Humility

Our tendency is to be aware only of people who watch us. When you recognize that God is your audience and judge, it effects everything you do. All of life becomes a worship experience if you are always aware of God's presence and do everything to His glory. True worship means that your eyes are on God and not on others, He is your audience of One; everyone else is in the cast.

If God is the object of our worship, the source of our security and self worth, and our audience and authority, false pride and fear are replaced by humility and God-grounded confidence. Instead of being driven by pride and fear, our relationships and leadership will be renewed with humility and God-grounded confidence when we seek to exalt God only. The challenge is to understand the nature of the journey we must travel and then commit to taking the first steps.

Leading with humility requires knowing whose you are and who you are. You are called to be a good steward of your season of influence in service to a plan that was set in motion before you came on the scene. As a leadership trait, humility is a heart attitude that reflects a keen understanding of your limitations to accomplish something on your own. It gives credit to forces other than your own knowledge or effort when a victory is won or an obstacle overcome. According to Jim Collins in his book Good to Great, a leader with a humble heart looks out the window to find and applaud the true causes of success and in the mirror to find and accept responsibility for failure. A leader who does that is not coming from low self-esteem. In fact, people with humility don't think less of themselves; they just think of themselves less.

Jesus said to His disciples,"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

There is a difference between putting on an appearance of humility before others and being truly humble in the presence and purposes of God. You are not to be piously humble about what He has given you or what you have done. Fred Smith, in his book You and Your Network, says it well: "People with humility don't deny their power; they just recognize it passes through them, not from them.

The humility that Jesus demonstrated did not arise from lack of self-esteem, love, power, or ability. His humility came from the fact that He knew who He was, where He came from, where He was going, and whose He was. That permitted Him to treat people with love and respect.

Humility is realizing the importance of others, especially in our youth, our future. It is not putting yourself down; it is lifting others up. It is saying to yourself and others, "I am precious in God's sight-and so are you!"

God Matters

Fear

Most people don't normally recognize fear as an EGO issue, but it is at the root of many seemingly prideful behaviors. The capacity to fear is a gift from God. When applied as intended, fear can keep us focused on doing the right thing for the right reasons. Yet what we actually do with the gift of our capacity to fear often prevents us from enjoying it's benefits. Instead of enhancing life as a dimension of keeping our focus on God, fear has poisoned human relationships ever since man first stepped out of God's will. The first thing adam and eve did after they ate the forbidden fruit was become selfconscious, cover up, and hide in fear. In away we have been hiding ever since, in fear that our weaknesses and bad behavior will be found out. The irony is that God-the only one who matters on an eternal scale-already sees and knows it all.

The temptation to toxic fear is something we all face everyday. It is a dark force that can color our relationships and permeate our souls. As Usman Asif said, "Fear is the darkroom where negatives develop." Fear is a complete anti-God state of mind. It is a good thing turned bad.

In both the Old and New Testament, the fear of God and fear of man are placed at the extremes of good and evil. We are called to hold God in life-giving, reverent awe as the ultimate source and judge of our selfworth and security. Life-giving fear is, as W.E. Vine defines it, "Wholesome dread"-a heartfelt desire not to dishonor or grieve the One who has extended His compassion, mercy, and grace to us. Being agitated by fear into fight-or-flight thinking and behavior is life threatening in the most personal and profound way.

In Psalm 111:10, we read, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"; and in Proverbs 14:26, we read, "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge." God as the preeminent object of wholesome fear is made clear at the end of Ecclesiastes by King Solomon, who gives the difinitive statement of the positive purpose and application of our capacity to fear: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man"(12:13).

In stark contrast to the wholesome awe of God, Proverbs 29:25 tells us, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare." Jesus poses the core question regarding the right use of the gift of fear when He tells His followers: "I tell you my friends, do not be afraid those who can kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes I tell you, fear him" (Luke 12:4-5).

God Matters

There are two types of Atheists

Those who believe there isn't a God and those who live like there isn't one. Unfortunately, many so-called Christians fall into the latter category. These functional athiests may say they believe in God, go to church, and know the "right" answers, but nothing in their lives reflects that belief. They live each day with hardly a thought about God, and their decisions and priorities aren't affected in the slightest by their Creator. This shouldn't be the case.

The good news is that God has revealed Himself to us in a way that is transformative. The following passages reveal the lengths God has gone to in order for us to know He exists, and they show us the ways God's existence affects our lives and our faith. He didn't do all of this for us to simply recognize Him. He did it so we could begin knowing Him and living for His glory.

* Nature points to God (Psalm 19:1-6)

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.

2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.

3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.

4 Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.

In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.

5 It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course.

6 It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from it's heat.

These verses point to the general revelation God gives us about Himself through nature. In this Psalm, David wrote about how the heavens and earth bring praise and glory to God their creator.

The Word Reveals God (Hebrews 1:1-2)

1 Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways.

2 In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe.


The world around us reveals God's existence in general terms, but the Bible reveals who He is much more specifically.

The Bible is God breathed-it's His inerrant Word to us, sent through believers who wrote under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But not everyone believes the Bible is accurate and reliable.

If someone doesn't fully trust that the Bible is God's Word, how is his or her understanding of God and Jesus affected?

My Spirit Craves God (Acts 17:22-29)

22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altor on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD

When Paul spoke to the Athenians about God, he began by affirming their religious nature. There is something innate in all of us that seeks to worship something beyond ourselves. God has created us to look and search for something bigger than ourselves-Him. He has given us the created world to point us in His direction and the written Word to teach us about Him.

And Finally...

The pace of life that most of us experience doesn't allow for much down time. We zip through our days with slowing enough to hear what God is saying to us. The danger in maintaining that kind of pace is that God has chosen to reveal Himself through nature, through His Word, and His son. If we never stop long enough to listen, we run the risk of missing out on something extremely important. Take some time this week to slow down and notice what God is saying about Himself through these sources of revelation.

LIFE MATTERS

Faith in the all sufficiency of Christ

A devotional written by A.B. Simpson with bold input by Robert Valdez

A precious secret of Christian life is to have Jesus living/dwelling within the heart of every believer and conquering things that we never could overcome before receiving Him. It is the only secret of power in our lives. Men cannot understand it nor will the world believe it, but it is true that God will come to live/dwell within us and be the power, the purity, the victory and the joy of our lives.

Salvation through Christ: Romans ch.10v9-10 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved". For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Verse 13 "All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". Upon making this confession of faith, you become a born again believer, spiritually "death from the world to life in Him".

Our attitudes will no longer be, "What is the best that I can do?" but we will ask, "What is the best that Christ can do, in me and through me". Paul says in Phil.ch.4:12, I know how to be abased/humbled, and I know how to abound: Everwhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Verse 13, I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. We will go through tough times of adversity in this world but God promised in His Word, "He will never leave us, nor forsake us".

Reasoning Leads to Confusion

A piece From Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Myer

Reasoning occurs when a person tries to figure out the "why" behind something. Reasoning causes the mind to revolve around and around a situation, issue or event attempting to understand all its intricate component parts. We are reasoning when we dissect a statement or teaching to see if it is logical, and disregard it if it is not.

Satan frequently steals the will of God from us due to reasoning. The Lord may direct us to do a certain thing, but if it does not make sense-if it is not logical- we may be tempted to disregard it. What God leads a person to do does not always make logical sense to his mind. His spirit may affirm it and His mind reject it, especially if it would be out of the ordinary or unpleasant or if it would require personal sacrifice or discomfort.

Matthew 16:8...Oh ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves?...
Don't Reason in The Mind, Just Obey in the Spirit.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Any time we see what the Word says and refuse to do it, reasoning has somehow gotten involved and deceived us into believing something other than the truth. We cannot spend excessive time trying to understand (mentally) everything the Word says. If we bear witness in the spirit, we can move ahead and do it.

God wants us to obey Him, whether or not we feel like it, want to or ask ourselves if what He has said is logical. When God speaks, we are to mobilize-not rationalize.

Something Different

Seven things you should know about UFO's
Part 1.

As unlikely as it may at first seemed, the UFO phenomenon appears to be going mainstream. For most evangelicals, belief in UFO's has been more a matter of amusement than concern, but in today's postmodern culture this movement needs to be taken seriously.

How should Christians address this seemingly preposterous, yet pressing issue? What should parents teach their children about aliens? How can youth workers answer the ET questions of their teenage congregations, and how can the Christian employee capably address this topic with his or her co-workers? Does church history provide any lessons for us? We should be aware of some key issues while addressing/witnessing to those who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence.

1. It's not just a fringe belief anymore

No matter how far out belief in extraterrestrials may seem to some people, the fact is that belief in their existence has come both widespread and en vogue. In an issue of popular mechanics, kenneth Nealson, a scientist on the National Academy of Sciences Subcommittee for Solar System Exploration, said, "The search for life is no longer a fringe type of thing."1 Politicians, scientists and astronauts concur that intelligent extraterrestrial life must exist within the universe and that it is "arrogant" to presume that humanity is the only intelligent life form. A survey by USA Today revealed that "61 percent of Americans say they believe humans are not the only life form in the galaxy."2 (Interestingly, another survey revealed that six percent of Americans claimed to have actually seen a UFO first hand).

It wasn't that long ago when an admission of the belief in aliens may have qualified a person as a candidate for the insane asylum. Today, such a confession may further advance one's chances in receiving a research grant or qualifying as a candidate in a Ph.D. program. The first step in addressing this phenomenon, therefore, is to recognize that it is considered a legitimate subject in a variety of mainstream circles. As ludicrous as this may sound, this recognition is essential for effectively ministering to the post modern culture in which we now live. This is not to imply that we are to patronize their beliefs; rather, we are to treat them with respect they deserve as human beings and so earn the right to be heard (1 pet. 3:15).

2. People are really seeing things

Bobby Brewer of the Christian Research Institute who wrote this article was one of many who witnessed what's now referred to as the "Phoenix lights" incident. On the evening of March 13, 1997, hundreds of people in Arizona observed a very unusual formation of lights that was well documented by video and eyewitness accounts. The incident created a flurry of speculation concerning the nature of the lights, with the most popular being extraterrestrial. The Air Force acknowledeged the occasion with the explanation that the lights were actually flares.

Military and airline personnel, engineers, air traffic controllers, police and people of all walks of life across the globe have made UFO reports. It is true that a number of reports are hoaxes and intentionally fraudulent, but the fact remains that credible people are witnessing events that they cannot explain.

3. No evidence support that there is ETI

To date there is no nut, bolt, spaceship, carcass, or transmission to provide overwhelming and convincing proof that ETI exists. This is not to deny that credible people are seeing inexplicable aeronautical and cosmic incidents. It is noteworthy, however, that the vast majority of UFO reports are easily explainable. This may not be the sensationalistic answer for which many people in our culture are looking for, but the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of UFO reports have earthly origins.

4. Biblical revelation lends no support to ETI

The Bible does not refer to intelligent life on other planets. The focus of the Bible, instead, is on humanity's need for redemption. When Jesus commissioned the disciples to preach the good news, He directed them to the "uttermost parts of the earth" (emphasis added), not the uttermost part of the galaxy or universe (see Acts 1:8). One doesn't have to read between the lines to see that God has great interest in people on the earth, whereas we have no specific revelation demonstrating God's interest in intelligent life outside of earth. A dogmatic belief in ETI simply cannot be justified from Scripture.

The focus of the ministry of Jesus Christ, as well, is on the human race. The most famous verse of the New Testament probably is (John 3:16:) "For God so the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (NASB, emphasis added) . It's true that the greek word for "world" (kosmo) can be translated as "universe," but the claim that this verse validates and biblically proves the existence of ETI is not only a massive stretch but also a hermeneutical (rules of biblical interpretation) violation. First, the word "kosmos" is used in other places in the New Testament specifically to refer to humanity (see, e.g., John 1:19). Second, such an interpretation would be out of context with the entire Bible as a whole because it's message is clearly focused on the human condition and need for redemption.

What about the "wheels" in Ezekiel? The passage referring to "wheels" within wheels" (Ezek. 1:16) initially does indeed sound like an ancient UFO report, and UFO enthusiasts regularly cite this passage in an attempt to verify their claims of extraterrestrial interventions in the course of human history. A closer examination of the text, however, clearly demonstrates that Ezikiel was communicating a vision from God (Ezek. 1:16-18) and not an extraterrestrial visitation. Basic hermeneutic rules are violated when it's assumed that the "wheels" of Ezekiel are spaceships.

Events seen in visions are not necesarrily literal but often symbolic and metaphorical. In this case, the creatures and wheels are most likely representations of angels, who are presented as God's attendants delivering a message for Israel from God to Ezekiel (Isa. 6:2).

Some commentators concur that, among other things, the "wheels" are a vision to encourage Ezekiel by reminding him of God's omnipresence. Since the Kebar river, the location of the vision, was probably south of Babylon and a place of prayer for the Jewish exiles, this vision would have been most appropriate at this site to remind Israel that wherever they went, God went, even to Babylon.

5. Proof of ETI would not undermine Christianity

Even if extraterrestrials do exist, God is their Creator, too. According to Genesis 1:1, "God created the heavens and the earth. "Such a discovery, therefore, would not nullify Christian doctrine but rather confirm the extent of God's creative capabilities. From Scripture and from creation, we see clearly that God delights in His creativity. For example, when He created angels, He didn't create just one type but rather many different kinds. It's shouldn't surprise Christians if other life forms exist in the universe. We should learn from the copernican revolution and choose our battles wisely and avoid dogmatism with scientific issues that are not clearly articulated in scripture. The bottom line for humanity, nevertheless, is that we on earth are spiritually corrupt and in need of a Savior for forgiveness and everlasting life that is available only through Jesus, regardless of the existence of ETI.

6. The UFO phenomenon tends to have occult qualities

Due to the paranormal attributes of many UFO encounters, it can be logically argued that some supernaturally devious activity exists within the UFO phenomenon. Consider the following observations:

Evil Encounters. Speaking generally, UFO abduction encounters are not pleasant and wholesome experiences. For the most part, they are nightmarish events that often plague victims for years, if not the rest of their lives. These abduction encounters are obviously not the work of benign and benevolent "space brothers".

False Prophets. The aliens consistently proclaim a different gospel. The religion of these beings is typically a version of Eastern mysticism or New Age philosophy, which is, in actuality, very old-so old, that it goes back to the Garden of Eden with the temptation to "be like God" (Gen.3:5). Paul warned the church in Galatia to be aware of false teachings regardless of how impressive the source might be. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preach to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Gal.1:8).

There have been numerous reports of contact with aliens, and yet none thus far has acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Son of God. (If you know of any, please write and let me know about it.) They almost always sanction various Eastern and New Age groups instead as their official spokepersons. A significant percentage of all alleged contactees admitted to be involved in some form of occult belief or practices. It is therefore reasonable to presume that in some cases a spiritual dimension is within the UFO phenomenon, and it is obviously outside the presence, activity, and authority of the Holy Spirit.

7. The UFO phenomenon is indicative of a spiritual quest

One of the characteristics of our postmodern society is spiritual curiosity. This helps explain why books such as Left Behind and Harry Potter that are poles apart in their worldviews can simultaneously share a secular bestseller list. The popularity of spiritual topics, in my opinion, is a reflection of a society that is hungry for meaning and purpose in life, which they mistakenly believe will be fufilled via contact with extraterrestrial civilization or proof that life exists outside of planet earth. In effect, for some, the search and hope for ETI amounts to a quest for an extraterrestrial savior.

We witness a glimmer of this perspective in 1996 with the premature announcement that evidence for life on mars had been found in a meteorite known as ALH84001. President Bill Clinton said, "Today, rock 84001 speaks to us across all those billions of years and millions of miles. It speaks of the possibilty of life. If this discovery is confirmed [it wasn't], it will surely be one of the most stunning insights into our universe that science has ever uncovered. It's implications are far-reaching and awe-inspiring as can be imagined.

In Megatrends 2000, John Naisbett accurately forecasted that the late nineties and early twenty-first century would experience an increased and renewed interest in spirituality, but that people would not necessarily seek out the main line Christian denominations to have those needs met. He was right. Spirituality is big business. The typical secular bookstore has entire sections devoted to UFO's, Wicca, Eastern thought, and, yes, even Christianity. An article in the New York Times Magazine described this surge of interest as a "revival", although the "revival" is not within Christianity per se, the church should recognize its unique position in being the only candidate capable of truly meeting this need.

We have seen, then that the proof for ETI is deficient and lacking. Regardless of the existence of ETI, humanity needs redemption, which is exclusively available through Jesus Christ. The presupposition that an advance alien race could solve the world's problems is misleading and deceptive. Such a hope is a cloud without rain. Christ alone is able to provide a solution to the problem of sin, and we have been commissioned to spread this good news to the utter most parts of our planet. We must focus our attention on the Gospel.

God's Work in Our Lives

All people possess an inward desire that their work should have meaning and permanence (Ps. 90:16,17). If such work is not to be lost in the vastness of eternity, however, it must conform to the work God has designed. This work for the present day can be known only from God's Word.

According to the Word of God, the initial work of God is for us to believe in Jesus Christ (John 6:29; Rom. 6:17,18). Apart from entering into this vital relationship with God, man cannot even begin to work for God. After coming to know Christ, the new Christian discovers God's program for the present from the scriptures. It is, first of all, His work in the Christian himself. Regeneration is only the beginning of God's work in the believer. It actually introduces a process of becoming like Christ which God promises ultimately to bring to perfection (Phil. 1:6). The Christian cheerful obedience to God's will as revealed in His Word helps speed this work along.

Second, no Christian can overlook God's work in the world. Jesus' command to spread the good news of the gospel to all people appears near the end of all four Gospels and at the beginning of the book of Acts. God's method is that people proclaim the gospel and that the Holy Spirit convict (John 16:8-11).

Finally, God's work is in and through the church, the organism ordained by Christ for this age (Matt. 16:18). God's work in the church through the spirit and through spiritually gifted people to strengthen and bless it (Eph. 4:11-13).