IT'S TOO SOON TO QUIT

Acts 18:9 “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

A man was shoveling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him. “Can we shovel your snow mister?” one of them asked. “Only two dollars!” Puzzled the man replied, “Can’t you see that I’m doing it myself.” “Sure,” said one of the enterprising young men, “that’s why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting.” Well, that describes most of us at one time or another, we feel like giving up. Paul would later write to the same group that he is ministering to in this chapter, in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” But Paul did not feel that way when he first arrived in Corinth.

After he left Athens Paul went to Corinth. Verse one says, “After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.” Corinth was a commercial center located on a narrow land bridge that connected the southern part of Greece, the Peloponnessus- with the northern part of Greece. At the time of Paul’s arrival the city would have been large and prosperous.

One of the most distinguishing features of the city was the Temple of Aphrodite, located on the hill overlooking the city. Aphrodite (or Venus as she was called by the Romans) was the goddess of love. There were about 1,000 temple prostitutes associated with this temple who entered the city each evening to ply their trade. One worshipped the goddess of love by having sexual relations with one of these prostitutes. Immorality in Corinth was so well known that to say who did not live in Corinth that they were a Corinthian, was an insult and a charge of sexual immorality. There was no city in the Roman Empire that was more corrupt.

I tend to believe that when Paul arrived in Corinth that he became depressed and discouraged. When confronted with the depravity of this city he must have felt almost overwhelmed. Every depraved thing that the imagination of man could come up with Paul saw in Corinth. Not only is Paul overwhelmed with immorality of Corinth; he is very much alone. Paul had left all of his co-workers, Silas and Timothy behind. In Corinth he faced the challenge of presenting the gospel to an entire city with a population of around, 250,000 people. He was justifiably overwhelmed.

I am sure that the temptation to give up was there. He was human, after all. Perhaps you can relate to that feeling. Maybe you have been working and trying to live the life that God has designed for you. Maybe things have gotten difficult. Perhaps your surrounding circumstances leave you feeling overwhelmed. The enemy would love for you to quit right in the middle of God’s plan for you. Take heart today. God is faithful to complete that which he has begun in you. Don’t quit before you see the fulfillment of his promise.

Even the Apostle Paul needed to be reassured that he was in the protective grace of God. But whatever this world may do to us, there is nothing that can change our eternal destiny. Even the Apostle Paul needed to know that he was not alone. As great a man as he was he still needed other people. He needed to know that he was not in the fight alone. We are much like Paul; God will send us that which we need. Hold on. Be courageous. Don’t Quit.

THE PLANS OF THE HEART

Proverbs 16:1 “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.”

Some years ago Albert Einstein was on a train bound for New York City. As the ticket taker came walking through the car, Einstein reached into his pocket to retrieve his ticket, but could not find it. He frantically searched his coat pockets, turned his pants pockets inside out, but still could not produce the ticket.

The ticket taker said, ‘Don’t worry, Mr. Einstein, we all know who you are. Forget about it.’ About 20 minutes later, the ticket taker came back through the car, and by this time Einstein was on the floor searching everywhere for the lost ticket. Again the ticket taker tried to reassure Einstein by saying, ‘I told you not to worry about the lost ticket. We trust that you purchased one, and that is good enough for us.’ Einstein looked up at the railroad employee and said, ‘Young man, this isn’t a matter of trust but of direction. I need to find the ticket because I forgot where I am going.”

Do you have a clear sense of where you want to go in life? Are you headed toward that destination, moving away from that destination, or simply standing idle? The first foundational secret for wise living is simply this: Wise people have a sense of their God-given destination and have made plans of going there. Wise people know where they want to go in life and have a plan for getting there.

No body arrives at their destination in life by accident. The only thing that arrives at its intended destination by accident is airline luggage. In fact, without a plan, we tend to drift away from our dreams.

The best way to allow Satan to destroy your dreams is to do nothing. Continue to live with no action plan, and you will never arrive at your desired destination in life. Why? There is a law that works in the natural world that is also operative in your life: the second law of thermodynamics. This principle, simply stated, tells us that the physical world is decaying and that the direction of all creation is downward, not upward. Everything eventually runs down.

Have you ever wondered why a garden left untended eventually becomes overgrown with weeds? The answer is that everything in the world is decaying. What is true in the physical world is also true about your life. If you don’t believe that, just ask yourself a few questions. Does your body tend to get healthier as you age? Does your vision improve the longer you live? Can you hear better when you are sixty that when you were twenty? If unchecked, the same decay that pulls your physical body downward will also destroy other parts of your life. Because of the sin nature we inherited from Adam, we do not naturally drift toward God or moved toward his plan for our lives. Instead, if we do not exert a proactive counter effort, the natural course of events will lead to the depletion of financial resources, the disintegration of our families, the deterioration of our bodies, and yes, the destruction of our souls. That is why it is essential to develop a plan to reverse the natural direction of your life and transport you to your desired destination. A plan is simply a road map for getting you to your desired destination in life.

Don’t just sit around and hope that every thing will work out the way you want it to be. Be wise. Plan for God’s best in your life.

KEYS TO A BREAKTHROUGH

1 Chronicles 14:10 “So David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"

David is describing the natural power of flooding. When waters break out of their banks great power is displayed washing everything away in its path and he describes the power of God in a similar way because when God unleashed his power there was nothing that could stop it. Before the breakthrough the scene in the scripture is called - Valley of Rephaim meaning house of the giant. After the breakthrough it is called - Baal Perazim - possessor of breaches.

Why was this place renamed after Baal a god of the Philistines and not after the Lord? Because at this place the enemy thought he was the strongest – so David called it Baal Perazim meaning that God broke through in the strongest place of the enemy - God wants to give you a breakthrough in those areas of your life that the enemy is the strongest. They may be areas in which you have felt defeated for a long, long time. It may be a situation that seems so bad that you feel helpless. It may seem like an unmovable force in your life. Remember, God is not deterred by the same things that hinder you and me.

What area of breakthrough do you need? – Faith –Family – Finances – Freedom.

It says that when David saw the enemy he inquired of the Lord. It is interesting that David didn’t assume the obvious. They had come to fight and God had given them an army to fight them with. It would seem evident that this was God’s plan. But, David does not assume to know God’s thoughts. He goes to God to seek God’s favor upon him.

It takes faith and action to see a breakthrough. You may be saying that it just seems so overwhelming, but David’s example offers us two keys to a breakthrough.

First, we must seek God’s direction. David understood that he needed God’s direction before he went into battle. David had won his fair share of battles including his great victory over Goliath. He could have easily relied on his own personal military experience, confidence and skill as a warrior to handle the situation. David depended on God so greatly that when the Philistines attacked a second time, he sought God again before he attacked. We need to continually seek God’s direction.

Second, we must follow God’s direction. Where God leads he is also present, so if we follow his leading we will always be in his presence and there would be assurance of God’s protection, provision or power.

We should always remember in times of trial to let patience have its perfect work. Be patient in allowing God to complete his work in you. Remember James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Your breakthrough is on its way if you remain in faith by seeking God and following his direction.

FINDING GOD IN A CRISIS

2 Kings 5:1 “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.”

Imagine this: You graduate from the University with honors. You are intelligent and are soon employed by a big and famous company. You do well and are promoted a few times. You are now the CEO of the company, and business continues to expand to the regions. You have made a name for yourself. You’re smart, famous and rich. But then one day, you feel a pain in your body. It’s a terminal illness. You’re devastated. All the successes of the past mean nothing to you now. All the fame and riches do not matter. You just want to stay alive.

Naaman was in a similar situation – he was Commander of Syrian army. He was a great leader and a valiant soldier. He won many battles. He was smart and daring soldier. General Naaman had the world under his control. He had everything you and I crave for. He was at the height of his career.

Unfortunately there is a big but - he was a leper. Leprosy is terminal. He is doomed. He will be quarantined for life. There was no cure. Naaman, the powerful Commander, is now a powerless, sick man. Beneath that glamorous armor is a problem that is breaking him. His status, fame, intelligence and past achievements do not really matter now. Everything looks insignificant. When the maid introduced him to a prophet in Israel, it was best news he could hear. What he needed now was to find God.

God can use crisis in our life to wake us up and help us see what truly matters in life. Naaman would have gone through life trusting himself and all his achievements, but now God brought a halt to this journey – the crisis led him to the God of Israel. At the end of it, he knew that there was only one true God in the entire world, and that’s the God of Israel.

God was what Naaman needed. He had everything that man would want today, but that was not enough. What we need today is not more of wealth, status or accomplishments. What we need is more of God – to know him, love him and stick close to him. We may have everything in our favor, just like Naaman, but one day we’ll realize that these do not matter. Jesus says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)

Have faith in God. That’s the lesson. You can trust him. Never mind if you do not understand everything. Do as he says. It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve already seen him do before. But Naaman’s circumstance wasn’t easy – he had a terminal disease, and nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. He has no point of reference to look back on. And he was told to do something irrational. To an army General, this was difficult. It took faith.

What are you seeking today? Naaman needed to know God and be saved. God brought him that blessing, but only through a crisis. Refocus today. Allow God to bring revelation to you of what truly matters most. Allow his love for you, not a crisis, to draw you close to him.

A NEW HEART

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”

The problem with giving into temptation over and over again is that it begins to be a habit – like a wagon that make ruts in a road it becomes easier and easier to just stay in the rut and continue to give in. This is where we find Judah and Jerusalem in the time of Ezekiel. They have gotten into a rut of sin, extreme promiscuity, idol worship, child sacrifice, and oppression of the poor and the weak.They have become so bad that God finally has to remove them from the land he has promised them. Although God has cast his judgment upon them, he tells them that his judgment will not last forever. One day he will restore them to the land that he promised them. This prophecy is fulfilled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. God uses the pagan kings Cyrus and Artaxerxes to send the Jewish people back to Jerusalem and the land.God also knows that even if Israel returns to him and serves him once again, it won’t be too long before the pull to sin and other gods begins again. So along with the promise of a return to the land, he gives them this promise of a heart transplant. No longer will their hearts be hard and cold to his love, but he will give them a heart of flesh that will respond to his love, and love him in return. He will give them a heart that actually wants to obey his ways.

When God’s Spirit takes a hold of us he gives us the desire to obey, and the power to fulfill those desires and actually obey him and do what he wants. But we need to walk with the Spirit, or our hearts can begin to harden once again. When we come to Christ, his Spirit helps us to want the right and to do it, but he doesn’t take our will away. If we want to we can resist the Spirit and continue to behave badly.

There is a story of an elder who had come to faith in Jesus, and he described the struggle to a younger man by saying, “It feels like there are two dogs fighting inside of me.” The young man asked, “which dog wins?” The older man replied “Which ever one I feed?” Which dog are you feeding? Are you feeding the things of the Spirit in your life, or are you feeding the things of the sinful nature? Are you spending time in prayer, Scripture reading, Christian fellowship & worship? Or are you spending time satisfying your sinful nature.

God gives us this new heart that is not hard so that it can actually respond to him. Maybe you have experienced this yourself. Perhaps, there was a time in your life when you had no interest in spiritual things, but at some point your heart became alive to the good news and you began your journey back to God through Jesus. The key is to keep your focus on the condition of the new heart you have been given. Don’t allow the circumstances you face to hardened your heart and change your perspective. Stay sensitive to him and he will always guide you.

YOUR FAILURE IS NOT FATAL

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Have you had a moment of failure lately? Well, you are not alone. Here is a list of prominent failures:

*Thomas Edison – his teacher said, "he was too stupid to learn;"
*Albert Einstein -- his teacher said, "He (Albert) was mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams;"
*Decca records who rejected the Beatles
*The newspaper editor who fired Walt Disney because he lack ideas......and, in turn, the Disney executives years later who rejected Star Wars, claiming it would flop at the box office

We all mess up, fail, and make bad choices. If you have recently done so – welcome to the human race. In scripture, Paul offers some encouragement to those who are suffering through trouble and maybe failure.

Here is a fact that we all need to come to grips with. – “Even at our best, we fail.” I hope you’ll see your failures as something less than fatal. At the point of failure, we have a choice to make. We can fail backward or we can fail forward. Failing forward allows us to grow and to learn from our failures. Let’s look at a five fold system in facing our failures.

#1 -- Acknowledge Your Failure
Most of us hate admitting failure. It is important to know that not every failure points to a sin - at least not yours. For example:Job lost his family, home, and belongings. He didn’t do anything wrong.Jesus was seized, convicted, and executed. He didn’t do anything wrong.James 3:2 says "We all stumble in many things." In other words, we all fail. Fight the urge to simply redefine success instead of acknowledging failure. Have you ever heard someone say that a marriage failed? That is a great example of missing the point. Marriages don’t fail, people do.

#2 -- Accept God’s Forgiveness.
There is no failure to big for God to forgive. In fact, forgiveness is God’s specialty. According to the scripture, God is willing to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.” The key is that we have to accept the forgiveness. That requires that we let it go. Stop dwelling on the magnificence of your failure. If God is willing to forgive you, what gives you the right to refuse to forgive yourself?

#3 -- Apply The Lessons of Failure Toward Success
Don’t totally forget your failures. Don’t beat yourself, but learn something.*Tom Watson Sr., founded IBM and guided "Big Blue" for over 40 years. One of his most impressive moments in leadership occurred when a junior executive lost an enormous amount of money ($10 million) on a risky venture for the company. Watson called the man into the office and the man entered and nervously blurted out, "I guess you want my resignation?" Watson replied, "You can’t be serious. We’ve just spent $10 million educating you." Mistakes can be teachers that provide us with invaluable lessons. Even though we fail, that doesn’t mean we’re failures.

#4 -- Accept Failure as a Fact of Life, Not A Way of Life
Peter the disciple knew all about failure. In the upper room Jesus warned Peter about how he, Peter, would deny him, Jesus, before the rooster crowed three times. Of course, the story in Mark 14 confirms that Peter did just as Christ had foretold. Peter blew it and he knew it. He could have hid and spent the rest of his life as hermit in seclusion. But instead, two months later he preached one of the greatest sermons in Christianity and 3,000 people were saved. Don’t ever let someone call you a failure or a loser. Failure is an event, not a person. It’s something you do, not something you become. Your failures are not fatal. Your attitude during failure determines your altitude after failure.

# 5 -- Arise From Failure & Start Again.
You can fail in two directions: Backward or Forward. You have that choice. You can’t decide if you’re going to fail or not. You’re going to fail. Don’t fall into the trap of looking only to see a composite of all our short comings and failures. God looks beyond our failures to see us. Can you imagine a loving father introducing his children by saying, "This is Sue. She spilled grape juice on the carpet when she was 2, scratched the car with her bike when she was 9, failed to get on the honor roll in all 4 years of high school, she’s been married twice and has had four speeding tickets." Loving fathers don’t memorize their children’s mistakes, neither does our heavenly father. If you’re beating yourself up for the memories of past mistakes, you’re holding yourself to higher standard than even God has. He doesn’t remember the forgiven failure.

DWELL DEEP

Jeremiah 49:8 “Flee, turn back, dwell deep, inhabitants of Dedan. For calamity is coming.”

Dedan was a tribe of Arabs dwelling with the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. When the Arabs were about to be attacked by a powerful foe, they would pick up their tents, pack up their utensils, lade their camels, which they could do in a couple of hours, and set off to the great desert. They would so bury themselves in the desert that no enemy either would or could pursue them. The Arabs alone knew the deserts, and could find water and provisions for their support. They were called to flee, and to get into caves, where they might dwell deep in the earth and be in some security. By digging themselves deep into the caverns and rocks they were secure from the enemy.

Have you ever felt under attack? Maybe overwhelmed by the problems that have come against you? It seems that many people today are searching for the answers to life’s problems. They are looking for a way to find relief. Some people just want to get away from it all. There are times that we must fight against these troubles. There are also times we need to recuperate from the struggles. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that there is a time for everything.

When I was a child, our family dog had a keen sense for when it was time to take a step back. When he was frightened or when he thought he may be in trouble he would hide himself under a neighbor’s porch. He would get as far back a possible to a place where no one could reach him. Sometimes, he would stay there for several hours.

As Christians, we will face moments in life in which we may feel overwhelmed; without answers to the things we are facing. It is true that there are times that we must push forward and keep moving. But there are times that we need rest. Times that we need a place to gather ourselves and regain our strength. These are not physical caves or hiding places. You can’t abandon your problems and hope that they will disappear. We can, however, rest in the love of God Almighty. The Psalmist sang unto the Lord, “In the shadow of your wings, will I make my refuge.”

God calls out to us to find our hiding place in him. It is an opportunity, not just to hide. But to rest, to recover, and to grow in God. The prophet Jeremiah called upon the people to dwell deep in the desert. In the same manner, we can dwell deep in our relationship with our loving God. In those moments of rest, we are offered an intimate chance to know him better. We are drawn closer to God. It is about being in the presence of our deliverer. We will not be allowed to hide forever. But by dwelling deep in his presence, we will come out more equipped for victory over our problems and confidence for the road ahead.

Be encouraged today to dwell deep in him. Become intimately aware of his word and his voice. Learn to trust in his ways by discovering his ways through deep relationship with him. When trouble comes, you have a place to go. It is in the arms of the Most High God. It is a place of refuge and hope. It is also a place of supply, or learning, and of growing. Dwell as deep as you can and discover new things in him.

SHAKE OFF COMPLACENCY

Zephaniah 1:12 “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, 'The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.'

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, told a story about a goose who was wounded and who landed in a barnyard with some chickens. He played with the chickens and ate with the chickens. After a while that goose thought he was a chicken. One day a flight of geese came over, migrating to their home. They gave a honk up there in the sky, and he heard it. The philosopher said, "Something stirred within the breast of this goose. Something called him to the skies. He began to flap the wings he hadn’t used, and he rose a few feet into the air. Then he stopped, and he settled back again into the mud of the barnyard. He heard the cry, but he settled for less." Complacency keeps us in the mud of the barnyard and keeps us from becoming all God meant for us to be.

Zephaniah has a harsh word to say about the person who has become spiritually complacent. Zephaniah said that God would search the city and “punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, ’The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.’”

We are all subject to becoming complacent. Our souls become tired. Our spirits become fatigued. We find ourselves thinking that the poor are all around us, someone else can take care of them. There are lonely people in the church we could call on, but we don’t.There are people in our neighborhood we could invite to come to church, but we ignore them. There are commands that God has given us, but in a world in which people care very little for ethics and moral conduct, it is easy for us to yield to temptation and become complacent about living for God.

It is all too common and easy. Getting comfortable is a happy feeling. But it can, if left unchecked, stunt our growth and rob us of God’s blessings. The enemy would love for us to feel as though our “position” is as good as it gets and for us to feel that there is little benefit in striving for a stronger and deeper relationship with God. Life will confront us with choices. Apathy is a choice. We have to choose to be indifferent by overlooking the prompting of God to pursue greater things. How do you fight complacency? How do you get “fired up for God” when the spark has died out?

In Revelation, God tells the angel of the complacent church of Laodicea, “Behold, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” In order to fight complacency, you have to hear the voice of God. Listen to the Word of God. Reject the “been there, done that” mentality. Lose the “it’s somebody else’s problem” approach. Listen to what God is saying to you. Then, get up and open the door. God desires everything from us and he wants us to have all of him. Nothing less will suffice.

MARKED MOMENTS

Genesis 35:14 “Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him.”

There are those moments in history that we can never forget. There are those moments that are so dramatic and impactful that you will always remember where you were when it happened. My mother says that she remembers vividly where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated. My grandmother can clearly recall the day when Pearl Harbor was attacked. For me, it is the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that occurred on January 28, 1996. I was sitting in my fifth grade class when the news broke. My teacher knew that it was an incredible moment in history and we watched the news coverage the rest of the day. Of course the horrible events of September 11, 2001 will always be seared into our collective memories as well.

The point is that there are some memories that stick with us more than others. Perhaps you remember the name of your third grade teacher or the date you saw your first baseball game. Often times, we keep memorabilia or mementos to help us remember. The postcard from your vacation to Niagara Falls. The ticket stub from the movie you saw with your spouse on your first date. People takes hundreds, if not thousands, of photos every year to preserve memories.

It is wise to mark important events in our lives. I never want to forget the feeling I had when each of my children were born or the way I felt on my wedding day. As Christians, we have pivotal moments in our walk with God as well. They are those times that help set the course of our lives. Maybe it’s a moment when a certain scripture encouraged you to make a monumental decision. Perhaps it’s the uplifting of the Spirit at just the right time. Maybe it’s that change in circumstances that you knew was orchestrated by God himself. Whatever it may be, those are the moments that we should mark so that we never forget. You see, I remember the night that I knew that God had called me into the ministry. I have marked it in my mind. I can clearly tell you how my wife and I felt when God directed us to make the biggest move of our life. For us, these were pivotal moments and we think of them often.

Why is it so important to mark these moments? I have had plenty of moments in which I have questioned my calling. I have suffered setbacks and then felt like quitting. There are been many difficulties endured that can make us feel as if we belong in a different place. It is in those times. That we go back to those “marked moments.” We look back at God’s faithfulness and his provision. We remember what he said to us and it gives us the strength to continue.

Every moment will not be remarkable. There will be plenty of times that lack excitement and, in turn, create confusion. That is why it is so important to hold on to the moments in which God has impacted us through his voice, his mercy, or his direction. The enemy would love for us to forget what God has done and what God has said. Like Jacob, we should mark the moment in our heart. Remind yourself of it often. Never forget what God has done.

A LESSON FROM LEPERS

Luke 17:12-13 “As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Have you ever had a totally lousy day? I read about a man who was sitting in a bar, looking at his drink. He stayed like that for half-an-hour. Then, a big trouble-making truck driver stepped up next to him, grabbed the drink from him, and gulped it down in one swallow. At that, the man burst into tears. The truck driver said, “Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I’ll buy you another drink. I just can’t stand to see a grown man crying.” “No, it’s not that.” The guy said, “Today day is the worst of my life. First, I overslept and was late to an important meeting. My boss was outraged and he fired me. When I left the office, I discovered my car had been stolen, and the police said there was nothing they could do. I took a cab home, and as he drove off I realized I left my wallet in the back seat of the taxi. I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but when I walked into my house I found my wife in the arms of another man–and she told me to leave. So I stopped by a chemical store, and then came here. I’ve been sitting here thinking about taking my life…when you come in and drink all my poison!”That’s a bad day–for both of them. The Bible never promises our lives will be free from pain and difficulties, instead the Bible promises we will have many trials and tribulations in this life. The secret to a successful life is in knowing where to turn for help when you have a problem.

Our scripture offers us an example of ten men that had it pretty bad. But they were certain that Jesus could help them. In biblical times, leprosy was a terrible problem. The word was often used to describe a variety of skin diseases, but doctors believe most of the people suffered with what we now call Hansen’s Disease. It starts with a white patch of skin that becomes numb, so much so that the victims cannot even feel a needle piercing the spot. The patch begins to spread all over the body and often manifests itself on the face, so the disease is impossible to hide. It then begins to form spongy tumors on the face and, at the same time, attacks the internal organs as well. The nerve endings become numb so the victim cannot tell when something is hurting him, like fire burning his hand. The leprosy itself was not fatal, but more lepers died from other diseases they contracted because of their weakened condition. Lepers were called “the walking dead,” and were kicked out of their homes and villages and forced to live in colonies with other lepers. They couldn’t work or worship at the temple.

These ten men banded together and decided they wouldn’t just give up and die, so they got up and headed toward Jesus. When they found Jesus they didn’t talk about the weather, Jewish politics or chariot races; they cried out as one voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”It would have been easy for these ten lepers to look at each other and think, “We’re not so bad, we’re all in the same condition.” One of them could have said, “My leprosy is not as bad as his, so I’m doing okay.” Instead, they said, “We’ve got a big problem! We’re going to die! We need to get some help!”

We are no different. We all have things we need from God. We have choices. We can sit by and pretend that we are okay and that we are content. Or, we can faithfully proclaim our need for God and our belief that he will bless us. Take your cue from the ten lepers. When you find yourself in need, call out to him. He is sure to hear you.

A SLAVE TO...?

2 Peter 2:19 “…for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

Motivation is the driving force behind many of our decisions and most of our actions. I know this to be true every morning when my alarm clock goes off, telling me that it is time to get out of bed and get ready for work. Why do I get up? Why don’t I just stay in bed? If I don’t go to work, I don’t get paid. If I don’t get paid, I can’t pay my bills. If I can’t pay my bills, I won’t have a place to live or food to eat. So, why to do get up and go to work? I want the pay check. That’s motivation.

Motivation is a good thing. As long as it stays in check and remains in balance. If all I think about is my pay check, then I may be in danger of being motivated in excess. Don’t get me wrong. Money is important. It is not, however, the most important thing. I want a pay check so that my quality of life, and that of my children, will be good. But, if I find myself driven by money so much that I am always working and never available to spend time with my family, well, where’s the balance? Where’s the quality?

My oldest son loves to play Nintendo Wii. I mean, he loves it. If I allowed him to, he would play it every waking moment. When he is not playing, he is talking about playing. I realized lately that his love for the game was getting out of hand. He woke up one morning and the first words out of his mouth were, “Yoshi, Mario, and Luigi.” He doesn’t want to eat breakfast. He doesn’t want to take a shower. He doesn’t even want to swim in our pool. He just wants to play Wii. Sure, it’s cute and somewhat comical. He is only six and to see him enjoy something so much does make me smile.

His rather innocent behavior reinforces the point of our scripture. We can be just like him about so many things. I have known men that loved to golf just as much as he loves Nintendo. I have watched people spend more and more time at the casino, the pool hall, or the gym. None of those things, in and of themselves, are a big deal. But anything that impacts our thought life and behavior more than our love and devotion to God is definitely an issue.

Some may feel that Peter’s choice of the word “slave” is a little strong. Some may say that nothing masters them. Well, that is not even the way it is supposed to be. We are all motivated and driven by something. It is supposed to be our love for the God who gave it all for us. He is our master and our God.

What moves you? Where is your devotion? Is it a hobby, a person, a habit? Whatever it may be, if it dictates your thoughts, feelings, and actions then it has mastered you and in turn you are a slave to it. Take an inventory of your thoughts and actions. Allow God to reveal to you what motivates you the most. If need be, allow the love of God to replace unhealthy motivations. Then you will know the true meaning of living free.

WORDS OF COMFORT

Micah 2:7 “If you would do what is right, you would find my word comforting.”

“Don’t talk to strangers.” “Brush your teeth.” “Don’t eat too many cookies.” “Wear your seat belt.” These are all things that my parents said over and over to me as a young person. I must admit that at the time these words would cause me to roll my eyes and say “Yes, I know.” It seemed that they were always telling me what to do and what not to do. It often created a lot of tension in our home. As I grew older, I would find new and inventive ways of being disobedient. I often wondered why they were trying to control me so much.

Now, I am a father. Surprisingly enough, I often say, “don’t talk to strangers.” “Brush your teeth.” “Don’t eat too many cookies.” Buckle up.” I now realize that it isn’t an issue of control, but of love and guidance. My kids respond the same way, with a roll of the eyes and the all too familiar, “Yes, I know.” If I knew then what I know now, I would have never been bothered by the instructions of my parents. I would have, instead, been comforted to know that they loved me so much that they were willing to say it over and over and over again. I hope that one day my children will feel the same way.

Isn’t it funny how as Christians we can sometimes respond like children to God’s word. “Walk after the spirit.” “Flee the very appearance of evil.” “Don’t be unequally joined to unbelievers”. “Give.” “Love” “Forgive.” Sometimes the words of the Lord can reveal things to us that catapult us into an opportunity of self-examination. Remember Hebrews 4:12 “The word of God is powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword…It exposes the innermost thoughts and desires.” In that moment, we face the proverbial “fork in the road”. Do we hear the words and allow them to guide us? Do we become agitated by them and look for an easier way?

If we allow God’s word to bother us, we are in danger of looking for cheap alternatives to God’s blessings. I can say from experience that I have always been less content when I knew my life wasn’t lining up with God’s word. My usual conduct in those moments is to try and rationalize how I’m right and that somehow the Bible is misinterpreted. I will follow after what I want.

In our scripture, the prophet gives some powerful words. He says, just do what’s right and God’s word will not be offensive. You won’t have to look for a more comfortable interpretation. You won’t get caught up in an enlightening movement that makes you feel good, but never challenges you. Trust the one who inspired the scripture. Live by the infallible instructions offered for your benefit. In him you will find comfort. It’s like Micah is saying “there is peace in knowing that you are doing what is right according to scripture.” How true that is.

Today, I still am comforted in thinking of how much my parents loved me. They loved me enough to tell me the truth. God loved us enough to send us his word. It won’t always confirm that we’re right. It will always lead us to the comforting right path.

THE POWER OF ONE

Joshua 23:10 “One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.”

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God could not exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him (you’ll see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to the class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, nobody ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove he is God, and yet he can’t do it." And every year he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God could not exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through; but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

A few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped. Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of three hundred people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the room. The professor shouted, "YOU FOOL! If nothing I have said all semester has convinced you that God does not exist, then you are a fool! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. And as it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.

The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. Three hundred students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of his power through Jesus.

Can one man or one woman possess such power? With God one can. With God one can be strong, be wiser than others, endure, and conquer. Often we are overwhelmed by a sense of personal insignificance. Often a person feels like an expendable commodity. We feel a sense of complete uselessness believing "I am just one--and what can just one do?" Understand God can use you to make a difference in this world, in the lives of others, and in this church, if you will let Him.

Helen Keller said, “"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." How? By making yourself available, being bold, being courageous, and having faith.

The enemy would surely love for us to believe that our lives are insignificant. That nothing we do matters. Never believe that you can’t. God doesn’t need armies. He just wants faithful individuals. Step up and be confident. You can make a difference.

STRENGTHENED BY GOD

I Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

He knew he was called, specially chosen, destined to the throne. He had a daily visitation of God’s Holy Spirit. He had a cause, he had zeal for the Lord, he was holy and burdened for the poor and needy. He lived a circumspect life that caused even his enemies to respect him.

Think of what must have gone through David’s mind as he stood over the burning ruins of his home, not knowing whether his family was dead or alive. He must have asked the question, “why?”, when thinking over the past few years, up to this very moment. "Why, if God is with me, did Saul try to kill me? Why was he so insanely jealous over me? Why, if I have been anointed, did I have to escape to Gath and pretend madness, acting like an insane fool? Why, if God’s Spirit is upon me, guiding me, did I have to hide out in caves? Why, if I’m a man after God’s heart, did I have to live in the wilderness, hunted down like a wild animal? Is this the reward of the anointed -- sleepless nights fearing for my life, harassed on all sides, living on handouts as an outcast?"

Now, after finally finding a home and enjoying a few months of peace, it all crumbles in unbelievable disaster. Ziklag is in ruins and all is lost. To make matters even worse, David’s closest associates were blaming him for the tragedy.

What a shoddy way for God to treat his anointed servant -- at least that is the way it appears on the surface. He is no longer the giant killer whose praises are being sung by admiring crowds. He is no longer the mighty man of faith and vision, looked upon with respect and love. Now he is in total rejection, on the verge of being stoned as a failure. David stands alone, stripped and confused -- in total despair.

What does a person do when discouragement sets in and he feels useless, like a complete failure, abandoned by God and rejected by those who once cared? His beloved friend Jonathan was nowhere in sight. How refreshing it might have been had he been able to talk to the one friend he knew would never let him down. Abigail had been taken from him. His parents were far away. Where can he go for comfort? To whom can he turn for encouragement?

What can we do when a crisis comes? We can fall into despair, be angry, and blame others. We all know that those methods don’t work. As Christians, we have an opportunity in tough times to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. Believe it or not, God was in this apparent tragedy. If David is to become the man God uses, he must be stripped of everything, including his reputation and self-will. He must cry out of his system the last tears of self-pity. He must face the full fury of loneliness and overcome it. He must put away all memory of applause and praise for what he had accomplished and draw his strength from God. This was God’s intention for David all along. This was the purpose behind all the hard times, the loneliness, the strange leadings of the Lord. God wanted David to get his eyes off all his enemies, off all his friends and draw from God the strength and encouragement he needed both now and in the future.

Like David, we will endure difficult times. We must turn our thoughts towards God. In other words we must correct our thinking. If we think depressing thoughts we will be depressed. If we think delightful thoughts we will be filled with delight and joy. When things go wrong, focus on the one true God. Let it be all about him; not your problems or your pains. Encourage yourself with the knowledge of a God that loves you.

HE KNOWS YOU. DO YOU KNOW HIM?

Psalms 139:1 “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.”

Dennis Wise spent his whole life collecting Elvis memorabilia. Elvis Presley was his hero. Dennis bought his clothes, records, photographs. He even underwent plastic surgery to try to look more like Elvis. But his great regret was that he never got to meet the man he adored.

A similar but greater tragedy with many Christians is that they spend years listening to sermons, reading scriptures, maybe even teaching Bible class, but they fail to enjoy a close relationship with God. And, if we’re not careful, we’ll end up like the Israelites in Hosea’s day that went through all the right motions, but they never really knew God.

We have managed to come up with this list of qualities about God -- he’s eternal, holy, all-loving, all-wise, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omni-present (everywhere at the same time). And we somehow come to the conclusion that if we understand all these qualities about God, then we know God. But that’s knowing about God and it doesn’t really apply to whether or not I know him.

In order to know God, we must be willing to commit our lives to following his will. John wrote, "Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, ’I know him’, and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (I John 2:3-4).

But even doing what God commands is no guarantee that we really know him. To the people of Israel long ago, God said through Hosea, "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6). You see, the people of Israel were going through all the right motions, but they didn’t really know God.

When it comes to knowing God, we have no right to demand that God, the Almighty God who brought this world into existence open himself up to us, to demand that God be on close and intimate terms with us. And yet that’s exactly what he has chosen to do. And I think that’s why God said through Jeremiah, "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me." Because it’s a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to know God.

But, again, we need to be careful lest we confuse knowing about God with knowing God. If you’ve ever been to a Christian college, it’s like going through a freshman survey class. You go through the Old Testament and you learn names and dates and events. What happened on the fifth day of creation, who were Moses’ parents, who was the second judge, what objects were in the ark, and so on? You come away from a class like that thinking that you know God, but you may never pause to ask, am I really growing closer to him?

To know God is not just to have an intellectual knowledge about God; it’s to have an intimate personal relationship with God, which is the most important relationship in our life. Be challenged to truly know the creator. Press in to a deep relationship and find true fulfillment.

WHO WILL GO?

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, here am I. Send me.”

Have you ever received one of those phone calls congratulating you on some fabulous vacation that you have won? They usually go something like this: “Congratulations, you have won a cruise, or a Disney vacation, or a 3-day getaway to beautiful Gatlinburg, Tennessee”. Or maybe it is a free stay at some beach resort, but whatever it is; we understand that there is a catch somewhere. Maybe we will have to sit through a sales pitch, or maybe we will have to pay a small reservations fee to lock in our vacation, but we know that there is always a catch. Because we know that the trip will not be all it is cracked up to be, we usually don’t go.

God has sent people to one place or another, and sometimes their journeys weren’t easy, but God always went with them on their journeys. Moses had every reason to go where God sent him and every excuse why he didn’t want to go. In Exodus chapter 13, we read about Moses out tending his father-in-law’s sheep when he saw the burning bush. When God called to him and said, “Moses! Moses!” he replied, “Here I am”.

God then explains that he has seen the misery of the Israelites in Egypt and plans to free them. He tells Moses that he is sending him to Pharaoh to lead the people out. Moses then replies, “Who am I…” Moses says, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

In Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. Isaiah even says that as the seraphs were calling to one another, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty” the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

It would be amazing to be in the presence of only these seraphs, but Isaiah was in the presence of God himself. When Isaiah was struck with the realization of where he was and whose presence he was in, he was overcome with fear and woe! He said, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Isaiah had been commissioned by God to speak for him to Judah. Israel and Judah were split at this point, and neither was truly faithful to God. Isaiah had the best job in the world and the worst job. He got to be God’s messenger, and what a privilege it is to speak God’s words. But often, Isaiah was required to speak unpopular messages to the people because they weren’t right with God. When Isaiah said that he was a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, he was referring to living among God’s chosen people. Isaiah knew that they were unfaithful and deserving of judgment.

But just like Moses, Isaiah was reassured. Moses had God’s explanations and miraculous signs. Isaiah had the seraph that purified him to make him acceptable in God’s presence.

In my eyes, the greatest difference in Moses and Isaiah comes in their replies to God. When God sent Moses, Moses said, “O please Lord, send someone else...”, but when God asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah replied, “Here am I. Send me!”

God is sending you somewhere. It may not be to a foreign land or to an erring nation. He may not be sending you to save the whole world with your blood, but he is sending you with a purpose. What will your response be? Have courage and confidence in a faithful God. Be ready and willing to follow God wherever he leads.

VALUABLE

Luke 23:43 “Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Several years ago a couple of guys broke into a department store in a large city. They successfully entered the store, stayed long enough to do what they came to do, and then escaped unnoticed. What is unusual about the story is what these guys did. They took nothing. Absolutely nothing. No merchandise was stolen. No items removed. But what they did do was crazy.

Instead of stealing anything, they changed the cost of everything. Price tags were swapped. Values were exchanged. These guys took the tag off a $395 camera and stuck it on a $5 book of stationary. They took the $5.95 sticker off a paperback book and stuck it on an outboard motor. They went around and repriced just about everything in the store.

The next day the store opened as usual. All the employees showed up for work and the customers began to shop. For 4 hours no one working at the store noticed that anything was wrong… Four hours! During those 4 hours some people got incredible deals and others were ripped off big time. It’s hard to believe that this actually happened, but it did.

The value of things, what things are worth, really got messed up in that store. The truth is like in that department store, someone has snuck into our world (into the human race), stayed long enough to accomplish what they came to do and left unnoticed.

What they came to do was to switch the price tags on the value and worth of people, such that the definition of worth, of value, of being significant is all messed up. There is no debate the enemy has successfully created a value system that causes most people to look in the mirror and question their worth.

Everyone wants to be significant. You want who you are and what you do to count. You want your life to matter. You want to be important (at least at some level). Think about the dreams you had when you were small. Think about the things you fantasized about and pretended to be. Most boys dreamed of being a hero; of hitting winning homeruns, of scoring winning touchdowns, of flying in space, of winning gold medals, of leading their platoon to victory, of being the President…stuff like that.

No one desires to be insignificant. No one wants to feel like their life doesn’t count. No one sets as their goal in life, to feel like they don’t matter. But if we use the world’s standards, very few of us will ever measure up. And even if we do, we won’t measure up for long.

Do you feel valuable? Not just when you are being told you have value, but – do you feel valuable; Monday morning? Wednesday afternoon? Friday night? Do you feel valuable; At home? At work? At school? And if you don’t feel valuable, why don’t you? Is it because...

• You don’t have enough money
• You don’t have the right career
• You’re not good looking enough
• You’re not smart enough

The encounter that Jesus had while nailed to that blood stained cross reveals the source of our true value and lasting worth.

When a thief, hanging on the cross, seeks forgiveness from the Lord, he is offered the assurance of eternal blessing. What in the world did he have to gain by promising this thief a place of honor at the banquet table? What in the world could this thug ever offer Jesus in return? Think about it. This guy would never...

• attend a church service
• lead a small group
• teach a class
• bring a friend to church
• attend a bible study
• put 10% in the offering plate
• volunteer in the nursery
• show up for a workday
• feed the hungry
• sing in the choir

Here’s the point. Your worth, your value, Jesus’ love does not depend on what we do for him. In the eyes of the King who hung on the cross you have value simply because you are. You don’t have to look nice or perform well. Your value is inborn.

You have value. You are worthy of the love of God. Simply because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are.