Your Walk-DD 11/18/2010

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise," Eph 5:15

A person's walk is no less than their manner of living. Throughout the scriptures, we are reminded to:

• walk orderly-Acts 21:24
• walk while you have the light-Jn 12:35
• walk in the newness of life-Rom 6:4
• do not walk according to the flesh-Rom 8:4
• walk by faith, not by sight-2 Cor 5:7
• walk by the Spirit-Gal 5:16
• walk in a manner worthy of the Lord-Col 1:10
• walk and please God-1 Thes 4:1
• walk according to His commandment-2 John 6
• walk with Me in white-Rev 3:4

Beloved, it is not enough to live. We must live our lives a certain way. And we must always be in motion rather than sedentary. Let us follow the dictates of our Lord. Surely our walk along His path will lead us to Him.

In Revival,

Lee

About Worrying-DD 11/17/2010

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt 6:34

There was a woman once whose son came home with the type of news no proud parent wants to hear. He had received a one day suspension from school for horseplay. It seems that he caused a young lady to fall and hit her head. Unfortunately this required stitches.

As you can imagine, the mother went into full frantic mode. "Is the girl alright?" "Is my son in trouble?" "Will the parents sue?" "Will my son be brought up on charges?" Things were made worse by the fact that there was an attempt to phone the mother of the young lady, but the call was neither answered or returned.

To be sure, it is good and right to be concerned about the welfare of another, particularly in an at fault situation. Concern, however, is the immediate neighbor of worry. Worry, in this context, is composed of anxiety. Anxiety my beloved, is like foam; it is derived from something real and tangible but is both useless, temporary and full of air. You see, unlike fear, which can prepare the mind and body for fight or flight, worry simply weighs one down with no benefit. It consumes energy and interrupts the thought process. It derails logic and threatens faith. It accomplishes absolutely nothing. No amount of worrying influences any outcome.

As it turned out, the mother of the young lady eventually called. She said that she was over being upset. She also said she did some checking to see what kind of young man the woman's son is and found the reports to be good. As a result, she felt sure that it was an accident and that everything was OK.

Just like that, the woman's worry, like foam, evaporated, having served no purpose and accomplishing no good. It had only caused discomfort and exasperation...and then was gone. Jesus asks, "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? "If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?" Luke 12:25-26. Perhaps a better use of our time in situations like these is prayer.

In Revival,

Lee

The Importance of the Word-DD 11/16/2010

"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 success." Josh 1:8

Joshua was in the process of being charged with the leadership of God's people due to the recent death of Moses. God had a number of commands for him as it related to the leadership of the people, but this particular command was directed at Joshua in particular. It is a command that we would do well to follow ourselves.

We must first speak God's word both to ourselves and each other, Eph 5:19. In so doing, His word and His commands are always top of mind for us. Deut 6:6-9 provides us with the priority this should hold in our lives. It is only when we pursue familiarity with the word that we can truly benefit from the word. So many claim, "If God said it, I believe it and that settles it." In reality, we know far less of His word than we think. In fact we know more about current events and the latest ball game scores than we do about the Word of Life.

Beloved, prosperity is tied to our knowing and doing the will of the Father. This can only be accomplished through the reading, studying, meditating, speaking and keeping of the teaching contained in the Holy and Divinely Inspired Scriptures. Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." If you want prosperity, seek it out in His word. That prosperity is spiritual and eternal.

In Revival,

Lee

That Glorious Day-DD 11/15/2010

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt 25:31-34

Beloved, the judgment is surer than our next breath. Many live their lives as if there is no such thing. There are far too many that believe death is the end of existence. The scripture has revealed to us that, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," Heb 9:27.

At the judgment, no one will be exempt and a great separation will occur. It will be a glorious day for those who have clothed themselves in Christ. After all, the very purpose of him leaving heaven was to make this opportunity available to those who would simply accept it.

I pray that we all find ourselves among the sheep on that great day.

In Revival,

Lee

Avoiding Extremes-DD 11/12/10

"Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?"
Eccl 7:16-17

It is said that this is one of the most difficult passages in the book of Ecclesiastes. How do we take its advice and remain the holy people God has called us to be? A careful examination of what is being imparted to us reveals this: avoid extremes.

Throughout the course of history, every religion has adherents who tend toward asceticism or an exaggerated and feverish form of religious life. A person like this "denies himself all pleasures through the fear of sin; he separates himself, not merely from vicious indulgences, but from occupations and amusements which he admits are innocent enough and lawful enough for those who have not the end in view he has set before himself. He is not content with the good works commanded by the Law of God; he must have his works of supererogation [doing more than duty requires]." (from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database.) You may have met this person in Luke 18:9-14 or perhaps in your own congregation. The purpose of such behavior is to store up merit and to place oneself above others in both the affections and rewards of God. It does not work that way. God is not subject to the extortion of good works.

Concerning wickedness and foolishness, many will take the sometimes lack of immediate consequences as license to misbehave. Solomon gives this advice because he says, "I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness." Eccl 7:15. It sometimes seems that the worse a person is, the more that they are rewarded. Without the conditioning of immediate reward for good and punishment for bad, many tend to do what feels good and is right in their own mind rather than follow the instruction of God. His patience and longsuffering should not be taken as unawareness or in any way interpreted as His level of concern. His overriding justice may be slow but it is sure.

Beloved, we are to lead moderate and temperate lives. We must judge the expediency in all things. The object of a godly life is neither to attempt to deserve God's grace nor to see how much we can get away with that His grace may abound. He has given us this life to enjoy , and to live in manner that glorifies Him and expresses our adoration. Think on these things.

In Revival,

Lee

He Said, She Said-DD 11/11/2010

"Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others." Eccl 7:21-22

Contextually, Solomon is extolling the virtues of wisdom while simultaneously imparting it. Here we are cautioned to not pay too much attention to the expressions of others where we are concerned. Very often we actively seek or present an inquiring ear for the positive things people say about us. It is human nature to want to hear flowery compliments about our personality, abilities, accomplishments, expressions and the like. This can lead to a false sense of security and reputation that does not represent the whole picture.

Likewise, we must not give undo credence to those who would criticize. People are very quick to form opinions and express them, often based on limited experience and understanding regarding that which they speak. Giving undo credence to these can lead to an ill advised response or an unnecessary alteration.

Perhaps the greatest wisdom contained in the passage is the gentle reminder that we ourselves have been guilty of speaking out of turn about others. The scripture says this has been the case "many times." Sobering. It is well known that everyone has something to say about everyone else. We are card carrying members of "everyone."

Beloved, let us take the whole of Solomon's advice. The apostle Paul put it this way, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me."
1 Cor 4:3-4

In Revival,

Lee

The Sensible Life-DD 11/10/10

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus," Titus 2:11-13

Beloved, as Christians, we are called to a higher standard. All around us we see sin and debauchery. It is the fad, style or trend to behave in ways that are not in keeping with godliness. The word has also correctly stated that, "...you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do — living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry." 1 Peter 4:3. Because we have done these or similar things and have been saved for them, we should never choose to go back to the death they represent.

Instead, God offers us an alternative filled with peace, promise and prosperity. He offers a better way to behave and live. It is a life connected to salvation. Jesus has said that the yoke is easy and the burden is life. What an apt description for leading a sensible and righteous life.

Let us not be called back to that from which we were called.

In Revival,

Lee