ALWAYS DO WHAT’S RIGHT

“This is what [God] requires…to do what is right.” Mic 6:8 NLT

ALWAYS DO WHAT’S RIGHT

Focusing solely on what you can do, without first deciding what kind of person you should be, is a mistake. Your talent may make your name known, but your character will determine what people associate with it. Your talent may dictate your potential, but your character will determine your legacy. What is character? It’s the will to do what’s right, even when it is not easy. It’s deciding ahead of time what’s truly non-negotiable. Count on it, the day will come when so-called “progress” calls for compromising your convictions. In that moment, what hangs in the balance is your moral authority. So you must be clear about your convictions. You’ll be tempted to believe that once you reach a certain level of success, these challenges disappear. No, success doesn’t make anything easier, it just raises the stakes. What was once applauded is now simply expected. It’s a lot easier to win the title than defend it. Furthermore, with success comes the inclination to see yourself as the final authority on right and wrong. Look around you and you’ll see that it’s not uncommon to find leaders playing by a different set of rules. Everything really does look different at the top! Once intoxicated by success you start to believe that the rules don’t apply to you. And that can be fatal. In the final analysis your reputation is how you’re known before men but your character is how you’re known before God. You say, “But why cling to something that’s outdated or has the potential to slow me down?” The Bible answers: “This is what [God] requires…to do what is right.”

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THE REVIVAL WE NEED (4)

“Love never fails.” 1Co 13:8 NKJV

THE REVIVAL WE NEED (4)

Fourth, a revival of love. The Bible says, “Love never fails.” Stop and think about that for a moment. Just about everything else in life fails, but love doesn’t. There’s a cute story about a lady who said to her husband, “Will you love me when I’m old?” He replied, “Yes, dear.” She said, “But will you love me when my hair is gray?” He replied, “Yes, dear, I’ve loved you through seven different shades already, why would I change my mind when you’re gray?” You can score points for having high morals and have all your theological ducks in a row, but if you don’t love people – in every circumstance of life – you’ve failed where it counts most. Paul writes: “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing…Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (vv. 2-7 NLT). It took a lot of commitment to be a Pharisee. Living according to the law of Moses demanded incredible discipline and dedication. Why did Jesus condemn the Pharisees so often? Because they had light in their heads but no love in their hearts! When we, the church, experience a revival of love we won’t need to advertise; people will break down the doors to get in.

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THE REVIVAL WE NEED (3)

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2Co 3:17 NKJV

THE REVIVAL WE NEED (3)

Third, a revival of liberty. Is the Holy Spirit welcome in your church? Are you responsive to His leadings? It’s okay to have a program as long as you’re willing to let God change it. Now that doesn’t mean somebody can just jump up and interrupt the pastor’s sermon. God is a God of order. You say, “But I felt led by the Spirit to do it.” Really? The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He won’t speak through you when He is already speaking through God-ordained leadership. God works through structure. If you doubt that, look at how He planned the tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon’s temple. There were times when God’s presence was so strong that the priests were unable to conduct the service as usual; all they could do was fall on their faces before Him. And we must pray for and welcome such times too. But liberty isn’t license to do as you please. Paul addresses the liberty/license argument in these words: “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use your liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” The liberty Christ brings sets us free from the need to “show off,” and instead teaches us to “serve one another.” Paul bottom-lines it: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” You say, “What does that mean?” It means that when you make Jesus “Lord,” He sets you free to enjoy His presence in church, at home, in business, and in every area of life.

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THE REVIVAL WE NEED (2)

“Your word is…a light for my path.” Ps 119:105 NIV

THE REVIVAL WE NEED (2)

Second, a revival of Light. Your job takes up about ten hours of your day, including travel. Sleeping, eating, bathing and dressing take another ten. Your family and your hobbies, etc., account for the remaining hours. Today a “committed church member” is in church two to three times a month. Do the math. Out of 168 hours in your week, about ninety minutes are given to spiritual growth – less than one percent! And what are the results? Spiritual ignorance and weakness. Divorce is as common inside the church as outside. Believers have as big a problem with pornography as unbelievers. The alcoholism and addiction rate is roughly the same. A recent ABC News poll found that while certain churches are growing rapidly, many of the newcomers have an “eclectic theology.” They believe in the resurrection, but they also think reincarnation is okay. They believe God guides through prayer, and also through horoscopes. While devout Muslims commit themselves to memorizing the Koran, the average Christian doesn’t read their Bible once a week. As hard as your pastor may try, spoon feeding you from the pulpit and burping you at the door won’t make you spiritually mature. “Your word is…a light for my path.” You’ve got to put God’s Word at the top of your daily “to do” list. “No longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Eph 4:14-15 NKJV).

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THE REVIVAL WE NEED (1)

“Revive us again.” Ps 85:6 NKJV

THE REVIVAL WE NEED (1)

For the next few days let’s talk about the revival we need in the church today.

First, a revival of life. True revival begins with an honest recognition that we have become spiritually dull, dry, and even dead. Ezekiel describes it this way: “The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones…and indeed they were very dry…He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!”‘…And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together…and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Eze 37:1-10 NKJV). Ezekiel’s vision teaches us the following truths: (a) Revival begins with acknowledging we are not a healthy, connected, functioning body. (b) Our church services have become too formal and dry. (c) We must hunger for God’s Word. Otherwise we live in denial, excusing and rationalizing our spiritual condition. God said to Israel, an agricultural people, “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hos 10:12). Notice the elements in a true revival: An emphasis on righteous living; showing mercy to one another; recognizing our careless and cavalier attitude toward sin; crying out to God in sustained, heartfelt prayer, “Revive us again, that your people may rejoice in You.”

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STOP TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING

“A man of two minds [is]…unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything.” Jas 1:8 AMP

STOP TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING

Do you have a compulsive need to find a solution to every problem, and to control everything? Do you always have a back-up plan in case things don’t go the way you think they should? Have you noticed that the more you try to “fix” things, the more anxiety you experience? The Bible says, “The mind of the flesh […sense and reason…] is death…But the mind of the…Spirit is life” (Ro 8:6 AMP). “Fixing” is the opposite of “trusting.” Now God doesn’t want you to be mindless or helpless, He just wants you to live by faith and not head knowledge. When you learn to trust God and operate in “the mind of the Spirit,” you experience peace even when you’re surrounded by tough circumstances. One of the pitfalls of human reasoning is that it causes you to become double minded and stuck: “A man of two minds [is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything.” What frame of mind do you live in? Instead of always trying to figure everything out, learn to be comfortable not knowing and trust the One who does. Decide that each time you feel anxious you’ll stop and pray: “Lord, I’m not going to try to figure this out myself, I’m bringing it to You, trusting You for the answer.” When you stop struggling with the whens, wheres, whys and hows, you start experiencing God’s peace in a way you never have before. You also put yourself in a position where God can intervene on your behalf. So stop trying to control everything.

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BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT

“I have…determined to do his will.” Isa 50:7 NLT

BE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT

Isaiah said, “I have set my face like a stone, determined to do His will.” You’ll never have real success with anything until you become passionate about it. The Psalmist wrote, “My heart is steadfast” (Ps 57:7 NKJV). The word “steadfast” means to have a commitment that’s as strong as rock. Henry Ford was passionate about automobiles. Thomas Edison was passionate about light. The Wright Brothers were passionate about flying. Paul was passionate about evangelism. You will only be remembered in life for what you were passionate about. Standing before Pilate, who tried to judge Him, Jesus said, “For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world” (Jn 18:37 NIV). Eight inches of thorns would crush His brow. A spear would puncture His side. Spikes would be driven into His hands. Thirty-nine stripes would tear His back to shreds. What He felt most passionate about could only be achieved through pain. The same will be true in your life. You may feel insignificant. You may have to start out small. But when what you love begins to consume your mind, your thoughts, your conversation and your schedule – then you are headed for success. Do you dread going to work? Do you watch the clock? Does your mind wander to other places and things you would rather be doing? Then you won’t succeed. Find something you feel passionate about, something that energizes you, something worthy of building your life around. Jesus did, and He won the world.

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PREJUDICE

“God is no respecter of persons.” Ac 10:34

PREJUDICE

Prejudice is the product of a lazy mind. It’s contempt, prior to investigation. Your first impression of someone is incomplete, and often inaccurate. Don’t assume your intuition is always right. Don’t make lasting decisions based on limited insights. Your success in life will be adversely affected by prejudice, fear, and any form of discrimination you allow to color your thinking. Jesus never determined a person’s worth based on their race, gender, financial status, or appearance. He was comfortable in the presence of fishermen and tax collectors. He was at ease with the rich and the poor. He knew that every person He met had potential and He never looked down on them because of their past. Born to a mother who conceived Him as a virgin, He knew what it meant to have a questionable background and be subject to the rumor mill. But He rose above it. And He broke tradition. The Samaritans were considered such a lower class of people that Jews wouldn’t talk to them. But Jesus did. In fact, He went out of His way to meet with a five-times-divorced Samaritan woman, discussing the mysteries of worship with her and changing her life. When Peter, who struggled with prejudice, was called to introduce the gospel to the first group of Gentiles, he had to acknowledge, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” That day God dealt with some of Peter’s deep-seated biases. And He will deal with yours too! If “God so loved the world” but you don’t, how can you claim to be “godly”?

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ARE YOU BEING TEMPTED? (2)

“Your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Pr 4:23 GNT

ARE YOU BEING TEMPTED? (2)

Ever watch a food commercial on television and suddenly feel hungry? That’s the power of suggestion. Whatever can grab your attention can capture you. Simply repeating, “I must stop drinking, or smoking, or overeating, or lusting,” doesn’t work because it just keeps you thinking about what you don’t want. Instead of trying to remove those thoughts, replace them. Once your focus is on something good, evil begins to lose its grip. Only by reprogramming your mind can you keep it centered on the right things. The Bible says: “Don’t let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good” (Ro 12:21 TLB). Satan can’t get and keep your attention when your mind is given to something else. That’s why Paul writes: “Fill your minds with…good” (Php 4:8 GNT). Fighting a thought is futile; it only strengthens the connection between you and it. By dwelling on it you actually reinforce it. Hit the remote; change the channel! Furthermore, you don’t overcome temptation by fighting the feeling of it. The more you fight a feeling, the more it engages and draws you. Turn your attention to something better! Your mind is where the battle is won or lost. Start managing your mind and monitoring your media intake. The Bible says, “Your life is shaped by your thoughts.” The Psalmist prayed, “Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless” (Ps 119:37 GNT). Is this easy to do? No, it takes discipline and practice. But with time, and God’s grace, you can change the way you think and overcome temptation.

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ARE YOU BEING TEMPTED? (1)

“We will receive…grace to help us when we need it.” Heb 4:16 NLT

ARE YOU BEING TEMPTED? (1)

No matter how spiritually mature you become you will never outgrow temptation. When you conquer it on one front it attacks you on another. And the closer you get to God the more Satan will try to tempt you. Paul explains it this way: “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants…These two forces are constantly fighting each other” (Gal 5:17 NLT). So what’s the answer? Here are two ways you can overcome temptation: (1) Be honest about it. Ask yourself, “When am I tempted most?” Usually we are most vulnerable when we are under stress: when we are hurt, angry, worried, alone, bored, tired, or after a big success or spiritual high. Learn to identify your patterns: “God’s people…protect themselves by watching where they go” (Pr 16:17 CEV). (2) Reach for God’s help. “Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you” (Ps 50:15 GWT). So why don’t we call on God more often? Because sometimes we just want to do what we want to do, right? Or we are embarrassed because we keep giving in to the same temptations. Don’t be discouraged; God won’t give up on you. His Word says, “Let us…come before God’s throne where…we [will] receive…grace to help us when we need it” (Heb 4:16 NCV). If you have to cry out for God’s help every hour of the day, He will be there for you! Just as the roots of a tree deepen when storms come, each time you stand up to a temptation you become stronger.

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