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************* SPECIAL ARTICLE ******************
“Choosing
The Right Weapon”
2
Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV) 3 For though we walk in the
flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have
divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We
destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6
being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is
complete.
For decades the church in America has been in a
battle but we’ve basically denied the battle front and even today we want to
pick up other arms than those described above.
We have seen the decay in morals, the corruption in
government, and the decline in churches but basically we (the church in
America) have done nothing. Suddenly, there is a realization that many of our
freedoms we have taken for granted could be taken from us as we see an agenda
in the leaders of the nation that appears to be anti God and against basic
Biblical principles which to which our forefathers said to be most important.
The reaction is to stand up and fight, and rightly so, because the thief seems
to be at the door. The natural reaction of the flesh is to take on the
politicians at their game and make the loudest noise in protest and let them
know as representatives of the people that they are missing the mark by not
paying attention to us.
This appeared to be the spirit behind the document
called The Manhattan Declaration. This document which was signed by many of
the famous and not so famous conservative evangelical leaders and many others,
calls for a line in the sand on principles of the sanctity of life, marriage
and religious freedoms. As I looked over the document and those who have
signed the document, I have to admit that I began to feel such akin to their
reasoning that I wanted to join forces. Our session was requested to check out
the document and present our take and let those in power know of the force
that will not go along with the present trends.
Hold The Phone!
There is something that is missing which is the real
problem on how we got to this situation: A CALL TO PRAYER!
Historically, you can see the rapid advancement of
immorality and perverted standards began in the United States in the 1950’s
when something happened in the American church of all denominations. The vast
majority of churches up to the 1950’s had midweek prayer services and the
emphasis in all churches was upon prayer. Looking back over the history of the
nation you can understand from the turn of the century the country had been
through the Great Depression and WWII with which every family had been
affected. The church (every denomination) was given to prayer because people
were in need. Consequently, with a heavy emphasis upon the dependency upon
God, the church was blessed to grow. In the 1950’s, as recovery from WWII
and the industrial age of prosperity set in, less emphasis was placed upon
prayer or even God. Accordingly, the midweek prayer service was dropped by
churches or changed to other activities. As prayer went out of the church, the
decline in morals set in. America began to accept abortion, perverted
lifestyles, immoral behavior, etc. to the place where today it is more
accepted to be anti God than to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
So what do we do? Shall we stand up and say, “No
more! I am not going to take any more of this,” as we protest to the
government or to society? It’s easy to stir up a “mob” mentality and
prove that we are right by our numbers or other means of getting attention.
God tells us to fight the battle, but the battle is
not fought in the way that the world fights. We fight using spiritual weapons
which are found in Ephesians chapter 6 - the Word of God and prayer.
Ephesians
6:17-18 (ESV) 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying
at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep
alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
I know it has been abused in application in the past,
but God made it very clear that when we realize things are not as they should
be, that we have left depending entirely upon Him, then we should turn from
our ways and get back to seeking Him with diligence.
2
Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) if
my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will
forgive their sin and heal their land.
So when I look over the Manhattan Declaration, I
asked, where is the call to prayer and fasting over the status of the church,
and in turn the nation and our leaders? The problem with recommending prayer
and fasting is that most of God’s people are convinced that prayer does
nothing. Calls to corporate prayer meetings go unheard or as one person told
me when I recommended a call to prayer and fasting over the situation, “What
else can we do?” in other words, prayer doesn’t count. In reality, prayer
is the greatest weapon we could ever take up in taking arms against the enemy.
Remember God is the One who is ultimately in control and God is the one who
tells us, His people, to live in total dependency upon Him and when we don’t
do so, we make a big mess of things. When we realize things are messed upon
because of our neglect, then it’s time to repent and get back to
demonstrating our dependency upon God.
Jonathan Edwards writes in the book, “A call to
United Extraordinary Prayer… or “A Humble Attempt” (actually the full
title of the book is quite lengthy), that things were in such a condition that
one day on a regular basis should be observed throughout the land for fasting
and prayer. The result was a great revival throughout New England which not
only changed lives and churches but made an impact upon communities and even
upon the formation of our country.
Who knows what God has in store for us if we will
just take up arms, the spiritual arm of prayer. My response then to the
Manhattan Declaration is “Why not go back to fighting a spiritual battle in
a spiritual way?” What would happen if the hundreds of thousands who have or
will sign the document be so dedicated to meeting on a regular basis with
their local church body to humble themselves in confessing our sin of neglect
and seeking God to bring revival and change in America?
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to sign a document,
but according to Jesus it takes perseverance to pray and seek God. I am
thankful to have spent time with Pastor Al Baker who pastors Christ Community
Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, CT. Pastor Baker not only has called the
church in CT to prayer but has been used by God to plant the seed of revival
through prayer everywhere he goes. It seems while others are talking about the
condition in the land and how they don’t want it to go any further, Pastor
Baker and others are doing something about it, namely praying.
Are you willing to pray? Corporate prayer meetings
are not popular because people have so much on their plate they just don’t
have time. I wonder if the churches in the 1950’s could have seen where
their neglect of prayer allowed this country to go, if they would have
continued a call to pray. I wonder if we took God seriously at His Word and
reviewed His promises to answer prayer and if we took serious the way He views
corporate prayer as His people joining together as one what would happen in
our church and community if we would just pray? What would happen in Christ
Community Presbyterian Church in Clearwater if we really believed God and came
together to pray for revival in our church, for God’s glory to be seen in
Clearwater and beyond to the entire country and the world? What would happen
if we set aside a day per month to fast and pray over these things? (Read 2nd
Chronicles 20.)
The battle is real but the weapons of our warfare are not found in responding as the world, we are called to battle in a spiritual way through prayer.
- Bob Brubaker (bob@bobbrubaker.com)
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“The
Power Of Gratitude”
Psychologists
tell us gratitude is the most powerful emotion one can have and expressions of
gratitude go far in keeping or improving one’s emotional health.
God’s
word tells us the mark of people going off the deep end and not even taking
God into consideration is a lack of gratitude.
Romans 1:18-21 (ESV)
18
For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has
shown it to them. 20 For his
invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that
have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For
although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were
darkened.
The
Bible also reminds us that gratitude is a good and helpful practice.
Psalms 100:1-5 (ESV)
Make
a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve
the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are
his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For
the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to
all generations.
Colossians 3:15-17
(ESV) 15
And
let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called
in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another
in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness
in your hearts to God. 17 And
whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Expressing
gratitude is so important for us to do in the mind of God that He reminded us
that the remedy for worry (prayer) should include expressions of gratitude.
Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)
4
Rejoice
in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at
hand; 6 do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God. 7 And
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It
only makes sense then to use every occasion as a reason to be grateful,
especially with the blessing of living in a country that has marked out a day
in which to give thanks.
As
you think about your activities on this coming Thanksgiving Day, think of more
than turkey. Reflect on what God
has done in your life, give thanks by expressing gratitude and by telling
others about the goodness of God in your life. Watch how thanksgiving will
become more than a feast and football.
Godspeed,
“Take
Courage My Friend”
It
takes courage to take a stand, to go against the flow of the crowd, to dare to
be different, or to speak out about what you believe. It’s not an accident
that God gave Joshua the specific call to be courageous as he took over the
leadership role for Moses as the people of God marched into the promise land.
Three times God says to be strong and very courageous.
Joshua 1:6-9 (ESV) 6
Be
strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only
be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law
that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or
to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according
to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and
then you will have good success. 9 Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do
not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
What’s
holding you back from exemplifying courage? (There’s not one of us who could
not do a better job at it so this does apply to everyone.)
There
are several things Jesus mentions in Luke 12:1-12 that we’d do well to
apply. (Please check out the passage in you Bible.)
1.
Get
rid of all hypocrisy. When we act like something we really aren’t it weakens
us in every area of life. Jesus told His disciples to specifically beware of
this subtle thing that will creep into your life and make you a wimp.
2.
Fight
Fear with Fear. Whenever we wimp out we are allowing fear of people or events
to hold us in bondage where Jesus says that we should live in the fear of God
before whom we will all stand in the end. If the fear of God is greater than
the fear of people, places, or events, He will give us courage to take a
stand.
3.
Learn
to watch the birds. Jesus reminded His disciples that God cares about the
least among the birds and each of us are more important to God, so much so
that the little detail as the number of hairs on our heads, that nobody knows,
God does. If He knows and cares about that detail, do you think He cares about
the struggles you are facing? Be strong and encouraged as you look out your
window at the birds.
4.
The
power of momentum in proclaiming your convictions. When you take courage to
take a stand it increases your boldness and likelihood to do it again. Much of
what we do is based upon momentum so even the smallest step toward
exemplifying courage counts.
5.
Depend
on God’s help. Jesus promised the help of the Holy Spirit and learning to
live in dependency upon God’s help is actually a sign of great strength.
We
could all use a bit more courage to do what we should in taking a stand for
God. I trust you will follow up in the passage in Luke 12:1-12 and consider
the points above. God tells us to be strong, He helps us be strong, and He
rewards us when we are courageous and strong. When we aren’t, we are
slipping into ourselves and trying to do life on our own and that just does
not work at all.
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“Knowing
Where You Are”
Think
about what you want to accomplish in life. As much time as you spend on
defining and / or visualizing the goal, you’d think taking the time to have
an accurate gauge on where you are along the path would also be important. God
even encourages us in the Bible to put ourselves to the test in our faith
journey.
2 Corinthians 13:5
(English Standard Version) Examine
yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you
not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless
indeed you fail to meet the test!
Testing
is not a bad thing. It gives us a benchmark and knowledge of where we are,
what we need to change, and encouragement from our progress to keep going
toward the goal.
James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2
Count
it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3
for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. 4 And let
steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
Have
you ever taken an assessment of where you are in your life, your goals, or
your faith? Are you making progress or standing still?
Too
often we try the same things over and over and over even though we are not
getting the results for which we are looking. If you know where you are and
you are not where you want to be in the journey but you refuse to make course
correction, how do you ever think you’ll get where you want to be? It
won’t happen.
The
doctor, teacher, trainer, or God is not crazy for putting you through a
battery of testing. It’s for your good to help you see where you are so you
can get to where you want to be.
Tom
Landry, the famous Dallas Cowboys football coach saw himself in the position
of helping his team do what they didn’t want to do so they could get to
where they wanted to be. That’s where testing comes in. It’s something we
really don’t like, but it’s necessary to get us to where we really want to
be.
Just
as important as the question, “Do you know where you are going?” is the
question, “Do know where you are?”
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“It’s
Not Over ‘Til It’s Over”
Yogi
Berra, famous American “philosopher,” and Major League Baseball player and
manager came up with that saying to encourage his team to keep trying no
matter how far behind they were. “It’s not over ‘til it’s over,”
Yogi would remind his team.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
18
"Remember
not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not
perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
God
is able to make all things NEW. He is the God of the Second Chance, the One
who can turn the impossible into something possible. Look at the hope in that
power passage again.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
18
"Remember
not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not
perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
God
is able to see you through any difficulty, no matter how impossible it looks.
The words of Paul in the New Testament affirm it.
2 Corinthians
4:8-10 (ESV) 8
We
are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; 9 persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always
carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
manifested in our bodies.
In
other words, “It’s not over ‘til it’s over so keep looking to God and
keep trying.”
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
Enjoying The Benefits
Wouldn’t that be great!
It may not be as far-fetched as you may think. Check this out!
Psalm 68:19 (KJV)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God
of our salvation.
If you can get over the 17th century
English, you can really enjoy a great truth that is yours to enjoy today. God
loads us up with benefits and blessings - DAILY.
Go back to the dump truck illustration. That is
yours to enjoy today. No wonder the psalmist begins the thought with
“BLESSED BE THE LORD.” Can you praise and thank Him enough for this great
truth? I would suggest that is exactly the way you enjoy this truth of daily
benefits, with praise and thanksgiving.
God has blessed us all with far more than we think
about, use, or for which we give thanks. Consider the dump truck truth today
each time you come across one on the road in your travels, then thank God for
this wonderful truth and see how many more benefits you’ll find yourself
enjoying throughout the day.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
Nest
Stirring
There
are times when God directs us to take an assessment of what is going on and be
ready to make some changes as when He spoke through the prophet Haggai.
Haggai 1:5-6
(English Standard Version) Now,
therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6
You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never
have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves,
but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with
holes.
The
old saying is true: “If you want the same results you are getting, just keep
doing what you are doing in the same way. If you are not getting the results
you want, it’s time to make some changes.” (Or something like that.)
When
God calls us to change he may use a variety of ways to stir us up or get our
attention but we can be assured that God has our best interest in mind.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and
not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
In
the Bible God compared this creating a restlessness in His people to the eagle
stirring up the nest to get the young birds to move from the nest and to learn
to fly so they can soar as God intended them to.
Deuteronomy 32:9-11
(ESV) 9
But
the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. 10
"He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of
the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple
of his eye. 11 Like an eagle that
stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings,
catching them, bearing them on its pinions,
Notice
God’s stirring is not intended to harm, rather to lead us to change. Even at
that, God is ready to catch us as we make the first steps of change to pick us
up and take us to new heights, which we would miss if we were not stirred to
change.
In
the same way as the mother eagle, God stirs our nest by creating a
discontentment or allowing disappointment as He leads us on to better things.
The question we need to ask is this: Are we receptive to God’s stirring or
do we just put it off and refuse to make any changes in our attitude or ways
of doing things? Most people do the latter and they go through life missing
out on what they could be and are miserable as a result.
Would
you like to fly?
Listen
to God’s stirrings and know three things about the future: 1) It’s not
going to be exactly like the past so don’t be so comfortable - and quit
living there! 2) It’s not going
to be exactly the way we anticipate so quit trying to do things without God.
3) The rate of change will take place faster than we can imagine. Who would
have ever dreamed things would be like they are today in technology and
communication? God did - God knew it from the beginning. In fact it says that
from the beginning of time God even knew what’s going to happen at the end.
Isaiah 46:8-10 (ESV)
8
"Remember
this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9
remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no
other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring
the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying,
'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
If
God knows the beginning, the end, and everything between - He certainly knows
what is going to happen in your future and how to best prepare for it. Don’t
you think you should listen and follow His stirrings and be ready to change?
He’s getting you ready for something better!
One
of the reasons the Bible was written was to prepare us for the future and to
teach us how to respond to situations in life. If you are willing to follow
God’s plan and be open to His leading and preparation - ready to change -
you’ll find He’s leading you to a great future. Are you willing to change?
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“ARE
YOU FORGETTING SOMETHING?"
Proverbs 24:33-34 (ESV)
33
A
little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an
armed man.
Hebrews
2:3 (KJV)
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him;
James 4:17 (ESV) So
whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
We
tend to put off or neglect things that seem to be painful or hard but we only
hurt ourselves in the long run when we put off or neglect doing things we know
we should be doing. When it comes to serving God, taking care of business, or
even taking care of our health, when we know what we should do and we put if
off or just neglect doing it we are acting very foolish and the short term
pleasure found in procrastination or neglect can bring long term pain.
What
are you putting off doing?
Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)
24
"Everyone
then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who
built his house on the rock. 25 And
the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Are
you forgetting something?
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“Dealing
With Disappointment”
There
are thousands of reasons to feel disappointment everyday. Some things we just
brush off as trivial and other things really get under our skin, blast our
emotion and overtake our very being. How we deal with disappointment is a
choice and we would all have to admit that sometimes we have not made very
good choices as we allow disappointment to conquer our character and bring us
down. Let’s look at disappointment and a scene from the Bible.
Have
you ever felt like that? You were sure God had plans for you and they didn’t
work out so out of your disappointment you let God have it. Maybe you didn’t
verbally tell God off, but you thought about it.
The
story of Jonah and his disappointment is the fact that Jonah missed out on the
good that God was doing all about him, in him, and for him. Jonah was saved
from the storm and the whale’s belly. Jonah was given great success as a
preacher but things didn’t turn out the way Jonah thought they should.
Likewise, whenever we dwell on the disappointments of life we miss out on the
good God is doing in us, around us, and even for us.
We
often quote Romans 8:28 to someone who is in the midst of a disappointment and
may be angry with God. But in order to get the impact and understand what good
God is bringing, we need more of the text.
Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)
28
And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose. 29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers. 30 And those whom he
predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and
those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s
purpose is that we would become like Jesus. In other words, He is developing
our character. Like Jonah’s character was developed and God’s lessons
learned through his disappoint, so his eyes were opened to a much greater view
of God’s love and mercy. Likewise, whenever we face disappointment we can
know that God is working in us and around us, and probably through us to reach
others in ways we would never know and grow without the disappointment.
I
know that does not make the disappointment any easier, but you can know that
your disappointment is not an evidence God has deserted you. Rather, He is
taking you to a higher plane of knowing Him and His love for you that you
would not have known otherwise. A greater understanding of His love leads to a
greater reliance upon His power. This
gives us His power in the midst of the disappointment, which helps us get
through it - no matter how severe, knowing He is greater and is able to bring
about great things in the midst of disappointment.
Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
14
For
this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may
have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length
and height and depth, 19 and to
know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with
all the fullness of God. 20 Now to
him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us, 21 to
him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“IS HE IN
YOU?"
Picture
an athlete treating his or her need for Gatorade the same way we often treat
our need for God.
Once
activity begins the athlete begins to dehydrate and the electrolyte balance
within the athlete’s body begins to get out of balance.
If the athlete neglects drinking Gatorade or some similar electrolyte
replacement drink, the symptoms of dehydration will begin: flu like symptoms
of aching joints, headache, nausea, etc. The symptoms can be ignored but will
only get worse. The symptoms can be treated by taking some pain killers,
stomach aid, etc. but the problem will remain until electrolytes and fluids
are replaced.
As
an athlete going through a long hard competition without taking in fluids with
electrolytes, so is a person who tries to go through life without God is
heading for a very difficult time.
David
described the real feelings of his heart this way:
Psalms 42:1-2 (ESV)
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come
and appear before God?
God
has promised to stay with us and never leave us but too often we neglect
keeping in touch with Him, taking Him in, and we develop symptoms of weakness
and worry. We can try to treat the symptoms or turn back to satisfying the
real need that we have: fellowship with God.
Here’s
what God has to say:
Isaiah 55:1-2 (ESV)
1
"Come,
everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy
and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your
labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what
is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
God
is the only way we can make it through life. Is He in you?
1 John 4:4 (ESV) Little
children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world.
Godspeed,
Bob
Brubaker
“Just A
Chip On Your Shoulder
Is Enough
To Weigh You Down”
"GET
EVEN!" - It's the cry of our society today. Whether it's litigation in
the courtroom or road rage it just seems everyone wants to GET EVEN. Ever
notice how hard it is to avoid that feeling? It really gets to you when you
are driving. Here's one that touches everyone who drives:
You are waiting patiently in a long line of stopped vehicles where
everyone is waiting their turn and someone drives off the road passing
everyone and someone let's this cheater in about twenty cars ahead of you
which meant his waiting time was practically ‘nil while yours increased by
one more car. Been there, done that? Or worse, the guy who drove up the side
off the road wants to cut in line right in front of you. You can be a good
neighbor and let him in or teach him a lesson and ignore his request. There is
something that can gnaw at you and get to you. In fact, it can ruin your day
if you let it. It’s this little thing called “RESENTMENT.” Resentment
becomes heavy baggage to carry around and eventually will hold you back from
where you want to be.
Matthew 5:38-45 (ESV)
38
"You
have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if
anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have
your cloak as well. 41 And if
anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who
would borrow from you. 43 "You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he
makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and
on the unjust.
Ever
try that? Oh, I mean really try it, not just acknowledge it? Like when someone
does you wrong - PRAY FOR THEM, BE NICE TO THEM, GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO HELP
THEM.
Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)
14
For
if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you, 15 but if you do not forgive
others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Did
you know those two verses actually follow the example or outline of prayer
that Jesus gave His disciples, called "The Lord's Prayer." Check it
out! How many times have you recited the words before but these verses could
be the very reason you are feeling down, could be the very reason you are not
getting where you want to in life. You are carrying too much on your shoulders
that you weren't meant to carry and don't have to carry.
Here’s
a great illustration from a time a friend and I were riding our bicycles. He
commented how odd it seemed to see people who were noticeably 20-30 pounds
overweight riding expensive "lightweight" bicycles. As my friend
said, "It might have been cheaper and better in the long run to spend
less money on the bicycle and more time on the rider."
Same
goes for all of us. We look for new ways to get where we want to go faster and
more efficiently. When in reality maybe what we need to do is unload some of
that heavy load called the old chip on the shoulder named resentment.
Godspeed,
Isaiah 59:19 (King
James Version) So
shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the
rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the
LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
It’s
good to notice the word “when” because that will let us know that we have
not been singled out, rather, this is the norm. We all will face “Whoa!”
moments that cause us to stop in our tracks.
Notice
the “Whoa!” that God sets against the overwhelming flood of the enemy,
“The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” In other
words, God’s “Whoa!” is greater than the enemies. Have you found that to
be true? Circumstances happen to all of us that cause us to call upon the Lord.
What does God promise when we do call upon Him? “Whoa!”
Jeremiah 33:3
(English Standard Version) Call
to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you
have not known.
The
prophet Isaiah gave us another glimpse of God’s “Whoa!” against the flood
and fire – things that could make us stop in our tracks or even loose heart.
On the contrary, God steps into the situation which will make us stop and say,
“Whoa!” How am I getting through this situation? God is greater than our
problem.
Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) When
you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they
shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and
the flame shall not consume you.
The
greatest “Whoa!” of all was God sending His son, our Lord Jesus Christ into
the world. Everything about Him is so much greater than we can comprehend.
As you would stop, step back, and marvel at creation or a magnificent
happening, the more you learn of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more you appreciate
Him as the “Whoa!” of God.
Matthew
11:11 (ESV) Truly,
I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than
John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he.
Matthew
12:6 (ESV) I
tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
Matthew
12:41-42 (ESV) 41 The
men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it,
for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than
Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the
South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she
came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold,
something greater than Solomon is here.
There is much in
life that causes us to stop in a state of being overwhelmed, but God has
provided a standard against the enemy and the greatest thrill of our soul –
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Godspeed,
email: bob@bobbrubaker.com
You
may have heard the phrase, “opportunity is knocking,” but have you ever
thought about how many opportunities are set before you everyday? God presents
opportunity in a variety of shapes, colors, and circumstances. We miss many
opportunities because we are focused on getting something or going somewhere,
and as a result we miss the positive results that God intends for us to enjoy
that would have been ours had we seized the opportunity set before us.
1 Corinthians
7:20-21 (English Standard Version) Each one should remain in the
condition in which he was called. 21 Were
you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your
freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.
For
instance we get so preoccupied in getting to work we miss the opportunity to
smile or greet people along the way, thereby missing the positive feedback that
we would get in return. We may have just made their day and who knows a new door
or opportunity could have opened as a result of our kindness.
Galatians 6:10 (ESV)
So
then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to
those who are of the household of faith.
Loss
is another opportunity killer. We get so focused on what we have missed that we
miss the new directions and blessings that God sets before us.
Mark 8:22-25 (ESV) 22
And
they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged
him to touch him. 23 And he took the
blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on
his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see
anything?" 24 And he looked up
and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." 25
Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his
eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
How
do you make sure you don’t miss opportunity? Ask God to help you see and seize
each gift He sets before you. Each day we are like the blind man who was healed
by Jesus. We awake as God helps us to see the light of a new day but that is
only the beginning. Jesus asked the man what he saw and he said he saw men as
trees walking so Jesus touched his eyes again and he couldn’t believe all that
he could see. Likewise, we awake and go about our day seeing life in a fog, not
noticing the little opportunities that could open into great blessings unless
God gives us a touch to our sight.
As
you face a new day, ask God to give you sight to behold the vast opportunities
He has for you today then seize each opportunity as a new blessing from God.
Look at each task, each step in the direction you are taking as a walk into the
garden of opportunities. The result will be the beginning of a great day for
you.
email: bob@bobbrubaker.com
It
was a feeling of frustration for a four year old boy, who every time he visited
his grandmother, longed to be in the school playground behind her house. The
playground seemed within easy reach. However, a six foot chain link fence
appeared to be the monster for a four year old that kept him from his heart’s
desire. One day the boy could take it no more.
He overcame his fear, and climbed the fence. Straining to get to the top,
he pulled himself up, put one leg over, paused for just a brief moment, and got
stuck on the top of the fence. Sitting on the top allowed the rough edges of the
metal chain link to puncture his jeans and being unable to untangle himself and
getting more frightened by the height with each passing moment, he did what any
four year old would do. “Help! Help”, he screamed. When his father came to
his rescue, his father’s words were a simple, “Son, go one way or the other,
but don’t just sit there.”
As
I said later in life when recalling this event, “I don’t know how many times
that happened before I got enough sense to not stop half way but just keep going
when I hit the half way point!”
It’s
like that in life. We get all
enthused about a course of action we are going to take, take some initial steps,
even make some progress toward our goal when it hits us, “we aren’t there
yet” and we get discouraged. The advice is the same as my father gave to me
while sitting on the fence, “Son, go one way or the other, but don’t just
sit there.”
The
Bible is clear that fence sitting – straddling between believing God and
moving forward and stifled by unbelief just doesn’t cut it with God.
James 1:5-8
(English Standard Version) If
any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without
reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But
let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of
the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For
that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
It’s
like the picture in the Old Testament when Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall
around Jerusalem. Once they hit the
half way point, the opposition came out and discouragement set in.
Nehemiah 4:6-7 (ESV)
6
So
we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for
the people had a mind to work. 7 But
when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites
heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that
the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.
It’s
a matter of keeping our focus on the finish line and not stopping until it is
reached.
1 Corinthians
9:24-27 (ESV) 24
Do
you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every
athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So
I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after
preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Half
way won’t cut it. We can’t just sit there half committed. If we are going to
finish the course it takes discipline to just keep going. If we see we have made
a mistake in the course, then stop, turn around (the Bible calls this
repenting), and begin a new course of action. It’s that simple.
Our
problem is like the problem the boy had in the story, when we stop and relax in
our progress we often get stuck half way, making it very difficult to go one way
or the other. In order to keep this from happening to you today, “Don’t just
sit there, straddling the fence, leaning one way or the other, get going or go
back and try something different.”
Godspeed,
email: bob@bobbrubaker.com
It
sounds like God has some principles for success, doesn't it?
Some
say success is "processional momentum that is built through a series of
life changing disciplines and the more we persevere at these disciplines we find
a successful lifestyle” and that's exactly what God was telling Joshua, what
Jesus was teaching, and what successful leaders are passing on to others today.
Pick up the momentum by taking on the disciplines of success - little by little
and step by step. It's not that one day you'll say you have arrived, but as Paul
said in the New Testament it's applying yourself to something that is bigger
than you and realizing you are on the road and making progress.
Philippians 3:12-15
(ESV) 12
Not
that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make
it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one
thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies
ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15
Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything
you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
Godspeed,
email: bob@bobbrubaker.com
“The Little
Things That Keep You In The Race”
It’s
interesting how we get our mind set on the big event or the big picture and lose
sight of how important the small details are in life, in racing, or in the
Christian walk. There are important
little details like spending time in quiet meditation with God, enjoying your
family or friends, or simply taking care of your body.
These may seem small in comparison to doing some kind of great thing but
it’s the small things that add up in making us the tough person who stays in
the race and doesn’t give up.
Zechariah 4:10 (ESV)
For
whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the
plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the
Lord, which range through the whole earth."
People
were not impressed with the little achievements in the rebuilding of the Temple
in the days of Zechariah so God sent a word to the prophet to not despise the
day of small things which is quite applicable to us today. We often don’t want
to mess around with the small things, “let’s cut to chase,” as some people
say. The problem is those small details that may take up our time are actually
building our character and building the base to make us strong in the long run.
As
I train runners to compete in marathons, I have to keep reminding them that
every little bit of training will payoff. How about you? Do you feel like what
you are doing is senseless and has no meaning? Hang in there because every
little small thing we go through in life is actually preparing us for what is
down the road. God doesn’t waste our time or our experiences. He said they are
not in vain, even if we think they are.
If
we want to be tough in life no matter what comes our way, treat each little
challenge, each small detail, and each moment as something special because down
the road it will have been.
Godspeed,