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You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have.

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Money is the root of all evil and blessed are the poor?

Whenever I have asked a group of people, “How many here believe that money is the root of all evil?” Nearly everyone in the room has raised their hand.

Many Christians  seem to believe that success and wealth are evil. Consequently many Christians can suffer guilt and considerable anxiety due to their wealth and success. Sadly, there seems to be many contradictions regarding wealth and poverty and, dare I say there are double standards. I believe that both these views are unbalanced from a Scriptural viewpoint.

Money is the root of all evil?

2 Timothy 6:10, does not say that ‘money’ is the root of all evil. It says that the ‘love’ of money is the root of all evil. There are many people who think that the rich will not enter the Kingdom of God. They seem to believe in a Gospel where only the poor are blessed and do not seem to understanding the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2. Jesus read this text at the beginning of his earthly ministry when he declared that he was anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor. (Luke 4: 18-30). Good news for the poor presumably meant that the poor do not have to be poor any longer.

Blessed are the poor?

Many of those who believe in a gospel of poverty often have no idea what it is like to live on the streets freezing in winter and going without food for days on end. A case in point is Maurice, an older man who asked me for a lift one Saturday afternoon. He was spaced-out on drugs and was looking for a fix. He made his money by begging and was on his way to his begging area for the day.

I noticed that he was in pain with severe bruising over his legs and face. He was totally confused but managed to tell me what had happened: He had been beaten mercilessly. I spoke about what Jesus could do for him, but confusion and the desire for drugs were too strong. I gave him a contact number and dropped him off at the park. To see Maurice was to see real poverty, and I can tell you, Maurice was not in any way blessed by it. There is a world of difference between ‘real’ poverty and ‘elected’ poverty.

Are the rich damned, and the poor really so blessed?

Matthew 19: 16-26, tells about a rich young man who came to Jesus one day, “a man came up to him and said, ‘Teacher, what good must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus questions him about what is good and says, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” In a nutshell, that’s it! There is no mention about his money! However, the rich young man tells Jesus that he has kept the commandments since his childhood and he asks, “What more do I need to do?” Up to this point his eternal salvation is not in question.

This rich young man could have walked away with his wealth and eternal life. It is only when he begged the question that Jesus said to him, “If you seek ‘perfection’ go sell all your possessions, and give to the poor.” That’s when the young man is downhearted because of his wealth. Jesus was now referring to perfection, not just his salvation.

There are two values here.

Only after the young man questioned Jesus did he challenge him regarding ‘elected’ poverty. It is then that Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “I assure you, only with ‘difficulty’ will a rich man enter into the Kingdom of God. I repeat what I have said: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” This overwhelmed the disciples and they asked him who can be saved? Jesus tells them, that for man it is impossible, but for God all things are possible, which, of course included this young man in spite of his wealth.

A wrong conclusion.

Many will read this text and imagine a tiny hole in a sewing needle compared with a huge camel. Naturally, the word, “impossible” comes to mind and they mentally reinterpret the text to read, “It is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” Of course this is not what Jesus said at all! He mentions nothing about it being impossible, in fact he says that with God it is possible, Jesus simply said that it would be difficult. I see this misinterpretation as one of the root causes of a ‘poverty consciousness’.

What did Jesus mean when he compared the eye of a needle with a camel?

The “eye of the needle” was not referring to a sewing needle, but to the trade entrance in the city wall through which the merchants would bring in their camels laden with merchandise. If the camels were overloaded, they couldn’t get through the gate, so the merchant would have to unload some of the goods enabling the camels to continue.

Jesus seems to be saying that success is not the problem. Rather, if it is going to keep you outside the City of God, then it is better to dump the ‘love of money’ so that you can enter in freely. To have a ‘love’ of money is to place it above the first commandment and you cannot serve two masters. The rich man could have kept his wealth and still had eternal life. Jesus seemed to have no problem with that. He was warning about wealth because it is the ‘love’ that is the root of all evil, not the money itself: The poor can love money just as much as the wealthy.

To illustrate the point: Jesus’ attitude to money.

Jesus says in Luke 16: 9-13. “What I say to you is this: make friends for yourselves through your use of this world’s goods, so that when they fail you, a lasting reception will be yours.” He was referring to money and goes on to say that if we cannot be trusted with this world’s wealth that is elusive, then we cannot be trusted with everlasting wealth. We are asked to be good stewards of the things we have in this life, including money.

The parable in Luke 16:19-31, about the ‘Rich Man and Lazarus’ does not seem to be an indictment regarding the rich man’s wealth. It is because he did not share it with Lazarus. The rich man knew what was expected of him under the Abrahamic Covenant relating to giving Alms, Tithes and Offerings. He ignored his responsibility and caused Lazarus to starve. That seems to be why he was severely dealt with, not simply because he was wealthy.

Born in a stable yes, but was Jesus really poor?

When we look at the life of Mary and Joseph we may accept that they lived in humble circumstances but we cannot conclude that they lived in poverty. Joseph ran his Carpentry business and his major client was most likely the Roman army as well as others. When they were coming home from Jerusalem after the census, they stopped at Bethlehem for the night. The first thing that Joseph did was to book a room in whatever Inn had a vacancy.

The Inn was the equivalent of a hotel today. They ended up in a stable because there were no rooms available in the town. It was not because they couldn’t pay their way. Obviously Joseph had enough money to pay for any hotel in town, One Star, or Five Star. Jesus’ parents were not poverty stricken and neither was Jesus. He was born in ‘humble’ circumstances not ‘poor’ ones.

Jesus elected poverty.

Saint Paul tells us that Jesus laid down His Godhead, taking on the form of a slave and becoming as men are but without sin. (Phil 2: 6-8). Christ, the King of the universe, laid down his Godhead of his own free will, and, by his own free will, he took it up again. This is what I call ‘elected poverty’. It is not that poverty which comes through deprivation, misfortune injustice, greed or pure laziness.

On earth Jesus had a full time job. He worked for Joseph in the family business. I am sure he received payment for his work because Joseph would have adhered to the Biblical principle that the workman is worthy of his hire. “Sell everything that you have, give it to the poor and come follow me” is a call to those who are not necessarily poor and who are called to the consecrated life through ‘elected poverty’.

How blessed are the poor?

Death squads stalk the streets and shoot street-kids like vermin. In some places people live on garbage dumps, and others sleep on the streets and in cardboard boxes. Even in the most affluent countries the poor are obvious even with the most cosmetic disguises to the contrary.

Can we honestly say that these people are blessed? When we see children with their bellies swollen with malnutrition, can we say these are blessed? When a derelict falls in the gutter, addicted to alcohol or drugs and sleeps in his vomit on an icy pavement, can we say he is blessed? Children sell their bodies in prostitution because their families are so poor, are these blessed? Was Maurice blessed? No, the poor are not so blessed! Poverty is the most disgusting evil on this planet! This is real poverty, and bye and large, it is caused through the ‘love’ of money which selfishly ignores the plight of the poor, just as the rich man did with Lazarus.

If the poor are not blessed, who are the poor that are?

What did Luke really mean when he says, “Blessed are the poor”? because Matthew says of the same beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” What is the difference? The key word in both Gospels is the word ‘poor.’ To understand what this means, we need to look at the original Greek word used by Matthew and Luke. The “Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible” identifies the Greek word used here as “ptochos” which means; “trembling, poor.” In the “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words” it tells us that “ptochos” is an adjective that is used “metaphorically”.

According to “Websters International Dictionary of the English Language”, “metaphor” means; “a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable, in order to suggest a resemblance, such as: she is the flower of my life.”

The “Matthew Henry Concise Commentary On The Whole Bible” says, “The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition when it is a low condition. These are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The Kingdom of grace is of such; the Kingdom of glory is for them.” This is talking about anyone, rich or poor, who understand their need of God; these are the truly poor in spirit.

The poor in spirit: in the Old Testament, the poor (anawim) are those who are without material possessions and whose confidence is in God. See Is. 61,1; Zep 2, 3:

In the NAB the word is translated lowly and humble, respectively, in those texts. “Matthew added in spirit in order either to indicate that only the devout poor were meant, or to extend the beatitude to all, of whatever social rank, who recognize their complete dependence on God. The same phrase “poor in spirit” is found in the Qumran literature (1QM 14, 7)”. (NAB Study Bible Footnotes). It seems clear therefore, that poverty is not the criteria for salvation, but rather the trembling, lowly and humble of heart who know their real need of God, regardless of their wealth or social class.

God tells us to put him to the test.

Malachi Chapter 3 is the only place in the Bible where God challenges us to put him to the test and it is relating specifically to money. Malachi 3 is a reproach to us when we, like the Rich Man to Lazarus, defraud the worker of his wages, reject strangers, deprive the widows and orphans, and, who do not fear the Lord.

We may well ask ‘how have I done this?’ and the Lord’s answer will be the same, “Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings! You are indeed accursed, for you the whole nation, rob me.” This is a powerful indictment that we can ignore at our peril.

What is a tithe and what is an offering?

The word “tithe” means a tenth. In other words 10%. In biblical terms it relates to the 10% of our gross income that is given into the work of God. That is, into where you are being fed with the bread of the Word of God. For the Israelites this meant giving 10% of their gross income and produce.

This was first collected for a famine in a time of abundance. It didn’t make sense at the time, but some years later famine struck. The whole lands including Egypt were literally starving. The Israelites of course had more than enough in store. So much so that they were able to feed the Egyptians, their former slave masters. The Blessings of Abraham said that by keeping the Covenant they would “lend to nations and borrow from none.” (Deuteronomy 28: 12).

In Malachi 3: 10 it says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me in this says the Lord of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessings upon you without measure?” The Blessings of Abraham belong to you because you have a Covenant through the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary (Galatians 3: 7-14). This gives us a key to releasing these particular blessings in our lives too.

Many people tithe on the premise that it will bring them an increase. It is certainly preached loud, long and strong in certain churches, and yet many do not see it. There is a simple reason for this: The tithe belongs to God; it is his portion and so it is not a gift or sacrifice from us. The purpose of the 10% tithe is to bless the 90%, and so it is the sacrificial generosity in our offerings from the 90% that causes the increase. God’s rebuke in Malachi was to those of that failed in their covenant duties; if people failed to tithe, the 90% was not blessed and so all were robbed including God.

When we tithe we should not consider so much that 10% is a lot of money and so a sacrifice to gain more, but that we profit in the 90% increasing under God’s blessing. Under that blessing, we have more than enough to put into every good work through our gifts and offerings; it is in the giving that we receive, and so it would seem that it is this portion under God’s blessing through the tithe that causes the increase. While a tithe remains fixed at 10%, the offering and gift can be any amount.

In the case of a gift, we can give as often as we wish and to any amount we wish, and so it is understood as one off offering. In the case of an offering, it can be any amount and it is given regularly, and commonly held that whilst the tithe is to maintain the church, the offering is for the minister’s work as we see in the case of Saint Paul in his letter to the Phillipians.

According to God, money is an indescribable gift.

Incredibly, two whole chapters (eight and nine), in Saint Paul’s 2nd Letter to Corinth are devoted specifically to “Offerings.” There is no room here to quote two chapters. I recommend that you read them for yourself. God’s attitude to money will surprise you.

Towards the end of chapter nine Saint Paul says, “Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This was a divine spiritual law which Jesus had taught them when he said, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you”. (Luke 6: 38)

Saint Paul continues, “Each must do as already determined, without compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” “Every good work” is referring to the work of preaching the Gospel from which works of charity come and, to which Saint Paul was committed. Offerings are given over and above the tithe and are for the ministers of the Gospel.

Saint Paul values this so highly that he calls it an “indescribable gift”. This is because, “The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” According to saint Paul it is an act of righteousness to give generously into the preaching of the Gospel for which God, who cannot be outdone in generosity, will more than supply all of our needs when we do so.

A fragrant aroma, acceptable to God.

Have you ever considered your giving into the “Love Offering” as a “fragrant aroma” which God will receive as an “acceptable sacrifice”? In Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians, this is exactly what he calls it. In this letter we find that the church in Philippi had been the only ones who had ministered to him in the manner of giving offerings as well as his material needs whilst he was with them. The fact that they had done this on more than one occasion makes this significant: the Philippians had actually taken to supporting a ministry that they believed in.

“You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not a single church shared with me in account of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even when I was at Thessalonica you sent me something for my needs, not only once but more than once. It is not that I am eager for the gift; rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account. I am very well supplied because of what I received from you through Epaphroditus, “a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accordance with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”.

Did you realize, that every time you support the ministry of the Word (that is, the ministry of the pastor, preacher, teacher and evangelist) by your tithes and offerings, you literally share in every grace and blessing that is credited by God for the salvation of souls? By doing this, you become, as Saint Paul says in Philippians 1: 7, “Partners in Grace.” Every time someone accepts Christ because the Gospel is preached, you share in the blessings for their salvation just as much as the evangelist does.

Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money that is the evil root.

If we love money so much, we will hold onto it and become stingy in our tithes and offerings and, we could well reap a harvest of poverty upon ourselves. Whereas, if we trust God’s Word and his attitude towards money, we will receive abundant blessings because of it. There will always be more than enough for giving into every good work, especially to the preaching of the Gospel. However, if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter heaven lame, than to lose your whole self to the fires of Gehenna. Therefore, if your money and success causes you to sin, then you really must reconsider their true value.

I was told of a man whose business was on the verge of bankruptcy when he heard about tithing. He misunderstood the message and began to tithe 90% instead of 10%. God so blessed him that he now has a multi-billion dollar company. He still tithes 90% and the Lord still blesses him. He supports numerous Christian communities and organizations in various countries. God doesn’t seem to have a problem with money. In fact he wants to bless you through it. His problem is with poverty that is, bye-and-large, caused by ignorance, selfishness greed and, the ‘love’ of money.

If you are doing well, enjoy your wealth, but do not neglect your tithes and offerings. If you are not well off or on Social Security Payments, do not neglect your tithes and offerings either. God cannot be outdone with generosity and he desires to bless you so that you will not have to remain poor.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your produce: then will your barns be filled with new wine and your vats overflow”. (Proverbs 3: 9-10)

The poor may well be able to help the poor, but only a man with bread can feed the hungry. After all, you cannot give what you do not have.

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Posted in Business, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Missions, Money, Poverty, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | No Comments »

What Makes God Angry?

Friday, August 1st, 2008

What makes you really angry? There are some people who are a little like nitroglycerin. They’re always ready to blow. The slightest provocation, and watch out! But there are others of us who need to be pushed to the wall before we ever get angry.

Aristotle said something interesting. “It is easy to fly into a passion – anybody can do that,” he said, “but to be angry with the right person to the right extent and at the right time and with the right object and in the right way – that is not easy, and it is not everyone who can do it.”

If there is anyone who could be angry with the right person to the right extent, at the right time and in the right way, it would be Jesus. It may surprise some of you that Jesus got angry. But it’s in Scripture. There are some things that make Jesus very angry.

We’re going to take a back-door look at the subject of prayer, because there is an important and connection between what makes Jesus angry and the subject of prayer. In The Gospel of  Mark, chapter 11, it’s the last week of Jesus’ life. Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem, and had already spent part of a day looking around in the Temple, before traveling to a near-by town to spend the night. On the Monday of that week, we read of one of the most puzzling stories of Scripture. Jesus got mad at a tree.

12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

I’ve been known to curse inanimate objects. That’s not too surprising. But it’s a little surprising to see Jesus get so upset at a tree. What’s behind his fury here?

The story begins normally. Jesus is hungry, and so he looks around for something to eat. Noticing a fig tree, he examines it to see if it has any figs ready to eat. Fig trees usually leaf out in March or April, but don’t produce any fruit until June. This tree had plenty of leaves, but as Jesus examined it more carefully, it had no fruit. That’s not too surprising – it wasn’t time for the tree to bear fruit. So why would Jesus get angry at a tree for not having any fruit – especially when it wasn’t yet time for the tree to bear fruit?

I’ll tell you why. We make three discoveries in this passage, and here’s the first one.

ONE: OUR PROBLEM IS LIFELESSNESS

I’ve read the Gospels a number of times. Jesus didn’t get angry too often. Whenever he did, his anger was directed at one thing: the appearance of religion without any substance.

Why would Jesus get angry at a fig tree? Some people think that Jesus was simply being petulant. But Jesus was using the fig tree as an illustration. The fig tree looked good from a distance, but when you got up close it was fruitless. It looked promising but it never lived up to its promise. It had all the style and none of the substance.

Look at verses 15 to 17.

15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The Temple looked good from a distance. It was the holiest place in the world. It was where God lived. Jews called it the “gate of heaven.” But when Jesus looked closely, he saw made his blood boil. He announced God’s judgment on the Temple. He drove the merchants and moneychangers out of the Court of the Gentiles. The place of worship and prayer had become a place of extortion, preventing Gentiles from coming to God in prayer.

In the year 70 AD, the Temple was destroyed. But on that day some forty years earlier, Jesus announced God’s judgment on the Temple. God can’t stand religious life with no substance. He can’t stand a tree that has leaves but no fruit. He can’t stand a Temple that looks good but is rotten inside. He can’t stand a church that says the right thing but has no spiritual passion to back it up.

Writing to a church, Jesus said in Revelation 3:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive-but you are dead. 2Now wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right in the sight of God. 3Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever feel that your problem – our problem – isn’t heresy but apathy? Do you ever feel like you’re farther away from God than you used to be? That’s my problem. It’s your problem. We appear to be more alive than we really are.

Jesus gives us a solution, and it’s our second discovery. Not only is our problem lifelessness, but…

TWO: THE SOLUTION IS PRAYER

What’s the solution to lifelessness? Prayer. You may think that prayer is only for the spiritual elite, but it’s not. It’s for those who have leaves but want the fruit. It’s for you and it’s for me. It’s for those who want a fresh encounter with God.

Read what happened in Mark 11:20:

20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”22″Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23″I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Jesus had just performed a miracle unlike any other. It’s the only destructive miracle he performed. It’s the only time that his miracle involved making something worse rather than better.

The disciples were amazed. For a tree to shrivel up in the space of one day was unheard of. What had Jesus done? He had taken away the tree’s false advertising. There was no more pretending. It has looked great but been unfruitful the day before. Now it looked like it actually was.

What would you expect Jesus to say next? I would have expected him to address barrenness and corruption. I would have expected Jesus to expand on why God was judging Israel. But he doesn’t make that application. Instead he talks about prayer. Why does he do that?

Certainly, part of the reason is to explain how he was able to curse the fig tree. The disciples were amazed that Jesus could do it. Jesus wanted to let them know how he was able to do such a miracle. But there’s more.

The reason Jesus talks about prayer is because prayer is the antidote to lifelessness. Jesus was explaining how to be different from those who participate in lifeless religion. He was explaining how his kingdom really works. As opposed to those who participate in the ritual of religion, his kingdom is based on faith in God that overcomes insurmountable odds. Do you want to know how to overcome lifeless religion? Begin with prayer.

Jesus said, “If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” Jesus was referring to a specific mountain. It’s possible as he spoke that he was either referring to the Mount of Olives or the Temple Mount. It’s just possible he was saying, “If you really have faith in God, you can oppose the current religious system. You can stand up against the apathy that you see around you. The world can be remade. But it’s going to happen through prayer.”

It’s as if Jesus was saying, “Out with the old institutionalized religious establishment. In with my people – people who will specialize in faith-borne prayer.” The antidote to lifelessness is prayer.

What can prayer do?

Prayer can revive your heart. We all feel spiritually dead at times. If you don’t right now, you will one day. Prayer can change that. Somebody once said to Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Jesus honors a prayer like that.

Prayer can overcome obstacles. Jesus said you that mountains can be moved with prayer. In the Bible, a mountain often signifies an insurmountable obstacle. God can do the impossible. With God, anything is possible.

Prayer can remind you who’s in charge. Sometimes we think that it’s up to us. People have twisted this passage to make it sound like we need to get enough faith and then we can make things happen. But the amount of faith isn’t as important as the object of our faith. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “”I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” There is great power in even little faith, as long as the faith is in God. It’s God’s power that makes the difference.

I’m pretty sure that you have obstacles in your life. I’m pretty sure that you need a fresh encounter with God. You and I need our hearts revived. We need to be reminded that God is the one who makes the difference. Prayer can do that. Prayer is the antidote to lifelessness.

Our problem is lifelessness. The solution is prayer. There’s one more discovery we make in this passage.

THREE: THE WAY TO PRAY IS WITH AUTHORITY

Jesus said in verse 24:

24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

There are two conditions to effective prayer. One is that we pray confidently. The second is that we pray with a forgiving spirit. This morning I’d like to focus on the first condition. We need to pray confidently and with authority.

There are different ways to pray. We’re always to pray submissively, submitting to God’s will rather than ours. There are times that we don’t know what God’s will is. Our will might even be opposed to God’s will. That’s when we pray very clearly saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

But there’s also a time for authoritative prayer. Ordinary prayer proceeds from earth to heaven. We ask for forgiveness; we pray for healing; we give thanks. But authoritative prayer is different. We bring the resources of heaven down to earth.

When we know what God’s will is, but need the power to do God’s will, it’s time to pray authoritatively. When we need to engage the enemy, it’s time for authoritative prayer. We know what God’s will is. We just need to pray God’s resources into the situation.

Jesus said, “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We believe that. And so we begin a week of prayer, asking that you would awaken our hearts. Turn us into a spiritual powerhouse. If we don’t call upon the Lord, he has promised nothing – nothing at all. But if we call upon the Lord, he has promised in his Word to answer, to bring the unsaved to himself, to pour out his Spirit among us.

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Posted in Accountability, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Marketplace, Prayer, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training | 3 Comments »

Free to Serve

Friday, July 4th, 2008

Free to Serve  (Romans 6:15-23) We like to think that we are in charge of our lives. There is a certain helplessness that we feel when we think things have gotten beyond our power to control. We would rather think that we are invincible. While we may like to think we are always in control, it is an illusion. In fact, even as Christians who have been liberated from the control of sin, we may come back under its bondage. You see, freedom is not the ability to do what you want to do, it is the ability to do what you know you should do! And it is possible to forfeit that freedom. True, we have been forgiven and given a new life. But we now must live by this new life Christ has given us.

What should the forgiveness of Christ produce in us? Should it produce presumption on our part, where we impose upon the forgiveness of Christ? As Christians, should we continue to sin because God will forgive us? No! The forgiveness of Christ ought to generate a motivation to love Jesus Christ and to obey Him. Because of His forgiveness; in thanksgiving we now ought to be obedient to Him and reject sin. There is a lot at stake.

As a believer, what happens when I sin? What effect does sin have on me? What does the choice you make, when you choose to sin, do to you as you seek to live for Christ? Does it matter whether or not we sin now as believers? It certainly does matter, and we are going to describe several effects that sin causes in us, when we choose to engage in it.

Whose Slave Are You?

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. (Romans 6:16-19)

The first effect of sin is to make us a slave. You see, we have a choice to make, and the choice is who we are going to serve. Some years ago Bob Dylan came out with a song in which were lines that said, “You gotta serve somebody. You gotta serve somebody. It may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.” How true. That seems to be the choice we have. Most people do serve either God or Satan.

Whose slave are you? That is the deception of sin. We think that when we engage in sin, we are just fulfilling a passing desire; or just engaging in some brief pleasurable thing that we want to do. One act and then we can forget about it. We can change; after all, we are free now in Christ, and as Christians, we do not have to serve sin any more. So let’s just go ahead and sin a little bit. The deception is that we do not realize that this always leads to bondage.

When we engage in sin and choose to willfully disobey God we become its slaves. It becomes like an addiction to us. We might think that we can change our behavior until we begin to try, then we find that we have been trapped and deceived. We are now under bondage and we cannot break loose quite as easily as we thought we could. If you engage in sin, you become a slave.

Sin affects us. It affects others as well. Try this: Get up in a grumpy mood tomorrow morning, and snap at your wife. What happens? She snaps back, because she is not going to be out-snapped. We like to make sure that we get the last snap. So she snaps back. Then you snap back. Then you snap at the kids and they snap at you. Pretty soon the whole house is in an uproar. The whole house has taken on your rotten attitude, and the day is ruined because your sin affects others. Our sin is not done in isolation. It affects us, and makes us its slaves, and it affects those around us.

“If Only…”

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! (Romans 6:20-21)

Secondly, if you engage in sin, you become ashamed. There is a very important principle in Scripture and that is the principle of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6: 7 says, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. If you sow corn, you will reap the effect, which is corn. If you sow wheat, you will reap the effect, which is wheat. If you sow sin, you will reap the effect of sin, which is slavery and shame.

One horrible benefit of sin is that sin produces memories. This is a major problem for Christians. How do we deal with the memories of sin. You see, Satan uses those memories. He recalls those memories to tempt you and to condemn you. Many Christians suffer greatly because of sinful things that they have done and cannot change; things of which they are now ashamed.

Sins fill us with guilt and regret, and we say to ourselves, “Oh, if only I had done it differently. If only I could relive that moment. If only I could change that situation. How stupid could I have been?” We mentally kick ourselves for being so dumb as to do something like that. I’m sure we could all tell stories about things we have done that we regret to this day.

Sin produces memories, and many people are haunted by those memories. They are ashamed of what they have done. That shame does not easily go away. After a period of time, I believe, you can learn to live in Christ’s forgiveness for that sin, but you will always regret it. I have been forgiven for some things, and I know I stand forgiven. I know God does not remember those sins any more. The problem is that I remember them. And you will remember too. The shame of sin can destroy the quality of your life. That is why it is so important to avoid sin.

Dead, And Don’t Know It

Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:21b-23)

This is the sequel to sin. The sequel to sin is not “Sin II” but death. Eternal spiritual death is the wage of sin for those who refuse to come to Christ. But death, for the Christian, is that when we sin, we begin to die spiritually inside. That does not mean that at one point we are going to be thoroughly dead and lost again, but it means that sin affects us by making us dead on the inside to the things of God. Dead to love; dead to the joy of serving Christ; dead to spiritual things, spiritually insensitive and spiritually blind. Sin working in our lives has a devastating effect. It makes you a walking corpse as a Christian.

Whenever you make an unconditional surrender, it frees you up to be used of God, and to come into unhindered fellowship with Him. Then you enter into the joy of the Lord and you know the adventure of serving Jesus Christ. But, when you harbor sin, when you are unwilling to surrender, you begin to die slowly to the joy of Christ, to the adventure of serving Him, and begin to be among the walking dead.

Who wants to be limited? I want to be in the place where God can use me, don’t you? Remember, it is not so much your ability, but your availability that counts. That may be a worn out adage, but it is such a true one. It is not your gifts or talents; God has plenty of those to give freely. It is your availability to be used of God in His service. Do not sit out there and say, “Well I just do not have much to offer.” God has plenty to offer if you will simply offer yourself to Him. He will use you in many ways. He will use you in an eternal way to make a difference in the lives of people.

Now what are you going to do? You are free to choose. Who are you going to choose to serve? If you choose to serve sin, it becomes your master. Verse 14 says, For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. The grace of Christ frees us, but you must understand that our freedom is not unlimited freedom. It is freedom to serve a new Master, Jesus Christ. He told us in John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

But freedom does not exist outside of the freedom of the Son So, what shall we do? Continue in sin? God forbid! The message is strong because sin is serious. Sometimes we forget that it was sin that sent Jesus Christ to the Cross. God could deal with it in no other way. If you want to see God’s opinion of sin, look at the Cross. How much did God hate sin? He hated it enough that He endured sending His Son to the Cross to die. We should hate it also. We should hate it because He hates it. We should hate it because of what it does to us. We should reject it outright, and choose obedience to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ has set us free. Let us walk in that freedom. Let us walk in that liberty. Let us claim our inheritance as His sons and daughters, as children of the King, and walk with our heads held up high, because we no longer have to yield to the temptation to sin. We can choose to walk in the liberty that is rightfully ours in Christ.

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God’s Word Keeps Things Simple

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

God’s Word Keeps Things Simple.  Allow me to sight a few examples.

First from the Old Testament

1) Exodus 15:26, “If only you will obey the Lord your God . . . ”

2) Deuteronomy26: 16, “This day the Lord your God commands you to keep these statutes . . . ”

3) Deuteronomy 28:58-61, “If you do not observe and fulfill all the law written down in this book, if you do not revere this honored and dreaded name . . .  59. Then the Lord will strike you and your descendants with unimaginable plagues, virulent and choric, and with lingering and severe sickness.”

Now the New Testament

4) 3 John11, “Dear friend, follow good examples, not bad ones. ”

5) Galatians 6:7, “Make no mistake: God is not to be fooled; everyone reaps what they sow.”

6) 1 Thess. 5:23, “May God  . . . the God of peace, make you holy through and through, and keep you sound in spirit, soul and body . . . “

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Informing Minds, Maturing Hearts

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

The word for “disciple” in the Greek is “mathêtês.” This word, as a noun, is used only in the Gospels and Acts. As a verb, the word “mathanô” means “to learn, to conform to.” Therefore, a disciple was a learner and follower – one who adheres to someone’s teaching or instruction (see, Mt. 5:1). In fact, it was a common first century designation given for students. We find that there were disciples of John the Baptist (Mt. 11:2), disciples of the Pharisees (Lk. 5:33), and disciples of Moses (Jn. 9:28). Accordingly, what does a disciple of Jesus look like? What are some characteristics of Jesus’ disciples?


First and most importantly, a true disciple of Jesus is one who believes the good news of the gospel (Acts 14:21). This involves believing Jesus for who he is (Jn. 1:41, 45, 49; 6:69).
Second, being a disciple means the devotion of our entire lives for our entire life. Jesus urges us to count the costs before becoming his disciple (Lk. 14:25-33), as well as all throughout our journey here on earth (Lk. 9:23). Of course, not everyone who calls themselves a disciple of Jesus is truly a disciple (Jn. 6:66). One can be closely associated with Jesus without becoming a true disciple of his (for example, Judas Iscariot). This makes sense when we consider that being a disciple is not entirely voluntary. One must first be called by Jesus to become a disciple of his (Mk. 1:17-20; 19:26; Jn. 6:70; 15:16).
Third, being a disciple in the early Church involved sacrificial service to others (Mt. 14:19-20; Jn. 13:14-17; Acts 6:2-3).
Fourth, Jesus’ disciples are part of an obedient community (Mt. 12:49-50; Acts 6:7). Just as marriage is a genuine expression of love, so too is obedience a genuine expression of discipleship.
And, fifth, disciples of Jesus share in the privilege of duplicating themselves (Mt. 28:19-20). Jesus commands his first disciples to continue the work he began in them.

Being a disciple of Jesus is not merely gaining knowledge, but integrating what is learned into our lives. We want not only to be informed of our Master’s life, but transformed by his life as well. Jesus says that a “student” (”mathêtês”) will not only learn from his teacher, but will be “like his teacher” (Lk. 6:40). This principle of being changed by what we learn comes out loud and clear in Phil. 4:9 where Paul encourages the Philippian believers to take what they have “learned” from him (a variation of the verb “mathanô”) and “put it into practice.” How exciting to know that we are pupils of the living God who personally trains us to be like him!

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Moving Mountains in Satan’s World

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

Though many have been led to believe that this world is God’s world, the Bible tells us something entirely different. The Apostle John was inspired to write: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

During the temptation of Jesus Christ, He was taken to a mountain and shown the glory of all the kingdoms of this world: “And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority [to govern] I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish’” (Luke 4:6).

Did Jesus contradict Satan and tell him that he was not in charge of the kingdoms of this world? No. He did not. Rather, near the end of His ministry, Jesus spoke of Satan in this way: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (John 12:31). As He also said: “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30).

Later, Paul wrote: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Satan the Devil is the invisible ruler-the “god” of this age, which has covered about 6,000 years of human history since the creation of Adam. But this age will end at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as King of kings! God inspired Paul to reveal to us that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). So the invisible spirit ruler-the prince-over this world’s society is actually Satan the Devil!

Nevertheless, the true Creator God intervenes when necessary, to accomplish His purpose. In Galatians 1:4, Paul taught that Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world” (KJV). But egotistical men, who think they know it all, are actually unaware that they are under the powerful sway of the invisible Satan. They think that their ideas about society and about government-often diametrically contrary to those of God-make sense. But God says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Satan deceives this world in a thousand different ways! In the book of Revelation, John foresaw a spirit war just ahead when “the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).

Later, God reveals to us that at the beginning of Christ’s reign on earth, Satan is cast into a bottomless pit “so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:3). The Bible makes it exceedingly clear that this present society is Satan’s. Rather than truly seeking God’s will, today’s civilization is based on vanity, competition, deception and fraud.

Jesus told Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). Clearly, Jesus had no intention of trying to get into this world’s politics and wars. He represented another world, another government-the kingdom of God.  Mountain Movers International is about expanding God’s Kingdom on earth.

We are not about reorganizing  this world and get into the midst of a lying, scheming political system under the sway of Satan the Devil! We are about being used by our Lord Jesus Christ for His glory while we exist in the enemy’s camp.  Simply put, we desire to do God’s work, God’s way, through God’s people, for God’s purposes. We do this all the while understanding that the hardships and the “mountains” that get in the way are because we are in a spiritual war. It is through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we are able to move those obstacles that get in our way for the purposes of glorifying our Creator. It is the power of His Holy Spirit that graces us with this ability. To God alone be the glory.

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Business with an “End Game”

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

The Scriptures say, “Without revelation (or vision) people cast off restraint.” (Proverbs 29:18.) Vision may be defined as “a perceived worthy result.” It is something far off or future in nature that draws us on toward it, an “end game.”

For Christians, our end game is, or should be, to hear Jesus say, “Well done good and faithful servant!” Truly there can be no higher or better result of our lives than to hear those words. When our eye is clear, and our “end game” clearly in mind, it, in and of itself “restrains” us. It helps us focus on what Stephen Covey calls “First Things” as in “Keep First Things First.” First things are those that feed those things most important to us and help us accomplish our vision. They are strategies and tactics that support us and help us remain focused amid the noise and distractions that the world, the flesh, and the devil throw in our path.

Our end game is eternal, not to be realized in this life, but in eternal life with our Lord Jesus. He will be our judge and our effectiveness will be judged by His standards alone. Without “restraint” or focus distraction will cause diffusion of our efforts and diminution of our fruitfulness. Loss of focus will ultimately result in our eternal loss. So, what’s your vision? Is your business a means to an end, and is that end eternal? What “restrains” you?

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Take Aim At All the Right Targets

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

“AIM FOR PERFECTION”  (2 Cor. 13:11 )

The NIV 2 Corinthians 13:11 as “Aim for perfection”. The Greek word here is katartizo. However, that is the exact same word the NIV translates as “preparing” in Matthew 4:21 where Jesus found James and John “preparing their nets.” The ESV and NAS translate it “mending” their nets. In the Matthew 5:48 passage where Jesus calls us to be “perfect”.

Look at the Greek word “katartizo” translated “perfection” in 2 Corinthians 13:11 (”Aim for perfection”, NIV). A lexicon defines that word as “to render fit”. That means to “make functional”. James and John were making their nets “functional” so that they might be able to catch fish. That doesn’t mean they were making them “precisely exact”. I doubt that every knot was “precise” or “exact”. No one can really define a knot that is “precisely exact”. When I tie my shoe, I want to make it “functional” or make it the way it was intended, to restore. . When I do, it is “perfect” from this translation perspective. I can tie my shoe, smile and say “perfect” and go on about my business.

Now, if someone comes along and looks at my shoe laces and says, those shoes laces are not tied with “exactly precise” loops, then I can smile at them and say, “No, you’re right. They are merely perfect”.

Look at how this can make a difference in our understanding of the Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, we read the following from the NIV:

I have found five thoughts in the New Testament that will help us to take aim at the right targets. 1 Corinthians 9:26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

  • In your Christian walk, don’t run aimlessly. We need to Take aim at the right targets!
  • Many Christians live reactively. They are content to react, to respond, to life around them. Wise Christians live proactively. They take the initiative, rather than adopting a passive attitude, in their Christian walk.
  • The victorious Christian has purpose; he has objectives. And he stays focused on those purposes and objectives. He is careful to take aim at the right targets.
  • Take aim at some things in your Christian life. And be sure to take aim at meaningful targets. Set desirable, biblical goals, and deliberately structure your lives to press towards those goals.

Matthew 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

  • This is the origin of our proverbial expression in English – “the straight and narrow.”
  • The broad way appeals to many … and ends in destruction!
  • The narrow way does not appeal to the flesh as much. But it is God’s way, and it leads to life eternal!
  • You have to choose the narrow way. It seems less appealing. The broad way seems better:
  • “Sin is fun!” people declare.
  • Indulging my cravings is enjoyable.
  • More relaxed standards are easier to live up to.
  • But remember what’s at the end of that broad way – destruction for the many!
  • (1) So aim for the narrow road that leads to life.

2 Corinthians 5:8-10 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…

  • (2) Aim to please God in all that you do.
  • Jesus said, “I always do what pleases Him” (John 8:29).
  • This is an excellent standard for Christians to use in making decisions in their lives, conduct, thoughts, etc. Ask yourself: Will this please the Lord?

Acts 24:15-16 And I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

  • There will be a resurrection, and we will face the Lord.
  • (3) So aim now for a clear conscience before God and man.
  • We were taught a good thing in my early years in Roman Catholicism – that is, to “examine our conscience.”
  • How is your conscience before God? before man?
  • Take aim for a clear conscience. As Paul said, “Strive always” for a clear conscience. Target it; make it your objective and unrelenting desire.

1 Corinthians 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

  • (4) Aim to be men and women who love the church.
  • Jesus said He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18). Jesus loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). Paul prayed: “To Him [to God] be glory in the church…” (Ephesians 3:21).
  • Aim to use your talents, gifts, and ministries to build up Jesus’ beloved Church.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection…

  • Why do modern Christians have such a hard time with this? Why is it so easy to offer the blameshifting excuse: “Well, nobody’s perfect.”
  • (5) “Aim for perfection!” – that’s the Word of God!
  • One day in the Lord’s presence we will become “the spirits of righteous men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).
  • But here and now, in this life, Paul says (2 Corinthians 13:9), “our prayer is for your perfection.”

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Be Motivated!

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Being motivated truly seems to be a mystery. Some have it; some don’t. Without motivation, you can’t accomplish your God given goals or fulfill your God given potential for living.

  • Without motivation, you run carelessly and without enthusiasm.
  • Motivation determines your strength, your commitment, and your enthusiasm toward life.

Gas in the Tank

Motivation is what drives us. The word “motivate” means “a moving cause; an inner drive, impulse or intention that causes a person to do something or act in a certain way.”

  • Motivation is to a Christian what gas is to a tank; it gives the energy needed to reach the destination.
  • Motivation can’t be inherited. It’s not passed from parent to child. It doesn’t derive from family accomplishments.
  • Motivation differs with each person. You may be highly motivated, while other siblings may have no motivation at all.

Biblical Models of Motivation

The Bible contains many examples of men and women who were motivated to accomplish their God given goals.

  • God motivated Abraham by challenging him to trust in the vision that he – an old man – would become the Father of Many Nations.
  • God given dreams motivated Joseph, causing him to endure terrible trials, misunderstandings and disillusionment before the dreams ever came to pass.
  • The vision of the Promised Land motivated Joshua to fight for what was set before him.
  • Caleb was motivated to seeming impossible odds to go where others refused to venture.
  • Jesus, too, was motivated by a clear purpose and destiny: “Jesus…for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” Hebrews 12:2.
  • Paul was motivated by the prize of the upward call of God, by the knowledge that he had a mission to accomplish. “I count all things but loss for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” Philippians 3:8.
  • Timothy was motivated by the apostolic influence of his spiritual father, Paul, and by an understanding of what it meant to live in the light of eternity.

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God’s Strength is Our Strength

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

The following are some ways that God strengthens.

1. With the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:12-18. God wants every Christian to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (6:10). This is possible when the believer trusts in the armor that God gives. If you want to be strengthened by the Lord, then put on the helmet of salvation, shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, gird your loins with truth, take up the shield of faith, put on the breastplate of righteousness, take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and pray. Once you have stood firm against the temptations of the Devil, you will have God to thank.

2. The Word of God, Matthew 7:24ff. In the last verses of what is called the “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus says that the wise man who builds a house that stands against the storm is the one that “hears his word and acts upon them.” It seems reasonable to conclude that everyone is building a house, and some people build upon a lasting foundation and some do not. The previous words in Matthew 7:13,14 shows that it is the majority who do not act upon his word because they are on the broad way that leads to destruction. By hearing the Words of Jesus, and acting upon them, it provides the material for a lasting structure. When the storms of life come and go, and you step out into the bright sunshine with a house that still stands, you can thank God for that.

3. God strengthens through His promises (see Matthew 5:3-12, Revelation 2:10, 1 Peter 1:4-6, etc.). When the Christians in Smyrna were facing persecution to the death, Jesus encouraged them to be faithful until death and they would receive from Him the crown of life. Christians know what is more valuable. It is more valuable to have treasures in heaven than to save ones’ life here. “Whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35). God’s reward helps the weak to have new courage. God also strengthens through relationships found in the church (Hebrews 10:24,25). God strengthens through prayer and providence. James shows that God gives wisdom to those who pray without doubting (1:5,6). He shows the importance of praying with pure motives (4:2,3) and if it is a righteous person who is praying, it is effective. God works His will and answers prayer to bless those that love Him. The Apostle showed that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Just knowing and trusting that God is working behind the scenes is a source of strength.

4. Let’s give God the glory for the power that He works out in our lives. We are not asking for Him to take us over, to suspend out freewill, and make us stop sinning. That would be asking God to do what He does not do. How silly it would be for someone to pray, “strengthen me, Lord, so that I do not sin again.” If our attitude is such that we still love to sin, God wil not make us stop. If we go on sinning, it is not because God has failed, it is because we have failed to trust Him. If we keep caving into temptation and sin, we have a lack of faith and trust in the will of God. It would be more productive in such cases to pray and meditate upon His word and then plan ways to put that into action. You will thank God for the newfound strength He has given.

5. And last, but definitely not least, the Gospel is the greatest power available to man. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because “it is the power of God to save…” (Rom. 1:16). Without this power, all mankind would be lost and destined to the punishment of hell. I imagine we can all identify with Paul who said, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7;24). Thanks to God for the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ through faith! If we have confidence in Jesus’ cross, we will strive to think on things above. Here’s how Paul put it in Colossians 3: “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” In the previous chapter, Paul says that the Christians were raised in Baptism to walk in newness of life (Colossians 2:12). It is not likely that we will give in to sin if we have our eyes on Christ. That is all the strength we need.

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