The Answer Is Closer Than You Think

"Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17:24 (NKJV)

Everyone one of us will face difficulties in life and have questions that we need answers to. Often we find ourselves in a situation where we need wisdom to know what we should do and how we should do it. The problem comes when we look for the answers in the wrong place. As Christians we have two wonderful resources for answers in our time of trouble, God's Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Over the years as I have talked with people who are going through something where they are at a loss about what to do or they are seeking counsel about something in their life I refer them back to the Bible, God's Word. What has been surprising to me is how often those same people almost seem disappointed that I don't have something different for them. Many times the answers to the questions we have are much closer than we think and because we fail to realize this we look in all the wrong places for our answers.

In 1 Kings 19 there is a story about how God talked to Elijah when Elijah faced a bad situation. Elijah was on a mountain looking for an answer from God and there was a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire that came but the Bible tells us that God was not in those things. Then, after all of these spectacular things happened, there was a still, small voice that was God speaking to Elijah. I use this story to show how when we look for answers and we focus on some outward spectacular thing, waiting for writing in the sky, an angelic visitation, or some voice from heaven we miss the answers that God has already given us in His Word.

Not only that, but as the Bible says in Romans 8:14, the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. Then we can add 1 Corinthians 3:16 where it says that the Holy Spirit is living in us. Rather than being foolish and looking everywhere else for the answers to the questions we have we need to start with the simple truth of God's Word, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it, and let the Holy Spirit lead us and direct us. Finding the answer is a lot easier than we think because the answers are often closer than we think!

You Will Know Them By Their...

In our world today, through the Internet, advances in telephone technology and multiple channels on television a person has a wide range of ways to make connections with other people and what those other people have to say. This can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing, it all depends on who you listen to and what they have to say.

In Matthew 7:20 Jesus made a statement about how someone could recognize a false prophet, Jesus said that we would know them by their fruits. In other words, we can tell what kind of person someone is by what their life is like and what things are being produced through their life. The Bible also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 that we have to test everything and hold on to the best. Too many times however it seems that today people do not take any time to really find out what someone is like before they allow that person to influence their life and often the results are confusion and problems.

Today it seems like a lot of people think Jesus said, "You will know them by their titles, talents, tweets, or personality". But none of these things are necessarily a sign that a person is a mature, stable Christian who we should allow to influence us. Too many Christians are weak and ineffective and many times the root of the problem can be found in the people they allow to influence them. Our first and main influence should be from God through His Word, the Bible, and the direction of the Holy Spirit. If we start with this we will save ourselves a lot of problems in the long run.

We can all learn a lesson from what happened to Joshua and the children of Israel in Joshua 9 where they unwisely made a covenant with some people who were actually their enemies. What was the reason they did that? Because the people of Israel did not listen to what God had to say about those people. The people of Israel only took into consideration what the other people had to say and what those people had to offer. Just because someone has an impressive title, wonderful ability is some area, or has access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or some other form of mass communication does not mean that what they are doing or what they have to say has any real value. Be careful who you listen to and who you allow to influence you. Make sure everything you hear lines up with God's Word and you will be better off because of it!

Language Skills

Over the past 12 years since I have been living in Germany I have noticed two different things about my language skills. First of all, my ability to speak German has improved. Although I would not say I can speak German fluently I can speak it well enough to hold conversations with people and to do the things I need to do here without always having to ask someone else to speak for me. That is a really good thing because being able to speak the language of the country that you live in is vital for a missionary.

However, everything we do in the ministry of RHEMA Germany here in Bonn is done in English and in German so I am not required to speak German all of the time; being fluent in German is not as necessary for me as it might be for some other missionaries in Germany. My goal is to improve my German language skills so that I can speak even better German than I do now.

The second thing I have noticed is that my English language skills have diminished a bit. Obviously I am still able to speak English but I notice that sometimes I get stuck with even simple English words and sometimes I think of the German word for something before I think of the English word! That is a strange feeling to have. When I do speak English with people here or I teach in English I always try to find a simple way to say what I want without using too many big words. It seems to me that this may be a part of the reason my English language skills have decreased a little.

I have also noticed that sometimes my sentences follow a German sentence structure instead of English. I must say that I am very happy for the spell check program on my computer and for my family members who proof read my newsletters before they are sent out. Now I don't think I will ever lose the ability to speak English but I have noticed that living in another country has had a definite affect on my language skills. In fact, when I did the spell check on this document I found that I made five simple mistakes so I think that proves the point!

Walking In Love - What's In It For Me?

The subject of the love of God is something that is very important; love is mentioned in every letter in the New Testament. Even the small books of Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude all mention love. Walking in love is one of those things that we don't always hear that much about but living a life motivated by the love of God that is in us is a vital part of a successful Christian life.

If we read through the New Testament and study all of the Bible verses about walking in love we will find that we all have some room for improvement. Typically we tend to be selfish and we think about how what we are doing will benefit us. We might even ask the question, "What's in it for me?" as we consider doing something. The thing is that if we are going to walk in love, instead of wondering what we are going to get out of a situation we should be wondering what we could contribute to the situation and what it is that we have to give instead of what we could get.

Our goal should be to do what we can to help others and not to see what others can do for us; even Jesus said that He did not come to be served but rather to serve others (Mark 10:45). Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, love always builds up and edifies; this is what Jesus did and we should do the same. When we go into a situation only thinking about how we can benefit we will miss opportunities to help others and we will fall short of the plan of God for our lives.

Too often we only focus on getting what we want and we don't even consider others and their needs. Instead of always asking the question, "What's in it for me?" we would be a lot better off if we would always ask ourselves the question, "What can I do to help and benefit that person and how can I help in this situation?" By doing this we will walk in love and be a greater blessing to the people around us.

Keeping Your Guard Up

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

One of the best things we can do is to keep a guard on our heart to be sure that the things we allow ourselves to be exposed to help us and don't hurt us. The Bible is very clear about our having the right kind of influences in our life and the results of having the wrong influences. By this I am not just talking about hanging around with the wrong kind of people and avoiding places that everyone knows to be a bad influence. Those kinds of things are certainly included, but from what I have seen and continue to see, many Christians are allowing themselves to be influenced by teachings and beliefs that are having a harmful effect on them.

One of the things I do in my ministry is to teach various classes in Bible schools. No matter where I might be and no matter what the topic of the class might be there is always someone there who has a question about something in the Bible. Very often the questions stem from something they heard someone teach somewhere. Then, because the person who asks the question is not sure what to make of that teaching they look for someone to help them understand what the Bible has to say about that thing.

No matter what we read or listen to we must be careful about what we "hear" because it will have an impact on us. Too often Christians just listen to anything that sounds good and they get themselves into trouble because of it. When we hear or read something we must always first check it with what the Bible says. If we cannot find clear Bible verses on the subject we should stay clear of it. If we don't do that we are not guarding our heart and the result will be confusion, doubt, and a hindrance in our relationship with God. We have to guard our hearts by keeping ourselves filled with the Word of God so that we will know what the truth is. If we don't we end up with problems that can send us off course in our walk with God. Guard your heart with the truth of God's Word and keep your relationship with God strong.

2011 - The Year Of ...

Here we are once again at the end of one year and the beginning of another. With a New Year often come great expectations of things being better this next year than they were the last year. One thing I have seen is that sometimes Christians will say that this next year will be a year of ______ (fill in the blank) and most of the time whatever they say rhymes with the year coming up. But there is one thing I have noticed about all of this that usually spells disappointment and unfulfilled dreams for people as they go through the next year.

The majority of the time when people look ahead to a New Year, and especially when people "name" the year as the year of blessings or abundance or something like that, they focus on something outside of themselves. Many times when Christians talk about what they are looking for in the New Year there is a big focus on what God will do but normally there is almost no focus on what they can or should do. Now I am not against declaring that 2011 will be some great year of whatever but my question would be, how is that going to happen?

If we want 2011 to be the year of blessings and abundance or whatever then a lot of that happening is going to depend on us. We just got done celebrating Christmas where we traditionally mark the birth of Jesus but we forget that He did not just stay a baby, Jesus came to fulfill the requirements of the Old Covenant and to bring us into a New Covenant with God. God's part in our being blessed or having abundance is pretty much taken care of. Now it is our turn to do what we need to do to live in the reality of what Jesus did for us.

My desire is for each and every person to have 2011 be far superior to 2010, but again so much of that is up to us. If we really want things to be different next year then maybe we should declare that 2011 will be the year of growing up spiritually, or walking in love, or renewing our mind with the Word of God, or giving more than ever before, or being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer, or volunteering in church more often, or studying the Bible more than ever before. If we do those kinds of things then the blessings and abundance we are so often looking for will be ours. May 2011 be a year of blessings and abundance for all of us as we live our lives according to God's Word.

What Are You Doing With What You've Got?

Every day we have different opportunities about how to use our time, our money, and our talents. How do we use these things and what could we do differently in the future that would make better use of them? As a Christian I believe that how I spend my time and money as well as what I do with the abilities that I possess is very important. The Bible shows us that God has a plan and a purpose for each person and that He has given each person certain abilities that should be used to serve and glorify Him. When we make wise use of our time, money, and talents we will live a much more satisfying and successful life than if we fail to do the right thing with what we have.

Many people do not realize that God has a plan for their life and that He has given them unique talents and abilities; this is the first thing to deal with. Before we can make a good use of what we have we must realize that we have it! If you don't know what plan God has for your life or what talent He has given you then start with the other two areas of time and money. How do you spend your time and money? Are you investing in things that are temporary or things that are eternal?

One thing that everyone can do is to invest more of their time working on accomplishing God's plans and purposes and investing financially into what God is doing today. This can start with your local church but it also includes what God is doing in your city, state, nation, and around the world. Now I am not saying to give away all of your money or spend all of your time working in the church, but we all should be doing something in these areas. This will help us to discover the unique plan and purpose that God has for our life and it will also help us to develop the talents and abilities that God has given to us. Then, once we are making good use of what we have we need to keep developing our talents and help others to discover their own unique talents. So, what will you do today with your time, money, and talent? Make the most of the opportunities you have and I guarantee you will be glad that you did!

IN Everything Give Thanks

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

The original idea behind Thanksgiving Day goes back to the early settlers of the United States and a celebratory time they held in recognition of their recent successful harvest.  In 1941 President Roosevelt signed a bill declaring the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.  Sadly, thanksgiving is not something that people do a lot of, either on Thanksgiving Day or during the rest of the year.  In fact, it seems like the closer it gets to Thanksgiving and Christmas the more unhappy and grumpy people get!  People get so caught up in what is happening that they lose their perspective and seem to only think about the negative side of things.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we should give thanks IN everything, but we don't necessarily give thanks FOR everything.  For example, the weather might be cloudy, cold, and rainy, but instead of focusing on the negative we could realize that there is a lot worse weather that we could experience, so a little rain won't hurt us.  We might look at where we live or work and wish we had something better but we can at least be thankful that we do have somewhere to live and we do have a job.  While being thankful does not mean we have to be satisfied with our situation in life we should at least be grateful for what we do have.

It is also interesting to notice how this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us that giving thanks is God's will for us  If we focus on the positive aspects of life and keep ourselves in the attitude of being thankful it is easier for God to work in our life and for us to hear His direction for us.  If all we do is to complain and focus on the negative side of things our perspective is on the wrong things and that will cause us nothing but problems.  So, no matter what day of the year it is, choose to be positive and look for something to be thankful for in every situation.

The Importance Of God's Word

There are many things that are considered valuable. The value of something is normally determined by its importance or relevance to someone or some situation. Some people place more value on some things than other people would. Sometimes people do not see the value in something because they do not know its benefits or they do not realize what that thing is really worth.

While most Christians would agree that the Bible is very important many of those same people do not really know very much about what is actually in the Bible and they do not understand the relevance of the Bible for their lives. If we don't know about something or understand it then we really won't appreciate its significance and worth. As Christians we should be getting to know and understand God's Word better and we should put it into practice in our lives.

So, why is God's Word so valuable and what can it do for us? Here are a few things I found using my New King James Version of the Bible. God's Word is pure (Psalm 119:140, Proverbs 30:5), proven (Psalm 18:30), forever settled (Psalm 119:89), and profitable for many things (2 Timothy 3:16). 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that we are born again through God's Word and in 1 Peter 2:2 we are told that God's Word will help us to grow spiritually. God's Word is valuable to us because we can change our lives by renewing our mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). We are also told that faith comes by hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17), that we should live by the Words that come from God (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4), and that we need to do what God's Word says and not just hear it (James 1:23). God's Word can guide us (Psalm 119:105, 133), counsel us (Psalm 119:24), strengthen us (Psalm 119:28), and give us life (Psalm 119:50). The Word of God is very important and very valuable. Spend some time reading and studying God's Word today and let it make a difference in your life!

Running Your Race

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

One thing that many people do not understand is that God has a plan and a purpose for their life, God has a race for each of us to run. Using this example of a race there is a lot that we can learn about what we should do with our life. The first thing we need to understand is that there is a race for us to run. Some people do not understand that and so they go through life without a sense of purpose and meaning. But God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind and we need to fulfill that purpose and run our race.

People often ask me about how they can find their purpose in life and discover the plan that God has for them. My answer is to tell them that the most important thing is to grow and develop as a Christian and trust God to guide you. Another piece of advice I share with people is that I encourage them to get involved by working in their local church. Doing both of these things is a step in the right direction and as we grow up spiritually and get involved God will guide us each step of the way. No matter what we do for God it all starts out with our relationship with God.

Another thing we should realize is that we have our own race to run. Sometimes people look at what another Christian is doing and think it is the most wonderful thing in the world and they try to imitate it. But God has given each of us a race to run and if we want to finish our race on earth here with success we need to run our race and let other people run their race. When I was in high school and I was on the track team the coach might tell me to run the 1600 meter race. If I then decide to go over and run the 100 meter race I am in a place I don't belong and I won't have the same level of success as I would if I had run the race the coach planned for me to run.

Lastly I would say that a large part of our success in running the race that God has for us is that we need to be willing to put aside anything that might hold us back or slow us down. When I ran track I did not wear hiking boots and a winter parka to run, that would have been crazy! But today a lot of Christians are trying to run their race with all kinds of extra stuff in their life and because of it they only have moderate success. It is not just the sin that will hold us back, it is all the other little things that will also cause us problems.

Living a life knowing that what you do has eternal value is much better than just existing on the earth hoping to hold on long enough to get to heaven. God has a plan for our lives and we need to run our race with patience and fulfill God's will for our lives. Find your place and run your race!

Some Things Look Better When Your Eyes Are Closed

Before we had the Internet and email I used to write letters to people or send postcards. Although I still send postcards to people from time to time most of my letter writing days are behind me now. When I did write letters, and sometimes when I wrote a postcard, I would end with my name and sometimes with a little smiling face next to my name. But, the thing was that when I would draw the little smiling face I would always draw it with the eyes closed, on purpose, to make a point for myself and anyone else who I told this "secret" to: some things look better when your eyes are closed. That statement is based on a verse from the Bible, 2 Corinthians 4:18.

"while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)

There are things we can see in the Bible that do not always agree with what we see in our everyday life. For example, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is a Christian that person is a new creation and old things have passed away. By just looking at a person physically and from a natural standpoint that does not always make sense because that person does not change their physical appearance when they become a Christian. So sometimes we must look past the natural things we see to the spiritual truth the Bible teaches us.

Another example of this is when we face a difficult situation in our life or our physical body is attacked with sickness. We have the choice of what will we "look" at. Will we look at and focus our attention on the natural and physical reality that we see or the spiritual truth that the Bible shows us? While we cannot deny the reality of the situation in our life we need to realize that there is a higher reality that we need to look at if we want to have victory and success in our life.

We cannot just say to someone "I am not having a problem" or "I am not sick" or "I do not have a bill to pay" when that is the natural reality. But instead we can say like the Bible says, "No matter what situation I face God is on my side and He will help me" or we can say "Jesus took my sickness and pain on Himself at the cross and I declare myself healthy and healed" or in when we find ourselves in a challenging situation financially we can say "The Bible says God will supply everything I need". When we do this we are choosing to look at the spiritual truth in the Bible and we are choosing not to look at and focus only on the natural situation. When we do this we are doing things the way God would have us do them and by getting in line with God's Word and declaring it we are on the pathway to success. Sometimes things do look better when our eyes are closed.

Preparation For Tomorrow Starts... Yesterday

The other day I was out running and on my route there is a hill that is a bit steep. Most of the time when I see people riding their bicycles get to this hill they have to stop and walk their bikes to get to the top. While I was running the other day and starting on my way down the hill there was someone riding their bicycle the other direction approaching the hill. This person was not going very fast and as he started going up the hill he continued to peddle trying to make it all the way up without dismounting from his bicycle. As I saw this taking place I thought to myself that there is no way he will make it all the way up the hill because he waited until it was too late to really get the speed necessary to go up the hill.

As I watched this happening I got thinking about how this is just like what so many people do in life, they wait until it is too late to try and do something that they should have been doing all along. Most people wait until they have financial problems before they really try to get a handle on their finances. People don't go to see the dentist until their teeth start to hurt or they wait until they experience health problems before they begin an exercise program. These natural examples have a parallel in the spiritual realm because most Christians really don't get too serious about God and the Bible until they are in a crisis situation. By the time all of these things are taking place it is past the time to have started to do something about the situation.

My title for this blog of "Preparation For Tomorrow Starts... Yesterday" is not a mistake but an attempt to emphasize the point that we need to start right now to do the things that will help us be ready for our future. Some people have come to me with problems that they are facing and what I want to tell them is that the real answer is that they should have been doing something about this a long time ago and if they had they would not even be in their bad situation. As Christians, if we spend time with God though reading and studying the Bible and fellowship with God in prayer on a regular basis we will keep ourselves built up spiritually and then when problems come, as they always will, we will be ready to meet the challenge and come through victoriously!

Now I am certainly not trying to put guilt or condemnation on anyone with what I am saying. The good news is that even when we make mistakes and don't do what we could have or should have done in the past God will still help us, but think of the difficulties we could avoid if we would prepare ourselves as best we can beforehand. Start where you are today and get your spiritual life in order and begin to build yourself up in God's Word so you are ready to deal with any kind of difficulty. If we do all we can now to prepare ourselves then we will be in the position to stand strong and overcome in the storms of life and help others to do so too.

Real Rest And Being Refreshed

We live in a very busy society today where there is so much going on that sometimes it seems like it never stops. People make out to-do lists and instead of checking things off and completing it the list seems like it just keeps on growing. Everyone has things that they need to do and work that has to get done. But what we do in life should not bring us to the point where we can't go on anymore or we have to take a break before we have a breakdown.

Many people look forward to a time of vacation as the answer to their problem. The trouble is that often people take a vacation and come back home just as tired as they were before and sometimes even more tired. Some people dream of changing jobs or better pay at their current job only to find out that advancing in their career is not as satisfying as they thought it would be. Other people think a change in a relationship or a change of address will be the answer only to find that any new relationship or place of residence still includes them and the same issues that they faced before. Many people today live under a lot of stress and not many people seem to have a real lasting answer to the problem; but, as always, the Bible has the answer!

Jesus said: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19 (NKJV)

First and foremost a relationship with Jesus as the Savior and Lord of our life is the starting point for any real answers to what we face. But, even when someone is a Christian they are not immune to this same busyness and stress that comes from the workload that many people carry today. Personally I know what it is like to have more things to do than there seems to be time to do them. The main thing we have to do is look to God as our source of strength and satisfaction. Just doing this and keeping our focus on God will help us with what we are dealing with.

Setting priorities is definitely something we all need to do. There are also times when people are busy with things that have no real place in their life and this is causing them problems as well. Jesus said if we would come to Him He would give us rest. Acts 3:19 points out the important fact that real refreshing comes from God and nothing else. If you are facing what seems to be an overload in your life maybe you need to spend more time with God and less time with some other things. Setting your focus on God and the things that God puts value on can help you see any areas in life where there needs to be an adjustment. God wants us to live happy, healthy, and satisfying lives. We all have a lot of things to do but by looking to God and building our life on Him and His Word we can live in a place of real rest and keep ourselves refreshed.

Opportunities For Influence

Unless you are a hermit and live in a cave somewhere you interact with people every day. There are a lot of days that I work at home and even then I still have some interaction with other people either through a telephone call, an email, or through some other means over the Internet. No matter how we make our connections with other people we have an opportunity to be a positive or negative influence on them. Even if you just go shopping or something like that you are still around people that you can have an influence on one way or another.

About a year ago a couple of people encouraged me to create a Facebook account. It has been a good experience overall as I have been able to connect with friends and family that I might not otherwise have had much contact with. But I have also noticed that Facebook and other social networking Internet sites are great opportunities for influencing others. Through the Internet we have opportunities to reach out and influence others in a way that was not possible just a few years ago, but I wonder if we are all using these means we have in the best way possible.

Recently I was thinking about some people I have known in the past and what kind of an influence they had on me. There are people that I have known who helped me get to the place I am at today because they took advantage of the opportunities that were available to make a positive impact on my life. At times I have wondered how different my life would be if some of these people had not done what they did for me. It inspires me to want to do more to make an impact on others and to use every tool I have available to me to get the job done. If I am able to be in direct contact with someone then I can do it in person. If I am on the phone, writing an email, or even posting some status update on Facebook I want it to be something that will help to point people in the right direction and make a positive impact on their life. It would be a good thing if we all made the choice to take advantage of the opportunities available to us and to be a positive influence on the people around us in every way we can.

Change Your Words And Change Your Life

"A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him." Proverbs 12:14 (NKJV)

"A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled." Proverbs 18:20 (NKJV)

These two verses tell a very important Bible truth; our words will have an influence on our life. In November of last year I wrote another blog about the importance of our words. This is such a vital topic that I wanted to say some more about it. This subject is something that we see over and over again in the Bible but it seems most Christians do not really understand what their words are doing for them and even to them.

Some people would say that their life is just not what it should be and that they are not satisfied with how their life is going. My answer would be Proverbs 12:14 and Proverbs 18:20, our life is what it is now because of the things we have said in the past. There have been times when I have told people about these verses and said that if they are not satisfied with their life then they should check what they are saying. When people take a look at their life and see that it is filled with things they don't like and they are in situations that they want to change I tell them that they need to change what they say.

Now I know that the whole message of what our words will do for us has been taken to an extreme by some people but this does not do away with the biblical truth that our words will shape our life. In James 2 it compares our tongue to the rudder on a ship showing us that we can set the course for our life by the things that we say. If we will use our words wisely and say the right kinds of words it will change our life. If we would start saying what the Bible says about who we are, our life today, and our future and less about what things look like and what other people have said we would change the course of our life. If you aren't satisfied with how things are going in your life and your world seems to be filled with nothing but trouble then change what you say and you will change your life!