our belief of what the church should be. We've become so entrenched in our style of worship. We've become so entrenched in our denominational theology. That we are shutting out the people we are called to reach.
Many of our churches have to re-focus, we have got to be willing to make the necessary changes that will reach today's generation. It takes a lot of faith & boldness from the seniors of our churches to allow the new breed of zealous Christians to make their own mistakes, just as they did with the operation of our Lords church.
General Booth the founder of the Salvation Army had a vision that I will try to explain. It was as though he saw a three layer cake. On top were a bunch of people oblivious to anything else around them but themselves. On the next layer were a handful of people reaching down to the third level trying to save the people from the level below them. That third level was a storm filled sea with people trying desperately to escape & not be drowned. He interpreted it as the church being oblivious to the people of the world the Lord has instructed us to reach out too. The handful reaching out would be today called the para church, the soul winners of today. The violent sea being the world that holds its people in a death grip of greed, perversion, pride & fear, to name but a few of its vises.
Psalm 104:4 tells us His ministers are to be a flame of fire. The word minister actually means servants which is the position of every Christian in regards to their Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. So looking at that scripture we are to be on fire for the Lord sharing Him with every person & every opportunity that comes our way. Without new converts our churches can become as a dying fire in the woodstove, the fire is going out, the zeal for God long since departed.
If a christian is content in their walk with the Lord in all likelihood they have cut themselves off from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The churches job is to impact their communities not isolate themselves from them. It's along life's journey that your life touches other lives. At school, in your workplace, community activities, sporting events, in the grocery store or at the gas station.
Life is but a journey so let us look at the track of life from a Christian perspective.
The blocks--accepted Christ into your life
The starter pistol--go ye into all the world & preach the gospel ( not just for pastor & missionary.) Charles Price "We are all in full time ministry unto the Lord, no matter what our occupation."
The track shoes--feet shod in the preparation of the Gospel of peace (preparation before presentation.) Did you know you have beautiful feet that is what the good book says, beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.
We are not to be sprinters but marathoners 2nd Timothy 4:6-8
The hurdles--tests, trials & tribulations of life. The problems we face on a daily basis whether sickness, finances, relationships & the big one, people in our lives. By the way the only way over life's hurdles are to get on your knees & ask the Lord to help you become the over-comer He has called you to be.
This is not a competition--individual yet a team player with your coach being the Lord of Glory.
Your eyes focused on the terrain around you--we have to be trained up to discern between good & evil, both spiritually & in the natural (the pitfalls of life.)
Put into practice what you have learned
Pacing yourself--ENDURANCE
Focused on the goal--your goal is to be your encouragement to keep on going.
Hindrances--poorly trained, lack of conditioning, stretching exercises, breathing, proper diet, liquids, physical & mental toughness. While running the race of life you have numerous opportunities to give up from sheer exhaustion & discouragement.
poorly trained--the teaching you received in your church may not have been what you needed to run the race.
lack of conditioning--not having put into practice what you were taught to do
stretching exercises-- when you face tests, trials or tribulations you are both strengthening your walk but also helping you to help others through those same challenges of life.
breathing--it is the Holy Spirit who put the breath of life into you follow His direction
proper diet--man does not live buy bread alone, but by every word the proceeds from the word or mouth of God
liquids--drink of the living waters the Lord has provided for His followers
physical & mental toughness--we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
You've been trained up. When we put in the time & effort, make the sacrifices all you can see is the goal. Then you are ready to run the race. Hebrews 12:1, Romans 9:12-21 Again I remind you it's along life's journey that your life touches other lives, food for thought!
This was a message I had the privilege of preaching at Vennachar Free Methodist Church on October 23/11. It blessed the congregation so I thought I would put it in my blog.
The church of today needs a prophetic voice, it needs vision, it has to change to accommodate a world headed to hell in a hand basket. I did not say we were to compromise the gospel, not become a seeker sensitive church (see my last blog.) I question today if some of our churches truly want to grow. We've become so entrenched in our belief of what the church should be. We've become so entrenched in our style of worship. We've become so entrenched in our denominational theology. That we are shutting out the people we are called to reach.
Many of our churches have to re-focus, we have got to be willing to make the necessary changes that will reach today's generation. It takes a lot of faith & boldness from the seniors of our churches to allow the new breed of zealous Christians to make their own mistakes, just as they did with the operation of our Lords church.
General Booth the founder of the Salvation Army had a vision that I will try to explain. It was as though he saw a three layer cake. On top were a bunch of people oblivious to anything else around them but themselves. On the next layer were a handful of people reaching down to the third level trying to save the people from the level below them. That third level was a storm filled sea with people trying desperately to escape & not be drowned. He interpreted it as the church being oblivious to the people of the world the Lord has instructed us to reach out too. The handful reaching out would be today called the para church, the soul winners of today. The violent sea being the world that holds its people in a death grip of greed, perversion, pride & fear, to name but a few of its vises.
Psalm 104:4 tells us His ministers are to be a flame of fire. The word minister actually means servants which is the position of every Christian in regards to their Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. So looking at that scripture we are to be on fire for the Lord sharing Him with every person & every opportunity that comes our way. Without new converts our churches can become as a dying fire in the woodstove, the fire is going out, the zeal for God long since departed.
If a christian is content in their walk with the Lord in all likelihood they have cut themselves off from the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The churches job is to impact their communities not isolate themselves from them. It's along life's journey that your life touches other lives. At school, in your workplace, community activities, sporting events, in the grocery store or at the gas station.
Life is but a journey so let us look at the track of life from a Christian perspective.
The blocks--accepted Christ into your life
The starter pistol--go ye into all the world & preach the gospel ( not just for pastor & missionary.) Charles Price "We are all in full time ministry unto the Lord, no matter what our occupation."
The track shoes--feet shod in the preparation of the Gospel of peace (preparation before presentation.) Did you know you have beautiful feet that is what the good book says, beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.
We are not to be sprinters but marathoners 2nd Timothy 4:6-8
The hurdles--tests, trials & tribulations of life. The problems we face on a daily basis whether sickness, finances, relationships & the big one, people in our lives. By the way the only way over life's hurdles are to get on your knees & ask the Lord to help you become the over-comer He has called you to be.
This is not a competition--individual yet a team player with your coach being the Lord of Glory.
Your eyes focused on the terrain around you--we have to be trained up to discern between good & evil, both spiritually & in the natural (the pitfalls of life.)
Put into practice what you have learned
Pacing yourself--ENDURANCE
Focused on the goal--your goal is to be your encouragement to keep on going.
Hindrances--poorly trained, lack of conditioning, stretching exercises, breathing, proper diet, liquids, physical & mental toughness. While running the race of life you have numerous opportunities to give up from sheer exhaustion & discouragement.
poorly trained--the teaching you received in your church may not have been what you needed to run the race.
lack of conditioning--not having put into practice what you were taught to do
stretching exercises-- when you face tests, trials or tribulations you are both strengthening your walk but also helping you to help others through those same challenges of life.
breathing--it is the Holy Spirit who put the breath of life into you follow His direction
proper diet--man does not live buy bread alone, but by every word the proceeds from the word or mouth of God
liquids--drink of the living waters the Lord has provided for His followers
physical & mental toughness--we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
You've been trained up. When we put in the time & effort, make the sacrifices all you can see is the goal. Then you are ready to run the race. Hebrews 12:1, Romans 9:12-21 Again I remind you it's along life's journey that your life touches other lives, food for thought!
This was a message I had the privilege of preaching at Vennachar Free Methodist Church on October 23/11. It blessed the congregation so I thought I would put it in my blog.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
The Basis of Christianity
In my last blog I warned against the dangers of not preaching on the cross, the blood of Jesus & sin. Realistically I can not understand how any Christian church could ignore the basics principles that the gospel is founded upon. As an example every time we partake of the communion table we do so in remembrance of the blood & suffering Christ did on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.
Seeker sensitive churches are those who are willing to compromise the truth of the gospel, to increase numbers. An example of this is when ministers or denominations choose not to preach on a particular sin ex. homosexuality. God refers to homosexuality as an abomination (exceedingly disgusting), scriptures to back this up can be found in both the old & new testaments (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27). Not just individual churches but entire denominations have fallen into this deception of the devil. Some today will try to rationalize their beliefs by saying, there are no longer absolutes, NOT SO! Light is still light, the sun is still the sun, darkness is darkness & until someone receives Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior they are in spiritual darkness. Sad to say people can stay in spiritual darkness as long as they choose.
Rebellion & lawlessness run hand in hand, they are one & the same.
Back in Bible times the spirit of lawlessness had already been loosed upon the earth. As an example within Gnostic teaching was much of what we today call New Age teaching & even way back then, they believed that they were not just made in the image of God, but were actually gods themselves. Thus whatever they chose to do was OK as they were obeying the god of self. One thing mankind has proven over the years when there are no rules or laws to obey total chaos reigns supreme.
I am not saying these people cannot receive forgiveness (those teaching false doctrine or those being deceived by it & living in wrong ways) but first they must recognize the error of their ways (sin) & then ask for forgiveness 1John1:9. Then they must repent of their sins. A simple way to explain this is when I turn my back on sin & walk the other way, but keep your eyes out of the rear view mirror there is nothing of interest there for you anymore. Sin is sin & there is only one sin that God says He will not forgive (blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) Matthew 12:31. I am also not just sharing my perspective on the scriptures, they are what they are.
It is because of the blood of Christ that we can receive forgiveness for sin, deliverance from oppression of every sort & both physical & spiritual healing. The blood also provides us protection from the devil & his plans of destruction he has for believers. The blood covenant we have nor the promise of eternity in glory, neither would not be possible without the Lord having shed His blood for us.
If it were not for the cross of Calvary & what Jesus did for us there we could not have the forgiveness from sin that we have today. Jesus took our rightful place on that cross as the sacrificial lamb of God & paid in full the price for our sins. Two biblical terms that apply to this are ransomed & redeemed. On top of that when we receive Christ into our lives we are justified from our past sins. A easy way to explain this term is AS IF WE HAD NEVER COMMITTED THE SIN! This is almost mind boggling but remember, this is not a license to sin, Romans 6:1,2.
Sin is when we do something that goes against the teachings of the Bible. When we read the Bible or go to church to hear a message God uses the Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong doing within our lives. Probably everyone reading this blog has heard the old saying "miserable as sin" This old adage rings loud & clear for Christians, for when we find ourselves living in sin that conviction makes us totally miserable. The way out is to simply pray a simple prayer, Father forgive me my sin & help me Holy Spirit to not continue in this sinful way in Jesus name I pray.
A person can go to church all their lives & never make a decision to receive Jesus Christ into their life as Lord & Savior. When I was acting as the on duty Chaplain at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay I had the opportunity to minister to a man who was going into surgery & did not know if he was coming out. I asked him if He had made peace with His maker, his response was "I would not even know how!" I said just pray this prayer after me "Father God forgive me my sins, Jesus come into my heart & help me to be the person you want me to be, thank You for saving my soul & making me whole!" I watched waves of peace come over this man & he said to me Pastor Ken I know if I die it will be OK the Lord will take care of my wife & kids & if I come out of that operation I will serve him as long as I live & he did. All of this & he was not a church going person. Years later I had the privilege of doing his funeral. It was a joyous time celebrating his life ESPECIALLY HIS LIFE AFTER COMING TO KNOWING HIS CREATOR, cool eh.
We do not know what tomorrow will bring or even today for that matter. Are YOU at peace with your creator? Do you know the peace Bill came to know? Just pray that same simple prayer of faith that he did, food for thought!
Seeker sensitive churches are those who are willing to compromise the truth of the gospel, to increase numbers. An example of this is when ministers or denominations choose not to preach on a particular sin ex. homosexuality. God refers to homosexuality as an abomination (exceedingly disgusting), scriptures to back this up can be found in both the old & new testaments (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27). Not just individual churches but entire denominations have fallen into this deception of the devil. Some today will try to rationalize their beliefs by saying, there are no longer absolutes, NOT SO! Light is still light, the sun is still the sun, darkness is darkness & until someone receives Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior they are in spiritual darkness. Sad to say people can stay in spiritual darkness as long as they choose.
Rebellion & lawlessness run hand in hand, they are one & the same.
Back in Bible times the spirit of lawlessness had already been loosed upon the earth. As an example within Gnostic teaching was much of what we today call New Age teaching & even way back then, they believed that they were not just made in the image of God, but were actually gods themselves. Thus whatever they chose to do was OK as they were obeying the god of self. One thing mankind has proven over the years when there are no rules or laws to obey total chaos reigns supreme.
I am not saying these people cannot receive forgiveness (those teaching false doctrine or those being deceived by it & living in wrong ways) but first they must recognize the error of their ways (sin) & then ask for forgiveness 1John1:9. Then they must repent of their sins. A simple way to explain this is when I turn my back on sin & walk the other way, but keep your eyes out of the rear view mirror there is nothing of interest there for you anymore. Sin is sin & there is only one sin that God says He will not forgive (blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) Matthew 12:31. I am also not just sharing my perspective on the scriptures, they are what they are.
It is because of the blood of Christ that we can receive forgiveness for sin, deliverance from oppression of every sort & both physical & spiritual healing. The blood also provides us protection from the devil & his plans of destruction he has for believers. The blood covenant we have nor the promise of eternity in glory, neither would not be possible without the Lord having shed His blood for us.
If it were not for the cross of Calvary & what Jesus did for us there we could not have the forgiveness from sin that we have today. Jesus took our rightful place on that cross as the sacrificial lamb of God & paid in full the price for our sins. Two biblical terms that apply to this are ransomed & redeemed. On top of that when we receive Christ into our lives we are justified from our past sins. A easy way to explain this term is AS IF WE HAD NEVER COMMITTED THE SIN! This is almost mind boggling but remember, this is not a license to sin, Romans 6:1,2.
Sin is when we do something that goes against the teachings of the Bible. When we read the Bible or go to church to hear a message God uses the Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong doing within our lives. Probably everyone reading this blog has heard the old saying "miserable as sin" This old adage rings loud & clear for Christians, for when we find ourselves living in sin that conviction makes us totally miserable. The way out is to simply pray a simple prayer, Father forgive me my sin & help me Holy Spirit to not continue in this sinful way in Jesus name I pray.
A person can go to church all their lives & never make a decision to receive Jesus Christ into their life as Lord & Savior. When I was acting as the on duty Chaplain at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay I had the opportunity to minister to a man who was going into surgery & did not know if he was coming out. I asked him if He had made peace with His maker, his response was "I would not even know how!" I said just pray this prayer after me "Father God forgive me my sins, Jesus come into my heart & help me to be the person you want me to be, thank You for saving my soul & making me whole!" I watched waves of peace come over this man & he said to me Pastor Ken I know if I die it will be OK the Lord will take care of my wife & kids & if I come out of that operation I will serve him as long as I live & he did. All of this & he was not a church going person. Years later I had the privilege of doing his funeral. It was a joyous time celebrating his life ESPECIALLY HIS LIFE AFTER COMING TO KNOWING HIS CREATOR, cool eh.
We do not know what tomorrow will bring or even today for that matter. Are YOU at peace with your creator? Do you know the peace Bill came to know? Just pray that same simple prayer of faith that he did, food for thought!
Thursday, 6 October 2011
When you Listen, do you Hear?
How do you know someone has heard what was spoken? There will be an accompanying action! Lets look at a simple example. When we say to our kids, don't play in traffic it would probably be a good thing for them to listen up + act upon them, agreed. Husbands & wives both claim their spouse have selective hearing, only hearing when it's most advantageous for them. Selective hearing can be found in children, animals, husbands & wives as well as Christians! God's Word is full of warnings that we ignore day after day. Remember if you didn't act upon what you heard then it is questionable that you heard anything at all.
How do we hear from God? There are three obvious ways that come to mind. When I used to work in a paper mill just after becoming a Christian the guys would mockingly ask me "well have you heard from God today?" My answer was always the same YES He has spoken to me by His Word (the Bible!) Another way of hearing from God was by sitting under the teaching, preaching of the Word. The third way is by the unction of the Spirit. We understand Biblically that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost I refer to His presence as my knower. When I have an unction prompting me, it's time to listen up, pay attention & act upon what God is speaking to me.
How do we know we are hearing from God & not a familiar spirit (demon?) In 1st John we are told to TEST THE SPIRITS, now how do we do that? What you are feeling, what you are hearing does it line up with the WORD OF GOD? If not, don't touch it, guaranteed you will get burned. Many times I have met couples living together who claim to be Christians. They tell me how they know beyond a doubt that God has called them together. I do not question God called them to be together but if you think it was the Holy Spirit who told you to live together, give your head a shake! God the Holy Spirit & God the Word (Jesus) will not ever get into an argument. The Bible simply teaches neither fornication (sex outside of marriage) nor adultery (having sex with someone other than your spouse) are not of God! They have allowed their out of control emotions to rule on this issue NOT THE WORD OF GOD!
It is by reading or hearing the Word of God that we spiritually grow "Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word of God!" But never forget these words "There ain't no such thing as comfortable Christianity!" To become mature in Christ means you have come to the realization that you must obey the Word of God whether your emotional self agrees with it or not! Carnal Christianity is more than an oxymoron, it is a truth we all face from within. We are carnal creatures that desire above all else to please & promote self. The back half of that saying Christianity is supposed to be someone who follows (adheres) to the teachings of Jesus Christ which in turn will please & promote God.
Fifteen times in the New Testament we read or hear the Word of God state "He who has an ear let him hear!" When speaking to the church of Laodicea He says"I stand at the door & knock; if anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him, & will dine with him & he with I. You have to keep this in context with the entire chapter. The angel of the church of Laodicea (recognized & accepted as Jesus speaking to today's North American church) is indeed speaking to the church. The overall church is believers within the body of Christ but within this statement the warning is that NOT ALL CHURCHES today will even allow Jesus into His own buildings! Seeker sensitive churches chose not to preach on any subject that will ruffle the feathers of those in attendance. They no longer mention the blood (gory) the cross (religious) or anything addressing sin in our lives (all sin is made up by the church.) DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!
If you haven't figured it out yet those items in brackets in the last sentences are what the devil would have people think.
Dull of hearing, hardening of your heart, quenching the Spirit are all terms of spiritual deafness BY CHOICE, ouch! For a Christian to hear & not obey is rebellion which in the Bible is the same as witchcraft is a nasty thought. Lighten up, God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but He does expect you to try!
The Apostle Paul says it best in Romans 7 "why do I do the things I know I should not do & not do the things that I know I should do!" my paraphrasing. That statement certainly sums up how I feel with my daily frustrations of my walk with God.
Here is one of the multitudes of keys found within the Bible in regards to the how too's. Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without complaining & disputing." This is huge because I do believe often times "deliverance comes through obedience!" Within Joshua 6 we see God telling Joshua that if the people would walk around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days & then seven times on the seventh day the walls of Jericho would come down. The walls of Jericho were wide enough to drive chariots on, that is thick, thick, thick, not a small miracle. It wasn't faulty building materials nor an earthquake that brought those walls down, it was by God blessing His children for their obedience. One of the keys in this picture is in God telling the people to be in complete silence, why? Do you not think the same people would be doing a tad bit of grumbling & complaining at Joshua for asking them to do such a stupid thing. I can just about hear them talking to each other & Joshua actually thought he was hearing from God poor delusional soul. No God knows us better than we do & this thing in our mouths gets us into more trouble than you can shake a stick at. It part of our carnal nature to COMPLAIN especially about those things we know little about.
Before reading your Bible stop & pray "Father God please open my mind to understanding your Word." Check out Luke 24:32 & 45 + John 14:26 to back this up. Pray about it/Study it/Practice it/then you will never forget it! The Word of God will become personal/ you & the Word will become one/ You will become more Christ like which should be the desire of each & every Christian.
Be blessed, just some good old food for thought. Look forward to your comments.
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
How do we hear from God? There are three obvious ways that come to mind. When I used to work in a paper mill just after becoming a Christian the guys would mockingly ask me "well have you heard from God today?" My answer was always the same YES He has spoken to me by His Word (the Bible!) Another way of hearing from God was by sitting under the teaching, preaching of the Word. The third way is by the unction of the Spirit. We understand Biblically that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost I refer to His presence as my knower. When I have an unction prompting me, it's time to listen up, pay attention & act upon what God is speaking to me.
How do we know we are hearing from God & not a familiar spirit (demon?) In 1st John we are told to TEST THE SPIRITS, now how do we do that? What you are feeling, what you are hearing does it line up with the WORD OF GOD? If not, don't touch it, guaranteed you will get burned. Many times I have met couples living together who claim to be Christians. They tell me how they know beyond a doubt that God has called them together. I do not question God called them to be together but if you think it was the Holy Spirit who told you to live together, give your head a shake! God the Holy Spirit & God the Word (Jesus) will not ever get into an argument. The Bible simply teaches neither fornication (sex outside of marriage) nor adultery (having sex with someone other than your spouse) are not of God! They have allowed their out of control emotions to rule on this issue NOT THE WORD OF GOD!
It is by reading or hearing the Word of God that we spiritually grow "Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word of God!" But never forget these words "There ain't no such thing as comfortable Christianity!" To become mature in Christ means you have come to the realization that you must obey the Word of God whether your emotional self agrees with it or not! Carnal Christianity is more than an oxymoron, it is a truth we all face from within. We are carnal creatures that desire above all else to please & promote self. The back half of that saying Christianity is supposed to be someone who follows (adheres) to the teachings of Jesus Christ which in turn will please & promote God.
Fifteen times in the New Testament we read or hear the Word of God state "He who has an ear let him hear!" When speaking to the church of Laodicea He says"I stand at the door & knock; if anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him, & will dine with him & he with I. You have to keep this in context with the entire chapter. The angel of the church of Laodicea (recognized & accepted as Jesus speaking to today's North American church) is indeed speaking to the church. The overall church is believers within the body of Christ but within this statement the warning is that NOT ALL CHURCHES today will even allow Jesus into His own buildings! Seeker sensitive churches chose not to preach on any subject that will ruffle the feathers of those in attendance. They no longer mention the blood (gory) the cross (religious) or anything addressing sin in our lives (all sin is made up by the church.) DANGER, DANGER, DANGER!
If you haven't figured it out yet those items in brackets in the last sentences are what the devil would have people think.
Dull of hearing, hardening of your heart, quenching the Spirit are all terms of spiritual deafness BY CHOICE, ouch! For a Christian to hear & not obey is rebellion which in the Bible is the same as witchcraft is a nasty thought. Lighten up, God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but He does expect you to try!
The Apostle Paul says it best in Romans 7 "why do I do the things I know I should not do & not do the things that I know I should do!" my paraphrasing. That statement certainly sums up how I feel with my daily frustrations of my walk with God.
Here is one of the multitudes of keys found within the Bible in regards to the how too's. Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without complaining & disputing." This is huge because I do believe often times "deliverance comes through obedience!" Within Joshua 6 we see God telling Joshua that if the people would walk around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days & then seven times on the seventh day the walls of Jericho would come down. The walls of Jericho were wide enough to drive chariots on, that is thick, thick, thick, not a small miracle. It wasn't faulty building materials nor an earthquake that brought those walls down, it was by God blessing His children for their obedience. One of the keys in this picture is in God telling the people to be in complete silence, why? Do you not think the same people would be doing a tad bit of grumbling & complaining at Joshua for asking them to do such a stupid thing. I can just about hear them talking to each other & Joshua actually thought he was hearing from God poor delusional soul. No God knows us better than we do & this thing in our mouths gets us into more trouble than you can shake a stick at. It part of our carnal nature to COMPLAIN especially about those things we know little about.
Before reading your Bible stop & pray "Father God please open my mind to understanding your Word." Check out Luke 24:32 & 45 + John 14:26 to back this up. Pray about it/Study it/Practice it/then you will never forget it! The Word of God will become personal/ you & the Word will become one/ You will become more Christ like which should be the desire of each & every Christian.
Be blessed, just some good old food for thought. Look forward to your comments.
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Slacking off can be dangerous to your health!
This morning as I was doing my devotions out of the book of Proverbs (I refer to the book Proverbs as my smack up the side of the head book) I noted an exceptional comment in my study bible "the lazy of this world will do anything to stay out of doing anything" So true what a oxymoron. Over my lifetime I have found a good rule of thumb to be, the less you do the less you want to do while in the opposite vein the more you do the more you want to do. This is clearly shown in our prayer life. Often times you have to press in to break through into the spirit realm where we meet with our Savior to fellowship & petition Him for our needs as well as the needs of others. Reading the Word, living out the fruit of the Spirit that God places within us on the day of our conversion. Remember it is the Lords love, His joy, His peace, His long-suffering (I know He suffered long with me), His kindness, His Goodness, His faithfulness, His gentleness, His self control. All areas of life are encompassed in this simple mindset.
While Carol & I ran Soup for the Soul soup kitchen in Lindsay the Premier of Ontario Mike Harris implemented a work fair program whereby people on social assistance had the opportunity to receive an extra $50 per month if they participated in a local works program ex. cleaning the sides of the road. They would be all excited at the additional 50 bucks but that work stuff just got in the way of their lifestyle. I would sit them down & warn them if they didn't get their act together consequences were sure to follow & low & behold they would come ranting & raving when they were cut off their social assistance because THEY DID NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
Proverbs 19:24 "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it back to his mouth. This is a picture of many in Canada today as we have become a welfare state. To a degree it is a socialist attitude whereby people believe the world owes them a living.
Now let us look at why Canada is that way today. Perchance it is because the church is not doing what it has been called to do take care of those in need. Most of you reading this will be familiar with the old adage "Don't give them the fish but rather give them the fishing pole!" When I ran for mayor in the City of Kawartha Lakes I was asked what I would do to increase the affordable housing in that area they did not like my response. You already have rules in place so it is time to enforce them, kick out those who have two or three people living in a single apartment, kick out the drug dealers & bootleggers & just by taking care of those small areas you will not need more housing as there is already plenty available.
Why is that kind of thinking not popular, because we have become a nation ruled by do-gooders & bleeding hearts= enablers. An enabler enables someone to stay in their lifestyle of choice by providing their needs & wants for them as they continue around & around the mulberry bush. This encompasses addiction, laziness, single mothers who have a kid each year for the baby bonus (sorry if my terminology is not up to date but you get my drift) while the child calls every man that comes into mommy's life daddy.
When I worked in the paper mill if I did not punch the clock & put in a full days work I did not get paid. Rules are meant to be followed (contrary to popular belief) but today in the world we live(as well as within the church) the spirit of lawlessness is rampant. The law is not in place for the law abiding citizen but the criminal who breaks the laws of the land. In Christianity the law was to be our tutor or schoolmaster but as you become mature in Christ you no longer obey it because you have to but because you want to. Not as much fearing the consequences but rather to please our Master.
Yes as the title says slacking off can be dangerous to your health, no work, no money, no food you get the drift. Spiritually if we choose to slack off & not do things the things we ought to do the end result can have eternal consequences, food for thought!
Be Blessed
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
While Carol & I ran Soup for the Soul soup kitchen in Lindsay the Premier of Ontario Mike Harris implemented a work fair program whereby people on social assistance had the opportunity to receive an extra $50 per month if they participated in a local works program ex. cleaning the sides of the road. They would be all excited at the additional 50 bucks but that work stuff just got in the way of their lifestyle. I would sit them down & warn them if they didn't get their act together consequences were sure to follow & low & behold they would come ranting & raving when they were cut off their social assistance because THEY DID NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
Proverbs 19:24 "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and will not even bring it back to his mouth. This is a picture of many in Canada today as we have become a welfare state. To a degree it is a socialist attitude whereby people believe the world owes them a living.
Now let us look at why Canada is that way today. Perchance it is because the church is not doing what it has been called to do take care of those in need. Most of you reading this will be familiar with the old adage "Don't give them the fish but rather give them the fishing pole!" When I ran for mayor in the City of Kawartha Lakes I was asked what I would do to increase the affordable housing in that area they did not like my response. You already have rules in place so it is time to enforce them, kick out those who have two or three people living in a single apartment, kick out the drug dealers & bootleggers & just by taking care of those small areas you will not need more housing as there is already plenty available.
Why is that kind of thinking not popular, because we have become a nation ruled by do-gooders & bleeding hearts= enablers. An enabler enables someone to stay in their lifestyle of choice by providing their needs & wants for them as they continue around & around the mulberry bush. This encompasses addiction, laziness, single mothers who have a kid each year for the baby bonus (sorry if my terminology is not up to date but you get my drift) while the child calls every man that comes into mommy's life daddy.
When I worked in the paper mill if I did not punch the clock & put in a full days work I did not get paid. Rules are meant to be followed (contrary to popular belief) but today in the world we live(as well as within the church) the spirit of lawlessness is rampant. The law is not in place for the law abiding citizen but the criminal who breaks the laws of the land. In Christianity the law was to be our tutor or schoolmaster but as you become mature in Christ you no longer obey it because you have to but because you want to. Not as much fearing the consequences but rather to please our Master.
Yes as the title says slacking off can be dangerous to your health, no work, no money, no food you get the drift. Spiritually if we choose to slack off & not do things the things we ought to do the end result can have eternal consequences, food for thought!
Be Blessed
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Friday, 16 September 2011
Are you an addict?
If I was a betting man I would have placed my bottom dollar on the fact you are (whether you know it or not) an addict. Don't feel bad, I have yet to meet anyone who is not addicted to one thing or another. I can just about hear your outcry "well sir you haven't met me!" How about Tim Horton's coffee? Have you tried to go a day or better yet a week without one ha, ha, ha like not a chance! Here is a big big word CHOCOLATE can't you just about taste it, oh yeah! Are you getting the picture yet? Now to my Christian brethren, we are addicted to our North American lifestyle. Want proof? Just look around you at what you have & then think about what we so casually call the poor of the world we live in. Please stop rationalizing or justifying your excess. The teachings of Jesus on how we are to help the poor are not up for debate (Matthew 25:31-46 among many others)
Addiction doesn't recognize color, age, sex, or anything else, but it sure does take control of your very life (while often times taking that same life.) Addiction & lust are a closely knit couple. Please do not lose sight of the fact that lust is not just sexual, but also a power struggle that tells you, you have to be the very best, to be #1. Along with that it is a material compulsion such as clothes, cars, houses, or the natural resources that supply them all ex. oil. We are more than willing to destroy anything or crush anyone just to feed our addiction.
You see whatever you can't do without, is in all likelihood, an addiction. Addiction today is recognized as a sickness, a disease that carries with it an all inclusive compulsion that consumes a persons very soulish being. This explains the very core of the compulsive addictive nature which addicts are labelled with today.
Your soul is made up of your intellect, will, mind & the damaged goods are your emotions & imagination. All areas are of your soul have been influenced by others, whether education or life experiences (good & bad.)
Now if we as Christians have the character of Christ we should definitely include the fruit of the Spirit self control, now that is painful. So please do not tell me you have to go to a shrink for help, but each of us should spend more time on our knees crying out to our Saviour to help us be the overcomers He has called us to be. He has given us the very power source of all creation (the Holy Spirit) to help us through each & every situation we face in life while here on earth.
Please do not think I am placing myself on the same pedestal the Sadducees & Pharisees of old placed themselves on. I am a sinner in dire need of His forgiveness, on sad to say too many occasions. Yes the term filthy worm comes to mind when I see myself in comparison to who the Lord would have me to be.
Do not beat yourself up over your failures! Remember we are running a race in my eyes a hurdle race where we can only go on if we humble ourselves & ask for the help He readily wants to give us. But it is up to you to ASK not remain the prideful self who continues to struggle over the same thing (around & around the mountain we go) day after day year after day. God does not expect you to be perfect but He does expect you to try!
Be Blessed
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord!
Addiction doesn't recognize color, age, sex, or anything else, but it sure does take control of your very life (while often times taking that same life.) Addiction & lust are a closely knit couple. Please do not lose sight of the fact that lust is not just sexual, but also a power struggle that tells you, you have to be the very best, to be #1. Along with that it is a material compulsion such as clothes, cars, houses, or the natural resources that supply them all ex. oil. We are more than willing to destroy anything or crush anyone just to feed our addiction.
You see whatever you can't do without, is in all likelihood, an addiction. Addiction today is recognized as a sickness, a disease that carries with it an all inclusive compulsion that consumes a persons very soulish being. This explains the very core of the compulsive addictive nature which addicts are labelled with today.
Your soul is made up of your intellect, will, mind & the damaged goods are your emotions & imagination. All areas are of your soul have been influenced by others, whether education or life experiences (good & bad.)
Now if we as Christians have the character of Christ we should definitely include the fruit of the Spirit self control, now that is painful. So please do not tell me you have to go to a shrink for help, but each of us should spend more time on our knees crying out to our Saviour to help us be the overcomers He has called us to be. He has given us the very power source of all creation (the Holy Spirit) to help us through each & every situation we face in life while here on earth.
Please do not think I am placing myself on the same pedestal the Sadducees & Pharisees of old placed themselves on. I am a sinner in dire need of His forgiveness, on sad to say too many occasions. Yes the term filthy worm comes to mind when I see myself in comparison to who the Lord would have me to be.
Do not beat yourself up over your failures! Remember we are running a race in my eyes a hurdle race where we can only go on if we humble ourselves & ask for the help He readily wants to give us. But it is up to you to ASK not remain the prideful self who continues to struggle over the same thing (around & around the mountain we go) day after day year after day. God does not expect you to be perfect but He does expect you to try!
Be Blessed
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord!
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