My journey through the Word: (Genesis 11)

Genesis 11:4-5

The people said, “let us go up into heaven” God said “let me go down to man.” How typical of our humanity to want to ascend to God’s level. We, both in our actions and in our words, often elevate ourselves to the place of God. Rather than submit our will to his will, and rather than do as wisdom says and acknowledge him in all our ways so that we might receive his direction, we take matters into our own hands as if we are omniscient.

It was the devil that stated,

“I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of assembly

In the far reaches of the north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High (Isaiah 14:13-14, ESV)

Lucifer’s sin from the beginning was rebellion, rooted in the desire to be like God. It is no wonder that when this serpent tempted Eve in the Garden, that he would sow seeds of deception, rebellion, and humanism. He focused her attention on the fact that she could be like God, knowing good and evil. When Eve looked at the fruit of the tree, she noticed three things

1. It was good for food

2. It was pleasant to look at

3. It was desired to make her wise like God

The first two were normal human observations, testimonies to the goodness and kindness of God. The third was a seed of doubt placed by a malicious angel bent on perverting God’s beautiful order. It took root in Eve and she was deceived into thinking she had it wrong, and nothing bad would happen to her. Every other tree in the garden was good for food. Every other fruit in the garden was pleasant to the eye. There was only one thing that separated this fruit from all others. There was only one thing that she noticed, that made this fruit stand out, and it appealed to her. She acted on her desire to be like God and ate the fruit.

What was Adam’s reason? We can really only speculate. However, while woman can claim deception, man cannot. Adam knew the commandments of God, and he also knew the consequences. He was tempted, drawn away of his own internal lusts and enticed by the idea of eating something forbidden to him. He placed himself in God’s stead and lived by his own desire instead of Gods.

Now the devil, who rebelled against God in an attempt to exalt himself as God, has succeeded in sowing seeds of humanism in Adam & Eve. They too desired to be like God and it caused the entrance of sin, and the spiritual death of mankind.

Just like our original parents, we have a tendency to exalt ourselves to the place of master of our own lives. God says yield, and we run the light anyway. God says no, and like a toddler testing boundaries, we say “yes!” The world will tell you that you are the master of your own destiny, but what a morbid destiny it is if there is none greater than us directing it!

There is power in submission. Abraham submitted and God revealed himself as Jehovah-Jireh. Gideon submitted and God delivered a nation. David submitted and defeated the giant. Solomon submitted and exposed the house of Eli. Christ submitted and brought salvation for mankind. Peter submitted and ushered in the church age. Paul submitted and brought this truth to the world.

Oh what wonderful things happen when the people of God are fully submitted. Yet we have so many Christians who try to do things their way. According to the Barna research group, more than 80% of professing Christians do not consider God, nor the Bible, when making major life choices. With such a lack of submission, is it any wonder that the church is fighting worldliness and risks becoming impotent?

Christ asked the question “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8, KJV)”. When even the children of God ignore faith and exalt themselves as Lords over their own lives, where is the hope for faith?

In contrast, God humbled himself when he clothed himself in the likeness of sinful flesh. He came to earth, not as a king, but as a servant. Not only was he mindful of man, but he actually came down to serve the very beings he created. He washed the disciples’ feet in a show of servitude and humility. He gave himself to meeting the needs of the people of earth. He healed the broken hearted, set at liberty those who were bruised. When his people screamed for a king, he refused. When he perceived that they would take him by force and make him king, he retreated alone and humbled himself in prayer. When the time came, he submitted himself to the agony of the cross!

Other gods demand their people die for them. Our Lord came down and died for us. The one who is Lord of all, became servant of all, so that we may know the power of humility and submission.

My journey through the Word (Genesis 8-10)

I've been sick the last couple of days so I am just now getting back to my journey. The Lord is a great God. I've been reading an apologetics book and it reminds me once again of how remarkable God and his word really are. To think that the God of the entire universe would care to know who I am, would take the time to hear my prayers, and would actually shed his blood so that I may know him in return.

What a marvelous God we serve!

Genesis 8 - 10

Genesis 8:1

The Bible says “But God remembered Noah (ESV).” How comforting it is to be reminded that in our most difficult times, God remembers us. When our world seems flooded with adversity, the one who is our strength knows exactly where we are. He made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. Likewise, if we endure, he will inevitably make his spirit blow across us and renew our strength. For those who wait upon the Lord truly will mount up with wings as eagles. They will run and not get weary. Sometimes life seems so overbearing. We are drowned by the floodwaters of difficulty. But even in the midst of turmoil, when we feel alone and in a desolate land, we can rest assured, and take comfort in the knowledge, that God remembers us.

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Genesis 9:9-17

God is a covenant making God. I’m not sure that many Christians today understand the importance of this simple fact. No other God of any religion can claim to be a covenant making God. The Hindu gods do not make covenants. Shiva lives only to destroy. The god of the Muslims does not make covenants. Allah fears that such behavior would diminish his absolute authority and make him subject to the very humans he created.

The God of the Jews & Christians has no such fear. Why? Because HE is the one true God. His love compels him to covenant with man like a bridegroom to his bride. He doesn’t fear losing power, because he cannot lose power. He doesn’t fear losing authority, because he cannot lose authority. He doesn’t fear becoming subject to mankind, because he will never face that possibility.

This simple, yet profound, attribute of God reveals his monopleuric character in that he is willing to descend and make a covenant with mankind, a race of beings so much lower than himself. Not only is he willing to stoop to our level, but his covenants are dipleuric in that we have free choice of whether or not to enter in. No other religion gives such a choice.

God never wanted a robot bride. He values freedom of choice. He wants us to love him by our own will. He has made with us a covenant that we can freely enter into, in order to declare his love for us. He does not fear becoming subject to us, rather he willing put on flesh and became a servant to mankind.

Allah refuses to make a covenant because he is unwilling to lower himself to our level. Jesus Christ, Lord of ALL, willingly came in the image of like sinful flesh, so that he could model servitude. Imagine, the God of the entire universe, being so humble in his majesty that he would become servant to the very beings he created. Allah & Shiva loath such thoughts, it is beneath them. Yet God made it reality. He formed a covenant with man so that we may be saved. He condescended so that we may ascend. How beautiful the idea of God’s covenant really is. He is the only God willing to have a real relationship with us.

Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend - Ravi Zacharias

"If this conversion is truly supernatural, why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians?" Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend is Ravi Zacharias' answer to this question. If you know anything about Ravi Zacharias then you recognize that he is a leader in the field of Christian apologetics. He has proven his mastery of the scriptures, and of apologetics, once again in Beyond Opinion. This book is a thorough, provocative, and insightful guide into what Christians believe, and how those beliefs can be defended against some of the greatest challenges in our world today.

In Beyond Opinion, Dr. Zacharias invites notable apologists, such as Stuart McAllister, Alister McGrath, Amy Orr-Ewing, Joe Boot, and others, to share their insight on such subjects as postmodernism, atheism, Islam, philosophy, evil and suffering, and other common challenges presented against Christianity. Together Dr. Zacharias and his team present a complete picture of modern apologetics, and challenge Christians to not only know what they believe, but to also live it daily. He suggests a new vision for 21st century apologetics. An apologetic governed by the desire to win people, and not arguments. This focus is emphasized throughout the book and in part two the reader is given guidance on conversational apologetics that they can use in standard conversation.

I found this book to be very interesting, and educational. While it was written by scholars, it is at a level most can comprehend. It gives very practical and Biblical answers to tough questions, and shines light on relevant topics that Christians are facing every day.

In a world where faith seems to be under attack, and God is becoming more and more subjective in the public sector, it is a blessing to have a clear and certain sound. Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend is a Clarion call in a chaotic world. I highly recommend it for any Christian who truly is interested in always being ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Modern Christianity???

My journey through the Word - (Genesis 1-7; Matthew 1-3)

I love reading the Word of God. It seems like every time I open it's pages, it shows me something I haven't seen before. There is definitely a wealth of treasure found in the Word of God.

I'm starting something new that I would like to share. I have decided once again to make my way from Genesis to Revelation and take a journey through the Bible. This time, I will make it a point to write down what inspirational thoughts God gives me as I journey, and share them here on my blog. While I will not claim any great revelation, or scholarly insight, I do hope these nuggets of gold will bless someone and give you something to glean from. Who knows, maybe something said on this blog will inspire a sermon, give a word of wisdom, or simply cause someone to think about something in a way they haven't considered before.

In addition, I would also like to encourage YOU to make your own journey, and blog about what God shows you. Let's start a trend!

Imagine the repository of insight we could accumulate if people would make it a point to dig deep into the Word of God and share what nuggets of truth they unearth. If you do decide to start your own journey, please send me a notice, comment, or email. I'll link your blog to mine, and we can create a network of commentary that might prove even more beneficial to those that read them!

Now, for my thoughts from today.

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Genesis 1-7; Matthew 1-3

Genesis 3:22-23

Man had made the mistake of disobedience. He ate of the tree from which God commanded him not to eat. How typical of our human nature! Often times we find ourselves doing the exact opposite of what God commands. Truly Paul says it well. There is a war within us. Those things that I want to do, I do not. That which I don’t want to do, that is what I do. Such is the way of dirt. It is not easily contained, often makes a mess, and is easily carried away by every wind of doctrine.

God feared that Adam, in his fallen state, would reach out and also eat of the tree of life. This would have sealed his fate. Had he eaten of the tree of life, he would have been sentenced to his fallen condition for eternity. It was God’s mercy, not his judgment that drove man out of the Garden. If Adam would have eaten of the tree of life, and forever remained fallen, where would be the hope of redemption later? The wages of sin is death. If death wasn’t allowed in the world, how could Christ be offered as payment for our sins? God drove Adam out of the garden so that he might have hope of a future redemption.

Likewise, God’s mercy compels him to reach out to us in our fallen state. Sometimes God must drive us out of our place of comfort in order to open the door for his redemptive work. What may feel like God’s judgment could actually be his mercy. The Lord chastises those he loves. Like a parent disciplines their child so that the undesirable behavior will be corrected, God at times must correct us so that we might have a better outcome. The next time we feel like we are in judgment, let’s stop and examine our situation. We may find ourselves in the middle of God’s mercy.

Genesis 3:24

God drove out the man (ESV) God has a way of driving out our humanity if we let him. The person who humbles himself before God will find that he can transform our very nature.

The Bible says that God placed a flaming sword in the east of Eden, to guard the way to the tree of life. What fantastic imagery of the Word of God! The writer of Hebrews called it a sharpened two-edged sword. Jeremiah said it was fire shut up in his bones. Truly this flaming sword guards the way to life. When you read it, it breathes life into your soul. The very words on the page are life. The sword was in the East (qedem), literally the “front” of Eden. When you keep God’s word before you, it will give you answers when you have questions, and hope when you’re desperate. The Word of God is a lamp and a light when you sit in darkness. It brings joy to the joyless, and purity to those who need cleansing. The Word of God establishes, it corrects, it reproves, it teaches, and it makes wise the simple. This flaming sword guards life! Those who keep it before them, who always place it first, will find safety and life, and joy in its pages.

Matthew 1:5

The genealogy of Christ records that the harlot of Jericho later became a descendent of Jesus. What could take a harlot and make her a member of the family of Christ? Faith! Hebrews 11:31 says that by faith Rahab received the spies in peace. Likewise it is our faith that causes us to rise above our own past and take our place in the family of Christ. Three women are mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. Tamar, who was wronged by her father in law, Rahab who was a prostitute by trade, and Ruth who was abandoned without a family. What a beautiful redemptive story is found in the lineage of the one who died to bring redemption to ALL mankind. It doesn’t matter what past you have, whether you were abandoned, wronged, or drowning in sin, you have your place in the family of God!

You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be - Max Lucado

Imagine yourself in a reality show. The plot? You and the other contestants must find a certain city, locate a certain neighborhood, and fill a certain role. No one tells you were to go. No one gives you direction on what city to choose. Your only clues are found in a bag of items given to you before the start of the contest. In this bag are all the clues you need to find your city, find your neighborhood, and find your place.

This is the basic premise of You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be, by Max Lucado. In the book, Lucado asserts that God gives each individual a sweet spot in which we are made to dwell. By analyzing our natural abilities and skills, we can find this sweet spot and fulfill God’s plan for our lives.

As always, Lucado writes a superb book. Simple and practical, You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be reminds us that each and every person is fearfully and wonderfully made. Each one of us was created for a purpose, and God has packed us with everything we need to find our way.

If you have a friend, or loved one, that is searching for their place in this world, then I would recommend giving them a copy of You Can Be Everything God Wants You to Be. It also makes a great gift for graduates and college students.

It can be hard wandering through life, filling a role that you weren’t meant to fill. Max Lucado gives us the steps to re-evaluate our world, unpack the bag of skills and abilities God has placed within us, and use these clues to find our sweet spot.

After all, life is much sweeter when you find your spot.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Facebooking in Kids Ministry

There’s no doubt about it, we have crossed over.

Gone are the days of only chatting with friends via the phone, or in the hallways at school. Today there are literally dozens of media options that keep kids connected 24/7.

Kids are naturally social, so it is no wonder sites like MySpace & Facebook have taken off among the kids and teenagers of the world. I’ve heard varying opinions about whether or not this latest social trend is good for Christians, or if it will pose another cultural problem the church must fight. Wherever we fall on the issue, we must confess that kids are there. They have Facebook pages, they text, and they unfortunately play Farmville.

Without getting into a rant against random, cheesy, farm games, let me say that I believe both good and bad can come from Facebooking. While it does open the door wide open for influences and potential risks, I have personally found it to be a great medium for conveying information, and even partaking in a little ministry work.

Below I’ve outlined some of the ways I believe Facebook can be rewarding for a Children’s Ministry. I’ve also outlined some tips I’ve found to be helpful when dealing with kids on Facebook. This social networking site holds great potential for bringing a children’s minister closer to their kids, and is a good source to extend the discipleship beyond the average Sunday morning.

Let’s look at what Facebook has to offer.

Messages – Much like email, this feature allows you to send messages to certain people. You can attach documents, links, videos etc. This is a nice feature because all you have to remember is a name and face, not some random email address like pootsybear79_TX3351@camelmail.net . Messaging is a great way to send information to kids and parents under your ministry. It is quick and easy, and even allows for a conversational style when participants select to reply to all.

Messaging is also a good way to connect with a kid in your ministry, who is otherwise closed in. We live in an era where many kids – and even adults for that matter – are more comfortable opening up behind a computer screen. Someone who is introverted in public, will not talk or participate, may be willing to share their troubles via a medium that is less confrontational. Personally I have found this to be true. There were a couple of kids in my children’s ministry that would be closed in person, yet online would be willing to talk. This medium allowed me to give them godly counsel, and ministry, in a setting that was comfortable to them. It also opened the door for them to feel comfortable speaking to me about it in person. Knowing that I was already aware of what was going on allowed these kids to feel more comfortable when we saw each other face to face.. It provided me a way to connect with kids who needed spiritual guidance.

We need to recognize though, that while messaging may present a good opportunity to connect, there needs to be some guidelines in place to protect everyone involved.

Fan Pages – This feature allows you to create a specific page for your ministry. I would highly recommend this method over using a personal page for ministry purposes. This is a great way to quickly convey information and news. Every time you make a post, it immediately goes to the newsfeed section of your fan’s pages. This is a great tool for ministries to provide simple teaching tips, inspirational sayings, a scripture of the day, or illicit conversation over a thought. I would suggest using the wall of your Facebook page (in less than 420 characters of course) to briefly recap the highlights of your kid’s church, or Sunday school, the week before. Ask your kids, teachers, and parents to get involved in the discussion. This will present new opportunities to reinforce the lessons, and get kids thinking about spiritual issues beyond 10am – 11am on Sunday morning.

Events – This feature allows you to place your events on a calendar and send notifications to all your friends. This is a great feature for promoting an upcoming rally, special Sunday, recreation activity, etc. As the date of the event get’s closer, a reminder is placed on the news feed section of your friend’s pages. Not only can you post events, but you can also send out virtual invitations to everyone on your friends list. They, in turn, can pass the invitation on to other friends. This is a great way to promote your event with no cost. This is a great tool for busy ministries with a low budget!

Notes – This section is a minister’s dream. The notes section is basically a blog that allows you to share your thoughts with everyone on your friends list. This is a great place to share experiences, testimonies, or to expound on a thought or Sunday school lesson. You can use notes to send a devotional to your teachers, kids, and parents. You can use notes for training purposes, or to reinforce the sermon from Kids Church. The notes section can be a great discipleship tool in the hand of a minister. If you open a ministry page, use this section weekly to teach your kids, teachers, and equip your parents. When you post a note, everyone on your friends list is immediately notified. This is a great way to disseminate information, and extend your ministry reach beyond Sunday.

Birthdays – Every kid is enthusiastic about their birthday. It is their day! Facebook allows you to place your friend’s birthdays on your calendar, and reminds you when one is approaching. When a birthday arrives, send a quick note or wall post. This is a wonderful way to remember and celebrate this special occasion in a kid’s life without spending money on postage, or having to remember to send a card. If you like sending a card, and have no problem remembering, then keep this up also. The birthday reminders can be a great way for you to show you care enough about your kids to celebrate their special day.

Photos – Facebook allows you to create photo albums to display your pictures. Use this feature to post photos from Kid’s Church, rallies, crusades, fun events, etc. Create a “silly photo” album and fill it with nothing but crazy pictures of your kids! Have them pose silly, or make silly faces, or catch them in funny actions, and post them in this album. This will create a place where kids can relive fond memories. Children’s Ministry is all about creating impressions and memories. The photos section of Facebook can help you achieve this goal.

FB Advertising – This is a great feature that can give your ministry wide exposure for pennies on the dollar. Create an ad campaign that reaches your community. You pay pennies for each impression, or click on the Advertisement. For less than $100 you can literally put your ministry in front of millions of people.

Farmville – There is absolutely no value in Farmville. Stay away from it. It is from Satan. It is in the Bible not to play cheesy farm games. Look it up in Hezekiah 33:5. :)

As a recap,

Facebook can be a great way to expand your Children’s Ministry. It provides opportunities to disciple, connect, inform, and relate to the kids in your church. By having access to your kid’s Facebook pages, you can keep up to date on the happenings in their life. You can see what is important to them, what they are facing, and it helps you keep tabs on the spiritual state of your kids. This is a great tool for Children’s Ministry workers because it helps you clue in to what your kids need each Sunday. It moves you from taking a bird shot approach of teaching curriculum and hoping it hits home with someone, to a place of strategic discipleship. When you know where your kids are at in life, you are better empowered to bring them a word from God that speaks to their “today.” Such empowerment moves ministry into a deeper and more influential place. It makes a greater impact in the lives of your kids.

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and oh yea, Farmville is evil.

Let me know ways in which you have used networking media in ministry. I am interested in hearing all your comments about how sites like Facebook can, or have, increased ministry opportunities for you!

The Proper Perspective on Prayer - Part II

Luke chapter 18 begins with the statement,

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

Jesus preached prayer, and he practiced prayer.

In Luke 6:12 Jesus spent the entire night in prayer before choosing his twelve disciples. In Matthew 14:23 Jesus departs into a mountain to pray alone. After being baptized by John in the Jordan River, the spirit of God drove him into the wilderness for 40 days of prayer and fasting. We see him in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion praying for God’s will to be done, for the apostles, for the coming church, and even for you and I – those who would believe through the Apostles’ ministry.

Christ was all about prayer.

Men of God were all about prayer.

- Seth prayed in the book of Genesis and men began to call on God.
- Noah prayed and God instructed him to build an Ark
- Abraham prayed and gave him a promise and a people
- Jacob prayed and wrestled with an angel
- Joseph prayed and was elevated to the highest offices of Egypt.
- The Hebrews prayed and God raised up Moses
- Moses prayed and God parted the Red Sea
- The Israelites prayed and God gave them manna from Heaven
- Joshua prayed and the sun stood still for 24 hours
- Samson prayed and renewed his strength
- Deborah prayed and delivered a nation
- Gideon prayed and destroyed the enemy
- David prayed and defeated his giant
- Solomon prayed and found wisdom

And the list goes on and on.

Prayer is one of the most basic fundamentals of Christian living. It is our refuge, our medium for obtaining supernatural power in a natural world. It is our source for boldness to proclaim the gospel, Grace to face the toughest situations, and hope for a promised future. It is our means of communicating with an interested Father.

It is our way of life.

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther King Jr. –

In part 1, we discussed what prayer is not. In this post we look at what prayer is.

A way to bring your mind and heart in line with God’s

In prayer, we surrender to God, making his priorities our own. While teaching the disciples to pray he noted the importance of submitting our preferences to his will.

“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10)

Prayer does not twist the arm of a disinclined God. Rather, it gives God permission to work in our lives and bring us in line with his thoughts, priorities, and desires.

God has given us free will. He will not force himself, or his desires, into our lives. We can not automatically assume that he will step into our situations and act on our behalf without our expressed invitation.

As David Bernard notes in his book Growing A Church

“Prayer does not change God’s attitude, but it changes our attitude so that we are ready to receive what God has planned for us.

Prayer molds and transforms us so that we are prepared to receive the answers that God wants to give us.”

In short, Bernard concludes, prayer gives us the ability to

1. discern God’s will
2. to do God’s will

Christ himself gave us an example of this when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:41-42)

We can come to God and ask him to move how we want him to, but in the end we must always leave prayer submitted to doing it God’s way.

When we get lost in prayer, truly lost in prayer, it transforms our minds and brings them in line with God’s mind. It brings our hearts in line with God’s heart. It makes God’s priorities our priorities. It makes God’s desires our desires.

Prayer is how we bring our minds, our hearts, our wills, and our priorities in line with God’s

It is also,

A way to die to your old nature so that Christ can be formed in you.

The apostle Paul made the statement.

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” (Galatians 4:19)

The word formed means “to fashion.”

Prayer is a way for us to die to our old nature of sin so that Christ can be fashioned in our lives. Paul said, “I die daily.”

A daily prayer life will consistently kill the old man so that God can fashion us into the man or woman of God he has purposed for us to be.

Jesus told the disciples, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” (Luke 22:40). Every one of us will face temptation, but a consistent and daily prayer life will stop us from giving in to those temptations.

Paul told the Galatians, “This I say, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Prayer has a way of keeping our spirits in subjection to the will of God, allowing us to walk in the Spirit of God and not after the manner of our flesh.

If you find yourself struggling with the desires of the flesh; that is a good indication that your prayer life is in a weak spot right now. Prayer, coupled with fasting, will crucify your flesh. It will bring your flesh under subjection to the spirit of God.

It will kill your fleshly, humanistic desires, and it will birth in you Godly desires.

The Proper Perspective on Prayer - Part I

Whatever your view point on prayer is, we should all agree that prayer is a necessary component in a Christian’s life if they are going to grow in Christ.

Doctrinally speaking…

There are three basic fundamentals to Christian living. As a child of God, you will not grow in God’s grace without these three fundamentals actively working in your life.

Church will give you a measure of growth. Weekly services will give you a measure of growth. However, if your life lacks these three fundamentals, then your growth will be greatly hindered if existent at all.

The first fundamental is the word of God. Without the word of God active in your life, you can not grow beyond the maturity level of a babe in Christ.

The second fundamental is fasting. Fasting is a way for us to crucify our flesh so that the desires and lusts of our flesh will pass away and God’s nature can be revealed in a greater light through us.

The third fundamental is of course, prayer.

But……

Before we discuss what prayer is, let us examine what prayer is not.

Prayer is not twisting God’s arm.

We do not pray to get God to do what we want him to do. It is ok to go to God with supplications and prayer requests, asking God to move in your life, but we do not go to God for the purpose of persuading him to act.

You don’t have to persuade God.

Who is sly enough in negotiating that they can be successful in persuading God? He knows every thought you think. Every word you say before you even say it. He knows the desires, the motivations, and the intentions of your heart.

Persuade – to prevail on someone to do something. To induce to believe, to convince.

Who can convince God of something? He already knows everything! Who can prevail on him and induce him to believe what they want him to believe? No one can.

Paul asked the question, “For do I now persuade men or God?” (Galatians 1:10).

Later, this same apostles declares

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Prayer does not give us the ability to persuade and twist God’s arm. Rather, prayer persuades us that God’s promises are yea and amen!

Prayer persuades us that God’s truth is real. It persuades us that God’s spirit is real. Prayer persuades us, and brings us in line with God’s way of thinking.

Not the other way around.

Prayer is not winning brownie points

Prayer is not a mechanical process whereby we earn favors from God. Rather it is a way of communicating with God and maintaining our relationship with him.

You don’t win brownie points by praying. Some people approach praying as a points system. For every hour you pray, you rack up points in heaven. If you pray thirty minutes, you rack up lesser points, but points none the less.

I’ve talked to people who sincerely believe God is obligated to do what they want him to do because they have been faithful in prayer. They act as if their time in prayer has been storing up brownie points for when they need to cash in on a divine favor.

God will always respond to prayer. I believe God will be swift to answer the prayers of a faithful saint. However, praying does not win us brownie points.

This isn’t Chuck-E-Cheese; we don’t win tickets that we can cash in later. Prayer allows us to build a consistent relationship with God; a relationship through which God will move and God will respond. However, prayer does not win us points that we can use to purchase power from God.

Prayer is not working to convince God to do what you want him to do.

I’ve often heard people in the prayer room begging God to move for them. I’ve heard people at the altar begging God to fill them with the Holy Ghost.

I’ve heard people begging God to heal their loved ones, save their children, touch a need, and respond to their voice.

We do not have to beg God.

God is not some obstinate deity sitting on a celestial throne saying, “C’mon, let me hear you beg.”

When we pray we should approach God in faith, believing that he rewards those that diligently seek him.

To beg God for something shows a lack of faith. We are working hard to convince him to do what we want him to do because we don’t believe he will do it without our convincing him.

Another reason people tend to beg God is because their prayer life, and general walk with God, is weak and they feel that God may be upset with them, or that they don’t have the influence they need with God.

So, if you find yourself begging God to move,

stop and evaluate why you are working to convince God to do something. Is it because your walk with God is weak at that time? If so, repent for the lack of faithfulness and believe God is still as willing and able to meet your need as ever.

If you are working to convince God because your faith is low, pray for faith and believe that God will hear you because you prayed.

Prayer is not just communication.

Prayer is not your daily “tag in” with God. It’s fine to talk to God about what has happened during your day, your week, this year, etc.

However, prayer is not where you come to God and give a report of what happened today.

It is so much more than that.

It is the intimate communication between a God and his people. It is the loving conversation between a father and his child.

It is our opportunity to bring God into our lives, and it is God’s opportunity to bring us into his heart.


To be continued…. Part II – What prayer is.

An Eclipse of the Cross

Earlier today I had a discussion with someone on Facebook. For the remainder of this blog post I will refer to him simply as Don. Prior to this afternoon I had never really met, nor dialogued, with Don. Our history of interaction consisted completely of trading items while playing Mafia Wars.

At some point this afternoon Don took a quiz that asked him to express his opinion on homosexual marriage. Don is a supporter of homosexual marriage and made the below comment when publishing his post to his Facebook wall.

He said,

“How can any sane person in this day and age oppose two people being able to legally marry? If you do oppose same-sex marriage, why? Is it based on religious views or are you just a homophobe? If your views are based on religion, you are seriously misguided….”

I took the opportunity to explain to Don my views on homosexual marriage, as well as what the Bible say concerning homosexuality. Needless to say, he didn’t agree. In fact, he called the Bible a book of Bronze Age Fairy Tales. However, it wasn’t his blatant disregard for the word of God that caught my attention. Rather, it was what was revealed somewhat later in the midst of our discussion.

One of Don’s major arguments against Christianity was his perception of us as hypocrites who “cherry pick” scripture. He accused us of only following those passages which suit us. Later in the discussion he revealed that at some point he had been subjected to Christians whose response to the topic of homosexuality was basically “fags burn in hell,” “God hates fags!” He was put off from Christianity because of the attitudes of Christians he had come in contact with at some point in his life.

While the ungodly attitudes of those “Christians” do not justify his disdain for the things of God, his experience should remind us of one very important principle.

When propagating the message of Christ, it is extremely important that we exhibit the Spirit of Christ.

We must never forget that a good message will ALWAYS be eclipsed by a bad attitude. It doesn’t matter how “right” you are, if you present the truth with an ungodly attitude you will never draw a person to Christ. Rather, you will drive a wedge between them and God and create an even deeper chasm than what they currently experience.

The Bible tells us,

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:” –Proverbs 16:6-

The two work together. You can not separate them. Some believe that truth must be proclaimed with a hard demeanor and a firm brow. Such promulgation only serves to alienate the recipient instead of exalting Christ. We can not blame a person for rejecting our gospel if our presentation of it is tarnished by our ungodly deportment.

I don’t believe people who reject our doctrine always do so out of a hatred for holy things. Even if they do reject the gospel, this does not give us vindication to reply discordantly. Our response should always be with a humble and contrite spirit. Never one seasoned with harsh and unbridled tones.

In having this discussion with other Christians, it is often brought up that Christ himself showed an antagonistic spirit when he knocked over the tables of the money changers and called the Pharisees hypocrites and vipers. They argue that because Christ showed angry passion in his response to the blatant deformation of God’s law, then they are justified having more than harsh conversations with people today who show no desire for the things of God.

We must not forget however, that while Christ identified the Pharisaical spirit as poisonous and serpent like, he also responded to the Pharisees with compassion and truth when the opportunity presented itself. He met a Pharisee on the rooftop one night to proclaim the gospel. He reached into the heart of a venomous viper that was bent on the desolation of his people and turned him around on a dirt road on his way to Damascus. While Christ’s indignation was clear in scripture, we must not forget that his mercy is even more evident.

Paul makes the statement in Romans 2:1,

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”

We should not forget that if it were not for the grace of God, we would be the ones who were on the opposite side rejecting the gospel message. We have this truth because of the mercy of God. When we fail to exhibit that same mercy, we fall short of the very gospel that saves us.

We do nothing when we defend this gospel in angry voices. We do nothing when we respond to others with judgmental tones. We accomplish zero when we promote the word of God without the Spirit of God.

However, love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Paul asked the question, “What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?” –1 Corinthians 4:21-

Two verses before, he makes the following statement about certain men in the Corinthian church, “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.” -1 Corinthians 4:18-19-

The Apostle makes it clear that the bad attitudes expressed by the Corinthian men toward him were a result of puffed up spirits. He responded by saying that he would not come in the same manner, but rather with love and meekness.

That is an example to us all today. Bad attitudes get us nowhere. They are the product of a puffed up spirit. Pride is the origin of such behavior, and as Christians we are called to interact with others in a meek and charitable spirit.

Many times simply being Godly toward someone when they are being ungodly toward you, can be the greatest defense of true faith. Their entire argument falls to the ground when they fail to push you into the mold they accuse you of already fitting in.

If they accuse Christians of being hypocritical and having bad attitudes, show them a good one and they have no where to go. Show them a bad one however, and you only solidify their misperception. If that occurs, wherein is Christ glorified?

In closing I want to admonish us to make our conversations blameless. It is easy to get frustrated and ugly with someone who is so disrespectful toward the gospel we love. However, we must never forget that their disdain does not justify our unrestraint.

Show them love and you show them Christ. Return evil for evil and you further disaffect someone who God may be leading to a Damascus road.

In Christ & For the Kingdom
Joseph Castorina


Further Scriptures to study:

Romans 12:9
Romans 12:21
Romans 14:16
1 Corinthians 15:33
1 Thessalonians 5:15
1 Peter 2:12
1 Peter 3:16
3 John 1:11
1 Corinthians 13

It's the start of something new.

As many of you already know, last week my wife and I were approved to start a Home Missions church in Sugar Land Texas.

What a wild and exciting ride it has already been.

I can't tell you how fast things have been moving. God moved on me many months ago to start a church. I didn't know when or where, all I knew was that God was calling us to a new chapter in our lives and ministry.

It started in January when, unexpectedly, the door opened for us to go to Because of the Times - the preacher's conference held annually in Alexandria Louisiana. It was at this conference that God began working on me to start a church.

When we returned home, my wife and I began praying about God's timing, direction, and plan for our lives. Two months later I was sitting in another conference when the plea was made for Sugar Land Texas. It struck a cord in my heart and another piece of this puzzle was put in place.

Two months after that I was sitting in another conference. (Apparently God speaks to me in conferences :) ) God spoke to me again - this time through tongues and interpretation. I had wrestled with the idea for many months. I wanted to make sure that the voice I was hearing wasn't my own. Finally God broke through my stubbornness and I yielded to his call.

Two days later I sat at the Denny's in Texas City with my pastor explaining everything I felt God leading us to do. I was asking for his blessing, his release, his wisdom, and his direction.

After that a whirlwind started.

Phone call after phone call....

Conversation after conversation...

I talked to friends, family, district officials, neighboring pastors, and of course God. One week later I sat before the district board of the South Texas District and asked them to approve me to start a new church in Sugar Land.

One week later!

It all happened so fast. The Wednesday night of that week I fell asleep and God spoke to me in a dream. In that dream he gave me three words followed by descriptive words. When I awoke, I felt the Holy Ghost tell me, "these are to be the core values of the church." God had stepped into my slumber and embedded in my heart the core values we were to live and operate under.

This served as a confirmation that I had heard from God, and that he was orchestrating every step.

Today we walk into week three. We have selected a name for the church which we will reveal later. It's not a big secret, but I'm not fully ready to go public with it just yet. We have also written out our core values (which I will reveal later also) and have established a discipleship program concept that will help us get new comers grounded.

Tomorrow - or I guess I should say this afternoon since it is 12:26 in the morning - we are going to Sugar Land to get a P.O. Box and look at a house that is available. This is a testimony in itself because the houses are so high in Sugar Land that we were not sure how we were going to be able to find a place big enough and in our budget. Friday, a house came available that has more than enough room and is well within our means. This could be another miracle, and another confirmation of God's divine plan.

We are working to open an account in the church's name. We have already been blessed with wonderful people who have pledged to help us get established and on our feet. I have been totally amazed by the generosity we have experienced in such a short amount of time.

I'm not sure about when we'll get kicked off. I'm not even sure about what our next move ought to be (someone really should come up with a check list for Home Missionaries), but one thing I am sure about is that God is in this and we will not fail.

So, if there is anyone out there who has some suggestions for a first time church planter, then please load my plate. For those who may not know what the next step ought to be, please remember us in your prayers. Destiny's ride is an exciting one. It's a fast paced roller coaster of exhilaration and trepidation combined.

We are excited about the possibilities. Pumped about the future, and confident in our God. I can't wait to see what Christ has in store for the new church in Sugar Land Texas.

It's the start of something new......

A Temple without A God

Several months back I visited an apostolic church. Yesterday I was directed to the website of another apostolic church. Not too long ago I visited the website of another apostolic church. Just a few days ago I was forwarded the photos of yet a fourth apostolic church.

One thing was common among all four.

Without knowing beforehand, it was not apparent they were an apostolic church.

One of the growing threats to Apostolic Christianity is this movement that seeks to replace preaching with “dialogue”, and prides themselves in the ideology of “spiritual progressivism.” In other words, they feel the traditional way of doing church is outdated, and the new and effective way is their way.

They mix worldly philosophy and ideas with Christian principles and pass them off as doctrines. This is nothing new, it was the same tactic early Christians used, attempting to quench the persecutions from Greeks. They mixed Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine to show similarity and downplay differences. The result was deception, and a once apostolic church that fell away from truth for centuries.

It is quite evident that foxes are creeping into the apostolic church of the 21st century. I’m not an alarmist, and I have done my fair share of denouncing the doomsday prophets among us. However, one would have to be totally blind to not realize there are more than a few who would take us a different way if allowed to.

I know pastors and preachers who stand hard on the traditional way of doing things. They can almost be dogmatic against anything that seems new or charismatic. I have never been counted among that number, but neither will I allow myself to be grouped with those who believe the apostolic way is the emergent way. It amazes me when a person can walk into a Pentecostal Church and instead of hearing a life-changing message about repentance or the grace of God, they are fed an inspirational dissertation of self-help tips.

What’s wrong with giving advice to inspire people to be better?

Absolutely nothing at all!

However, when you only have one service on a Sunday morning – in my opinion – you should make that one service count. Yes people need to know how to balance life, career, God, and family; but, first and foremost, they need to come to a relationship with Jesus Christ and be given an opportunity to experience his power.

We help NO ONE when we water down the message and turn our one opportunity to reach lost souls into a time of discussion.

We help NO ONE when we try to hide our identity and refuse to preach or teach concrete doctrines of true holiness or salvation.

We help NO ONE when we attempt to connect with people, and fail to connect them with the one thing that will save them for eternity – God’s word!

The danger this young preacher sees rising up in our movement is the idea that I have to throw out the old ways to preach in a way that relates to those of the 21st century. While that sounds good on the surface, and I do not necessarily disagree with the idea to an extent, we must realize taking this route can quickly lead down a path where no possibility of a U-turn exists.

I am not one to harp on how a platform ought to be set up, or tie vs. no tie. People are removing pulpits from their platforms and replacing them with tall tables and stools. This is their prerogative. I do not know if that would be my modus operandi, but I’m not going to chastise someone else for it.

Why?

Because the gospel can be preached in a suit, or in jeans and a t-shirt. The gospel can be preached behind a pulpit, from a stool, or in the streets. The problem comes when people do not stop at the pulpit, but they go as far as removing the message as well.

The apostolic church of the 21st century must remember that we will not make a difference in lives of people with our cool demeanors. We are not going to change hearts with our “out of the box” sermons. We are not going to better lives with our stylish logos, websites, or buildings.

The ONLY thing that will make a difference in this world is the gospel.

“And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” – I Corinthians 2:4 –

This world does not need another Lakewood or Saddleback. This world needs a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

We err if we think this is not what this world wants. We err if we think the answer to making a difference lies within sermons that make the audience feel good about living Christian lives, but does not incite true Christian change.

This is not a new deception. For Samaria understood it well.

“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” – John 4:20 -

The Samaritans had erected a replica of Solomon’s temple and used that temple to worship God in their own way. They resembled God’s people, but they had enough of the world in them that they separated themselves from true worship and obedience to the statutes of God. While they looked the part, and had many similar characteristics of God’s people, they were unknowingly lost.

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” – John 4:23 –

The danger of this modern way of thinking is that it can easily take us away from true worship. When we water down the doctrines of the Bible, and replace church services that bring people into a demonstration of Gods power with fellowship meetings that satisfy the conscience, we fail to exercise true worship.

When Solomon built the temple, he did so after the pattern that God instructed him. The temple of Solomon was God designed and God endorsed. Later, when Babylon invaded, the temple was destroyed. Many years later Zerubbabel led the Israelites in rebuilding desolated Judah. After many years of work, a second temple was erected.

The second temple was later remodeled by King Herod. It looked strikingly similar to the first temple. There was one major difference though. It did not contain the Ark of the Covenant.

There is a danger that comes with building God’s kingdom our own way. We do so at the expense of the presence of God himself. Embracing a laissez faire attitude towards doctrine and church will result in a temple, but no God. Introducing lost souls to a “community of worshippers” without also introducing them to the life-changing power of the Holy Ghost will create temples without a God.

Our walk with God must be after the pattern of the word. It must be filled with prayer, fasting, holiness and doctrine. If we build worshippers who will sing and praise and lift their hands, but they will not pray or fast or seek God’s face, then we have accomplished nothing.

If you want the lights and theatrics, go for it. If you want the casual setting, fine. If you want to shun the suits for something more casual – hey, I hate ties as much as the next guy.

BUT…

If you sacrifice the power of the message in an attempt to win the people, you win nothing at all and you lead men astray. We must remain apostolic in preaching, apostolic in prayer, and apostolic in worship. We must maintain the true apostolic message and preach the apostolic lifestyle.

If we don’t, we will build temples….

But, we will have no God….

Happy Birthday Batman!

It happened five years ago this morning.

I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t quite prepared for it.

Five years ago today my boy was born.

My buddy.

As I was driving to work, I allowed my mind to travel back to that delivery room at Clear Lake Regional Hospital. Like Marty McFly – but without the DeLorean – I was transported back in time. I will never forget that day. I couldn’t have been more proud.

I was a new dad. I had no idea what I was doing. That first night he stayed in the room with us and, since my wife was exhausted from delivery and still affected by the medication and epidural, she was knocked out and I was commissioned with his care.

Sometime in the night he began to cry. I nervously picked him up – he was so small – and slowly sat down in a rocking chair taking great care not to break him. As I rocked him and talked to him, I tried to think of a lullaby song that might sooth this crying child.

I didn’t know any.

So I sang the first thing that came to my mind. “Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale. A tale of a fateful trip. That started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship….”

Hey, give me a break it was all I could think of in a hurry. :)

Now it wasn’t my intention to introduce my son to his daddy’s mad lullaby skills with the theme song from Gilligan’s Island, but hey it’s what happened. Nevertheless, it didn’t work. I finally hit the button and called in reinforcements.

“Help! I can’t stop this kid from crying!”

“Have you tried feeding him?”

“What?”

It never dawned on me that the kid could be hungry. I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t even consider the possibility. Moments later my savior arrived in scrubs carrying a 4 oz bottle of formula. She worked her magic and Carson fell back asleep.

I smiled as I recalled that night. It wasn’t all that long ago, yet it seems forever. Five years later he is one of the craziest kids I know. He is always making us laugh with his off the wall comments, and he is always astounding us with his wit.

Five years old and he is reading.

Five years old and he is into Batman.

Five years old and he knows 135 scriptures from the book of Luke.

Five years old and he has won medals and first place ribbons in Bible Quizzing.

The other day he crawled into my lap and I patted him on the leg like I always do. He told me, “I knew you were going to do that dad. You’re so predictable.”

Predictable!

I asked him, “Do you even know what that means?” He said, “No, but it’s what you are.”

The boy is a nut case. I couldn’t ask for a better buddy.

As I recalled those moments this morning my mind wandered to my own father, and then to my heavenly father.

I would do anything for my son. My dad would do anything for me. It reminded me of the scripture passage in Matthew 7:11.

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

The way I felt when I held my boy for the first time that morning must be how God feels when we first receive the Holy Ghost. The way I felt Sunday when Carson crawled into my lap must be how God feels when we kneel to pray.

Other religions in this world have gods.

How awesome it is to know we have a father!

To the Lord I say: Thank you God for being my father. Thank you for being more than a deity, more than what the agnostics believe you to be. Thank you for being a father who desires a personal relationship, not a multitude of servants.

To my son I say: Happy Birthday Batman! I love you more every day. The very first moment I held you in my arms I said a silent prayer and dedicated your life back to God. It’s because I love you that I make it a vow to serve HIM more than ever before, so that you – my son – may know HIM – your abba father.

Easter: Veggie Style!

Cavis and Millward (Bob & Larry) and Hope the Music Box Angel voiced by Grammy Award winning artist Rebecca St. James must convince Nezzer that Easter is about much more than candy and eggs.

Inspired by Dickens' Christmas classic, this very special film explains why millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter past, present and future.

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!!!

Tell your kids to shape up this summer!

We've all heard about the obesity epidemic in America. If you're anything like me, you're a shining example of the existence of that epidemic. Michelle Romain - curriculum trainer and Children's Ministry consultant - has developed a program that aims to address the growing trend of childhood obesity.

Meet Shapin’ Up!

Shapin’ Up is a 5 day curriculum that combines fitness, nutrition, and the Bible into a VBS style program aimed at teaching kids how to make proper physical and nutrition choices.

In a world where our kids are continually being bombarded with images of Hollywood women and their anorexic figures, being told that physical appearance is what matters most, and where media has replaced outdoor play, it is refreshing to see a God centered program that teaches kids that our bodies are the temples of God and are meant for his glory (see I Corinthians 10:31).

If you are looking for a fresh and innovative idea for your summer VBS or Kid’s Camp, I suggest you take a look at Shapin’ Up. It’s a unique, flexible, and reusable resource that comes fully equipped to help you address one of the biggest challenges facing children in the 21st century.

Check out the link below and watch the video of Michelle explaining the details of her fitness camp. If you have any ideas on how apostolic churches can address the issue of childhood obesity, please post them in the comments section. We’d love to hear what’s going on!

http://www.kidzblitz.com/fitness.htm