When in doubt, spit it out!
It’s not wrong to struggle when things fall apart; we all do that at times. Either we’ve failed or someone hasn’t meet up to our expectations, and it causes us to struggle with our faith. Admit your true feelings to God because a lot of Christians can’t handle your true feelings. Some people, it really shakes them up to talk with a Christian who has doubts. It scares them to death! Jesus did not condemn Thomas. He just let him spill his guts and then said, “Thomas…”, and then He showed him His hands. And Thomas became a believer in the risen Christ.
Admit your feelings to God. Let me give you a practical way to do this:
I encourage you to start a journal in your Christian life. Write down the things God is teaching you on a regular basis. I think it’s one of the healthiest and most helpful disciplines you can have in your Christian life. I’m not talking about a diary. A diary is when you record things that happened. A journal is when you record truths that you’re learning – something you got out of a sermon, something you got out of talking to a friend, something you got from the radio, from a download, a video. Something you thought of during your quiet time as the Holy Spirit talked to you and you read the Bible. One of the ways you’re going to have victory in your Christian life is when you start writing about your struggles.
This is exactly what Paul does in Romans 7. Paul is writing his journal. Actually he was dictating. The real writer of Romans was Tertius as he recorded Paul’s words. Paul was probably pacing the floor, quoting back and forth. He’s walking around pouring his heart out. In that actual saying and writing, a flash comes to him – it’s Jesus! That’s the answer!
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:25a (NLT)
When you start writing things out, getting it out on paper, one of the things that does is the Holy Spirit is able to illuminate your mind and give you the answers many times. I encourage you to keep a journal.
Tomorrow: Part 5 – Letting go of the X’s
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
WAR OF THE WORLDS - Day 3
Failed Testimonies
This morning I received this twitter from @RickWarren:
"In the presence of a psychiatrist, I can only be a sick man; in the presence of a Christian brother, I can dare to be a sinner." Bonhoeffer
Maybe this is what Paul understood and why he was able to say:
"I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." Romans 7:19-20 (NLT)
When Paul says, "it is sin living in me" he's not making an excuse, justifying himself, saying "the devil made me do it." He's just realizing the fact that when you're a Christian there are two natures in your life - your good nature that God gives you and wants to serve the Lord and your old nature that doesn't want to serve the Lord. Paul's just being honest about it.
I love the testimonies at TVCC because they all include a brief description of failures. The problem with 'success' testimonies is that they set up an unrealistic standard and everybody thinks, "I must not be normal as a Christian." Do you have every prayer answered? I don't. Do you always do what God wants you to do? I don't. Do you sometimes fail? I do.
Maybe we don't like to admit it, but there's room for failure in the Christian life. Paul quoted Christ when he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."
AMEN!
TOMORROW Part 4 - When you doubt, spit it out!
This morning I received this twitter from @RickWarren:
"In the presence of a psychiatrist, I can only be a sick man; in the presence of a Christian brother, I can dare to be a sinner." Bonhoeffer
Maybe this is what Paul understood and why he was able to say:
"I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." Romans 7:19-20 (NLT)
When Paul says, "it is sin living in me" he's not making an excuse, justifying himself, saying "the devil made me do it." He's just realizing the fact that when you're a Christian there are two natures in your life - your good nature that God gives you and wants to serve the Lord and your old nature that doesn't want to serve the Lord. Paul's just being honest about it.
I love the testimonies at TVCC because they all include a brief description of failures. The problem with 'success' testimonies is that they set up an unrealistic standard and everybody thinks, "I must not be normal as a Christian." Do you have every prayer answered? I don't. Do you always do what God wants you to do? I don't. Do you sometimes fail? I do.
Maybe we don't like to admit it, but there's room for failure in the Christian life. Paul quoted Christ when he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."
AMEN!
TOMORROW Part 4 - When you doubt, spit it out!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
WAR OF THE WORLDS – Day 2
Get Honest – Not Defeated
Paul said, For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Romans 7:18 (ESV)
What did Paul do? Paul got honest but he didn’t do what many of us do; he didn’t let it defeat him. When we understand that there really is not any good thing in us, we’ve finally moved to a place where our thinking will have the opportunity to become the wisdom of God rather than our own. Admitting we’re confused is different from taking an honest evaluation of your thoughts and motives. An honest evaluation can move us to freedom, if we don’t allow it to defeat us.
So here’s realization #2: Victory comes only through an honest evaluation of the truth about us and the truth about God. What is the truth about us? WE CAN’T! What’s the truth about God? HE CAN! So what do we do about it? All this honest evaluation can do is to bring us to a morbid end if there is not an answer to our plight. Here is how our daily journey will be changed:
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Galatians 5:16 (NLT)
Therein is the battle! Either your sinful (old) nature will have first place or the Holy Spirit will have first place through your spiritual (new) nature, but not both. This is either/or, but never both. To better understand and know which nature you’re empowering, take a moment today and read the following passage on the war we're engaged in:
Galatians 5:16-26.
Honestly, God makes us holy by forgiving our sin; making us innocent before Him. That’s something only He can do. Then we are able to, through the power of the Spirit who lives within us, become a fruitful vine and produce the fruit of the Spirit (v22-23). Why?
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:24 (NLT)
Remember this: It’s not a struggle, its surrender. It’s what we focus on.
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! Hebrews 12:2 (CEV)
Keep your eyes on Jesus – you’ll be glad you did!
Tomorrow – Part 3 Failed Testimonies
Paul said, For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Romans 7:18 (ESV)
What did Paul do? Paul got honest but he didn’t do what many of us do; he didn’t let it defeat him. When we understand that there really is not any good thing in us, we’ve finally moved to a place where our thinking will have the opportunity to become the wisdom of God rather than our own. Admitting we’re confused is different from taking an honest evaluation of your thoughts and motives. An honest evaluation can move us to freedom, if we don’t allow it to defeat us.
So here’s realization #2: Victory comes only through an honest evaluation of the truth about us and the truth about God. What is the truth about us? WE CAN’T! What’s the truth about God? HE CAN! So what do we do about it? All this honest evaluation can do is to bring us to a morbid end if there is not an answer to our plight. Here is how our daily journey will be changed:
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Galatians 5:16 (NLT)
Therein is the battle! Either your sinful (old) nature will have first place or the Holy Spirit will have first place through your spiritual (new) nature, but not both. This is either/or, but never both. To better understand and know which nature you’re empowering, take a moment today and read the following passage on the war we're engaged in:
Galatians 5:16-26.
Honestly, God makes us holy by forgiving our sin; making us innocent before Him. That’s something only He can do. Then we are able to, through the power of the Spirit who lives within us, become a fruitful vine and produce the fruit of the Spirit (v22-23). Why?
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:24 (NLT)
Remember this: It’s not a struggle, its surrender. It’s what we focus on.
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! Hebrews 12:2 (CEV)
Keep your eyes on Jesus – you’ll be glad you did!
Tomorrow – Part 3 Failed Testimonies
Monday, September 7, 2009
WAR OF THE WORLDS – Day 1
Join the parade!
Paul made an honest evaluation of himself in Romans 7:24, followed by an equally powerful question in verse 25. He looked at his struggle between the old nature and the new nature and then cried out, O, wretched man that I am! Because Paul recognized the conflict going on inside, he knew he was at war and there would have to be an all out invasion in order to rescue him from his present condition. So he asked, Who will rescue me from this body of death? Could Paul have victory in his life? Can we? How do we not only know about, but actually embrace and live the Christian life to the fullest? It begins with an honest evaluation of who we are and the struggles we face.
The first realization we need in order to win the war is to admit we are confused. We must admit that we don’t have all the answers. Then, stop trying to impress others by acting as if you have victory over every sin in your life. You don’t and neither do I and neither did Paul. Paul not only admitted it but he also wrote it down for all future generations. He spilled his guts so everybody could read it for thousands of years. He says I’m struggling; I can’t do what I really want to do.
The way to victory is to do as Paul did and admit the only cure:
Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord… Romans 7:25 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
Join the parade! Our victory is not in what we’re going to be able to accomplish but in what Christ, our Victor, has already accomplished for us. When we praise Him for it, it is the faith that the victory is already ours, even though we haven’t fully realized it yet. When we humbly admit that we don’t have all the answers, we free Him up to lift us up and give us the victory.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10 (NKJV)
Until tomorrow!
Paul made an honest evaluation of himself in Romans 7:24, followed by an equally powerful question in verse 25. He looked at his struggle between the old nature and the new nature and then cried out, O, wretched man that I am! Because Paul recognized the conflict going on inside, he knew he was at war and there would have to be an all out invasion in order to rescue him from his present condition. So he asked, Who will rescue me from this body of death? Could Paul have victory in his life? Can we? How do we not only know about, but actually embrace and live the Christian life to the fullest? It begins with an honest evaluation of who we are and the struggles we face.
The first realization we need in order to win the war is to admit we are confused. We must admit that we don’t have all the answers. Then, stop trying to impress others by acting as if you have victory over every sin in your life. You don’t and neither do I and neither did Paul. Paul not only admitted it but he also wrote it down for all future generations. He spilled his guts so everybody could read it for thousands of years. He says I’m struggling; I can’t do what I really want to do.
The way to victory is to do as Paul did and admit the only cure:
Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord… Romans 7:25 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (ESV)
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
Join the parade! Our victory is not in what we’re going to be able to accomplish but in what Christ, our Victor, has already accomplished for us. When we praise Him for it, it is the faith that the victory is already ours, even though we haven’t fully realized it yet. When we humbly admit that we don’t have all the answers, we free Him up to lift us up and give us the victory.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10 (NKJV)
Until tomorrow!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
War of the Worlds
This weekend we begin a new series dealing with what all of us deal with each and every day: WAR! Not the military kind but one of a spiritual nature. Every day, we have to make choices for good or evil. The Bible calls this the conflict or war of the two natures within us.
Every Christian receives a 'new nature' the moment they come to Christ. But it's like to trying to learn to drive for the first time; grinding gears, swerving on the road, jumpy starts and jerky stops. Just because we have the car doesn't mean we know how to drive it yet. And just because we have this new nature, doesn't mean we've learned to put that other nature, the 'old nature' away yet either.
During this series, we want to help you on your journey by first realizing that we are in a war and then mapping out the war zone and combat strategy. Jesus Christ has already won the war so it's up to us to follow our leader. He can and will defeat the old nature in us as He empowers us through the new.
Week one is simply: We Are At War! To prepare for the service, study 2 Chronicles 16 and Romans 7. The life of King Asa and the struggles of the Apostle Paul will help us to understand how God is for us in EVERYTHING if we will just trust Him.
Week two: The last Christian. Could we be the last Christian generation? According to current statistics, unless something drastic happens, we just may be. What can we do to make a difference in the lives of our children and youth? Can we turn the tide?
Week three: Peer Wars. God has clear instructions about who we are to be as His people and how we're to come alongside others so that we may help them, and they us, on the journey.
Week four: STAND. Not everything is going to go your way in life. Why does bad stuff happen to good people? And when it does, what are we to do about it?
Be sure and bring someone with you or, if you're not in our area or you attend another church on the weekend, you can catch all the action on our web site at www.tvcc.us/onlinesermons.htm
Every Christian receives a 'new nature' the moment they come to Christ. But it's like to trying to learn to drive for the first time; grinding gears, swerving on the road, jumpy starts and jerky stops. Just because we have the car doesn't mean we know how to drive it yet. And just because we have this new nature, doesn't mean we've learned to put that other nature, the 'old nature' away yet either.
During this series, we want to help you on your journey by first realizing that we are in a war and then mapping out the war zone and combat strategy. Jesus Christ has already won the war so it's up to us to follow our leader. He can and will defeat the old nature in us as He empowers us through the new.
Week one is simply: We Are At War! To prepare for the service, study 2 Chronicles 16 and Romans 7. The life of King Asa and the struggles of the Apostle Paul will help us to understand how God is for us in EVERYTHING if we will just trust Him.
Week two: The last Christian. Could we be the last Christian generation? According to current statistics, unless something drastic happens, we just may be. What can we do to make a difference in the lives of our children and youth? Can we turn the tide?
Week three: Peer Wars. God has clear instructions about who we are to be as His people and how we're to come alongside others so that we may help them, and they us, on the journey.
Week four: STAND. Not everything is going to go your way in life. Why does bad stuff happen to good people? And when it does, what are we to do about it?
Be sure and bring someone with you or, if you're not in our area or you attend another church on the weekend, you can catch all the action on our web site at www.tvcc.us/onlinesermons.htm
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