Life is Hard...

Let's face it, it is!  Life is tough.  

When things are going well we forget how hard they can be.  When the bills are all paid, and everyone is healthy, and you and your spouse are getting along well, and the kids are making good grades, and the dog doesn't have fleas, then we forget how tough life can get.

On the other hand when things get ugly we seem to forget the good times too.  When the mortgage is past due, and the car has a flat, and the doctors office calls to give you a bad report, and the last word you spoke to your husband or wife was weeks ago and it was during a fight, and the kids are threatening to run away, and the dog just got hit by a car... Then, it's hard to see the good in life.

No matter where you are right now in that spectrum, one thing is certain:  Jesus has gone there before you and will be there with you. Don't ever doubt him.

God is always good and he has promised to be there with you.  You may not feel him, or see him, or sense him in any way... but he's there.  Hebrews 13:5b (HCSB) ..."He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you."


Sure, life is hard... But God is good.  

Abiding in Christ

John 15:4 (NASB) 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. -Words of Christ

Abiding in Christ... I have thought a lot about what it means to abide in Christ.  Many of us have.  Yet we have probably come up with lots of different ideas of what it looks like.  

Understanding what it means to abide in Christ will help us get back to basics.  However I in no way expect to cover the fullness of this subject here, I don’t think I could do it justice in this short letter.  Yet I want to share a few of my thoughts with you.

If a branch abides in the vine, it always remains connected.  If it becomes disconnected, it no longer abides.  It's really that simple.  For our spiritual wellbeing, we must endeavor to always remain in connection with Christ.

A vine (trunk) is where the nutrients originate.  It has all of the resources needed for the branches to thrive, yet if the branch become disconnected those nutrients never reach their intended destination.  The vine is still producing and supplying the nutrients needed, yet the branch isn't getting them because it has been pulled off, cut off, or separated in some way from the vine.

In our everyday lives there are so many things that tug on us, pulling us away from our connection to Christ.  There are a thousand things that try to cause us to ‘disconnect’ from Christ.  These things in themselves are not all bad, but they can be interference.  

Anything that interferes with our relationship to the vine (Christ) will impede our fruiting process and can even cause us to 'dry up'.   If we want to survive as Christians, we must remain connected to the vine... But we can do far more than just survive... God desires that we thrive!

I am sure you feel the same way I do, I don’t want to dry up.  I want to flourish in Christ!  So we must daily guard our connection to Christ, with all that is in us, and that is done only by intentional discipline. 

We have been studying discipleship lately.  Discipleship is not just a class we attend.  It’s a way of life.  We have to discipline ourselves to follow Christ in all things.  The scripture below is an example of what it looks like to discipline the mind.

Phil. 4:8 (NASB) 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever  things  are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,  whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It takes focus to remain in constant connection and communion with Christ, but the reward is to be a fruitful and flourishing Christian!  I’m sure that is what we all desire.

One more thought.  If we remain connected to Christ we also remain connected to one another because he is the vine that unites us all.

My prayer for you and the body of Christ today is that you abide in Him, and that we remain connected to each other. Lord, let us be fruitful and multiply in your Kingdom.

Blessings, Pastor Jerry

Satan Actually Got Something Right!

I believe Satan actually got something right!  Yes, you read that statement correctly!  No, I didn't make a mistake in writing it.  But please, wait just a minute before calling me a heretic. I know that’s a bold and controversial statement for a Christian to make.  It sounds even more radical because it's being said by a pastor, the pastor of a charismatic/full gospel, non-denominational church none the less. 

However, I have found one thing that Satan said in the Bible that I believe we should take notice of, and perhaps we should even ask the same question from time to time.  It's not that his words had merit in the context which he said them because in that context he was wrong. It's the question itself, or at least a portion of it, that we should ask and consider.

We all know the story of Creation from the book of Genesis.  We know that God told Adam in Genesis 2:16,17 that he could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  If we will notice, God gave this instruction to Adam alone.  This was before Eve was created because in the very next verse God says, "It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a helper."  So God went on with creation and soon Eve is introduced.  Then, the very next person to come onto the scene is the Serpent, who of course is widely accepted as Satan. (To remove any doubt about his identity, look at Revelation 12:9.)

Genesis 3:1 (NLT) says, "Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"  This question asked by Satan, I believe, has so much merit for us today.  "Did God really say...?"  

Sure, I believe that God really told to Adam not to eat from that one tree.  Yes, Satan is a deceiver!  And yes, he was trying to distort the truth that God had given to Adam, which in turn he had passed on to Eve.  Sure, in doing so Satan was certainly trying to cast doubt on God and His word which are forever true, but there is some validity to the question itself, in our lives today.  

"Did God really say...?"  See, Eve had heard that God had made this statement but she probably hadn't heard him say it herself.  This brings me to my point, well two points actually.

Firstly, I do believe that God guides us by his Spirit still today.  John 10:27 (KJV) says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"   Romans 8:14 (KJV) tells us, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."  God speaks to us in many ways, but what concerns me is the number of people saying "God told me this", or "God has instructed me to do that".  What I have witnessed in my years of ministry is that much, if not most of what is said to be God speaking, is not God at all.  Far too often Christians, especially Charismatic Christians and Pentecostals, say “God has told me to do such and such”, but often it doesn't line up with the word of God, nor with God's character.  It's time for us to stop blaming God for our choices, and take responsibility for our own actions.  

Secondly, and most importantly, we need to know God's word, the Bible, for ourselves.  It is the ultimate authority, inspired by God's himself. (See 2 Tim.3:16)  

We can't just go by what someone tells us even if they are thought to be a reliable source of truth, or a trustworthy minster of the gospel.  The bible itself tells us that there are many false teachers (Read Jude).  

Satan is cunning.  He is real.  He is a liar, and he is seeking do destroy your life.  He is the epitome of wrong, but he did make a point that rings true today when he implied that we cannot blindly trust what someone else has told us God said.   

Here is a bit of sound advice: Find out for yourself what God has to say by reading His word, and be led by what it says rather than going solely by what someone else has told you, or even by what you have determined in your own mind to be "God's" course of action for your life.  God will lead his people by his Spirit, but it will come under the authority of His word, and will line up with his character, or it’s simply not God!

“You can't bear fruit if you haven't first put down roots.”

Just the other morning on the way into the office Tracy and I were talking about how so many people seem unstable when it comes to church membership, or even faithful attendance for that matter.  As we were talking about how many seem to flow in but then just breeze right on through, I felt like the Lord began to speak to me.  The word “flux” came to my mind.  This isn’t the most common word but I did understand its meaning.  Just to be sure, I looked it up when we got to the church. 

Flux means, “flowing, movement, or continual change.”  This is exactly what seems to be going on in the body of Christ!  The church is in constant flux!  We flow from one movement to the next, one congregation to another.  I believe with all my heart that this is one of the greatest tricks that the Devil is using against the church of this generation.  Satan is keeping people in constant transit, or flux.

Then, I believe the Lord gave me a great understanding.   “You can't bear fruit if you haven't first put down roots.”   The enemy has caused the body of Christ to be in such flux, that we have no root system.  Without roots a tree cannot live, much less be fruitful. 

Psa. 92:12-14 says, “¹²The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ¹³ Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. ¹⁴ They will still yield fruit in old age ; They shall be full of sap and very green,”

I want you to notice that verse 13 tells us if we want to flourish in the courts of our God, that we must be “planted” in the house of the Lord.  Wow!  That is a powerful passage of scripture.  We all want to flourish, but far too few want to be planted.

I’ll admit.  Staying planted is often difficult.  Some days it looks like the trees over in another courtyard are receiving more water.  Sometimes it appears that the trees over there are being recognized for their stateliness, while here where I have been planted I am not being celebrated.  It isn’t always easy to ‘bloom where you are planted’.  Things won’t always go your way, here or anywhere.

But the truth is, if God has planted me here, then here is where I will flourish.  Not over there in another courtyard, not at a church across town, right here where God put me. 

In a time people are not settling in one place long enough to get rooted or gounded we need to put down roots.  Without settling in and getting connected in the place God has chosen for you, you will never, I repeat never, be fruitful.

Spiritually speaking; Do you want to flourish like a palm tree?  Do you want to be strong and stable like the cedar of Lebanon?  Do you want to still yield fruit in old age?  Do you want to be green and full of sap, which is symbolic of life and vigor? 

If you answered yes to any, or all, of these questions, then allow God to plant you in the house of the Lord.  Don’t give in to Satan’s trickery and be plucked up and moved so easily.  You have found a great home right here at Abundant Life Tabernacle.  Dig in, put down roots and let’s be fruitful!

If you are reading this on my blog and aren't a part of ALT but perhaps go to another great church my advice is the same.  If you are in Bible believing church that takes the word seriously, and believes in serving the Lord faithfully, then put down roots.  Do what you can to make the church where you have been planted the best church it can be.  Don't jump and run at the first sign of difficulty.

May God bless His church!  And may God bless those who are planted in His house!

Thanksgiving...

Just a short post to remind you of the history of Thanksgiving day.

This day was first celebrated by pilgrims, Christian Puritans who came to the New World in search of religious freedom.  


Upon seeing the blessings of God in their life, they set aside a day to offer thanks to the one true God for his bountiful blessings.  The day wasn't to honor Allah, nor Buddha, nor any other false god, but Jehovah, the living God who gave his son on Calvary. 


Neither was it to honor Mother Earth, or the the sun, or good fortune.  Thanksgiving day was set aside to give thanks to God and his son Jesus Christ, for the abundance of grace and mercy bestowed upon them.


So, as you give thanks today, tomorrow, and every other day, be sure to give thanks to the right person.  The world may have changed.  We give God far less credit and far less thanks than he deserves today... But he hasn't changed he is still the provider of all good things!  


James 1:17 NIV - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

"Thank YOU Lord!"  -J

Biblical Priorities

As a pastor I am seemingly always trying to get more people involved in ministry. One of the common excuses is, "I just don't have the time to be that involved." It's true that one of the big issues in today's society is the lack of time, and I understand that, but it does take a toll on Christian Ministry.

Actually, we don't have any less time now than in the years past. Our days are just filled, to a far greater extent, with so many more activities. Most of us have dedicated our time to so many things that we hardly have time to give to anything else.

One of the songs we sing on Sunday morning says, “The time that I have left, is all I have of worth. I lay it at your feet Lord, it’s less than you deserve, and though I've little strength, and though my days are few, you gave your life for me So, I will live my life for you…”

As I consider how busy I am, I often feel nearly overwhelmed. I understand that you are stretched too. So what can we do to take away some of these stresses and give ourselves more time for the things of God? It’s not some deep secret. We just need to simplify, and some of us need to learn to say “no” to the seemingly endless invitations to activities. That can all be harder than it sounds though.

In order to simplify our lives we first have to prioritize. We have to figure out what things are most important and what things are least important. Let me help you with that. The most important things in life are our relationships. First should be my relationship with God. Second should be my relationship with my spouse. My relationship with my children should be next, and then relationships with others including our extended family, the family of God, and the world around us. Biblical priorities will go a long way toward correcting our ‘too busy’ schedules.

Then consider that you only have so many hours in a day. The truth is we all have twenty-four hours. None of us have more time in a day than anyone else but some use their time more wisely. To make the most of the time you have, it’s not a bad idea to budget your time. If you are too busy, look at what is important to you and drop a few activities that are toward the bottom of the “Important List.” Schedule nights off. Plan for time without responsibilities, this in itself will make life more enjoyable.

Also, think about the amount of overtime you put in at work. If you have to work overtime to make ends meet, then you need to restructure your finances. You should be able to put in a regular 40 hour work week and meet your responsibilities, especially with a two family income. If not, downsize because you are living above your means. It’s okay to work extra to get ahead, but if work or finances are our number one priority they have become far too important to us. If we are working so much that we cannot give any of our time to the Lord, then He may not be “Lord” at all.

Here’s something to consider. It is true, our kids need to be involved in extracurricular activities, but they do not need to be in every activity that school or sports has to offer. Whatever our example is, they will likely follow. Whatever we live; we teach. If you are working too much and staying too busy to give any time to the Lord or His kingdom, you can’t expect your children to live any differently. I believe that we should set the example of giving of ourselves to God, and then teach them to do the same. “Train up a child …”

There are some great things going on at ALT, and even greater things are ahead. I want all of us to be involved in them. If you are a part of the labor, you will also enjoy the harvest. If your priorities are out of line, I hope that you will take the opportunity to restructure.

What is important to you? Who are you living for anyway, you or Him?
 

Just preach!

In Matthew 15 Jesus does something that was very bold.  So bold in fact some might call it callused.   

Jesus is speaking… [Matt. 15:7-12 (NASB)]  7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FARAWAY FROM ME. 9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' " 10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand. 11 "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." 12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"   13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14 "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

Wow!  Jesus really let the Pharisees have it.  He calls them hypocrites.  He says that they honor God with their lips, but their heart is far from Him.  He says they worship in vain. 

I’ve noticed something interesting here.  He says all this, to their faces none the less, and then His disciples came to later Him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?" 

The disciples were concerned that Jesus had offended the Pharisees, but Jesus wasn’t concerned in the least!  He knew they were offended, but he didn’t care! 

Now before you think I’m giving you the right to just go around offending people because Jesus did it, take a look at what He was doing here.  He was calling for truth and true righteousness.  He was condemning the sins of organized (false) religion.  The Pharisees were basing their relationship with God on their own merit, which is never good enough.  They were preaching their ideas rather that the truth of God.

Then Jesus goes even farther by saying, "Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.”  The Pharisees were a ‘plant’ that the Father had not planted, or in other words they were not a branch of Judaism that God ordained.  “They are blind leaders of the blind.” 

We live in a world full of false religion.  Multiple, so called, “Christian” denominations have chosen to condone what God has condemned. 

Now here’s my point.  We have to preach the truth, period.  If the truth of God offends someone, or some group, a denomination, or even a whole religion, it’s still the truth and we still have to preach it.  Jesus advice was, “leave them alone.”  Let them live in their deception if they choose to do so.  God will uproot the plants that He has not planted. 

There are others out there though that need to hear the message we preach.  They are looking to hear the truth and will listen to it and be saved, if we don’t allow the hypocrites to distort the truth of God’s word.

Preach the truth and let God worry about who will be 'uprooted'… Our intention is not to be offensive, but we cannot worry about the truth offending someone, and neither is it ours to worry about who will be judged by God for wrong doctrine.  Just preach!  Preach the truth.  That's what we are called to do.