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).

Cure for Doubt

The cure for doubt depends to some extent on the thing doubted. However, the real problem is not in the object doubted but in the subject who doubts. Therefore, the following steps should be taken by the doubting Christian.

a. Confess the doubt to God as sin. Doubt is basically unbelief in God and His Word and is therefore sin (Rom. 14:23; Heb. 11:6). God has promised to hear our confession of even the darkest unbelief.

b. Study the evidence for the Christian faith. Christians have nothing to fear by looking into the facts from any source of knowledge. The greatest evidence for the validity of Christianity, the resurrection of Christ, is attested by many proofs. Among these are the empty tomb, post-resurrection appearances, and transformed disciples. Since the resurrection is true, it verifies everything the Bible says.

c. Make certain of your salvation. Paul exhorts Christians to examine themselves to make sure they are Christians (2 Cor. 13:5). So did the author of Heb. (Heb. 6:1-9). Untill you are assured of your salvation you will be troubled by enormous doubts.

d. Faithfully study the Word of God. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Through study and application of the Bible, our faith is strengthened and matured. Most especially, we must master the doctrines or basic teachings of the Bible if we are to be stable, mature Christians (1 Tim. 4:13, 16; 2 Tim. 3:16; Titus 2:1,10).

e. Pray. The surest way to face doubts when they come is to have an extensive past history of answered prayer. The more a Christian prays with faith, the more that Christian sees God answer prayer. The more a person sees God answer prayer, the stronger that person's faith becomes while the doubt becomes less.

Occasions of Doubt

Doubt may be defined as an uncertainty of belief or lack of confidence in something. Applied to the Christian life, doubt refers to the unbelief in God and His Word that Christians occasionally exhibit. It is possible that in a moment of infirmity a Christian may doubt the existence of God in spite of the fact that it is not reasonable for a person to disbelieve this obvious truth (Ps. 14:1). A Christian is more likely to doubt his salvation after sinning or after a spiritual defeat. A misunderstanding of such verses as (1 John 3:9) contributes to this doubt: "Whoever has been born of God does not sin." It is crucial to note that this verse speaks of a lifestyle of sin, not instances of sin.

A Christian may also doubt God's sovereignty or His goodness. In such circumstances as sickness, suffering, injustice, opposition, economic problems, family problems, national calamity, or apparently unanswered prayer, a Christian may be tempted to doubt the goodness of God. One must remember that it is not always possible to descern God's good hand in the affairs of life. The person of faith believes God even when circumstances appear to the contrary.

All doubt may be traced ultimately to unbelif in the Word of God, which affirms beyond question the existence and character of God. To regard doubt as the sin of unbelief and then confess it to God as sin is therefore the first step toward conquering it.

God's Word Cleanses

One of the pieces of furniture in the Old Testament tabernacle was called the bronze laver (ex. 38:8). It consisted of a huge upright bronze bowl filled with water, resting upon a pedestal. The priest would often stop at this laver and wash. The Word of God may be thought of in terms of that laver, for it too has the power to cleanes. The Old Testiment laver could only remove the physical dirt from human hands, but the Scriptures possess the ability to take away our moral filth (1 Pet. 1:22).

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). What areas of my life can the Bible cleanse?

It can cleanse me from wrong thoughts. Sometimes we are tempted to think critically of others. God's word can prevent this (Ps. 1:2). On other occasions fearful thoughts may race through our minds. The Scripture will prevent this also (Josh. 1:8). In fact, the Bible will establish our total thoughtlife if we but allow it to do so (Phil. 4:8, 9;2 Pet. 1:5-10).

It can cleanse me from wrong words. Of all the Bible authors, James seems to be God's expert on the sins of the human tongue. In the first chapter of his book, he deals with this very thing and shows the absolute necessity of dependence upon the Scriptures to keep our words true (James 1:22-26).

It cleanses me from wrong actions. Jesus promised us this would be the case. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).

Finally, God's Word will keep us from wrong thoughts, words, and actions; or else wrong thoughts, words, and actions will keep us from God's Word. Amen

Confession

One of the most remarkable chapters in the Old Testament is (Ps. 51). This psalm contains the actual words of confession uttered by King David after his great sins of adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11).

This prayer can serve as a pattern to Christians when guilty of sin today.

a. David begins his prayer by freely admitting his sin (Ps. 51:3,4). This honesty is vital in our confession. God will graciously forgive all our sins, but not on account of our excuses.

b. He then displays real sorrow over his sin (Ps. 51:17). Paul writes (2 Cor. 7:10) that the main characteristic of true confession is godly sorrow.

c. He asks God's forgiveness (Ps. 51: 1,7-9).

d. He believes God has heard him and will restore him (Ps. 51:12-15).

In the New Testament the most important single verse concerning confession is (1 John 1:9). In essence John tells us the means of forgiveness and cleansing is the blood of Christ, while the method of this forgiveness and cleansing is the confession of the Christian.

Like David, we must admit our sin, plead the blood of Christ, and believe that God has indeed done what He promised, namely, to cleanse us from sin and restore us to fellowship and service.

(Rom. 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

God Through His Word

One of the most vital teachings of Scripture is that God can be known. The highest knowledge to which men and women can attain is a personal knowledge of God (Jer. 9:24). People do not naturally possess this knowledge (Rom. 3:10,11), even though they know He exists (Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:19,20). Knowing that God exists is not the same as knowing God personally, just as knowing about the President does not mean that you necessarily know him personally. This knowledge of God is crucial, however, since to know God personally is to be saved and have eternal life (John 17:3).

People should rejoice in the fact that God earnestly wants them to attain his knowledge. That is why He has spoken to us in His Word, revealing Himself and disclosing the means by which we may know Him.

While God surely can be known, there is always more to be learned about Him. There are many Scriptures that teach that our knowledge of God is partial. It is said to be "too wonderful" (Ps. 139:6), "unsearchable" (Ps. 147:5). Since our knowledge of God is incomplete, we must increase it through Spiritual growth. Paul, for example, prays to know God better (Phil. 3:10). We are even commanded to grow in the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). The development of one's intimate knowledge of God constitutes one of the greatest delights of the Christian life.

The Bible also reveals that God cannot be known personally apart from His Word. It contains the gospel that must be believed (Eph. 1:13), and the gospel brings forth saving faith in itself (Rom. 10:17). The gospel can therefore be called "the power of God to salvation" (Rom. 1:16). The part that the Scriptures and the gospel contain within them play in bringing people to know God is described in three important illustrations:

1. The gospel is the agent of the new birth (James 1:18), that is, it is like the implant seed without which the conception of new life cannot occur.

2. It is also a cleansing agent through which God gives the believing sinner a spiritual bath that results in salvation (Eph. 5:26).

3. The Scriptures are like an educator bringing the wisdom that leads to salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). So bring the Word, bring the rain of God and be a light in this world.

The Holy Spirit

One of the most serious errors in the minds of many people concerning the Holy Spirit is that He is simply a principle or influence. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit is as much a person (individual existence of a conscious being) as the Father and the Son:

a. The personality of the Holy Spirit; The Bible speaks of the mind (Rom. 8:27) and will (1 cor.12:11) of the Holy Spirit. He is often described as speaking directly to men in the Book of Acts. During Paul's second missionary journey, the apostle was forbidden by the Spirit to visit a certain mission field (Acts 16:6,7) and then instructed to proceed toward another field of service (Acts 16:10). It was God's Spirit who spoke directly to Christian leaders in the Antioch church, commanding them to send Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:2).

b. The Deity of the Holy Spirit; He is not only a real Person, but He is also God. As is God the Father, He too is everywhere at once (Ps. 139:7). As the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and Son. This is seen during the baptism of Christ (Math. 28:19,20).

There are also three wonderful works performed by the Holy Spirit in preparing unsaved people to become Christians:

a. The work of the Holy Spirit restrains; Satan would enjoy nothing more than to destroy people before they make their decision to accept Christ as Savior. But the Holy Spirit prevents this from occurring (Is. 59:19).

b. The work of the Holy Spirit convicts; Humankind's sin and righteousness are exposed by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). There are two well-known examples of sinners being convicted by the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts. Felix, a Roman governor, actually trembles under conviction as he hears Paul preach (Acts 26:28). The other case involves King Agrippa who responds to a gospel message by saying: "You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts26:28).

c. The work of the Holy Spirit regenerates; When repenting sinners accept Christ as Savior, they are given a new nature by the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus carefully explained this ministry of the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus (John 3:3-7).

Serving

God intended that the Christian life should be dynamic, not static. We should sit under the teaching of the Word of God, understand and apply it's meaning and implications, and serve God and our fellow believers. The spirit of God has given us spiritual gifts, but those are worthless unless they are put to use in the service of God and his church.

Paul often uses the figure of the human body to show the dependence of the members of the body upon one another and the importance of each member serving the other (Rom. 12:4,5; 1 Cor. 12: 12-31). While some members of the body have prominent places of service than others, all are equally important. The worst thing that can happen to the human body is for one of it's members to become nonfunctioning. Paralysis, sickness, deterioration, and sometimes death occur when a body member ceases to serve the other members of the body in the particular way that God intended.

To maintain strength, health, and vitality, every member of the body must function and serve all the other members of the body. This is also true of the spiritual or new life. We will grow in the new life, become strong, and maintain good spiritual health as we use the talents and abilities that God has given us to meet the needs of the other members of the body.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8). There is no better indicator of growth in Christ than in the area of giving of one self. The attitude one should have in giving-it should be cheerful. When giving is cheerful, it will also be generous.

Sharing our faith

Sharing our faith is a combination of spontaneous conversation about God and about premeditated ideas about the gospel. The following is a set of practical steps to take in witnessing for Christ.

a. Regularly talk about God. Sprinkle your ordinary conversation with occasional references to God's activity in your life. It is much easier to share your faith when your friends know God is an important part of your affairs.

b. Prepare your testimony. Learn to describe your pre-Christian life, your encounter with Christ, and the order of changes in your life in less then 5 minutes. If you became a Christian as a child, focus on the impact Christ has had on your adult life.

c. Learn a brief summary of the gospel. If you have never learned how to present the gospel, ask a friend who you consider to be mature in the Lord, a good witness and experienced in sharing his or her faith. I remember years ago when working for Juvenile probation, I was assigned by my supervisor to be trained by three seasoned co-workers separately, when I first began. Each gentleman had a gift and talent for working with juveniles and getting the job done. I borrowed what they had and applied them as my own, after a while my own style was formed though practice.

When you have opportunity to share Christ with someone, be sensitive to that person's spiritual readiness. Go as far as you can in moving forward with talking about the Lord, telling your story of faith, presenting the gospel, and attracting a commitment of faith in Christ. Often you will sense that your friend or whoever is listening at the time has heard all he or she wants to. When you stop, be sure to mention that "maybe we can continue this conversation about the Lord another time". Try to keep the subject open.


Try to share your faith as much as possible till it becomes second nature to you. Practice, practice, practice. The apostle Paul shows us how this should be done. He witnesses everywhere, in a prison at midnight (Acts 16:25-31), and even on a sinking ship during a dark and stormy day (Acts 27:20-25).

Empowered by God and walking in the Spirit

One of the most common excuses for not becoming a Christian is the fear of failure to live the Christian life. Besides overlooking the fact that people cannot be saved on the basis of good works (Titus 3:5), this objection ignores the truth that God provides the power to live the Christian life. Before Christ was crucified He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to help believers (John 16:13,14). The order of events of the Book of Acts supply ample evidence of the fulfillment of this prophecy (Acts 4:7, 33;6,8).

The power of the Holy Spirit was not designed soley for the first-century church. Rather, all Christians are indwelt by the Spirit and thus have His power available (1 cor. 6:19). However, living the Christian life under the Spirits power must not be thought of as simply allowing the Spirit to take control while the believer does nothing. Believers still must live the Christian life, though they do it through the Spirits power. Rom. 8:13 says, "if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live".

Christians who struggle in their own strength to live the Christian life will fail. We must by faith appropriate daily the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4,5). To describe in a practical way, this means that believers trust the Holy Spirit to empower them in specific instances such as sharing their faith with others, resisting temptation, being faithful, and so on. There is no secret formula that makes the Holy Spirit's power available. It is simply a reliance on the Spirit of God to help.

Often the Christian will doubt his/her salvation simply because he/she does not feel saved, not understanding that the basis for that salvation is the promise of God and not emotional feelings. In fact, the entire Trinity is involved in this.

To be filled with the Spirit is to be controlled by the Spirit and is therefore crucial to successfully living the Christian life. How can someone be filled with Spirit? Unlike the indwelling of the Spirit, filling is a repeated experience. Christians who were filled more than once (Acts 2:4; 4:31). Just as important, we must observe that filling is a command to be obeyed not an option.

How can someone be filled with Spirit? Prior conditions are simply confession of sin and yielding to God. The believer who chooses to obey in these areas is filled with the Spirit and enabled to manifest Christ-like character. This obedience may be accompanied by prayer but is not necessarily so.

The certainty of being filled with the Spirit may be confirmed by the believer's faith and life. The believer must of course, believe God's Word that meeting the conditions will result in the filling. The Spirit-filled person will exhibit the Christ-like character described in (Gal. 5:22, 23) as the fruit of the Spirit.

Your Dash

I recently heard a message from a Pastor friend of mine of an iconic celebrity who had just passed away. The story was shared of someone who had spent time traveling with this celebrity on and off for decades, until shortly before his death. The story was a sorrowful one, populated by the abuse of prescription drugs, loneliness, lavish spending and of hiring and firing of people constantly because of paranoia that people were always stealing from him. One of having a physician traveling with him constantly giving him daily injections to keep him going, such a sad life. He also shared that this man had no relationship with his family and to fill the void he paid people to be around him just so that he would never be alone.

The Pastor continued to share of a funeral that he was invited to speak at recently. The passing of a good man, father, uncle to some and a grandfather to others. He said, what was different about this funeral was that everyone in this man's family had stories of how this man had touched their lives one way or another. If someone had a flat tire in the middle of the night at whatever time this father, uncle or grandfather would get out of bed and come to their aid. If your car was broke down he would help you fix it or give you a ride. This man's family had so many stories of how in so many ways he touched their lives. What a legacy this man left behind for his family.

The pastor shared a small testimony of the x boss of this man who also attended the funeral. The x boss shared with the family that before this man retired, for the past ten years this man had perfect attendance at work. Can you imagine ten years of perfect attendance on your job. This man was employed as a custodian for this company, the pastor stated. The gentleman shared of how when this man was requested to clean an office for a meeting, he would go out of his way not only to clean the office immaculately but the hallway and other rooms near by as well. This man would always go the extra mile one way or another, such a testament.

But then the Pastor spoke concerning a tomb stone from a grave sight, as we know, it has a name with some writing on it for example beloved wife, husband, son or daughter. Then the date of birth, a dash and the date of death. You know we see the date of birth and of death but what of the dash, that little line. Such a small insignificant thing to see on a tombstone that everyone misses or passes by. It's that dash that represents your life and so I ask you this day, what would your dash say about you? What would people say about your life? What about "Your-Dash"?

My Testimony

In September of 1990 a co-worker invited me to church on a Wednesday night. In the first two services that I attended with him and his family, I walked out while the message was being preached. I had thought at the time, that my co-worker had called the pastor on the phone after I had opened up about some things in my life and shared them with him. I know now that that wasn't the case. It was not only the conviction of the Holy Spirit but God calling out to me to be saved. I could hear God saying, "I don't care where you come from, only where your going""repent and accept me in your heart". Looking back at both times of walking out of that church, I later found out from my co-workers wife that he would ask her, "What am I doing wrong? I bring him and he leaves! I bring him and he leaves!".

The third time I attended with them, I stayed for the benediction. At the end of the service, the Pastor asked the congregation, if anyone needed prayer raise your hand. We'll who doesn't need prayer I thought. Every one that I could see sitting around me had their head bowed and there eyes closed, so I figured why not since no one was looking. The Pastor stated while hands were raised, "If you raised your hand, stand up and come on down here and we're going to pray for you". I quickly put my hand down but at that time, the Pastor was looking towards my direction and saw me put my hand down. The pastor said "No! No! No! Don't put your hand down!". At that moment I knew he was talking to me, I thought to myself, "Man, he saw me! I need to get out of here!", but the Lord kept me in my seat.

As the Pastor was about to pray for those that had walked to the front, he looked up at the congregation and asked, "If this is something new for you, maybe you're embarrassed, afraid, or ashamed, God can touch you where you're at." The Pastor asked, "Say this prayer with us at your seat" and so I did repeat the prayer and I did ask Jesus Christ into my heart and life that night.

At the end of the service as I was leaving out of the church. I turned around to look back through the glass double doors of the entrance/exit. I felt a difference within myself. I couldn't explain it at the time. After that, I felt drawn to keep coming back to this church, my new home. Now I know, that that night was the night that I had received Christ as my Lord and Savior and was adopted into a new family, I became born again. I didn't want my old life back, I kept coming back for more.

Since then I've been a part of many of my church activities and ministries that have helped to raise and mature me as a Christian and as a man of God. I give praise to God for that friend, co-worker or family member who brings someone to church. You never know how much that person may be touched and set free from the things of the world.

I thank God for my salvation and my x co-worker now brother in Christ who led me to the Lord, who is now a Pastor of his own church in Austin, Texas. Thanks, Art.