Zion Is Evaluated Through Us

Jeremiah 30:17 'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her."' One of the reasons God is so interested in healing us from our physical impairments is because that type of demonstration of His power rings the bell for what is really important. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We often just seek for relief from the misery of a condition. God is good and He grants that type of deliverance, but that is not His main goal. He wants the world to see the beauty of Zion. The saved, those who have been delivered from sin through the blood of Jesus, dwell in Zion. When we are blessed in ways that the lost can easily connect the dots toward the reality of God it helps them see the beauty of Zion. When we go through all the maladies of life in this fallen world without help and hope, it's hard for nonbelievers to see the value of serving the God we say is so good. When the breakthrough comes and we joyfully report we did not do it but God made the way, others can see why they need Him too. Look for your blessing not just because you need it, but because the reputation of Zion is being evaluated too.

What Is Success?

It's nice to have money, but is success measured by how much you have? It's good to live a long time, but does longevity equal success? It's great to have relationships where you get as much as you give, but do quality relationships make you successful? I suppose the question is what do we really use to measure a successful life? We have seen people that are considered to be wildly successful in one area while they have gaping holes in other areas. Does a great financial life filled with poor health choices add up to success? Are you successful when you have popularity and disastrous relationships? There is a simple formula in Joshua 1:8: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Obedience to God through His word is the way to good success. Any other way may be considered successful by a variety of standards, but the success may not be good. Have a great day doing what you know God wants done!

We Can't Avoid Competition

We have teams now that don't keep score. We have awards that we give to everyone, even if they don't aggressively apply for them. We are trying to create an everybody wins society and it won't work. All we do with these crazy notions is set people up for failure. If you think you are going to have anything other than an average life with average effort you are mistaken. Poor effort will likewise lead to poor results in the overwhelming majority of cases. This world is not friendly toward mediocrity and there is no other planet I know of that we can live on. Even in the kingdom of God we are to strive for perfection. We are to let the word work mightily in us. We are to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to lean on the fellowship for support. Whatever we do we are to do it with our might. We have amazing grace, but we are to put forth maximum effort as well. Don't settle for anything but the best. In looking for the best we need to give our best. Have a great day reaching for the stars!

I Am Healed Monday

I want to just share an experience that I had last week in the hope that it will encourage someone along the way. Last Wednesday afternoon we were together for our Noon Day Prayer time at the church. I confessed some emotional trauma I was experiencing as a result of my daughter being involved in a car accident and asked for prayer. Several of our beautiful, godly people of prayer took that request to the Lord and I felt lifted. One of our humble, elderly prayer warriors prayed for me and on top of what I requested she was also moved to pray for my body. I did not share with the group the involuntary muscle spasms I had been dealing with for a couple of days in my shoulder and upper right arm. When the sister prayed for the Lord to touch my body, and I don't even know why she did that, the spasms that were occurring instantly left and did not return. That simple prayer of faith brought instant relief to my mild condition and I didn't even ask for it. I relate that story for at least two reasons. First of all, God is so good that He blessed me with the emotional strength I asked for and the physical healing I didn't even ask for. The second thing is I considered that issue to be so mild that I didn't even mention it, but God cared enough to touch me anyway. Sometimes it's the discernment and the faith of others that becomes the vehicle for our blessing. James 5:15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

Responsible Expansion

I don't think there is any doubt that the technological advances of our day should be maximized by the church. Through radio, television and the Internet we have greater opportunities to share the message of Jesus Christ with the world around us than ever. The problem, at least as I see it, is what do we really consider to be the message of Jesus Christ today? There is such a miss mash of presentations called Christian these days the message of Christ is becoming increasingly foggy. Anyone with a microphone and a couple of nickels can broadcast whatever they choose and call it a Christian program. Having so many people in our times that are too lazy to open up their own Bibles and think, this becomes a dangerous predicament. The increase of technological savvy cannot make us dependent on everyone else to think for us. Likewise, we have entered this arena of multiplied voices without any way of policing ourselves. How do we combat error when there is so much of it? Who is responsible for challenging irresponsible presentations that use the name of Jesus for selfish, manipulative purposes? How do we warn people against the dangers of being so overwhelmed with charisma until they forget Jesus Christ is the only celebrity in the church? Does writing a check to a TV broadcaster relieve us of the personal responsibility to preach the gospel to every creature? Technology should certainly be used to the glory of God, but we can't assume that everything labeled gospel really is Christ centered. Have a great day taking time to evaluate what you hear!

The Company We Keep

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. It has been properly said many times that we are heavily impacted by the company we keep. The pressure that comes from our peers is usually connected with negative consequences. Peer pressure however, does not have to be a bad thing. When we look at the Bible model of togetherness it speaks of the power of positive peer pressure. The verse above talks about a group that had seen some things that kept them going. They heard some things that moved them toward a strong sense of togetherness. They were drawn close by the experiences they shared. It was such a powerful sense of unity that their desire was to see more people included in their group. The disciples had challenges but they were an overwhelmingly positive community. The company you keep can be just as strong an instrument to persuade you toward right behavior as it has worked to persuade folk to do the wrong thing. When you carefully choose the company you keep the rewards will last a lifetime. Have a great day wisely associating with others!