Sharing

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16)



I want to be a righteous man. High standards, huh? It's true. I "hunger and thirst after righteousness." I just want to be a better man of God, it's that simple. But, why? Well, I want to please God, of course. But, honestly, that isn't the whole reason. I want my prayers to accomplish much. I want to go before God with my concerns and desires and know that I am telling Him what He wants to hear. I want my concerns and desires to be His concerns and desires. That is praying in accordance with His will. And that is when we see things happen. Being a more righteous person brings us closer to Him, therefore we will know Him better. But this post is really about something else. It's about bearing burdens. Why don't we do more of that? Do we not care enough about the people we love to come around them and help them with their load? I don't mean "thinking of you" cards and prayer lists. No, I'm talking about asking God to lift some of the strain off of them and placing it on our shoulders. Not so willing to actually bear it, are we? Let's face it, I can pray for you from a distance and see God move. No problem there. But I want to see your eyes light up immediately when you feel your burden lift and come over to me. I want to see the tears of sorrow turn to joy in that moment of prayer. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about!



"Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

Remain

Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4,5)

That last part is what I want to stress. We can do nothing without Him. We must stay attached to Him to do anything ... to BE anything. We have been talking alot about abiding, remaining, in Him on Sunday nights. Personally, I want to be fruitful - to the church, my friends, family, those I love the most, and the lost. But fruitful FOR Him. Later, in verse 8, John writes that Jesus said, "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit." I want God to be glorified through my life. Why else would I even bother with this? Earlier tonight, I had an unexpected chance to see God glorified. It was nothing I did, I assure you. But I felt like God was giving me the words to say to someone I care about very, very much. I hope I helped, really don't know much about it. But the important thing is that when the opportunity arose, God showed up so that He would be glorified. I have no doubt that He will be. Remaining in Him at all times allows Him to work through us instantly, spur of the moment, even when we aren't looking for it.

I guess I'm just chatty today

On Friday night, a group of us gathered in what feels like the start of something amazing. If you weren't there, this probably won't mean alot to you. I just feel like sharing about it.
It was the re-launch of SCBC's college ministry. Some of us lucky ones who are older but don't act like it get to be involved as leadership. It just felt good to be around people that sincerely love each other and are willing to remove the communication barriers so we can help each other. And be helped. I walked away from this believing that we will strengthen the whole by strengthening the parts. And we strengthen the parts by strengthening the individuals. It's a simple theory and I do love simplicity. If we are a body, then each individual part must work correctly for the body to function. When one part falters, the others must compensate until the part is healed.
We must pick each other up. All of those who were present are old friends. I am actually the newest to everyone. But for five years I have known these people, you people. A half dozen or so of you read this so let me say that I love each of you dearly. My circle at Stock Creek has become my life's blood. You are the ones that keep me centered, that let me see God when I am having trouble finding Him. I fail you all miserably and often but I seek to be a source of strength for you. I want to be the compensating part for you when you need to rest and heal. We are a family. I have spent so much time with you all and made so many memories with you that I honestly can't remember not knowing you. We agree that SCBC is in a state of transition but that only means that we are on the move - upward. Man, I'm really sappy, huh? Must be the painkillers talking.

When things get out of hand with life, we can draw inward and be restored. That is what the fellowship is all about. I, personally, am available for any of you at anytime. Because I know you are available for me, also. None of us are perfect which makes us good for each other. We will fall away sometimes but it's good to know that we can fall back in to open arms. I'm done, now. I'll just have to be a little extra cynical tomorrow to make up for this.

Quite possibly the Key to Life

But we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him,"
but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:7-11

God's secret wisdom that is destined for our glory. That excites me. He wants us to have His wisdom! Wouldn't that make life a little easier? If we had God's wisdom to use in our decision-making, in our trials, don't you think we would make better decisions? Wouldn't the trials be a little more joyful? James said, "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (ch.1, v.5) We can receive His wisdom simply by asking for it and believing He will give it. This is not the world's wisdom. Dr. Phil can't give you anything close to this. This is the wisdom of the ages. This is the counsel of God Himself.

Paul also quotes Isaiah here. We cannot begin to imagine the plans God has for us. We try because we want to know. But, as Matthew Henry said, "there are things which sense cannot discover. The great truths of the gospel are things lying out of the sphere of human discovery." They are revealed by His Spirit. The Spirit comprehends the depth of God's nature so He is competent to make these revelations. Only God's Spirit knows the thoughts of God, but they can be revealed to us.

I gotta tell you, I like knowing that I can't imagine what God has in store, for this life and the next. Rev. Fowler is fond of saying that to try to portray Heaven through drama is very near to blasphemy. We can't comprehend how it will be. I like that because I can imagine some pretty wonderful things for myself. To know that God has plans far beyond my imagination is great comfort.

I've been trying to pray for wisdom lately. I honestly can see a difference. I've seen some changes in my behavior that make me more like myself. I mean myself in God, of course. I've felt more peace and I've started acting instead of reacting. I feel more like the old me. There was a time when I walked closer to God and made a difference in the lives of those around me. I want to get there again. All in due time, I suppose. One of these days I'm gonna have to suck it up and write about patience.

Humiliating moment of the day #1

This story will probably get out anyway so I'm going to spill it, in advance, just to protect my dignity. I went to an oral surgeon this morning for two, yes two, root canal procedures. Not a fun morning, by my standards. After FINALLY being taken to a room, the surgeon came in and described in disturbing detail what would be going on in my mouth for the next hour and a half. He then proceeded to numb the entire left side of my head from nose to ear. The shots weren't a big deal. They never have been for me. But today, after a few seconds, I started feeling...funny. My skin got clammy and I started sweating like I was running a marathon. My heart rate was around 220, I think, and my vision, which isn't exactly eagle-like anyway, became spotty. The doctor asked if I was okay (duh) to which I replied, "You're kidding, right?" I asked if I could sit up for a minute since my head was declined two yards below my feet. They, he and the hygienist, sat me up and, sure enough, I passed out. Head over right there on his little table of tools. The next thing I remember is being laid back again and the surgeon smacking me on the shoulder, "Mr. Carver? Chuck? Can you hear me?" I slowly regained consciousness and realized what had happened. My pasty white and moist face instantly turned red from embarrassment. I looked over at the hygienist, who was pale and TERRIFIED, and watched her finally take a breath after half a minute or so. "Wow! I've never had anyone black out on me before. I'm really glad we got you back!"

Yeah. Me, too. An oxygen mask and an hour later, I left. Procedure complete. Those of you who know me can confirm that I am the biggest nerd/geek/dork that ever lived and this story is not that surprising to you, I'm sure. Dignity intact.

Something for Sarah

Proverbs 19:22 - "What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar."

Hmm. That is a quandry. It really didn't make alot of sense at first. This is from the NIV so I went to other translations for help. (I know, I know. The eleventh commandment forbids this but throw me a bone.)

"What is desirable in a man is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar." NASB
"What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar." NKJV
"The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar." KJV

Now we have something to work with. It seems kindness is a recurring theme, here. I would agree, as a man, that kindness is a desirable quality. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit which means that it comes from God upon salvation. The KJV, in Galatians, calls it gentleness, which sort of re-defines it for me. I've always thought of kindness as the quality that makes charity possible. You know, being a kind person means having a heart for giving, whether through monetary gifts or spending time giving our talents, blah, blah, blah. But gentleness is a different bird altogether. Gentleness, to me, is like humility. It's like having the ability to handle situations or people gently by putting aside our own wants or feelings, (see Philippians 2:3,4).

D.L. Moody said that gentleness is "love in society." That makes sense, I think. It is an open expression of love, observable in public which is exactly what we need if we are going to show Christ in us. Here's Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse:
"It is far better to have a heart to do good and want ability for it than to have ability for it and want a heart to do it. The poor man wishes you well, but can promise you nothing, because he has nothing to be kind with. The liar makes you believe he will do mighty things, but, when it comes to the setting, will do nothing."

The Carver commentary says, in summary, that it's better to be kind and have nothing to be kind with than to say you are kind without actually being that way.

I'm obviously no expert on Scripture, but I hope this helps, Sarah. And anyone else who reads this, pray for my dear friend Sarah who is away at school and I miss terribly. She's my only equal at "Cranium."

Perspective

Luke 15:11-32 tells of Jesus speaking one of my favorite parables in the entire Bible. It is the story of the Prodigal Son, who took his inheritance and left his father's house to go on his own. He soon squandered everything and ended up impoverished to the point of being willing to eat after the pigs just for food. Here's the enlightening part:

When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger. I will get up and go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight...' "



I guess it didn't take long for him to change his mind when he went from wealthy to poor. The important thing is that he recognized how he had changed. He became aware of where he was, as opposed to where he used to be. The next step was the always difficult "swallowing of pride." If you read on, you will find that his father received him back with open arms, just as God receives us - unconditionally. Honestly, I've been there. God gave me wealth and I squandered it thinking I knew what I was doing.



"...poverty has changed my view of what true riches are."



Impoverished? Yes. But with a different perspective. One that keeps me aware of the riches.

Approaching the Unapproachable

Well, I am thrilled that I am getting a response to this blog in just a few short weeks. I'm very glad to know that not only do some people like it, I've actually been told it is helpful to them (thanks, Amy). So, with renewed confidence, my latest installment:



Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Esther 4:15, 16



Honestly, this has been one of my favorite verses for a few years. I love the whole book of Esther because it's more of a story like you would find in a bookstore somewhere. Here's some background on her life.



Esther was a Jewish girl, named Hadassah by her parents. She was raised by Mordecai, her cousin, who had taken her as his own daughter when her mother and father died. Mordecai's family had been carried into exile, from Jerusalem, by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Babylon had since fallen to Persia and Mordecai and Esther now lived in the capital city of Susa. The king decides it is time to find himself a wife so he has all the hotties brought from all over the empire to the royal palace. Each girl received a twelve month beauty make-over, (really, it's in the Bible), and then she was taken to the king for one night. She would not return to him unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. Lo, and behold, Esther won his favor and approval more than any other girl, and she was made queen.



Now the king had an official named Haman who disliked the Jews and sought to destroy them. He contrived a plan to rid the entire kingdom of all Jews. Mordecai learns of this plot and sends word to Esther asking her to speak with the king and intervene on behalf of her people. Up to this point, she had kept her nationality hidden from everyone. She sends word back to Mordecai that approaching the king without being summoned was against the law and she would be put to death. Mordecai again sends word to her saying, "If you remain silent, deliverance will come from another place, but you and your family will die. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Yeah, he did! He called her out. It is then that Esther calls for a fast, and decides to approach the king even if it means her death. "If I perish, I perish."



OK, let's get real specific. Confrontation. Do you have a hostile audience to confront? Maybe there is a friend or loved one you need to talk to about a delicate subject. Regardless of what the circumstances are, Esther provides an inspiring example of stepping up in the most difficult personal affairs. We can follow this by trusting God, knowing that He has our best interests in mind, and that He will accomplish His purposes. Setting aside our fears and putting our faith in Him will free us to "face the king", so to speak. God knows our human frailties. He is faithful to give us His strength to overcome them and He will go before us, preparing the way and softening the hearts of those we must confront.



Oh, and by the way, the Bible says that when the king saw Queen Esther, he was pleased with her and told her he would give her anything she requested, even up to half of the kingdom. The Jews were saved and Haman was hanged. Man, I love a happy ending.

Flocks

Tonight the youth played a game that was cheesy while at the same time very enlightening. It was called "Sheep, Wolves, and Shepherds." Two "wolves" armed to the teeth with foam balls try to attack the blindfolded "sheep" while the two "shepherds" fend them off with their shepherd's hook brooms. The wolves had a very easy time of this usually. I say usually because as long as the shepherd could successfully keep his flock herded together (they are blindfolded, remember) then they could pretty easily keep the wolves away.

In case you don't see where I'm going with this, let me explain. Sheep=us, body of Christ. Wolf=the devil. Shepherd=God. Satan will have a Fourth of July picnic with us if we are divided. He infiltrates the church with little resistance most of the time. But if the church sticks together, unified, then Satan has a harder time finding a weakness.

Individually, we are not as strong as we are with our church family. We are more prone to be led astray by Satan's temptations. "Spiritual drift", as I like to call it, is a reality. It happens more than we like to admit. We drift too much from God, and very quickly. I think our own desires cloud our judgment far too often. All the enemy wants is one little schism to squeeze into.

Stay close to your church family. No group will ever love you more. And they are always there to love you back. Like the Bible says, "if two or more agree."

And, yes. I read "schism" this morning and I've been wanting to use it all day.

Warnings

Isaiah 14:12-14

"How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!
"But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "

I helped someone find this passage the other night and realized I hadn't thought about it in while. So, naturally, that got me thinking about it. One word comes to mind: yeah, that one. Pride.

Let's face it, pride is it; the big one. Pride says, "I know what I'm doing. I know better than you, God. I'm doing this for me, all the while telling everyone it's for You, when deep down I know better. I'll give the impression that You are behind this when actually I'm behind it. And I do this so well that I actually believe it myself."

How is that any different from what Satan did? Isn't it all blasphemy, just the same? Isn't that substituting ourselves for God? Yep. I'm afraid it is. God will give us warnings to try to wake us up to our rebellion. He gave me several. Take it from me, don't ignore the warnings.

No Equal

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
"To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Amen.

Fear.

Are you afraid of anything? I don't mean boogey-men, monsters under the bed, spiders (eeek!), or the dark. I mean deep down there is something that you know you just cannot face,some situation in your life that makes you ball up when you think of it. Sure you are. I am so I hope you are or I'm just a wuss.

Fear has kept me from doing something for a long time, something that needs to be done. Oh, I've already gone through the whole "God hasn't burdened me" thing. Funny how God gets more blame than glory most of the time. I have looked for any reason I can think of to get out of it but, the simple fact is, I must confront my fear. When, I don't know. The timing is up to God but I must commit to Him that I will take His opportunity when it comes. The real fear? The consequences.

We want guarantees, don't we? I admit I do. But faith isn't about guaranteed outcomes. Faith, real mountain-moving, God-glorifying faith is about knowing that the outcome is His. He will handle the details. Honestly, I am terrified of what will happen because my faith is that weak. I am ashamed. But neither I, nor you, should fear when we are trusting God. At church Sunday, the preacher said, "God wants to help you, not harm you." Those words rang in my ears for a while. I know this but it was as if he were saying it directly to me. What God wants for me will happen if I am faithful to Him and follow His guidance. The choices others make can affect that but He restores us. He doesn't throw up His hands and say, "Sorry. Didn't work out." No, no, no, no, no. He loves us. I repeat, He loves us. What He wants is for us to put our faith out there, take a step and watch Him work, regardless of the consequences.

Like Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc., follow Him and "He will direct our paths." Maybe, like me, you need to speak up. Maybe you have an ultimatum to give, or maybe you have to stop drifting and turn around and face God. It doesn't matter. He loves you. And He will not contradict His word, which says:
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:16-18)

There you have it. "Perfect love drives out fear." No gray area there. It's His word, and that is absolute.

Sweet Surrender

For all of my thirty-six years, I have heard stories and testimonies from wonderfully godly people about how they and others have turned things over to God. Some say surrender, release, let go, lay it down, and so on. I have always had trouble understanding this. I am not proud of this, mind you. I'm just being honest. I've never figured out how to do that.

Most of the issues that I've faced have been, well, crippling is the word that comes to mind. When I am troubled by something, something major, it consumes me. This is where I've been for awhile now. Until yesterday. I heard from the Lord on my lunch break. Yes, scoffers, I have been hearing from Him a lot lately and it is awesome. I am enjoying a fellowship with Him that previously I had only dreamed of. So mock me if you will but I sincerely pray for this to happen to you.

Back to yesterday. In reading a book about the power of the Holy Spirit, I was fascinated by how the first century Christians lived and walked in the Spirit. As a believer, I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me; so do you if you have trusted Christ. But what about the Spirit ON me? What about being Spirit-filled? Hmmmm.

Me? Negative. I confess that I have not been and could not be filled with the Spirit because my heart has been filled with other things. Our hearts are not limitless. There is only so much room in there and the space has to be shared. Some months ago I rid my heart of many things that were, frankly, in God's way. I had chosen to devote only some of my heart to Him. Yesterday, He spoke to me and asked when I was going to release that one last thing. "What?? You mean actually turn loose of it? But I want it. I believe You want me to want it. We've talked about this, God. You gave me these desires, now you want me to give up?"
Then God said, "No. Don't ever give up on what I give you. Just give in...to Me."

Then the Word came:
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements, since you know?" Job 38:4,5

Then I said:
"I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." Job 42:3

So, surrendered I am. Wow. I am free to be me again, the me that God wants, only now with His desires in place. And I have freed Him to do want He wants, in me and around me. Total surrender clears the way for the Spirit. His promise is that I will have those desires that are His desires. This is the awakening.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20, 21

I deserve this.

For all of you "I told you so" types, you are right. I am saying it now to keep you from telling me later. I just had a tooth pulled, more like pried, jerked, and yanked out of my dang head. The relief is wonderful but man does it feel nasty. I'm numb from chin to ear. Yes, this is my fault. Years of neglect and tobacco use have left my teeth in a mess. But I am taking steps, finally, to remedy all of that. Oh, and I've given up the tobacco, too. No small miracle. So, there. When I can eat again, I'll make sure it is humble pie.

Love

" The fruit of the Spirit, as you find it in Galatians, begins with love. There are nine graces spoken of in the sixth chapter, and of the nine different graces, Paul puts love at the head of the list; love is the first thing - the first in that precious cluster of fruit. Someone has put it in this way: that all the other eight can be put in the word "love." Joy is love exulting; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love on trial; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love at school; and temperance is love in training. So it is love all the way; love at the top; love at the bottom, and all the way along down these graces."

From "Secret Power" by D.L. Moody



I have been learning alot about love lately. I think Moody's words sum it up. Love never fails.

Go or Whoa?

Dilemma - at what point do we toss in the towel? How long do we beat our heads against a wall before we admit defeat and concede that the wall is just never going to crumble?

As I pray, fast, ponder, meditate, and over-analyze, I find this question doesn't have a cut and dried answer. Let's take a closer look at the wall. We'll call it "Stubborn" from now on.

For self-doubting me, I always end up questioning if Stubborn came from God. So that's the real question, isn't it? Because if Stubborn came from God then, of course, the towel is never thrown in until He says it is. We don't walk away from obedience just because it gets tough or seems to be going against us. With that established, we can now focus on who brought Stubborn to us.

James 1:17 tells us every good thing comes from above. Is Stubborn good? Only if "it":

• glorifies God
• increases our desire to know Him more
• intensifies our walk
• leads us to recognition of our sin and repentance
• gives us a greater peace with God
• most importantly, agrees with God's Word

What about the other option? Satan wants to weigh in on this, too. Maybe Stubborn:

• doesn't resemble God
• keeps us from the things of God and causes us to drift away
• interferes with our service and worship
• leads us to compromise and acceptance of our sin
• causes strife, with God and others
• most importantly, is in opposition to God's Word

Hmm. That clears things up a bit. I'm just thinking out loud here. But I think I'll keep trying that wall. God says it will crumble.

The inmates are running the asylum.

So I have just finished up some committee work for church and can't help wondering, "who the crap do we think we are"? I've been reviewing e-mails that pertain to a situation that occurred before I was on the committee. Apparently the situation may be revisited so I needed to be brought up to speed. Well, lucky me! Eye-opener to say the least.



I'm terribly disappointed in the existing leadership, or so it's called. What is it about being on a committee that makes someone power trip as soon as they are elected? IT'S JUST A COMMITTEE, FOLKS!!! It is called serving. You know, like Jesus did!?! You remember Him, don't you? Son of God, spotless lamb, died for our sins and all that? He came to serve, said that Himself. So why do we think we are here to rule?



Committees are necessary. Call them teams if you want to. The truth is when you have 300 people together you have to delegate duties and responsibilities. Nothing wrong with that. But if it causes you to think you are the leader of the free world then SCRAM! Check yourself, judge yourself.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned."

"...For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."



Alright, I think I'm better now. Sorry for venting. No, actually I'm not. That's what this blog is for. But here's free advice and it comes straight from the Word of God:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal inetersts, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3,4)

Simplicity. Oh, how I do love simplicity!

More from Spurgeon
To try to win a soul to Christ by keeping that soul in ignorance of any truth, is contrary to the mind of the Spirit; and to endeavor to save men by mere claptrap, or excitement, or oratorical display, is as foolish as to hope to hold an angel with a bird-line, or to lure a star with music. The best attraction is the gospel in its purity. The weapon with which the Lord conquers men is the truth as it is in Jesus. The gospel will be found equal to every emergency; an arrow that can pierce the hardest heart, a balm which will heal the deadliest wound. Preach it and preach nothing else. Rely implicity upon the old, old gospel. you need no other nets when you fish for men; those your Master has given you are strong enough for the greatest fishes, and have meshes fine enough to hold the little ones. Spread those nets and no others, and you need not fear fulfillment of His Word, "I will make you fishers of men."

Relevant, to say the least

From Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Judas was a preacher; nay, he was a foremost preacher. "He obtained part of this ministry," said the Apostle Peter. He was not simply one of the seventy; he had been selected by the Lord Himself as one of the twelve, an honorable member of the college of the apostles. Doubtless, he had preached the gospel so that many had been gladdened by his voice, and miraculous powers had been vouchsafed to him, so that at his word, the sick had been healed, deaf ears had been opened, and the blind made to see. Nay, there is no doubt that he, who could not keep the devil out of himself, had cast devils out of others. Yet how are you fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! He that was as a prophet in the midst of the people, and spake with the tongue of the learned, whose word and wonders proved that he had been with Jesus and had learned from Him-he betrays his Master. Understand, my brethern, that no gifts can ensure grace, and that no position of honor or usefulness in the Church will necessarily prove our being true to our Lord and Master. Doubtless, there are bishops in Hell, and crowds of those who once occuied the pulpit are now condemned forever to bewail their hypocrisy. You that are Church-officers do not conclude that because you enjoy the confidence of the Church, therefore there is an absolute certainty the grace of God in you. Perhaps it is the most dangerous of all positions for a man to become well known and much respected by the religious world, and yet to be rotten at the core. To be where others can observe your faults is a healthy thing, though painful; but to live with beloved friends who would not believe it is possible for us to do wrong, and who, if they saw us err, would make excuses for us-this is to be where it is next to impossible for us ever to be aroused if our hearts be not right with God. To have a fair reputation and a false heart is to stand upon the brink of Hell.
No wonder he was called the "Prince of Preachers"

Awakening

Webster's defines awake as: to cease sleeping, to become aroused or active again, to become conscious or aware of something; to stir up! This word has been used alot lately in my circles. Myself, the people I love, and the ministries I serve in are undergoing an awakening. What does this mean to me?



I first used this word to describe a moment I had with God a few months ago. He awakened me to many things. Mostly what a complete fool I had been by showing me my pride and selfishness. Then, my minister and dear brother Rev. Benji Fowler chose this word to title his Wednesday and Sunday night curriculum. Since then it has popped up regularly in conversation and Scripture. I have even found it in past bible studies of mine.



So what awakens us? What do we do to be awakened? First, it is God who awakens us but not through anything of our own. For me it was simply a recognition that I was drifting from Him. I didn't pray a heartfelt prayer to Him begging Him to restore me. That came later. No, I simply noticed that I was away from Him and wondered how I could get back. I had been aware all along of my actions but my pride stood in the way of admitting it. So I questioned myself and God took the ball and ran with it. I could expound all day about the whys and hows but I don't need to. He showed up and I have been changed ever since. Humility replaced pride, brokenness replaced selfishness, and most importantly, love replaced fear. (1 John 4:18)



Now I seek to obey, to follow and not lead. I have a new freedom that is based on forgiveness. I don't feel guilty for my actions anymore. My sensitivity to the Spirit is heightened and I make no decisions without prayerful consideration and an earnest desire to please God. Yes, I do fail frequently. Self-doubt is my worst enemy. But God is faithful. He has given me love, new love. He has awakened me.