Are You Sure It Is The Wisdom Of God You Are Leaning On?

Spiritual maturity happens when we stop fighting against the Spirit and instead get in step with him. I will warn you up front that I have to spread this blog over two days because the impact of it is too great to cover all at once. There has been a great bleeding of the world's philosophy into the teaching of the Church. Worse than that, many of our young people have begun to mix the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God and no longer understand the difference. The Spirit is calling us back to the Father's heart. Listen:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Jesus people are stupid, ignorant, superstitious, short-sighted morons to people who have never met Jesus. The whole idea of God, Jesus, the cross, the empty grave, the heavenly realms are all foolishness to the world. They would rather quote the sayings and philosophies of dead men who accomplished nothing than to trust the wisdom of the one and only living God. The thing is, Jesus knew they would.

My concern is that too many of our spiritual trainers and disciples of Jesus want to find acceptance in this world. There are not enough people to stand with our young people to show them it is okay to be considered odd and foolish by the world as we choose the wisdom and power of the cross. Jesus told us that the world would do more than consider the message of the cross foolish, it would also hate us because of it. This is the natural way because the world does not want to admit to its sins and submit to the love of our holy God. But Jesus told us that we must still love this world even if it considers itself to be our enemy.

To young and old alike I remind you that we are different from this world. We do not think or act like it. We do not find our pleasure in the same places it finds its pleasure. We do not love as it loves or hate as it hates. We do not follow its philosophies or rest on its wisdom:

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)

The world does not know as it aught to know. It is not us, who have placed our trust and hope in Jesus, who are foolish, but it is the world, who has failed to understand God's wisdom, that is lost. There is nothing that this world can offer us that can stand up against the glory and power of God's wisdom. The cross on its own flies in the face of the philosophies of this world:

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

Be wise my friends. The immature run after fine sounding arguments and pretty philosophies of this world. They will blog about such things and add quotes from these dead men because it sounds so fine. The immature ask what is wrong with this and the Holy Spirit weeps. We cannot put even a moments trust in the wisdom of this world. Why waste such a precious moment when we have the rich wisdom of God at hand? Our life is based on the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Everything else is just foolishness. The immature in Christ need to leave their foolish pursuit and get back in step with the Spirit before they are lost in the darkness of this world again.

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

Maturity comes in as we make God's wisdom, Christ crucified, the center of our thinking and world perspective. Maturity begins to take root as we accept that Jesus is the power and wisdom of God, which far surpasses any philosophies and wisdom man has to offer. There is no love greater than God's.

There are two streams of thought in the world. There are those chasing after spirituality but would rather worship creation over the creator and those who worship the accomplishments and wisdom of humanity. Both lead to destruction so the mature in Jesus avoid them both and walk in the wisdom of God's light. When we take this decision maturity begins to shape everything else in us as well.

There is no getting around this, it should be as clear as day: God is greater thus wiser than his creation.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

So I encourage you to consider what you are leaning against for strength. What are you considering to be wise as you sit in your classes, as you enter your work, as you partake in your entertainment? What ideas, thoughts, wisdom are you allowing to take root? Are you weighing these things against the Word of God? Are you listening to the guidance of the Spirit? Spiritual maturity cannot take root if you are not basing your life on the Word of God and guidance of the Spirit of God.

Paul Van Buren

Pastor, Montreal, Canada

To Deny

When you are confronted, what is your reaction?!

Indeed pride, a false perception of the reality and stubborn, are things that cover the denial.

In Matthew 26 Jesus see a hard situation coming and to prepare the disciples’ hearts to bear it.

Peter says not, I will not do that!

In the confront: 1 - Deny

2 - Don’t accept

3 – Do not take any responsibility

4 - Put himself in a position of evidence and call himself innocent

Denial is a common thing in the people's lives. No one wanna to take weakness, fear, limitation, lost and sins in front of nobody.

An ask is: Do Deny do something different?

Do deny changes the inevitable?

Do deny give us spiritual growing or spiritual maturity?

We have spent long time denying. We have spent time denying weakness, sins and laziness when we are confronted about some bad acts that we do. We deny to try protect us BUT, the end is…. Fall.

We deny laziness with the justification of ‘ I have no time’

We deny some carnal acts with the justification of ' everybody sins, who never do that?'

We deny our negligence in the bible's read, time of prayer and evangelism saying: time is short, I can't stay concentrated!

We talk bad about peoples whom shows us our sins, so,

We deny and stop

We deny and fall

We say: No I'm not like that, when indeed we are.

AS Peter we deny, but, you and I know what happened in the end. Peter, as Jesus warned , denied Him. Even Peter said in loud voice: NO MASTER, I WILL NEVER DO THAT.

There are some areas in your life that you are denying?

Be closed to changes is the reason to don't be blessed  (but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God. Rm 12:2) we don't open our minds to changes and stay stopped! We have to understand that conversion means change don't justification. Conversion means ACTION, because deny produces death!

Matthew 26:69-74 ...Then with curses and oaths he said, I have no knowledge of the man. And straight away there came the cry of a cock.And the word of Jesus came back to Peter, when he said, Before the hour of the cock's cry, you will say three times that you have no knowledge of me. And he went out, weeping bitterly

Deny in a confront killed Peter. When he denied that Jesus was right, it gave him a bad fruit. Just when Peter recognized what had happened and to taken what Jesus said as right, the Holy Spirit could brings to him the real repentance and the real healing, doing him one of most preachers of the history. His first sermon more than 3 thousand people gave their lives to Jesus.

To confess and accept a correction is the right way.

Jesus bless you

God Sees Potential

One thing I have learned from my study of the Bible is that where mankind sees limited skills, God sees potential.

God told Moses to deliver His people from bondage.

Moses tried to change God’s mind.

Exodus 4:10 (NET) - Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

God’s mind was made up.

Exodus 4:11 (NET) - The LORD said to him, "Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?"

Moses went on to become one of the greatest heroes of the Old Testament and, indeed, the Bible.

What of David?

In 1 Samuel 16, the Lord sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the king He had chosen.

Upon his arrival, Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

1 Samuel 16:6 (NET) - When they arrived, Samuel noticed Eliab and said to himself, "Surely, here before the LORD stands His chosen king!"

God’s response is something we should always remember.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NET) - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Samuel looked at all seven of Jesse’s sons who were present and he knew that God had not chosen any of them.

1 Samuel 16:11 (NET) - Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Is that all of the young men?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here."

David was summoned and became the Lord’s anointed. Thus, the youngest son and lowly shepherd began his ascension to the throne God had chosen for him.

Even in the New Testament we find that God continues to reach out to those of lesser status.

This is evident when shepherds were the first to be told about the birth of Jesus in a remarkable way.

Luke 2:10-11 (NET) - But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people. Today your Savior is born in the City of David. He is Christ the Lord."

Even when Jesus selected his followers, He did not select the elite of society.

He began by selecting fishermen.

Luke 5:9-10 (NET) - For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons who were Simon’s business partners. The Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

These was just the beginning.

In the same chapter, Jesus made what was considered an even more astonishing choice.

Luke 5:27 (NET) - After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," He said to him.

Even today, God continues to call people to serve him in different ways.

God still uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Is God calling you to serve Him?

Remember, God does not always call the most gifted and the most talented.

He does, however, provide those He calls with the gifts and talents they will need.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/

Response

The Power of response

The Power of our response

The way we respond to things holds great power

We can respond well

We can respond badly

We can respond in an appropriate way.

We can respond in a Godly way.

No-one, apart from ourselves, can change or take away the way we respond.

Whatever the world throws at us we still have the choice of response.

However ill we get we still have the option to respond well or not.

Jesus tells us that when someone strikes us we must turn the other cheek.

When someone hits us, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or verbally we choose how we respond.

We can run away.

We can crumple.

We can hit back.

We can rise above it.

We can turn the other cheek.

How do we respond?

When bad things happen we always have the choice of response.

Will we let it ruin our day, our week, our life?

Will we rise above it, deal with it and move on?

Will we chose to learn from it, help it strengthen us and grow?

Will we give it over to God and let him deal with it so that we don;t have to?

Even when the worst things happen we still have the choice of how to respond to it.

We can't help what the world throws at us.

We don't know what God is going to allow us to go through.

But our response in is our hands.

Even when the worst things happen we can determine how we will deal with it.

We have the choice.

Will we become bitter or better?

Will we defeat what has happened or will we allow ourselves to be defeated by it.

We get mugged.

Will we chose to live in fear?

Will we choose to forgive?

Will we chose to get help to move on?

Will we set our faces like flint and turn to God as our protector?

We get raped?

Will we become man haters?

Will we let it ruin the rest of our lives?

Will we use this terrible experience to help others?

We lose someone close to us.

Will we be consumed by grief?

Will we celebrate their life?

Will we celebrate that they are living with God?

Will we look inwardly to our pain or outwardly to what God is calling us to do?

Will we turn the other cheek.

Will we take back the power.

Will we say to the world, whatever you throw at me I'm ready.

Will we learn bounce-back-ability?

Or will we wallow in our own self pity?

Will we learn to rely on God?

Will we learn to use the help and advice of those he has put around us?

Will we learn that we always have the choice of response?

Will we learn to make the right responses?

Will we learn to make Godly responses?

Will learn that the world can't defeat us?

Will we learn that He that is in us is greater than the world?

Will we help each other make the right choices?

Will we together release the power that our choices and responses have?

Let us chose and respond wisely together.

Decision

Think in a hard decision that you already taken 

What was the Best?

What was worse?

What have you learned about?

Although, as humans we are gifted capacity of take decision, in practice is another thing. Some times take decision implies in nuisances and risks.

When decision is good done, the reward brings realization and satisfaction, unlike is a sliding  in dissatisfaction, blame, trauma and distress that around our being.

a mature christian decision,  takes some conditions:

1 - Disposition to renounce

 To wish something, means give up of other things. Sleep means give up of keep awake and enjoy a time with someone else like get marriage means give up of the single life where we can go wherever we want an any time. To decide for something means give up to a reality that can seem good and pleasant.

All decision implies in gains and losses.

Unfortunately, our society and communication ways have created a happiness conceit where happy is who doesn't repress yourself.  this myth induces a belief that mature people never renounces, don't respect rule or restrictions and do everything that feel. They say: Be yourself like you are, follow yours feelings

Bible shows several times man being challenged to take decisions and it shows us that in our life chose is a important part. We can't do all that come upon our mind. In a christian saying: Renounces means how much we take God to heart!

2 - Vision of a preference:

To choose means opt to something in middle to other options. Renounces is the answer that we believe in the superiority  of the choose.

Choose has to be taken by preference, not by exclusions, it need be " I want to obey, not I can't sin".

When we did a choose, don't means that what was left will disappear. Choose just means what  are my values, and where they have been taken what will means where we are going.

Choose don't means to repress or ignore  the left option.  To choose is to assess, and rationally delete or become ineffective the feeling, wills and things of another decision.

3 -   Be Aware that the future will be affected by your decision

If people thinking before, would be free from lots  tragic events that come from impulsive or stubborn  decisions like

use of the drugs

alcohol

smoking

yoked with unbelievers 

buy what can't

sex out of marriage

marriage without know well one another

Luck 14:28-30 - Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

So take breath, count until 10 and don't be impulsive!

4 – The last Word have to be of the Holy Spirit

Consult all of your faculties ( memory, ability , ratiocination) but let the last word comes from God.Never trust in you alone.

Psalm 25:12 - Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

Just the Holy Spirit can guide us in the right way for He knows everything, He can potentiate the natural, and we will be able to see, do and understand what no one can.

Some benefices of the good decision

> ability of perseverance

> ability to renounce the immediate satisfaction of the necessities

> most ability to support tense situations until reach your goal

> ability to do hard tasks

> we become, changes agent   of the world

> we have no emotion like only criterion

The bad decisions:

> always require security and decreased risk

> are emotional

> minimum cost, and require lot gain

Well, after these things we just need think a little and take the right way, even that it have some cost, it will produces good fruit.

Blessings

Speak, for Your Servant is Listening

As humans, we seem to love the spectacular.

As the old saying goes, "The bigger, the better."

The Olympic Games are a good example.

The host nation spends years and large sums of money building huge state of the art stadiums, arenas and sports complexes.

Then, before any competition takes place, there is the opening ceremony.

A worldwide television audience tunes in to see every nation’s athletes parade in. A professionally directed and choreographed show follows that includes the lighting of the Olympic flame.

That is just the beginning.

After the games conclude, an elaborate closing ceremony also takes place.

Yes, we love the spectacular.

When it comes to matters of faith, we also sometimes gravitate to the spectacular.

God, spoke to Moses through a burning bush.

God instructed His chosen people to march around the city of Jericho. He had the priests blow their trumpets. Finally, His people shouted their battle cry and the walls of the city collapsed.

God’s spirit empowered Samson who then single handedly struck down a thousand Philistines armed with just a jawbone of a donkey.

One of the reasons we so readily recall these accounts from the Bible is because each of these events was spectacular in nature.

Yet, God does not always utilize the spectacular to reveal Himself or His will.

The account of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 provides an excellent illustration.

God called Samuel, but He did so in a subtle way.

So subtle, in fact, that Samuel assumed that it was his master Eli that called him.

1 Samuel 3:4-5 (NET) - The LORD called to Samuel, and he replied, "Here I am!" Then, he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am for you called me." But Eli said, "I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.

Then, God spoke to Samuel again in the same subtle way. Again, Samuel reached the same conclusion as before.

1 Samuel 3:6 (NET) - The LORD again called, "Samuel!" So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But Eli said, "I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down."

Yet a third time, God spoke subtly to Samuel.

1 Samuel 3:8 (NET) - Then the LORD called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me!" Eli then realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.

Eli then told Samuel to go back and the next time he heard the call to say, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.

Samuel did just that.

1 Samuel 3:10 (NET) - Then the LORD came and stood nearby, calling as He had previously done. "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel replied, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

God then told Samuel what was to come.

God sometimes reveals Himself in spectacular ways.

God also reveals Himself in ways that are quite subtle by comparison.

God could reveal His will for your life in very dramatic fashion.

He could also do so with a gentle nudge or a soft whisper.

How He chooses to reveal His will is up to Him.

Always be ready to reply, "Speak, for your servant is listening."


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

3 Questions to Determine If You're a Workaholic

Many times, while trying to achieve things that God has for our lives, we end up overworking. While this may seem like the correct and responsible thing to do, it truly is not the way God intends for us to live our lives. We need to have goal based ethics guiding us while striving for the goals, so that we don't become workaholics.
If you find yourself acting like a workaholic, it means that your heart is not completely in the right place. Something is off balance and it’s not good for you.

Jesus talked about this as running after the cares of this world. They can steal the seed of God’s Word from our hearts.

Let’s take a look at this verse:

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ~ Mark 4:18-19

So you see… we can be running after money and thinking all is well, but completely missing the mark. We can be completely overlooking God’s true goals for our lives.

The world's way of doing things is placing people's value in how much money they make. The richer they are the more "so called" value they must have right?

Wrong.

Jesus said:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19- 21

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself so that you can determine if your life is out of balance and if you’re acting like a workaholic:

1 - Do you have time to be with God and develop your relationship with Him?

No matter how much biblical knowledge you have, if you don’t take the time to pray, read scripture and listen to Him guiding your steps, you will find yourself going the wrong way. Talking to God should be done on a daily basis. This Christian prayer journal template can help you get started in your devotional time. Practice the presence of God.. don't worry about religiosity. You can also separate a weekly time to spend many hours at once with Him, just praising him and feeling His presence.

2 - Have you found yourself not able to relax?

It’s possible that even if you have some free time, you’re so wound up from all of the stress that you simply don’t feel restored. Does your mind keep going and going even after you’ve stopped working? Do you find it difficult to let things go and just enjoy the moment? If so, then these are clear signs that you’re a workaholic. Instead of loading a huge amount of responsibilities on yourself, decide what is a balanced amount and trust God to take care of the rest for you. This article on how to find inner peace will help you in that process.

3 - Do you find yourself falling into sin all the time?

One of the biggest problems with being a workaholic is that the focus is so big after money and solving things to “succeed” that the person ends up not even having the strength to withstand temptation. Things somehow become justifiable if for some odd reason it would get in the way of achieving the “money or success goal”. It’s a dangerous place to be and without your heart being aligned to God’s will, it’s very easy to find yourself in a sinful life, rationalizing it all. If you’re at that place right now, you don’t need to stay there. The notion that you have to kill yourself working is not in Scripture. It’s a lie that the devil created to fool you so you won’t have time to be with God and live out His purpose for you. Trusting God when troubles arise instead of thinking that your own strength will solve it all is essential for a peaceful life.

So make the decision today to re-evaluate your lifestyle, your goals and how you will achieve them. You will fulfill all things while experiencing a lot more joy.

Blessings always,

Eren Mckay

What to Do?

Almost a year ago, I was approached and asked to take a leadership position.

After much consideration and prayer, I accepted.

One thing that bothered me then still bothers me today.

How can one be discerning without becoming judgmental?

On one hand scripture tells us to be discerning.

Hebrews 5:14 (NET) - But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

On the other hand, Jesus reminds us not to judge.

Matthew 7:1-2 (NET) - "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive."

This is something I have thought about for a very long time.

It has been the focus of some lively debates I have had with Christian friends from all over.

There has to be a line somewhere between discernment and judgment.

This line is not always to see from a human perspective.

Very seldom is one side of the line black and the other white.

Too often one side of the line is gray while the other side appears equally gray, again, from a human perspective.

This can be particularly troublesome when one is in a position of leadership.

At what point does one cross the line and go from being discerning to becoming judgmental.

There are two passages of scripture I have found to be a tremendous source of guidance.

One comes courtesy of Paul.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NET) - And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Regardless of the situation, I must proceed with love in my heart.

The second passage comes from Jesus in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John.

In this passage, the Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus and tell him that she has been caught committing adultery,

They remind Jesus that the law of Moses demands that she be stoned to death.

What was His response?

John 8:7 (NET) - When they persisted in asking Him, He stood straight up and replied, "Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her."

One by one, her accusers walked away until only she and Jesus remained.

John 8:10-11 (NET) - Jesus stood straight up and said to her, "Woman, Where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She replied, "No one Lord." And Jesus said. "I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore."

Those last sentences of Jesus speak volumes to me.

By telling her not to sin anymore he acknowledges her guilt.

His preceding statement emphasizes the fact that He did not condemn her.

Jesus put her on the right path, but He did so in a very kind and very loving way.

That is the kind of love Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians.

Christian love can keep me from crossing the line from discernment into judgment even if I cannot readily identify where that line is.

That is the kind of love scripture dictates we should have for each other.

Jesus showed that kind of love to the woman.

He showed that kind of love to us as well.

By the way...

There is one more verse that I bear in mind.

I have found this passage to be a good reminder in almost every situation.

Romans 3:23 (NET) - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The last time I checked, "I" am still very much a part of "all".


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/