Taking Personal Responsibility

"If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible." - Leviticus 5:17 (NIV)

Each man must answer to God for himself. On judgment day every action, every thought, and every spoken word will be judged. As the first 2 chapters in Romans indicate, no man will have any excuse since "the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness" (Romans 2:15). Saved or not, the knowledge of good and evil are ingrained in the heart of every human being (which we inherited from Adam and Eve after they disobediently ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 3). Because of our inclination towards sin we often choose to ignore our conscience and follow after evil.

To sin or not to sin, that is the question? Every moment of every day we make choices. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us which gives the ability not to sin. Those that have not the Spirit have no such ability. They can make good decisions, live good moral lives, however they are still bound by sin, falling short of their purpose in glorifying God through Jesus Christ in all that they do.

When you ask the average person if they believe they are going to heaven, their answer is usually "Yes! I'm a good person and God will let me in." However Jesus said that "there is none good but one, that is, God" (Mark 10:18). The Gospel destroys the erroneous belief that heaven is gained by our good deeds, because "all have sinned" (Romans 5:12) and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we escape the penalty for our sins, which is death, hell, and ultimately the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

As Leviticus 5:17 indicates, even when we don't have knowledge of sin we are still held accountable. There is no way to justify yourself, we can only be "justified freely by his [God's] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).

Not only is this is case with eternal wages of sin, but also temporal consequences. Every day our decisions shape our future. Many times bad choices mount up, and rather than own up to our condition, we hide and try to mask ourselves outwardly, while inwardly struggles plague us. Bad decisions can always be overcome by making good ones. Sometimes it "seems" like it is easier to make bad decisions than to do the right thing, but that is only an illusion.

"Every choice you make has an end result." - Zig Ziglar

What will be the end result of your choices for today? Will you choose to repent, choose to follow after Christ, choose to obey? The choice is yours.

What Motivates You?

Where does your motivation lie?

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6

Wikipedia defines motivation as "the activation of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding morality."

The activation of goal-oriented behavior. I've always been someone who has written out goals. Short term goals, long term goals, small goals in order to reach bigger ones, 5 year plans, new years resolutions, etc... I had it all written out, lists upon lists. But what got done? There were seasons I was focused and accomplished goals successfully and was cruising! But I always allowed something to shift that focus and ended up in months and even years of stagnation. This is where I find myself today, asking myself, where is my motivation? Why haven't my current goals been activated?

Where has my motivation been in the past? Has it been in relationships with women? Positions at work? Financial gain? The calling of God on my life? Has it been to "minimize pain, maximize pleasure, obtain a desired possession"? Where should my motivation lie?

Sometimes I wait on other people to push and motivate me. Othertimes, let's face it, I've just been lazy! Yes, I'm a hard worker on the job, when given a task I do what it takes to get it done, but lately I've seemed to have lost that motivation. Where did it go?

Scientific researchers and neurologists all suggest that lack of motivation is a symptom of depression. I'm currently reading "Blame it On the Brain" by Edward T. Welch, and the whole premise of his book is to distinguish, through the lens of scripture, which disorders can be blamed on the brain and which cannot? He argues that we live in a culture where scientific research is skewed in an attempt to blame everything from depression to alchoholism on a brain dysfunction. He gives 3 categories: these issues can be a result of chemical imbalances, brain disorders, or disobedience. I tend to believe that all of these are viable causes, but the solution is the same whatever the cause - Jesus.

In Christ, He has given us the power and authority to take control of our own mind, to exercise self control, to battle every disorder and break every demonic stronghold through his Holy Spirit.

So back to motivation. Let's look at David. He was facing opposition at all sides, no doubt facing thoughts and feelings of depression as evident through his psalms, but no matter where he found himself he chose to turn to the Lord and encourage himself. When he was in a cave hiding for his very life, rather than have a pitty party or wait for someone else to motivate him, he motivated himself. His motivation was the LORD. Pleasing God meant more to him than pleasing himself. Though he fell in sin time and time again, his affections always turned back to God and he got back up and continued to press.

Looking at David's example, we all have some examining to do. What motivates you? What motivates me? Does my motivation lie in being comfortable when uncomfortable? Does it lie in the possibility of losing something or someone that I care deeply for? Where should it lie? Our motivation should be in Christ. Recognizing what He has done for us and what He has made available to us, our motivation should lie in pleasing Him, obeying Him, and enjoying Him as the satisfaction of our souls.

Enourage yourself! Change your thinking and allow Christ to be your motivation. I can guarantee that when we, and I include myself, take on the mind of Christ and learn how to motivate ourselves in Him, we will experience abundance in this life and the next. An abundance of peace, joy, contentment, and satisfaction.

"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness." - Galatians 5:16 (Message)

The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41

If anyone can attest to the truthfulness of that statement, I can. I was speaking with a brother this past weekend, and he said it was amazing how he could be so caught up in the Holy Ghost one minute and deep in his flesh the next. One minute basking in the presense of God, the next upset and irritated. After reflecting on some events earlier today, I can easily say the same thing myself. This morning dwelling in the presence of God writing the blog you read below, this afternoon finding myself in an emotional rut ready to break down crying.

When I decided to pick this blog back up I revisited some old posts and what I read amazed me. Reading some I knew I was in my flesh dealing with carnal situations, others I was in the Spirit dead on. Posts as early back as 2007 I saw myself in a similar place as I'm in today. I've grown in wisdom and knowledge, but a lot of the same issues plague me. It's like I have all the answers, I just have to apply them to my life. I've had seasons where I was strong in the LORD, and others where I've been weak. As a great woman of God told me earlier today, I'm lazy and need to start doing what I know to do!

My focus now is getting to the point where I make the right decisions even during moments in the flesh. It's in that moment of frustration, that moment of emotionalism that we have to step back and be wise in our choices. God has given us the answer in the verse above, when temptation comes we have to watch and pray. To watch means to identify the temptation and see it before it comes so that when it does try to attack us we can pray our way through it victoriously.

I praise God that we serve a God that knows how to redeem the time, that is all merciful and willing to forgive. Sometimes we all need to understand that God cares and can change things if we would only let him. The old saying goes that we are one bad decision away from dying, but as I was recently reminded it goes both ways as we are also one good decision away from living.

Change must come from within. When your in your right spirit you laugh at the thought of sinning, but as soon as your mind enters into its fleshly realm, like Paul in Romans 7, those things you don't want to do you find yourself doing, and those things you want to do you find yourself not doing. How many times have we found ourselves in this position? Paul goes on to say that He thanks God through Christ Jesus who is able to deliver us from this ungodly mindset.

We don't have to continue in the flesh, in fact now is the time to make your mind up. There is a battle and there are spiritual forces as well as internal forces that want you to stay bound up in your flesh so that you do not soar in the Spirit of God. We have the weapons, we're armed and dangerous, so let us (and let me!) put what God has given us into action and walk in the Spirit!

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." - Galatians 5:16

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." - Romans 8:1-6

Life and peace awaits you. Walk in the Spirit.

In His Presence There is Fullness of Joy….

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

While I was sitting at work the presence of God descended upon me filling me with joy and peace. As I’m basking in Him I don’t want it to stop, in fact I want it to intensify. It’s as if every trouble has vanished, every trial has ceased, and every issue has evaporated. Pure bliss. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in His presence. A few weeks ago I heard a 10 minute portion of a message by Bill Johnson entitled “Healing Out Of Intimacy”



I don’t know much about Brother Johnson’s ministry, but this sermon snippet really impacted me. He likened the Holy Spirit to a dove. Doves are very sensitive birds. Imagine I have a dove on my shoulder and don’t want it to fly away, how am I going to walk around the room keeping it on my shoulder? Carefully. Every step that I take will have the dove in mind. Every movement, every action, every word, every step must have the dove (the Holy Spirit) in mind.

Do we truly live our lives directed by the Holy Spirit, having Him in mind? Do we acknowledge Him in ALL of our ways and allow Him to direct our path? Or do we do what we feel is right, what we want to do, what is leading us? I’ve had to examine myself this morning. How many decisions have I made without the leading of the Holy Ghost! And how many of my decisions have grieved the Holy Spirit? Too many…

In order to live a life pleasing to God, it must be one of complete trust and faith in God as our Pilot directing our every move. Our confidence must be in God, not in man and certainly not in ourselves.

“Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?” – Isaiah 2:22 (AMP)

Having Joy is a choice. It’s available. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It’s our source of strength (Nehemiah 8:10). It is a command to rejoice, or in other words renew our joy through praise (Philippians 4:4). Joy is our sustainer through difficult times (2 Corinthians 8:2). Joy is a byproduct of having the Holy Ghost and dwelling in His presence (Romans 14:17). Joy is received through faith (2 Corinthians 1:24). The Joy of the LORD is our final destination if we are found faithful / full of faith (Matthew 25:21).

Experiencing the Joy of God is as experiencing a taste of heaven on earth. We all have the opportunity to experience unending joy, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in as we guard the presence of God, count it as precious, and endure this life in obedience to the leadings of the Spirit. There is no limit to the joy He will pour out on those He deems faithful. Choose to walk in Joy today, rejoice in the LORD and dwell in His presence, by any means necessary.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13 (KJV)

Amen.

Do You Have Access?

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2

Everything in God is established through faith. Salvation, deliverance, healings, prophecy and every blessing we shall receive is obtained through faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and with faith in God all things are possible. My question today is: do you have access? Access to what you might ask? Access to God.

Access is gained through relationship, and when it comes to God the only way we can receive access to Him is through Jesus Christ:

“For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” - Ephesians 2:18-19

For those of us that are saved and have received that access, what are we doing with it? Imagine a family member passes away and has a bank account with $10 million dollars saved up. In his will, you are given free access to this account, to make withdrawals at your discretion. There is one catch, in order to make a withdrawal you have make a trip to the bank, which is on a remote mountain top and requires specific directions to get there. You have a choice. You can talk all day about the money you have access to, but never actually go to the bank and make a withdrawal because the journey is “too difficult”. You can forget about the money altogether because you’re not willing to sacrifice the time and energy to get to the bank. Or you can take your directions, press your way through the rough terrain, get to the mountaintop, make your withdrawal and come back down. Now say you do choose to make the journey, get your money, and make it back home. You now have the responsibility of stewardship over the money. You’ve been given access to the money. You took advantage of that access. Now that you’ve received the money, what are you going to do with it?

“As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].” – 1 Peter 4:10 (Amplified)

Now back to the question at hand: “For those of us that are saved and have received access to God, what are we doing with it?“ The family member is Jesus. The money is the anointing/power of God. The bank on the mountaintop is throne room of God. The directions are prayer, supplication, worship, praise, devotional time in the Bible, perseverance and obedience, all done by faith.

“In Whom [Christ], because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness(courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).” – Ephesians 3:12 (Amplified)

Jesus has given us access to the throne room of the Father so that we can obtain the power of God and use it to bless others. But not everyone is willing to pay the price to get to the mountaintop. There will be stumbling blocks, hurdles, you may get hurt along the way, but when you get there the journey will be well worth it.

“Look to yourselves (take care) that you may not lose (throw away or destroy) all that we and you have labored for, but that you may [persevere until you] win and receive back a perfect reward [in full].” – 2 John 1:8 (Amplified)

Are You Being Persecuted?

2 Timothy 3:12
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

I've been reading a lot about the persecuted church. Testimonies, books, websites, all indicating the often severe circumstances my brothers and sisters around the world face just for following Christ.

I was doing a study on my computer using Logos and came across a sermon by Pastor John Piper on the persecuted church. One of his points was "A Life Devoted to Righteousness Will Be Persecuted". What followed was a list showing why a life devoted to righteousness will be persecuted:

• If you cherish chastity, your life will be an attack on people’s love for free sex.

• If you embrace temperance, your life will be a statement against the love of alcohol.

• If you pursue self-control, your life will indict excess eating.

• If you live simply and happily, you will show the folly of luxury.

• If you walk humbly with your God, you will expose the evil of pride.

• If you are punctual and thorough in your dealings, you will lay open the inferiority of laziness and negligence.

• If you speak with compassion, you will throw callousness into sharp relief.

• If you are earnest, you will make the flippant look flippant instead of clever.

• And if you are spiritually minded, you will expose the worldly-mindedness of those around you.

After reading this, I began to examine my lifestyle to see if I fit the characteristics listed by Pastor Piper.



When I think of persecution, I often turn to Paul as he illustrates his experiences of suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:

21 But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Amazing. He experienced all this due to his obedience to his Apostleship. Reflecting on this makes me often ponder, "LORD, with the vision and calling that You have given me, what will I have to endure?" Knowing full well that my life is not my own and understanding that persecution is eminent, I simply ask God to prepare me so that I will not fold under the pressure of real persecution and instead persevere to the glory of Christ.

After reading this scripture, I also remember when the LORD told Ananias to find Saul, lay hands on him and restore his sight. Ananias questioned the LORD saying that he has heard of the evil Saul has done to Christians, which the LORD answered saying Saul was His chosen vessel and will suffer great for His name's sake. Two things I get from this passage, which can be found in Acts 9. #1 - Because Saul's sins were great before he was saved, his suffering was likewise great after God saved him. #2 - Saul's suffering was great because he was a chosen vessel and had a great call on his life as an Apostle to the gentiles.

1 Peter 4:15-16 just came to mind : "Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name."

Are you suffering? Is your suffering in the form of persecution as a Christian? Or are you suffering as an evildoer?

What's On Your Mind?

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. -

The mind is a very complex part of our being. It is the control center of our decision making, plays a part in the functioning of our body, and is more powerful than most of us realize. Most of our minds are cluttered with useless information. This information causes us to stress, brings deterioration to our bodies, and we end up losing sight of our visions, dreams, and waste precious time on things of no value.

I was posed with a question today as I was thinking to myself in the car, "How much time do you spend focusing on things that are unfruitful?"

To be honest with myself, I had to admit that I spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm not doing right and where I think I should be, rather than thinking about what I can do to get to where I want to be and then allowing my actions to follow suit.

I think about how I wish I was a more effective minister of the gospel, rather than pray more, meditate on the Word more, and spend more time in worship doing things that will make me more effective. I spend time thinking about being single, how I'd like to be married and have children and sometimes wonder who my wife might be, rather than take advantage of the freedom I have being a single man and preparing my mind to be a Godly husband. Finances, work, the cares of this world, are all fighting for my attention. But how do I get things right?

Some people say you need to clear your mind and free it from those things that bring stress. That might work temporarily, but that doesn't make these issues disappear. The Bible says that we are to meditate on the Word day and night and we will have good success. Paul wrote that we should take no thought for anything, don't worry or be anxious, but instead make our requests known to God with prayer, supplication and thanksgiving and the peace of God will rest upon our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. In another passage he says to cast down every thought that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God. So here I am, facing an answer I already know. Make my requests known, don't worry, focus on God's Word and not the issues, and I will have peace. But knowing and doing are two different things.

God once told me, "Stop thinking so much, and instead pray within your mind and talk to me about what your thinking about and I will take care of you." This was 3 years ago, and did I listen? Not as much as I should have. And right this moment God is bringing these things back to my remembrance so that I can begin to implement what He has instructed me to do.

Think about the Word, pray rather than worry, and focus on glorifying Christ.

This is my slogan for 2009.