Unhealthy Wants

You know, you can find messages about God in so many rather unlikely places. Take song lyrics for example, I listened to one this morning after reading a lesson in our current Bible Study, Encounters of the Spirit. This song, “Sin For a Sin” by country music singer Miranda Lambert, had a line that just captured my attention.  Initially, the song is about a cheatin’ man, but then this line just jumped out at me:

“Bad things come with consequence
What feels good, hurts in the end
Don’t want to think about that now”

This is EXACTLY what I read this morning! In 1 Corinthians 2:13-16, Carolyn Moore, the author, asks us to consider if all our wanting is for something Earth doesn’t have? She goes on to wonder “what if our addictions and our debt and our serial relationships are all about this yearning for God even when we don’t realize that’s what we’re after? What if the answer to our brokenness is God’s holiness?” Moore posits that we are not merely after a mental idea of God, but a relationship. She likens it to homesickness, explaining that we were made for something we are trying to get back to.  Ephesians 4:19 says, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

I am getting a lot out of this book, but this particular message resonated with me. It was like a big aha moment.

Just for fun, you might like to listen to Miranda Lambert’s song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlvUmYGLdgM

Some additional lyrics from this song read:
Bible told me to forget
All those who trespass against  
 
Fire and brimstone
Dirt and a headstone
Bury them, baby
Along with your sins
Hear the thunder
Six feet under
Hit your knees
Wont do it again

False Prophets

While reading and watching the news this past week, I found myself repeatedly thinking of God. How very heartbroken he must be at how we treat one another. So much of the torment in the world today is because of religion. People don't agree and they fight over their beliefs, who should be ruling and what land countries should possess etc. I also recalled what the Bible says about false prophets, and what I learned in a recent Bible study on world religions.

False prophets are very real, and often disguised as religions, even Christian religions. In 1 John 4:2-3 we are told how to test the spirits. “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

We shouldn’t believe everything we hear just because someone says it is a message inspired by God. There are many ways to test teachers and even entire religions to see if their message is truly from the Lord:

• check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible
• their commitment to other Christians, which we call the body of believers
• their life-style
• the fruit of their ministry
• But the most important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do they teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man?

False teachers are popular with the world because, like the false prophets of the Old Testament, they tell people what they want to hear. John 3 tells us that Christians who faithfully teach God’s Word will not win any popularity contests in the world. People don’t want to hear their sins condemned. Nor do they want to listen to demands that they change their behavior. A false teacher will be well received by non-Christians.

Some people believe everything they read or hear. Sadly, many ideas printed and taught are simply not true. We must verify every message we hear, even if the person who brings it says it’s from God. If the message is truly from God, it will be consistent with Christ’s teachings. This is one reason why reading and studying the Bible is so important. No matter how much we learn, we must never forget or ignore the basic truths about Christ. Jesus will always be God's Son, and his sacrifice for our sins is permanent. No truth will ever contradict these teachings in the Bible. No matter how much we learn, we must never abandon the basic truths about Christ. Jesus will always be God’s Son, and his sacrifice for our sins is permanent. No truth will ever contradict these teachings in the Bible.

In warning against antichrists John has this to say: Dear Children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist – he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2: 18, 22-23

John is talking about the time between Christ’s first and second comings. During this time, antichrists (false teachers who pretend to be Christians and who lure weak members away from Christ) will appear. Then, just before the world ends, one great antichrist will arise.

However, we don’t need to fear these evil people. The Holy Spirit shows us their errors, so we will not be deceived. We must share and teach God’s Word clearly and carefully to those in the margins, weak members among us so that they won’t fall victim to people who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Our culture is high on politically correctness right now. Psychologists call this movement social engineering. We are constantly told to embrace all religions and that they all have value and are good. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. The reason we must be aware of the false prophets is so we don’t follow any of their ideas. We must approach one another with love and kindness, but we are not to be gullible either. We do not have to agree with others in order to treat them with kindness and respect.

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Wikipedia has this to say about social engineering: “Social Engineering is a discipline in social science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments, media or private groups. Social Engineering can also be understood philosophically as a deterministic phenomenon. A social engineer is one who tries to influence popular attitudes, social behaviors, and resource management on a large scale. Social engineering is the application of the scientific method for social concern.”

 

Understanding the Gift of the Holy Spirit

The book of Acts tells of the early Christians and that as God's people, they shared the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us of a gift from God that unleashes the power and wisdom of His kingdom, providing everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The Spirit's coming upon believers was so dramatic that onlookers "...were all amazed and marveled..." (Acts 2:7)

Does the world marvel at Christians today? Much of what happens in the church today is mainly a reflection of the values and the reasoning of the surrounding culture, rather than a clear demonstration God's power. Why is this? What happened since the time of the first century Christians?

For many Christians, when we attempt to discover our part in the work of God's kingdom, the question we ask ourselves is kind of self-centered. "What can I do for God?" Perhaps we should be asking a more God-centered question: "What does God want to do through me? What is His specific assignment for me? If we can make that subtle shift in thinking and experience the true giftedness of the Holy Spirit that follows from it, we will have dramatic results in our lives. Because what we'll witness will be God's power to transform lives, not just our own ability to help people in need.

Did you ever wonder why today's church has so little impact? Why there are so many frustrated Christians? In a world desparately needing what we claim to have, why do so many believers seem to be powerless?

One reason is that Christians are seeking gifts of the Holy Spirit and not the Holy Spirit Himself. They want power instead of a relationship with the One whose presence gives that power. Christians want to do great things for God, but perhaps they haven't understood that greatness in the kingdom of God comes out of a relationship with Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. People in today's society have become so enchanted with SELF that we have no idea what is on God's heart.

If we seek the gifts of the Spirit and not the Holy Spirit Himself, we'll always focus on SELF. We need to understand that there are no gifts apart from an intimate relationship with the Spirit.

There are several popular books out on spiritual gifts and many online tests to take to help you identify yours. What these books often leave out is the fact that if you do not have a close relationship with God, if you have not received the Holy Spirit, you do not have a spiritual gift.

The Bible and Spiritual Gifts

In Spirit Gifts the gift is called…	Romans 12:3-8	1 Corinthians 12:4-11	1 Corinthians 12:27-31	Ephesians 4:7-16
Prophecy	prophecy	prophecy	prophets	prophets
Pastoring	ministry			pastors
Teaching	teacher		teachers	teachers
Encouragement	exhorter
Giving	giver
Compassion	compassionate
Wisdom		wisdom
Knowledge		knowledge
Faith		faith
Healing		healing
Miracles		miracles	power/miracles
Discernment		discernment
Tounges		tongues	tongues
Interpretation		interpretation	interpret
Apostleship			apostles	apostles
Assisting			assistance
Leadership	leader		leadership
Evangelism				evangelists

The Holy Spirit

• The wind and the Spirit of God are a lot alike. Both Greek and Hebrew use one word for both meanings.                                                                                                                                   spirit Greek: pneuma                     Hebrew: ruach (roo akh)
  wind  Greek: pneuma                     Hebrew: ruach

• Live a supernatural life under supernatural guidance. Be blown by God’s Spirit. He blows whenever He pleases and takes us where the world cannot go. “The Wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you n tell when it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

• The Spirit’s touch is intensely personal. The Spirit speaks through the thoughtful and loving interaction of God’s people.

• The fruit of the Spirit and Spiritual gifts are not of our own achievement. They and others are the outgrowth of the Spirit’s work in us, by grace, through our faith in Jesus the Christ and they are not given for personal gain. Through these fruits and gifts, the Holy Spirit empowers us for ministry in the word.

According to a study conducted by the Barna Group, about 40 percent of American Christians believe the devil ‘Is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” Another 20 percent are less convinced, but leaning in that direction. However, about half of those also believe a person can be under the influence of spiritual forces such as demons.

About 60 percent of Christians believe the Holy Spirit is merely “a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity.” On the other hand, about half of these same people also believe the Bible is completely accurate in all its claims and yet the Bible is saturated in Holy Spirit language!

The same percentage of people who do not believe the Holy Spirit is an actual being are actually more likely to believe in ghosts. In fact, the percentage of those who believe in ghosts is three times higher than it was twenty ago.

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge... Hosea 4:6

Three good articles on the Holy Spirit:
"Who Or What is the Holy Spirit," Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry

"What Does The Holy Spirit Do?" Christianity Today

"Our Christian Roots: The Holy Spirit," The United Methodist Church

The Barna Group is a research and resource company, widely considered to be a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture. The Barna Group offers customized research, resources and training to serve churches, non-profits, businesses and leaders.

True Balance Begins With Christ

Too much of even a good thing can throw us off balance in life. Look at what has happened to many people who have achieved great wealth or fame. It throws them off balance. I recently read about Jordy Nelson, a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. He signed a 39 million dollar contract with the Packers, but he still works on his family farm during the off season. He puts in 12 hour days on the farm, which shows he is trying to maintain balance in his life, rather than letting fame and fortune throw him off balance.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16. Chris Tiegreen, in At His Feet, explains that the opposition from the Pharisees was like the ravaging wolves. The disciples looked to their Shepherd for protection. “Today, we face similar hostility, and like the disciples we are not to be sheeplike in our attitude, but prudent and sensible. We are not to be gullible pawns, but we are not to be deceitful connivers either. We must find a balance between wisdom and vulnerability to accomplish God’s work.”

I’ve posted this Irish blessing before, but as I think about the balance needed in life, I think it bears repeating. This blessing is a good reflection of God’s character, and his hopes for us.

This blessing is all about balance, asking for just enough, not more, just enough.

Enough happiness to keep you sweet with enough trials to keep you strong.

Enough sorrow to keep you human with enough hope to keep you happy.

Enough failure to keep you humble, with enough success to keep you eager.

Enough wealth to meet your needs, not more, just enough.

An Irish Blessing

May your joys be as bright as the morning,

and your sorrows merely be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.

May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet,

enough trials to keep you strong,

enough sorrow to keep you human,

enough hope to keep you happy,

enough failure to keep you humble,

enough success to keep you eager,

enough friends to give you comfort,

enough faith and courage in yourself to banish sadness,

enough wealth to meet your needs and one thing more;

enough determination to make each day a more wonderful day than the one before.

Humble Flowers of God's Garden

 When I was a little girl, I thought dandelions were so pretty. I’d often pick them for my Mom. She’d put them in a vase and give me a hug. Eventually she told me that dandelions were weeds. I remember thinking they are such pretty little flowers, how can they be weeds? I graduated to picking fistfuls of wild violets that grew along the roadside of our Indiana farm.

This morning, while walking with my dog, I spotted a dandelion, face up toward the sun and thought how cheerful it was. Then I thought of Jesus and how he did not chose to hang out with the hybrid, the fancy, the first class. He chose from among the common, tax collectors and ordinary fishermen. They grew an extensive root system of faith. They were hardy, they didn’t readily fall victim to the diseases of sin in society. Like the dandelion, they were useful. The dandelion has an ingenious method of seed dispersal. So too, did the disciples. The wind of the Holy Spirit blew them across the world to preach the gospel and they survived intense hardships. Like the dandelion, they had a cheerful countenance, faces lifted toward the heavens.

We should all endeavor to be more like the dandelion, with cheerful dispositions, readily dispersing seeds of faith all while being useful plants:

• Dandelion root has been used in traditional herbal medicine for hundreds of years.
• Dandelion leaves can be harvested and eaten as an addition to a green salad.
• Dandelion leaves can also be steamed or added to a stir-fry or soup.
• The flowers are sweet and crunchy, and can be eaten raw, or breaded and fried.
• Dandelion flowers can also be used to make dandelion wine.
• The root of the dandelion can be dried and roasted and used as a coffee substitute, or added to any recipe that calls for root vegetables.

This humble “weed” is actually quite a useful plant that doesn’t require expensive soils or fertilizers to grow. We only need faith in Jesus to save us and God’s Word to help us grow into useful plants in God’s garden.