Weight loss can help us grow spiritually???!!!

Morning Everyone.....I trust that this day finds you busily about the Father's business. On one of my journey's this week I was challenged by a business sign that I noticed. And the more I thought upon it the more I realized it's significance... The sign was actually above a weight loss & work out center. As I thought about it I saw that if we simply follow the same plan for weight loss in our spiritual life we will also not only lose weight but also grow spiritually. "What's the name of the sign" you say..... well the sign read,...FOCUS...

To lose weight and get in shape physically it really takes focus in life. You cannot lose weight without that being your daily, moment by moment focus. Every meal, every activity, every snack is determined by the FOCUS on losing weight... Practice this and you will lose weight, don't and you will simply play at it with very limited results....

The same is true in our spiritual walk. Play at it and see very limited results if any at all. But FOCUS your mind and heart on growing spiritually and you will!!!

Proverbs 23:7 says... as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

The word "thinks" in the Hebrew means "estimates, or considers" Teaching us that what we consider, estimate or FOCUS on is what we do or accomplish. As I reflected on the FOCUS involved in growing spiritually, I thought how many of us really plan to grow. Because it is termed spiritual, we think that it is all GOD's responsibility. We fail to grasp that we must be intentional in our walk with Christ.

We teach and have for several years Dave Ramsey's course "Financial Peace University" at our church. I highly recommend it to everyone who hasn't been though it. But one of the principles he teaches is that we be intentional in our financial life. IN Our savings, our spending and our planning. This is also true in our walk with Christ. Be Intentional. Be Focused.

How focused are you in your walk? How intentional are you in your actions? What changes have you made? What plans have you made and goals have you set??? None? Few? Well sadly, you are a normal American Christian. But let's understand this..... being normal is NOT good!! We need a moving of God in our midst like we've never seen. It will not happen if we are normal or typical?

So what is really wrong? Why aren't we focused on our spiritual growth? I believe it is because we are satisfied! Content with things as they are. A good word here would be comfortable..... Comfortable is good in many areas of life but in regards to our spiritual walk.... It is not good!

Have you ever ran a race or joined in a walk for some event or charity. I ran (I use that term run loosely) in a 5k at Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee, NC. I had planned, prepared as best I could and when the day came, I ran and finished my course. My focus throughout was to FINISH the race. To make it to the finish line. Which I did by the grace of God.... You know big men aren't designed to run for longer distances! So it was by HIS grace I did!!! I crossed the finish line and celebrated along with many others.

For a growing Christian....where is the finish line???? Is it being saved? Is it being baptized? Is it joining and serving in a local church ( a great thing)??? Is it reading the Bible through? All of these are great ideas and we should do them but NO they are not the finish line...... HEAVEN is the finish line for true believers. Only when we cross over have we completed the race..... How should we run our race???

Philippians 3:14... I press toward the goal....

The Greek word for PRESS means to pursue like we were chasing someone on foot. Imagine you and your family are out on a family getaway having a picnic. All your family is there including the smallest member of your family. In my case it would be Hadassah, my 3 month old granddaughter. Imagine that while we were enjoying our family time that a stranger ran up and grabbed her and ran off into the woods. What would be my response? I would run as fast, as hard, as determined as I could to catch them. I would not be deterred by anything trivial. I would not quit, give up or cease until I found her and dealt with him. My goal would be to catch and rescue my precious granddaughter. How hard I would pursue them is exactly the word God uses to describe how we should press toward the goal of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Is that how you are pursuing Him in your spiritual walk? With all your heart, soul, mind and strength? I think not! Most of us have room to improve in this area. With so much to distract us and keep us from focusing on our spiritual walk and growth, we so easily lose our focus!!!

The first step (the rest will follow in future blog's) is to admit that you haven't arrived at the goal or finish line yet! Confess your complacency, satisfaction, contentment, laziness or whatever you choose to call it. Recognizing the need is the first step to finding the right FOCUS!!!! Spend some quality time allowing God to bring to mind each and every area where you have lost your focus. It could infect your family, marriage, finance and many others areas of life! Confess each one as the sin that they are! Prepare to make changes..... Follow through!!!!

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings

Bruce

The Benefits of Worship

In a day when so much is competing for our time, I uncovered a beautiful passage that reminds us to choose wisely. It is found in Deuteronomy 12...

...you must seek the LORD your God at the place of worship He himself will choose from among all the tribes-the place where His name will be honored.....There you and your families will feast in the presence of the LORD your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the LORD your God has blessed you... vs. 5 & 7...

The children of Israel are being instructed in what God has planned for them, if they follow His prescribed method of worship. Note a few things from our passage today...

1) God would determine where the people would meet with HIM..They would find the Lord at the place of worship.

2) God was the one who would determine (dictate) where worship would take place.

3) God also would determine what worship would be or accomplish...

If you have any sense of discernment about you, it is clear that God is in charge of worship. HE sets the standard for all of it. Now to be bluntly honest this flies in the face of our God belittling, God trashing culture. We (humans) like to be in charge and to think that we determine all the perimeters of our lives, sadly even in worship....

Having cruised around this old world for some 5 decades now, I certainly have seen some dramatic changes in American Christianity....aka the American Christian. It has been years since our Christian culture has seen the need and even the blessing of faithfulness in worship. We have largely relegated our seasons of gathering to worship to merely 1 hour a week.

This is not only tragic but also a sad testimony to the weakness of our walk and the size of our God. I often call this god the pocket god that is pulled out (much like a credit card) to be called upon only in time of need. We give him 1 hour a week if nothing else is pressing and then "feel" good about ourselves erroneously thinking we have "encountered" him in some meaningful way....

I believe we need to reconsider the truths surrounding worship. A few of them that are nestled in the passage we have here. I often have heard this comment from those who have abandoned corporate worship... "I can worship God anywhere.." While the basic truth of that is accurate, the vast majority of those who hold such a position do NOT worship HIM at all. They think that by staying home and watching a TV preacher or evangelist that this fulfills what God has in store for the gathering of His saints. Now I am not speaking about shut-ins, handicapped or others who have some debilitating disease but healthy individuals and families that work each and every day.

This actually shows an ignorance of the beauty of "fellowship" as God has determined it. This position robs the individual of the sharing and partnership that God desires for His children to enjoy. It is God who has birthed the church into the world and I for one, love the true church. While denomination, factions and sects are man's doings, church is God's. Where two or more are gathered together, HE is in their midst.

HE is the one who determines where He will be worshiped. Another interesting scriptural sideline is found in Romans 12.1-2. Here we learn that worship comes where sacrifice is offered. In Church, He see's our sacrifice of time, talent and treasure as forms of worship. While much is being made of "worship" in music today, the most biblically accurate form is when men and women come together and offer themselves to HIM is loving adoration and worship. What better place to find a place to sacrifice ourselves than at the Church. Brothers and sisters needing us to give lovingly to help them in their journey of faith.

It is precisely here that I believe that the true rub comes. You see, when we limit out worship time to just one hour a week or a service or two we actually limit our exposure to the needs of our church family and the call of our community. This is actually a form of self love. We so plan our lives that instead of each and every day being centered around loving and serving both God and man (not ourselves) we spend our most precious commodity (time) selfishly on ourselves. This is THE indictment on the American christian. SELFISH, SELF DRIVEN, SELF SATISFYING, SELF LOVING...

Two illustrations... I have found that in 20 plus years of pastoring that those who often demand the most time, most often give the least. One family that was a part of our church years ago, I had personally counseled at least 14 members of their family through the years. When the mother was asked to step aside for a season due to unfaithfulness in her position, to allow time for heart healing, the whole family left heading to another church. Instead of submitting to pastoral leadership, which they had agreed to do when they joined our church family, they ran away. ( I have seen this soooo many times) Sadly missing the mark when it comes to true worship. God looks for us to follow HIS prescribed method of worship....

Another time I told a family to wait on God, regarding a specific concern they had voiced with me, they "were not happy" with my response. So they left....running not to the Lord but from Him. Often times using the cover that we are praying what God would have us do.... Yet HIS word is clear, submit yourselves to those in authority over you. (Heb 13.17, 1 Peter 5.1-6) They don't need to pray but to submit to HIS will and plan for their lives.... but....Self love is Deceptive.... True worship in this case would be to trust God by following HIS under-shepherds loving instructions . Relax, wait on HIM. HE can be trusted and will work in ways we cannot imagine. But not so with the selfish Christian.

I love the benefits of true worship.....HIS wording not mine...Our families will be feasting in the presence of the Lord. We will be filled with rejoicing in all that is accomplished because HE is the one who is blessing HIS church.

Where ever self sacrifice is taking place for the glory of God, He is being worshiped. When we sing with hearts surrendered to HIM in celebration of Him, He is worshiped. When we simplistically obey His word and humbly follow the inner promptings of His Spirit (and godly scriptural counsel of His leaders) we are manifesting the heart of worship. Loving Devotion to His Majesty on high....

Rise up O church of God.... surrender your stubborn will to the one who loves you so. Die to your selfishness and let's offer our lives in humble submission to HIM. Then you will find the beauty of His presence. You will be filled with the Joy of heaven and see the phenomenal glory of the LORD!

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings

Bruce