Confronting Yourself is Tough!

It is funny how we can always see the worst in others, but somehow we always manage to find the good in ourselves. It is easy for us to criticize and critique the problems in others around us. Yet, when someone points out a flaw that we might have personally, our knee jerk reaction is to deny it. Why? We refuse to accept that we really are flawed, sinful people. Confronting yourself is tough! We don't like what we see. Yet, if we are going to change biblically and, eventually, come to a place where can help others change then we must start with our own sinful self. Jesus hit the proverbial nail on the head when He said "Judge not, that you be not judged!...Hypocrite, First remove the plank from your own eye, and they you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1, 5 NKJV) Consequently, we have deal with ourselves first. We have to daily confront ourselves with all honesty knowing that we have issues that we need to overcome.

As I mentioned in my last post, I want to share with you a questionnaire that is designed to help you evaluate yourself. This questionnaire is not original with me. It is taken from a wonderful in-depth manual for discipleship developed by John C. Broger and used by the Biblical Counseling Foundation. I would encourage you to take your time working through each question. Be honest with yourself and write down in detail your answers to each question. Here it is.

The following will help you evaluate your faithfulness as a disciple of Christ. For each question, rate yourself on a scale of 1 (no faithfulness, completer self-centeredness) to 10 (perfect faithfulness, total Christ-centeredness).

1. Are you diligent in learning to handle accurately the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15)?
2. Do you consistently examine yourself in light of God's Word instead of comparing yourself with the lives or expectations of others (1 Samuel 16:7; Isaiah 55:8-11; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 4:12)?
3. Are you a doer of the Word? Being a doer of the Word requires continual hearing of God's Word and walking in it to receive the blessings of the Lord (Deuteronomy 11:26-28; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 5:14; James 1:22-25). The Word is completely adequate for every area of life as it teaches, reproves, corrects, trains, and equips you in order that you may mature in Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 
4. Do you deny yourself by putting off your natural self-centeredness to follow the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:38-39; Luke 9:23-24)?
5. Do you seek to please God in all things (John 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 6:6-7; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 4:1; Hebrews 13:21; 1 John 3:22)?
6. Are you a person of prayer? Continual prayer, with thanksgiving, leads to God's peace guarding your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).
7. Do you place the welfare of others ahead of your own, thus following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:25-28; Romans 15:1-3; Philippians 2:3-8)?
8. Do you love others in biblical ways (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)? By loving in this manner, you will follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and will become known as His disciple (John 13:34-35, 15:12-13).
9. Are you faithfully using your spiritual gift(s) for God's glory and for the benefit of others (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11)?
10. Do you regularly worship the Lord, remaining in fellowship and in ministry with other believers (Psalm 29:1-2, 122:1; John 4:23-24; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 John 1:7)?
11. Are you ready at all times to give testimony for the hope that is within you (1 Peter 3:15), giving glory to the Lord with your life (Matthew 5:16), seeking to reconcile others to God, and discipling them to walk in His way (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)?

My prayer is that you will use this tool to evaluate your spiritual maturity. Be honest with yourself. The areas that you find lacking are the areas that you need to concentrate on and, with God's help, overcome these weaknesses.

You CAN Change!

You CAN change!

Change can happen in our lives. We often desire to change, but too many times we come to places of difficulty and think "This is impossible!" It is then that we decide that we cannot change. The problem is that we try enact change by using our own power. I am here to tell you that CAN change, but in order to do so you must decide to do it God's way. When you choose to do it God's way, you allow the grace of God to work in your life giving you the desire and the ability to change.

An important principle from God's word is that God has graciously provided everything that you need for you live a life that is pleasing to Him. Therefore, should you not depend solely on His power, His plan, and His resources in accomplishing His purpose in your life. Romans 8:28 is a great verse that reminds us of this very principle. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.(NKJV)" Listen, God wants to do great things through you and He wants to see you become all that you can be for Him. However, in order for this to happen, in order for change to come, you must be willing to do things His way.

How then do you start? If you have accepted Christ as Savior, then you have already taken the first important step. Now, it is a matter of establishing biblical patters of living. Romans 12:1-2 says that we must begin the process of spiritual transformation. We must not conform to the world's philosophies and practices and we must allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. I will tell right now that is not going to be an easy process. And, it will not happen overnight. It is going to take time. Just like an athlete works to run a marathon, or a bodybuilder works to lift world breaking weights, it takes days and months of training. Yet, all begins with the desire to accomplish a goal. Spiritually, our goal is be more like Christ. We must then take each day, each week, and each month training ourselves.

Here is the great thing. As you become spiritually mature and spiritually fit, others will see the change in you and will desire the same change. You will then be in position to help others around you change also.

Spiritual growth and change can only come by practicing God's word. You can only practice God's word if you know God's word. You cannot know God's word if you do not read God's word. You must begin at God's word. So start by implementing a daily Bible reading plan.

As read God's word and study it, you will find that it will be like a mirror to you. It will reflect back to you the sinful obstructions that are in your life. Once you see those obstructions, then you can begin to work on them by using sound biblical principles.

In my next post, I will share with a small quiz that you can take which will help you evaluate your faithfulness as disciple of Christ.

Real Change can REALLY Happen!

2013 is here!

As with all new years, there comes a ton of commitment to ourselves to make changes. We often use this time to set goals in areas we want to see change in our lives. For some, those changes are physical - lose weight, be more healthy, get stronger. For others, the desired changes are in the their way of living - set up a budget, make a will, plan for retirement. Personally, I believe that every person has something that they want to change about themselves. Unfortunately, so many of us make new year’s resolutions only to lose faith and hope after failing to fulfill our desires. We try so hard to be different - to be a little more patient, show more kindness, grow closer to Christ. Yet, we seem to fail before the first week of January arrives. Over the next few weeks, I hope to challenge you to see yourself differently. I think that real change can happen in a person’s life. However, the biggest problem is that we try to make those changes ourselves. True change can only come when we do things God’s way instead of our way. My hope is that I can help you see some Biblical principles that will help realize true spiritual change and growth in your life this year.

The first place we need to start is by realizing the God sincerely desires to help you change. He has already provided the necessary ingredients that will bring lasting biblical change into your life.

• John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
• John 3:16-21 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.     But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
• Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
• 1 John 4:10 - In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Each of the verses listed above proves the fact that God wants to help us change. He has clearly committed Himself to us by giving up His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ died on a cruel cross for our sin. In doing so, He paid the penalty for our sin. His death allows to be new creations. His death enables us to change. If you truly want change in your life, then you must first decide what your response will be to God’s gift, Jesus Christ. God demonstrated His love to you through Christ. The only way to can begin real change is by first accepting His Son. However, it is more than just accepting Him your way. You have accept His Son by acknowledging God’s way.

What then is God’s way of accepting His Son? Here it is -

1. You must realize that God’s standard is a standard of perfection. (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48)
2. You must acknowledge that...
1. You cannot meet God’s standard with your own efforts. (Psalm 143:2; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23)
2. You cannot save yourself. (Proverbs 20:9)
3. You cannot depend on anyone else to save you (Psalm 49:7)
3. You must admit that you are completely helpless in trying to meet His standard. (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-12)
4. You need to genuinely repent of your sin and rebellion towards Him. (Luke 15:7; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30-31; 26:19-20; Romans 2:4; 11 Peter 3:9)
5. You need to wholeheartedly and sincerely believe on Christ Jesus receiving God’s gift of eternal life. (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 11:25-26; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 John 5:11-13)

Only when you have done the above will real change really, truly happen!

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This is God's World!

One of the basic tenets of true spiritual growth is realizing that this is God's world  . David understood this when he wrote Psalm 24. He opens by noting that "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell in it." Contrary to popular opinion, this world is not man's to own or even conquer. Landing spacecraft on Mars and walking on the moon does not give man the right to be God. No matter where you may be in the world, you are here because God allowed you to be here. He created this world. He created you and I. He made the rules. Our problem is that we don't want to play by His rules. We want to play by our rules. The thing is though it is His game and His rules. We can try to do things our way, but it will be a fruitless effort. This is the very reason why so many people live frustrated lives. We need to come to our senses and start living God's way. It is a lot easier and a whole lot more peaceful doing it God's way. We need to put God in His rightful place as the King of glory. Stop kicking against God and start living for Him today! Selah-Think about it!

Fighting Is Not for the Faint of Heart!

One the amazing characteristics of a great warrior is an overwhelming desire to not give up but to keep fighting. This blog was inspired by King David's mighty men. These men were great warriors who stood not only for David, but more importantly for God. They believed without any doubt that David was God's man and they fought knowing they were doing the right thing. One of those men was Eleazar the son of Dodo. Not really a great name for a warrior. Yet, he was an relentless warrior for God.

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away : He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil  - 2 Samuel 23:9, 10 (KJV)

Notice that he fought until his hand literally clung to his sword. What an awesome scene! A warrior who did not have any quit in him. He understood the importance of the fight and he was determined to see victory even it meant his own death. He did not give up! Was he weary? Was he tired? Did he feel at times that he would be overwhelmed by the enemy? You better believe he did!


I cannot tell you how many times I have felt the same. Raising three teenagers in today's society can definitely cause you to feel overwhelmed. Very often I feel weary and extremely tired. Even now my soul cries out with weariness struggling to live a life that is godly while trying to help my boys understand the importance of a relationship with God. Throw into that mix bill collectors, taxes, job situations, and trying to lead and serve in a local church, it gets even more overwhelming. On that particular day,  it was just Eleazar and three others who were fighting. All the other men of Israel had fled away. I am sure that in the midst of the battle, these men lost sight of each other. Perhaps, Eleazar along with the others wondered if they were alone. It is easy today in the midst of the all the wickedness and unrighteousness to think that you all are alone. Loneliness can have a huge negative impact upon a person. Eleazar was weary, fighting with the last bit of strength, possibly alone, yet, his hand clung tightly to his sword. He did not give up! He did not throw in the towel! He just kept fighting. Paul understood this well when he wrote "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) Eleazar is great example for me. When things get tough and the battle is raging, I remember to not be weary in well doing. My prayer is "God, let my hand cling to your sword and let me not give up. Give me your strength to carry on." Why? Eventually, we will reap the spoils of battle. We will enjoy sweet victory. We will know that we have fought well. My friend, don't give up! Keep fighting! We are in this together and God is our banner, our strength.

Godly to Godless in 2.95 Seconds!

In general, men like fast cars. The Lamborghini Aventador is a beautiful car that I just absolutely love. It just looks fast. Matter of fact, it can go 0 to 60 mph in 2.95 seconds. Imagine that! Sitting still and then doing 60 mph in the amount of time it takes you walk two steps across your living room. That is some kind of fast. Sadly, as I was thinking about Adam's relationship with God I think it can be summed up as being just as fast. Adam went from a Godly man to being Godless in 2.95 seconds! Amazing!

In Genesis 2, we see him and God in a perfect relationship.  God creates Adam. He gives him a wonderful place to live. He gives him direction for his life. He creates for him a help meet. He gives Adam the wonderful opportunity of naming all of God's creations. We even know from Genesis 3:8 that God habitually came to visit with Adam and walk with him daily. The perfect relationship between Creator and creation. Adam was living in perfect harmony with God. All was great until....the Fall. I really do not know or care to surmise the amount of time that may have passed between chapters 2 and 3. However, what I do know is that Adam failed. And if a thousand years is a day with God (1 Peter 3:8), then Adam went from perfect to sinner in 2.95 seconds.

I have no idea why Adam sinned. Nevertheless, he sinned. And, he sinned knowingly. For the longest time, I had the impression that the exchange between Eve and Satan was exclusive to them. However, I am not sure that this is the case. Notice Genesis 3:6.

And when the woman saw the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

The italics are mine. The bible does not say that she did eat and then searched for her husband to give to him to eat. I contend that Adam was there the whole time. I honestly believe that he heard the whole exchange between Eve and Satan. The guilt and the blame totally lies on Adam. Romans 5:12 indicates that sin came into the world via a man aka Adam. Adam did not step up to the plate and be the spiritual leader that he should have been that day. He did not fight for his wife's innocence. Instead, he chose to simply stand by and do nothing. He could have stepped in and put Satan in his place. Adam knew the truth. He understood completely God's commandment. It was simple and not complicated. Yet, what did he do? Nothing! Yet, it doesn't stop there. Instead of stepping in, he caved to the peer pressure and took part in the sin.

Has anything changed today? How typical of men in our society today, even so called Christian men. How many times do we do nothing to protect our wives and our families from the temptations of the world and Satan? How many times do we sit back and watch as our families give in to the wiles of the Devil? We know that we should intervene. We know that we should be the leaders and the protectors. Yet, we do nothing. And, often, instead of stepping up, we give in and commit the same sin. What we need today is not more Adams. What we need are men who will be warriors for Christ. Men who will take on the enemy without fear knowing that they have God's power at their disposal. Think about this! If Adam had simply called out to God just once during the whole temptation, do you think God would have been right there and intervened on his behalf? I am positive that God would have. Adam had all of God's power at his disposal. Instead, he ignored it. It is high time that we stop acting like Adam and start being warriors.

One last thing, Adam went from perfect to sinner in record time. Let it be a warning to us that sin is always around the corner. Falling into sin is quick and easy. We, then, need to be on our guard constantly. As warriors, we need to make sure that each and every day we take up God's armor in Ephesians 6. No or little armor leaves you vulnerable. Instead of being a mighty warrior you might become a wounded warrior. Determine that you are going to put on and keep on the spiritual armor needed to be God's warrior. Be alert! Watch out! Sin will get you.

Adam - Warrior? Leader?

If you have seen the movie "Courageous", perhaps you noticed that one of the main characters engaged in a Bible study that changed his life. He determined that he would see for himself what the Bible had to say about fathers. As I was watching the movie, I was struck with the idea of actually doing a Bible study of all the men in the Bible. Of course, I know that it would be a huge undertaking. Yet, I think that it would help us to see that men have a great responsibility to God, their families, and to others.


Lately, I have been thinking and reading about Adam. Adam being the first human man presents us with a great case study about men. Here are some of the questions that I have been asking about Adam.

• Was Adam a leader? If so, was he a good or bad leader? If not, how did he fail?
• Was Adam a warrior? Did he fight for any cause whether it be for God, his family, or for others?
• How does Adam's life set the tone for the rest of men throughout history and even today?
• What lessons can we learn from Adam's life?

Initially, here are some observations that I have about Adam.

1. He was created perfect, yet he still failed. 
2. He was not a great leader.
3. He was not a warrior.
4. Boy, we are in trouble. 

Adam was the first human. It was up to him to set the standard for all of humanity. In the beginning, he did what was right. He was spiritually in tune with God. However, I think that his failure to be a leader and a warrior was ultimately his undoing. Unless I missed it somewhere, I do not see Adam fighting for God or for his family. I do not see him leading Eve towards God, but, instead, allowing her to lead him away from God. Adam's failure had a tremendous impact on not just his family, but all of mankind. It is important that we understand that our failure to stand for God and His righteousness carries some heavy consequences. As men, we need to be leaders and warriors. Men willing to make the tough choices based on our convictions about God and His Word. Even it means doing battle with the devil himself, we must be warriors fighting for the spiritual lives of those that we love and care about. We need to be courageous. 

Next week, we will examine Adam's relationship with God. What went wrong? Was Eve to blame? Did Adam lose focus? How did this wonderful relationship of walking daily with God suddenly go south to the point of open sin and rebellion resulting in him being thrown out of the Garden of Eden? I look forward to exploring this subject with you in my next blog.