Winning for the Savior

A Christian Response to the Fall of Others

2008-08-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

This has been a very bad couple of weeks for the church. First was the news that a famous evangelist leading a “revival” was living in immorality and excessively drinking. Next came the news that the writer of the song “Healer”, who has been claiming for the last two years to be suffering from a terminal form of cancer, is a fraud. He completely made up his sickness, lying to his family, his friends, his church, and countless pulpits around the world. When he would make his “doctor visits”, he simply would sit in the doctor’s waiting room. Several months ago, he even blasphemously claimed he was partially “healed” when he stood behind John Wesley’s pulpit on a trip to England.

So how should we in the church respond to these things? First, let’s consider what we should not do. We should not throw stones and kick people when they are down. There is no need to heap scorn and hatred on the fallen. We should refrain from name calling and accusations that are unproven.

But on the other hand, we also should not excuse horrible sin. In too many cases, this has been our knee-jerk reaction. We make excuses for the sins of these high-profile people, and in so doing we add to the reproach they have already brought to the church. “Oh, there is so much pressure in revival. Satan really attacked him,” we say. Or, “Wow, he must have been really brave to come clean about this situation. Let’s just pray for him and his family.” Statements like these turn those who have committed the grave sins into victims, when they are not the victims but the perpetrators!

So often we hear people say “We should not judge others. We are all sinners saved by grace.” It’s true that if it wasn’t for God’s grace, we all could commit any sort of horrible sin. But what these statements neglect is that these men willingly turned away from God’s grace. The Bible is clear that no one can make us sin but ourselves, and when they rejected God’s grace they fell.

We are all imperfect and all commit sin, but there is a difference between occasional sins (that we all commit) and open, continual deceit. Consider the songwriter; how did he use his tremendous giftings and influence that God gave him? How many times did he blaspheme God’s name and healing power by pretending to be terminally sick? How many lies did he tell in the name of God? The reproach he has brought on the body of Christ is enormous. The victims of his sin are first the worldwide Church (for the damage his sins brought upon us, furthering the world’s perception that the church is full of hypocrites), next his family (for the untold heartache his stories put them through), and finally and most importantly, the Lord Himself (for the way this man so terribly abused His name). He is not the victim in any way. Sweeping his sin away with, “We’re all sinners” and, “How brave he is to tell the truth,” is not the New Testament model for dealing with open sin.

While it’s true that we should not walk around constantly judging our brothers and sister, when there is open sin we are to deal with it. I have no business judging those of what I perceive their sin to be, but as Christians (and all the more ministers) we must call deal with sin when it is out in the open in the Church! We are not to judge the world, but the Apostle Paul instructs that we are to deal with sin when it is inside the church (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). Excusing sin clouds our witness and makes us a joke in the eyes of the world. We cannot ignore these things, we must confront and deal with them! And that means admitting that those who have fallen have deceived us and done terrible things that cannot be tolerated by God’s people, called to be a “holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).”

So what should our response be? An acknowledgement that these men have sinned and disappointed many; a prayer that those under our care will not be negatively affected by their fall; and a fresh consecration to God, asking Him to search us and know us and take out any wicked way that be in us. We should also pray for the men that have fallen, not just that they will “have strength through this difficult time”, but that they will come to true repentance and will experience God’s tremendous grace. Not a weak sort of grace that is effective only to forgive our sins, but grace that is powerful and transforms us so that we don’t have to live in sin anymore.

As leaders, I’m very concerned if people see us ignoring and excusing sin. It will be a tacit acknowledgement that holiness is not that big a deal, that if they are just a nice guy or girl whatever they do will quickly be forgotten. We must call sin for what it is and raise up a righteous standard in our churches. Yes, we should let people know that there is forgiveness and restoration for those who truly seek it, but it’s not an instant “Get out of jail free” card. There are grave consequence for grave sin and we must never forget that.

I truly do pray that these men come to true repentance and restoration in their personal lives, and perhaps one day even restoration of their ministry. I pray that they will be protected from further enemy attacks, and that they do find those in the Church who will bring them through true Biblical restoration. So let’s respond by reminding people of God’s righteous standard and our constant need for God’s grace.

Happy New Year from the Walcotts

2008-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from snowy, frigid Michigan, where we are currently on a three-month furlough and are having a wonderful time visiting loved ones. We hope that you are having a blessed 2008 and wanted to send you this New Year greeting (along with the attached card).

2007 was an exciting year for us in many ways. We are still ministering in Generations, the youth ministry of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore. Generations currently has over 400 members and continues to see young people saved on a regular basis. We lead one of the ministry’s six zones, where we saw steady growth throughout the year. We were able to lead many young people to salvation in different evangelistic services and saw God move awesomely in many lives, as young people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and touched by the power of God. We look forward in anticipation for what God will do in the new year.

In addition to serving in the youth ministry, Cameron continues to work full time for Cornerstone. He spent much of his time in the last year working on publications, writing weekly Bible studies for Generations and two devotions a week for the Generations website. He also worked in the church’s Training and Equipping Department, writing manuals for the church’s use and teaching in the classes. Cameron was busy with the School of Leadership from April to August, helping on staff at the Bible school that Cornerstone is running. He was also invited to minister in different places and countries during the year and we thank God for the open doors.

Delia continues to work as a teacher at East View Secondary School. She enjoys working with the students and has an excellent relationship with them. Several of her students have come to church, and ex-students retain a close relationship with her. Together, Delia and Cameron also taught a class at Cornerstone on courtship, looking in depth into Biblical views on romance and encouraging the church’s singles to seek God’s best for their lives.

The highlight of our year has definitely been watching the growth of Caleb, who turned one year old in December. Caleb is a real joy and seems to mature every day! He is rapidly learning to talk and his favorite words are "Bible", "Amen" (which he hurriedly repeats after praying for his food so that the eating can commence sooner!), and "Bob" (after the red tomato in Veggie Tales). He easily stands up and has taken unsupported steps on a couple of occasions, but usually still doesn’t have the confidence to walk without holding onto something. He loves being with both sets of his grandparents and his aunts and uncles as well.

We are going to be continuing in the States until the middle of February when we will return to Singapore. We have had and will have the privilege of visiting and ministering in several churches while we are here and we treasure the times we are getting to spend with many of you.

We look forward to the year 2008. In praying about the new year, we received the verse Psalm 27:8, "When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’" God is speaking that this is a time to seek Him, to draw nearer to Him than ever before in our prayer, in our worship, in our study of His Word. God is looking for a righteous people that will love Him passionately, and it is our prayer that we will all be part of that company! May we all answer God’s call and seek His face with all of our hearts.

We thank you for all of your prayers and think of you often, even as we are often on opposite sides of the world. We keep you all in our prayers and pray that you will know the blessings and the presence of God throughout this year. We hope to hear back from you and will write you all again soon!

God Bless,

Cameron, Delia, and Caleb

Experiencing God's Goodness Through Trials

2007-10-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).”

As a basketball player, the best way you get to know your teammates is when you are going through a difficult game. When the opponent is easy and everything is going great, all of your teammates seem reliable; you only really get to know their strengths and weaknesses when time is running out and you desperately need someone to make a play. It is the same in many situations in life; we find out who someone actually is not in good times but in the bad ones!

In the above verse we see that God wants us to taste and see that He is good. In other words, God doesn’t only want you to know He is good in your head, He wants you to experience it in your every day life. God’s goodness is His inherent nature of kindness, compassion, and virtue; He wants us to know Him as a good God. And one of the greatest ways we get to know God’s goodness is when He leads us through trials.

This truth may not make a lot of sense at the beginning. Many times we associate God’s goodness with His blessings, and that is true; however, sometimes He blesses us by leading us through difficulties in this life. As we go through trying situations on earth, we come to know God in a way we never could in easy times. The confusion around us makes the goodness of God shine all the brighter. The truth is that Jesus never promised His followers a life of earthly ease and prosperity, but rather He promised eternal glory and heavenly riches! And our trying times on earth give us treasure in heaven that is far greater than anything on earth; God works every situation for our eternal good (Romans 8:28).

Consider Joseph. He was a righteous man who served God, yet his brothers hated him and sold him into slavery in Egypt. After this he was unjustly thrown into prison, and was forgotten by everyone who he had helped. Yet after many years of horrible treatment, in the end Joseph became the governor of all Egypt (behind Pharaoh) and through his wisdom saved the nation and the surrounding people by storing grain for the years of famine. Eventually he was reconciled with his brothers, and his testimony to them was this, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20).” God had a good purpose through all his suffering.

We can also think about the Apostle Paul. In the middle of a successful missionary journey, he and his coworker Silas were thrown into the inner dungeon of a Philippian prison. How did Paul respond? By praising God in the middle of his dungeon! He proclaimed the goodness of God when everything around him was going wrong. In the end, God sent an earthquake to release the prisoners, and the jailer himself got saved, along with all his family! Proclaim the goodness of God in every situation, for He is good all the time, regardless of what you are going through.

Let’s focus our eyes and our minds on Jesus, the One who is infinitely valuable, the Greatest Treasure. When we see Him we are overwhelmed and captured by His goodness. He is worth so much more than our present struggles. Jesus is waiting for you, so praise Him in every circumstance. He is good.

The God Who Hears

2007-10-02T01:15:00.000-07:00

“And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear (Isaiah 65:24).”

When you’re hurting, God comforts.
When you’re missing, God seeks.
When you’re empty, God fills.
When you’re weak, God strengthens.
And when you’re praying, God hears.

Lately I have been going through a very stressful situation. My wife and I are attempting to buy a flat but have met one obstacle after another in completing the purchase. Making the matter worse is that we have to move out of the place we are currently renting. So I’ve been frantically trying to arrange a new place for us to stay, and everything is very last-minute because of the unexpected delays. Of course, we have been praying for God’s direction every step of the way, but sometimes have been unsure what He is directing us towards. As I was thinking about these things this week and pondering what God is doing, I felt this reassurance that God is the “God Who Hears.”

He is the God who hears us when we are in bondage. The children of Israel had been in Egyptian slavery for four hundred years when God appeared to Moses and told him He had heard the Israelites’ cry. He knew of their captivity and now was going to send Moses to deliver them. Are you struggling with a bondage? Are you oppressed by the chains of sin, depression, or illness? Cry out to God today and realize He is a God who hears your cry. You may not see your deliverance instantly, but if you cry out in true faith and repentance your miracle is on the way. God hears your cry for deliverance.

He is the God who hears us when we are in pain. The Scriptures tell us He is the “God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).” When you are in pain, whether physical or emotional, God is interested in comforting you and drawing you to His side. Never think that He is unaware of your pain, but realize that as your child He knows all about it and is going to send you comfort. Cry out to God for comfort, and He will hear and walk alongside you.

Finally, He is the God who hears us when we are unsure. We are told to cast all of our care upon Christ, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). What a tremendous promise! The verse doesn’t say to only cast your big cares upon God, but all of your cares upon Him. That includes things like, “Where should I live?”, “What kind of grades am I going to get?”, “Why do I feel lonely?” Every single one of your concerns matters to God, and we can cast all of them upon Him! He hears your cares. So let’s learn not to worry about these natural things, but simply ask God for help. He comforts, He seeks, He fills, He strengthens, He hears. Praise Him for His never-ending help!

Lessons from Caleb-Calling God's Name

2007-09-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

“And it shall come to pass, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32).”

I have learned many lessons lately from my nine month old son, Caleb. Within the last couple of weeks, he has started calling “Dada” or “Mama” when he wants attention from either me or my wife, Delia. The feeling is amazing when he looks up at me and says with his cute little voice, “Dada.” It instantly makes me want to stop whatever I am doing and pick him up, play with him, and let him know that he is loved!

I believe that our Father in heaven feels much the same way when we call His name. He is waiting for us to turn away from all earthly distractions, look to Him and call on Him for deliverance. He will save and deliver all who cry to Him. This saving goes far beyond our initial salvation experience. He’s not only after a one-time experience where we call Him Savior, but desires us to have a lifestyle where we consistently seek Him. He can deliver us from every sin, bondage, and destructive habit; He can bring salvation and revival to our schools, families, and neighborhoods; He can cause us to live a truly victorious life-but are we faithfully seeking Him for these things?

Of course, when I write about calling on the name of the Lord I mean something more than just saying “Father”, “God”, or “Jesus” with our lips. That is important, but it is easy to just say the words. Rather, God is looking for people who will come to Him in true brokenness and desperation, just as my son comes to me. Caleb often uses all of his energy and focus just to crawl to where I am sitting and grab hold of the bottom of my leg so I can reach down and pick him up. If we can just lay aside all of our busy activities and scratch the surface of true desire to come to Christ and call His name, God will come running to meet us and our needs as well. God doesn’t look for the very popular, highly educated, or naturally successful, but for those who will truly focus and abandon themselves to Him.

There is another thing I have noticed when Caleb calls out to me or crawls to my side. Sometimes he calls because he has a need (hunger, pain, sleepiness, etc.), and sometimes he calls just because he wants to be close to me. Shouldn’t our relationship with our Father in heaven be the same? Yes, we should definitely come to Him with our specific needs, things like healing, salvation for family members, and help on our exams. But there should also be many more times when we come to Him, not with an agenda, but simply because we want to spend time in His arms.

Finally, when Caleb has called me and I pick him up, he always clings to me. Especially if there is a loud noise or a scary situation, his little fingers grip my neck or shirt very tightly! He is determined to not be separated from his father. God is looking for that same desperation in us, that we do not let God go but cleave to Him in prayer. Let’s all apply these lessons from Caleb’s very natural life into our spiritual one! We have a Heavenly Father who is infinitely wise, good, and merciful; He is simply waiting for us to truly call out to Him! He will supply all we ever need.

All from Christ

2007-08-21T00:41:00.001-07:00

Last year my sister bought me a gift certificate from the iTunes music store. I was able to purchase music against the balance of this certificate. This was a really great present; I could buy without having to pay! Everything I purchased came not on the basis of my money but on the gift that she gave.

Righteousness is one of the greatest gifts we can ever receive in life. It basically involves our ethical conduct; a righteous person does what is right. But how does one become righteous? Is it through our own effort or inherent goodness? Can we decide, “I’m going to be righteous” and do it on our own? The answer is no.

The basis of all true righteousness is the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus lived on earth as a man for 33 years. He was 100% God but also 100% man, yet He never gave into His human nature and sinned. He was perfectly righteous throughout His time on earth. How does His perfect life apply to our righteousness? The answer comes through understanding the two types of righteousness, imputed and imparted.

Imputed righteousness means righteousness that is “counted” to us, not earned by us. The moment we have faith in Christ and believe Him to save us, God counts us as righteous (Romans 4:21-25). Our faith connects us to Christ, and though we still have a fallen, sinful nature, God no longer looks upon us in judgment. Instead, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ. That is the way we are saved and the reason we are given entrance into heaven. It is the Greatest Trade of All Time; Jesus takes our sin and gives us His righteousness, He took our death and gives us His reward. Imputed righteousness comes only through faith.

Imparted righteousness is where God no longer only counts Christ’s righteousness to us; instead, He actually begins to fill us with the very righteousness of Christ (Matthew 5:6). Imparted righteousness is the process where our very character is changed and transformed. Just as it is with imputed, imparted righteousness only comes through faith. As our faith increases, God fills us with more and more of His character.

So we must understand that true righteousness never comes through ourselves or our own will. It always comes from God. Even imparted righteousness only comes after we have a clear understanding of imputed. God accepts us not based on our good works but on Christ’s perfect life. Our actions could never be enough, but Jesus has done it all. If we try to be righteous through our own effort, we will live a life of frustration, but if we learn to rely on what Christ has done and then allow Him to do His works through us we can have a life of victory.

Righteousness always follows true faith in Christ. Our actions do change when we are saved and as we draw closer to God, but it never starts with our actions. Rather, our actions are just the proof of the faith God has placed on the inside of us. It all starts with Christ; every good thing we have in life is all from Him.

All from Christ

2007-08-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

Audio Sermons

2007-08-14T01:31:00.000-07:00

If everyone wants to listen to some of my sermons, they are located here...Click and give them a listen!

God Bless,

Cameron

Making Disciples

2007-08-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).”

The ministry of Jesus was not just about preaching and healing; it was also focused on teaching. He took time to teach people principles that would lead to transformed lives.

This was especially true in regards to His twelve disciples. These men were with Him daily for the better part of three and a half years. He followed up on the original decision they made to accept Him by reinforcing their faith and teaching them the ways of the Kingdom of God. He let them see the way He lived and was an excellent example for them.

From the life of Jesus, we see two primary modes of follow up that are necessary for us to give new believers: modeling and teaching. Neither modeling or teaching is sufficient without the other. If we model but do not teach, people will be inspired by our example but will lack the tools to follow it; if we teach but do not model, people will be filled with information on the Christian life but will lack the inspiration to do it.

Modeling refers to the good example we give with our lives. The disciples got to see the perfect example of Christ up close, and we likewise should live in a godly manner that new converts can see. The Apostle Paul was able to encourage people to “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).” It is necessary to model good behavior for others to follow.

Teaching is explaining God’s Word and ways to others. Jesus did this throughout His time with the disciples. After teaching the parables of the Kingdom, He privately explained their meaning to the 12 (Matthew 13:36-50). On another occasion, He gave perhaps the greatest teaching in the history of man in the Upper Room, just hours before His arrest and crucifixion (John 13-17).

Jesus invested much of His life and teaching in followup during His time on earth. He reached people not only to the point of decision but to the point of growth. As His followers, we must do the same.

With Great Knowledge Comes Great Responsibility!

2007-07-30T21:37:00.001-07:00

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me (Ezekiel 33:7).”

I’m playing forward in a 2-3 zone defense for my basketball team. Basically, this means I’m playing near the rim, directly to the left of the center. The ball is passed by the offensive team to the right wing and our defense shifts that direction. Suddenly, an opponent cuts behind the back of the center so he can’t see what’s happening. “Backdoor!” I shout. “Weakside!” My shout gives the center warning and he turns around to defend his position. If I hadn’t spoken up, the offense would have had an easy layup in my teammate’s zone. It would have been his area, but I would have been responsible for not warning him. My knowledge becomes my responsibility!

As believers, God has given each of us knowledge of spiritual things. But, to borrow and adapt a phrase from the popular movie, with great knowledge comes great responsibility! He has set us apart and made us like watchmen, as He did Ezekiel. Imagine if a watchman in olden days knew that his city was about to be attacked and didn’t warn the army; he would have lost his life. A watchman has a job to do!

We have a divine responsibility. If we do not warn the wicked of their sins, their blood will be on our hands. If we do not warn our neighbor, our coworker, our loved ones, if we do not share the Gospel with them, if we do not share the message of God’s love and holiness and mercy, their blood will be on our hands.

We are not responsible for seeing people converted-rather, we are responsible to spread the message. The response of the person is out of our hands. If we faithfully witness to someone and they do not repent, we have absolved our responsibility. God has chosen each of us to spread His message to certain other people. If we do not do it, there is no guarantee that someone else will! We have a tremendous responsibility.

By virtue of our knowledge and the salvation we have received, we are “debtors” to all men (Romans 1:14). We owe them the truth. So let’s fulfill our mandate to the dying world. Reaching people is a command from God, so let’s act on it. Not just one time, but throughout our lives.

The Power of One

2007-07-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

The two armies were facing off, the Israelites on one side and the Philistines on the other. Neither army wanted to make the first move, so they waited in an uneasy silence. A young man, the son of the king, knew that God was ready to fight for His people, so he decided to go to the Philistine camp by himself, one man and his armor bearer against an army. They climbed up a hill on their hands and knees to face the army. He defeated a whole garrison, killing 20 of their men in rapid succession. When the rest of the Israelites saw this, they took courage and attacked the enemy, winning a great victory. The Philistines retreated and God’s people had a great deliverance that day. He was a champion, and his name was Jonathan (1 Samuel 14).

An important man named Caesar was the emperor, while Herod was the king. Famous Pontius Pilate was the governor, and Philip and Lysanias were other provincial leaders in the empire. Meanwhile, a young man was living in the desert, eating grasshoppers and wearing a camel’s coat. When God was looking for someone to shake the nation, He didn’t choose the important rulers; he chose the man from the wilderness. He baptized thousands of people in water, led many disciples, and pointed a whole generation of Israelites to Jesus Christ. He was the greatest man who had ever lived up to his time, and his name was John the Baptist (Luke 3, Matthew 11:11).

His family was so poor they couldn’t offer a goat at His dedication; instead they offered a couple of small birds. His birth even took place in a barn. He never wrote a book, never traveled far from his hometown, never had children and was never even married. When He wanted to ride a donkey for His triumphant entry, He had to borrow from someone else because He didn’t own one. Yet, He was and is the most important figure in the history of the universe. He’s so important that time itself is split in half (BC and AD) based on His life, and by His blood and through His mercy He has saved billions and billions of souls from eternal destruction. His name, which is above every other name, is Jesus Christ.

Sometimes when we think of people who can change the world, we think of important figures we see on TV, or famous pastors and evangelists. But when God looks for world changers, He doesn’t look only to the rich and the powerful. He looks to anyone who will yield themselves to Him and live with faith and courage. He looks to people like you. Will you be the one who makes a difference in your generation? Are you going to reach, reach to the unsaved and the lost all around you? If you do, God is going to use you. You can bring radical change to your generation, not for your glory or fame but for the glory of God alone. One person can make a difference. Will you be that one today?

2007-07-10T01:20:00.001-07:00

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16).

When I’m driving, I know that the car will speed up when I hit the gas pedal. When I hit the brake, I know that it’s going to slow down. I don’t worry about whether or not it’s going to work, I just know; the gas pedal and brake will both change the way my car is moving.

In life, we often encounter situations where we know a change is needed. What is our best course of action in such times? The answer is prayer. Prayer always changes things. We often think of prayer as communication, as conversation, or as an activity that Christians are supposed to do. These things are all very true, but one aspect of prayer that we must not neglect is that prayer contains tremendous power and brings transformation to our every day lives!

The above verse says that the effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. That means it accomplishes a great work, or brings about mighty change! Notice that the prayers must be effectual and fervent. This means we cannot just offer one weak prayer and expect it to instantly be answered, but we must pray persistently and passionately. And if we do, our prayer will help bring about God’s will on earth.

After this verse is the story of Elijah. James recounts the time that Elijah fervently prayed that the rains may come and end the drought in the land of Israel. It was Elijah’s prayers that had brought the drought (as an instrument of God’s judgment), and it was now his prayers that would bring the rain. Elijah prayed seven times before he saw the first cloud, but shortly after the skies opened up and there was a great rain. His prayer changed even the weather around him.

So make sure your prayers always have a purpose. Pray with a change in mind, something you are asking God to do on the behalf of you and His people. Our prayers can change lives, circumstances, and even nations. So keep on praying, and God Himself will bring about the change.

Three Qualities of David

2007-07-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

He chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds (Psalm 78:70).

I worked several jobs before (and sometimes in between) being in full-time ministry. I was a hamburger maker at McDonald’s, a cutter of beef at a restaurant called Sign of the Beefcarver, and a data entry clerk at a loan agency. I dragged away fallen tree banches, mowed lawns, managed tellers, and counted millions and millions of dollars (belonging to a bank, not me!). Sometimes these jobs seemed insignificant, but I now realize that I learned important lessons from each one of them. God used mundane tasks to teach me truths that would be invaluable in my life!

God also used everyday things to prepare young David. We know that he ended his life as a great king and a mighty warrior, but he began as an insignificant shepherd, one young man surrounded by only a few sheep. God chose David to be the next king when he was still in his teens, working as a shepherd for his father. His own family didn’t consider David to be anything special, but God saw David’s heart. Your life may also seem to be trivial; just one student, or NS man, or worker, among thousands. But when other people see just a normal youth, God may see a king. There were three primary qualities that David learned as a shepherd boy that prepared him to be a king: faithfulness, wisdom, and righteousness.

1) Faithfulness. David was faithful to take care of the few sheep his father had left him. He was patient with the old and sick as well. It is so important to learn faithfulness now. This applies to completing your homework on time, attending all your classes, showing up for meetings promptly, and being a good manager of your money, among many other things. If you cannot be faithful now in little things, you will never be faithful in great things (Luke 16:10). So give your best effort in every task that you do.

2) Wisdom. David learned wisdom through guiding these few sheep; he had to take care of all their needs. Wisdom is the ability to make the right choices, and David was known for his wisdom. As a young person, you need wisdom to know what classes to take, which jobs to consider, and what kind of relationships to be in. As you grow older, your decisions will continually become more important, so learn to make the choices today.

3) Righteousness. David guided the sheep with complete integrity (Psalm 78:72); he did what was right even though no one else could see his actions. Do you have integrity in your everyday life, or do you allow people to influence you to do things that you know are wrong? Remember, even if your teacher or employer is not watching you, God is. He sees all of your actions. Let’s cry out to God that He will clothe us and fill us with the righteousness of Christ so that we do what is right from our hearts (Romans 5:17).

You may just be a “shepherd” boy or girl now, but if you are faithful to learn these things God will raise you up to do mighty things for Him. Allow God to give you these same three qualities, so that the life and glory of Christ can shine through you. Now is the time for all of us to be faithful, wise, and righteous. God can use this kind of servant to change the world for Him!

Patience's Perfect Work

2007-06-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4).”

It’s 12:30 AM and the baby is still crying. You’re 10 minutes late and the traffic is not moving. You’ve been waiting in the restaurant for an hour and the food is still not coming. Sound like fun? Not really, but all of these situations are opportunities in life to learn patience.

Patience is a very valuable quality that is rare to find. We live in a fast-food society where everyone is looking for instant gratification, but God’s Word instructs us to seek and desire patience. Patience enables to wait a long time for a desired outcome. It was patience that enabled Job to triumph in his trial (James 5:11), and it is patience that will enable us to do the same. Patience is not always attractive on the outside, but it is instantly valuable. Ask God to make you a patient person!

God has been speaking to me about patience a lot this week, as I know that I am often times very impatient! My wife and I had a few challenging nights with our six month old son this week, where he cried and cried for hours at a time instead of sleeping (most likely due to teething). The temptation is there to grow frustrated and upset, but it is also an opportunity to learn how to deal with difficulty in a God-honoring way.

Of course, crying babies and traffic jams are minor issues in the big picture of our spiritual lives, but the way we deal with these little things is important. The Scripture tells us to let patience have its perfect work, and from these words we understand that patience is a process. Learning to be patient in minor, everyday things will give us the patience we need when long trials and difficulties come. We cannot pray, “God give me patience, and give it to me right now!” Instead, we need to allow the process of patience to be worked deeply in our lives.

So let’s learn not to rush but to always ask God for His patience instead. We serve a patient, longsuffering God and we should follow this good example. Learn to wait in every aspect of your life. Perhaps you need to wait for acceptance into a school, or for a possession that you really think will help you. Many of you may need to wait for the mate God has in store for you. In all of these issues and more, seek that patience will have its perfect work in you. True patience will never disappoint.

Fire Spreads

2007-05-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

“And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us (Luke 24:32)?”

One of the worst disasters of the nineteenth century was the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred in 1871. This fire was responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and claimed over 200 lives. How did such a terrible fire start? It began in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, when one cow allegedly kicked over a lantern. This burned down the barn and the flame spread throughout much of the city. Amazingly, one cow had such an impact. Why? Because fire always spreads!

An example of this took place after the resurrection of Christ. His disciples did not yet know that He had risen from the dead, and two of them were walking on the road down to Emmaus. Jesus joined them and began explaining the Scriptures to Him. They did not know who He was until He prayed, and He then vanished from their sight. After He was gone, they commented, “Our hearts burned as He explained the Scriptures to us!” The fire of the Holy Spirit that burned inside of Christ spread to His disciples as well.

The very nature of fire is to spread. Any flammable material will be overtaken by the flame. The same is true in the spirit; if we are burning with the fire of God, we will spread it to others. The fire of God, that passion for His presence and zeal to win the lost, is contagious. So do you want to see change in your home, in your cell group, among your friends? Do you want to see increased passion in those around you? The answer is to burn yourself.

So instead of looking at others and waiting for them to burn, let’s ask God to send revival and start with us. Let’s cry out for another Pentecost, for a fresh baptism of fire that will overtake and envelop us. Then let’s take this fire to the world. It will spread, and we will see a generation changed, one fire-carrier at a time.

That's What Heaven Will Be

2007-05-22T00:14:00.001-07:00

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3,4).

Do you ever get tired of struggling with sin? Do you ever wish that you could be completely holy and pure? Do you desire to be like Jesus? I know that I do, and every believer should. We have a new nature that is crying out to be free, a new impulse within us that longs for holiness. As I was pondering these things yesterday, God directed my thoughts towards heaven, and the wonderful place that it will be. And a remarkable blessing of heaven is that it will be the place where we are completely, totally, sin-free.

Can you imagine that? A day is coming when you will never again have a sinful thought; you’ll never speak a wrong word; you’ll never have a feeling of pride or jealousy wash across you. How wonderful that day will be! God will be with us, dwell among us, and He will complete our righteousness. What a wonderful promise it is, that the day is going to come when I no longer have any struggle with any sin or battle with unrighteousness. The primary blessing of heaven is the fact that we will be with God eternally, and one of the first consequences of this primary blessing is our complete and final sanctification.

Of course, God doesn’t want us to wait until we get to heaven to be holy; He wants us to start the process now. Victory is not something we wait for in eternity; we are called to reign in this life (Romans 5:17), today. But we need to understand that our victory here on earth is just the smallest foretaste of our victory in heaven. The greatest saint on earth is like a shadow compared to those who have been glorified. The anointing of the Holy Spirit we have today is just a deposit of the astounding inheritance that is awaiting us (Ephesians 1:14). Let’s trust God to give us holiness, righteousness, victory, health, peace, and joy to their fullest possible extent while we are here on earth, but let’s always remember with hope; something even greater is coming. There is a heaven to win, and that is our destiny.

So lift up your eyes and fix your affections on heaven (Colossians 3:2). It has been said with good intentions that it’s possible to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good, but I believe that is an incorrect statement. If we are truly heavenly minded, we will produce maximum earthly good, for we will realize that all the things we accomplish on earth are bearing eternal fruit and bringing eternal joy and happiness to God’s people. Being heavenly minded will increase our evangelism, increase our help of the poor, and increase our walk of holiness while on earth. We have a wonderful destiny of holiness ahead of us. Forever and ever we will be with Jesus, perfectly sinless and full of joy and peace. The promise is sure, so let’s walk in such a way that we win the prize in the end!

Building an Ark When It's Never Even Rained

2007-05-18T02:44:00.001-07:00

And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him (Genesis 7:5).

For a moment, close your eyes and imagine something with me. Imagine a boat that is bigger than a football field. Imagine trying to build this boat, with no electricity, no modern technology, and no army of workers. Now imagine building this boat in the middle of dry land, far away from any sea. Finally, imagine doing this when it has never even rained!

Essentially, this is what God commanded Noah to do. The ark that Noah built was a truly gigantic edifice, so big that it took him one hundred years to build. It had never rained on earth (the climate was different in pre-Flood times), and Noah was being commanded to build a boat on dry land! It made no sense at all to the natural mind.

Imagine how Noah must have been mocked and laughed at. The evil men and women that were filling the world at that point must have made a huge joke out of Noah’s efforts. Certainly everyone thought he was insane to be building this boat on dry land. It consumed all of his energy, efforts, and resources. Yet, Noah knew God had commanded him to build it, and he obeyed.

And it’s an excellent thing he obeyed! Noah’s obedience preserved the human race during the flood, and we are all now his descendants. If he had disobeyed this seemingly ludicrous instruction, all life on earth would have ended. His obedience led to great blessing for himself, his family, and all of us that are still on earth.

The point for us today is that we must obey God, no matter what His instructions to us are. God may sometimes ask us to do things that seem to make no sense at all. Sometimes the right decision is not the one that we would make through natural wisdom. But if you are going to be used of God to bring blessing to your generation, you must be willing to do what doesn’t make sense to your mind and obey God.

When I was 17, I was offered a scholarship to my dream school, the University of Michigan. Accepting the scholarship and graduating from there would have led to great opportunities in the future, and accepting it certainly seemed to be the most logical choice. However, God spoke to me that I should not go to U of M, but should instead wait and attend Bible school. By God’s grace, I obeyed His instruction and learned that what seems like the most sensible choice is not always the best choice. We should always obey God over our own minds.

Obeying God is always the best way to go, and is our duty as a Christian. And when we do obey, He brings great blessing upon us. So be willing to do something crazy for God. Is he asking you to go to the mission field? Share the Gospel to the toughest person you know? Turn down a lucrative job offer for something else? Follow Noah’s example; build an ark when it’s never even rained. You can bring salvation to your generation.

The Deadly Danger of Jealousy

2007-05-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him (Genesis 4:8).

Do you have any siblings? How do you get along with them? I hope you get along well (as my sister and I do), but the sad truth is many siblings have bad relationships with each other. And unfortunately, the first pair of siblings on earth also had a very bad end to their relationship!

Cain and Abel, both boys, were the first two children born to Adam and Eve. As they grew, Cain became a farmer while Adam was a shepherd. When it came time to give an offering to God, Abel offered a sheep while Cain offered some of his vegetables. The Bible tells us that God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. Cain became filled with jealousy towards Abel and killed him in his anger. God judged Cain and made him a wanderer throughout the earth. It was a very sad end, but there are many lessons we can learn from their story.

First, why did God accept Abel’s offering while rejecting Cain’s? The answer is that Cain offered God the vegetables he had grown; in other words, he was trying to justify himself through his own efforts. However, God does not forgive us based on the good things we do; forgiveness comes through faith in Christ. Thus Abel’s offering of a lamb signified the need that the Lamb of God would one day have to die in order for man to be forgiven. Cain should have obtained a sheep from Abel in order to sacrifice. We need to keep in mind that our own efforts can never cause us to find favor in the eyes of God. The only currency in God’s Kingdom is faith in Christ, the one who has paid the price for all of our sins. And it’s only through focus on Him that we grow and be made more into God’s image. So if you are desperate for a change in your life, don’t look to yourself, but focus on the sacrifice of Christ.

Next, we see in this story the grave danger of jealousy. Cain murdering Abel was the first murder in the history of mankind, and what was at its root? Jealousy. Cain couldn’t stand the fact that God had accepted Abel’s offering and rejected his. His jealousy consumed him and ate away at him until he was willing to kill his very own brother. Jealousy destroys lives. Think of King Saul, who spent his last ten years as king in a desperate attempt to kill David due to his jealousy of him. If we are ever going to go on towards maturity in our spiritual lives, we must cry out to God to remove all jealousy from our hearts.

When God confronted Cain with his sin, Cain asked “Am I my brother’s keeper?” In other words, he didn’t want to care for Abel. However, as believers, we are our brother and sister’s keeper! We are responsible for their well-being and should rejoice when they rejoice. Cain should have congratulated Abel on his acceptable offering and learned from him; instead, he hardened his heart in jealousy and didn’t repent before God. Cain’s entire life was ruined by his hatred and jealousy of Abel, and even his children suffered as a result; his entire line grew apart from God. Fill your mind and heart with blessings towards others and let all the jealousy be removed from your heart.

Glorious Purpose

2007-05-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been very good at archery. Every time I ever try to shoot the bow and arrow, I miss the bull’s eye. It can be frustrating to miss the mark so often! Fortunately for me, ability to hit a target with an arrow is not necessary for any part of my life!

However, there is another target that I do need to hit, and that is the target God has made for my life. God has created me with a purpose, and it is the same for each one of you-there is a target you should be aiming for, a purpose for which you have been created. The Apostle Paul understood that he was created for a purpose, and he wrote:

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

The fundamental reason that each of one of us has been created is to bring God glory; that is your ultimate purpose. But how can we bring glory to God? What can we do for the Sovereign Lord of all? I believe there are three purposes God has for each of us, three purposes that will give us a glorious life that glorifies God. We should be motivated by these things at all times, and they all revolve around Jesus.

1) Knowing Jesus. God wants us to have an experiential knowledge of who He is, to know His character, His ways, His voice, His Word, His nature, and His experience. We were created for fellowship with God and He wants us to draw near to Him and be His Bride. If we are going to know God, it takes study, desire, and faith. Study, because the Scriptures reveal who God is; desire, because we need to cry out to know Him on a personal level; and faith, because we must believe He wants to reveal Himself to us. Let’s press in to know God more.

2) Making Jesus Known. God doesn’t just want us to know Him; He then wants us to introduce Him to others. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and that should be our goal as well. God wants us to have a heavenly vision with an earthly mission, where we are His hands and feet extended to our dying world. You are here to witness, so reach out to your family, your friends, your school and your nation.

3) Becoming Like Jesus. This is the glorious hope of each Christian. God has predestined us to be conformed into the image of His Son. How glorious it will be to love how Jesus loves, think how Jesus thinks, reach out how Jesus reaches out, and be pure and holy and righteous as He is. And the way we become like Jesus is through learning and following Him in small, day-to-day things. So in everything you do in life, natural or spiritual, do it with purpose, realizing you are being changed to be like Him.

So live your life with a purpose. Be driven towards these three goals. Life is all about Christ and we glorify Him through these three purposes. He is Everything.

Responding to Tragedy-The Overcoming Love of Christ

2007-04-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

April 20, 1999, is a day etched in my memory. I was driving home from work one evening and was stuck in a traffic jam when I happened to pass one of my friends. He rolled his window down and asked me if I had heard the news; there had been a school shooting. As soon as I got home I turned on the news and was shocked and stunned by the images I saw. It was the day of the Columbine massacre, where two gunmen stormed a Colorado high school and killed 12 students and 1 teacher.

I was reminded of that terrible day this week, of course, after hearing of the overwhelming tragedy at Virginia Tech University. 32 people, mainly university students, were killed. Such events are numbing and horrifying, and showcase how our generation is under more Satanic attack than any before us. We live in a world inundated with violence. Terrorism is a constant threat. Tens of thousands of babies are murdered every day through legalized abortion. Shootings, war, natural disaster; the list goes on and on. I remember how sad I was after the Columbine incident, and I asked God what we can do to combat such a problem. The answer He gave me is found in Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him [Christ] who loved us.”

It is only the love of Christ that will overcome our hate-filled world. Our love and good feelings are insufficient, but Jesus’ love is omnipotent. Real love has tremendous power. Politicians’ bright ideas and innovative laws can’t solve the world’s problems; better education won’t get it done; even good sermons aren’t enough to overcome the hatred in the world and the sin in fallen man. Only a demonstration of Christ’s love is sufficient.

What is Christ’s love, and how does it look like in us? First let’s see what it’s not. The love of God is not a sentimental, man-made feel good attitude that tells everyone they’re okay. Rather, the love of God is a real power that stands against sin and for righteousness. It looks down on no one but points everyone up to the real source of life, God Himself. And real love, at its very essence, is sacrificial. After all, that’s how God showed His love for us, by giving of His own life (Romans 5:8); and that’s the greatest love we can show to others (John 15:13).

So let’s overflow with the real love of Christ. We need to preach the Gospel, but let’s make sure we are coupling that with genuine sacrifice and compassion for others. If our generation is going to be saved, it must start with the demonstration of God’s love in us. Binding the devil won’t do any good if we don’t follow it with real acts of love to real individuals. We must let them know there’s a God who loves them, a God who can overcome all hatred, violence, and rage. So reach out to that young man who follows a violence-filled religion. Pray for and serve that young girl at your school who eats all alone and think no one loves her. Bring hope to your classmate who is from a broken home. We can transform our generation, one act of love, one individual at a time; not through our power, but through the overwhelming love of Christ! There is hope!

Command Ye Me?

2007-04-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands (Isaiah 45:11, ESV)?

When you are interpreting the Bible, one very important point to keep in mind is that verses must be read in their context. When verses, or just phrases from a verse, are taken out of context, the entire meaning of the passage can be changed, leading to false doctrine. Yet many people do this with Bible verses, taking Scripture out of context to make it say what they want it to say. The meaning of today’s Scripture is twisted more than almost any other!

The problem comes at the end of the verse. In the King James Version, the verse ends with the words “command ye me.” (It is similar in the NKJV as well.) These words are then sometimes interpreted as being that God is telling us to give Him commands. People thus think that they can tell God what He must do! Every modern Bible translation, however, translates the verse more along the lines of a question; God is asking us, “Will you command me?” This translation is the actual meaning of the original Hebrew in which the verse was written.

The context of the verse clearly shows us that this is so. In verses 9-10, God is rebuking those who would strive or argue with Him. He asks if the clay can argue with the potter, or a child scold his parents for giving birth to him. Of course, these situations would be ludicrous. Likewise, God asks us, His people, “Will you give me commands?” That would likewise be folly. Clay doesn’t decide what it will be formed into; children don’t decide to be born; and God’s people do not tell Him what to do. The following verses describe how God has created everything. He is the Sovereign Lord.

The belief that God encourages us to command Him underscores a fundamental misunderstanding of the God-man relationship. We are partners with God, but we are nothing like equal partners. He is the beginning and the ending of the relationship; He is the One with all the power and all the knowledge. He chooses to use us, not because He in any way needs us, but because of His love and care for us.

Thus prayer must never be understood as us “commanding God.” Prayer is vital, but our attitude in prayer must be one of humility. We are the humble servant begging the favor of our King. We are the little child asking our Daddy for a favor. Sometimes we are the bold soldier giving orders that we received from our General, the Lord. So there are times in prayer that we can command things or circumstances. Joshua commanded the sun to stand still (Joshua 10:12); Peter commanded the lame man to walk (Acts 3:6); Paul commanded the evil spirits to come out of the servant girl (Acts 16:18). But notice that they were not commanding God, but were actually giving His commands to the circumstances around them!

That is where true power in prayer comes from, from the commands God gives us and we obey. Prayer does change things, but it changes things in accordance to the will of God. So let’s always keep a humble attitude in our lives towards the Lord. Let’s labor alongside and pray, remembering that He is completely in charge. And let’s not presume that we can tell God what to do, whether it regards money, health, or any other blessing. He has given us authority, not authority over Him but authority under Him. And under Him is where our authority truly dwells. Praise Him for His almighty power!

Go and Sin No More

2007-04-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

The angry mob threw the woman down to the ground, right at the Master’s feet. Bruises had already formed on her arms where they had grabbed her, and a trickle of blood was starting to flow from a cut on her cheek. “She’s an adulterer!” shouted one. Another screamed, “Let’s stone her!” as the crowd started to pick out stones, planning her execution. An elderly gentleman in a thick priestly robe stepped in and raised his hand, “Silence! Let’s hear what this man has to say. Jesus, we caught this woman right in the act of committing adultery. The law says that she should be stoned and killed; what do you say?”

The Master looked down at the woman, then surveyed the crowd that had gathered, a mixture of feelings such as anger, compassion, and hope stirring inside of Him. Rather than giving an eloquent speech, He stooped down and wrote something on the ground. When He stood up, Christ said, “He who has no sin, let him cast the first stone.” Ashamed by this revelation of their own sinfulness, each member of the crowd dropped their stones and left, leaving only Christ and the woman behind. Jesus asked the woman who was still condemning her, and she replied “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more (John 8:11).”

This story reveals to us both the mercy and the righteousness of God. Mercy is the ultimate revelation of the character of God. He is not an angry despot, eagerly waiting to send people to hell, but is a loving God, rejoicing to show His mercy. In this story, the woman truly was guilty and thus deserved punishment under the law. Jesus was the only One who truly could have condemned her, for He was the only One who was without any hint of sin. Yet He chose not to condemn her and showered her with undeserved pardon, the mercy of God.

As a Christian, you are also a beneficiary of the mercy of God. Our sins meant that we deserved hell, eternal death. But in the mercy of God, He has forgiven our sins and made us partakers of His very own righteousness. Your salvation is completely based in the mercy of God. So let’s not walk in guilt over our past sins but remember that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22). His mercy and love are freely given to us.

But the story didn’t end with the woman being forgiven; she was then given hope that she could truly be changed. Jesus told her, “Go and sin no more,” and He gives us the same direction. The purpose of God’s grace and mercy is not just to forgive us our sins, but to change us so we do not walk in those same sins any more. He is a merciful God but is also a righteous God, who demands a holy people. If we habitually return to the same sins after God has forgiven us, we are using the mercy and grace of God in vain. Jesus gave this adulterous woman the hope and the commandment to walk in righteousness. A changed life is the evidence that we have truly received the mercy of God. Thank God that He is a merciful Savior. Trust in His mercy and know that He has forgiven you of your sins. And then, go forward, walking in righteousness and holiness. What a wonderful hope it is that we can “Go, and sin no more.”

Who's Your Daddy?

2007-04-13T01:20:00.000-07:00

“When I cry out to you, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me (Psalm 56:9).”

Have you ever had a Scripture verse come alive to you? Perhaps you’re sitting there, doing your daily Bible reading (which I hope you do every day!). All of a sudden as you read a specific passage, the words seem to jump out of the page and come right into your heart.

That happened to me one day when I read the above Scripture from Psalms. I was actually in the mountainous country of Honduras, visiting my friend and preaching in his father’s churches. I had probably read this verse 50 times before, but that day God spoke to me in a life-giving way through this Scripture.

“This I know, because God is for me.” When David wrote this Psalm, he knew that God was on his side, and he knew that because of that his enemies would have to flee. He did not “doubt” that God was for him; he did not “hope” that God was for him; he did not “think” that God was for him. He “knew” it. As Christians, we need to have this same faith and confidence as David had.

Too often, we struggle and wonder if God is really for us. Perhaps you’re going through a difficult time and you begin to doubt God, or you doubt if God really loves you. The enemy tries to make us doubt our standing in God, but don’t give into his lies.

As a child of God, you have the assurance that He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). His thoughts toward you are good (Jeremiah 29:11). He works all things together for your benefit (Romans 8:28). All of these Scriptures don’t mean that you’ll never have a difficulty, and they don’t mean that God will never punish you if you sin. But they do mean that in everything, God has your best interests in mind. He always wants you to be victorious (2 Corinthians 2:14)!

So never doubt the love of God. Ask God to cause you to “know” that He is with you. After all, if God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? No enemy can stand in our way, but they will all have to flee. Victory comes not of ourselves, but through who and what we know. God is on your side, Christian, so stand in the victory He has won.

God Revealed

2007-04-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39).

Have you ever read a biography? I’m sure that most of you have. If there were a biography written about your life, what would it look like? Who would write it? Would it be exciting? Of course, if you’re less than 30 years old, the biography would probably be quite short!

In one sense, the Bible is a biography of Jesus. He declared that the Scriptures all testify of Himself. Every word, every line, every verse testifies of His character and majesty. That is one reason it is so important for us to read God’s Word; it is through His Word that His character and ways are made known to us. Every believer should have a burning desire to know God, and the way we know Him is through His Word.

Today we will look at three things that God’s Word reveals about Christ. God’s Word…

1) Reveals His life
2) Reveals His truth
3) Reveals His experience

1) God’s Word reveals Christ’s life.
The Pharisees were trusting in the Scriptures to give them eternal life. They were right to study the Scriptures, but they were wrong to ignore the one to which the Scriptures were pointing them. Jesus declared that the Scriptures all testify of Him. He is the Life-Giver. And through the Scriptures we learn how to draw near unto Him and inherit eternal life. The life comes not through the book, but through the One the book is all about-Christ. Let God’s Word point you to Christ and the eternal life with Him that is to come.

2) God’s Word reveals Christ’s truth.
The Bible is completely true. Every word, every phrase comes from God, written through inspired men. The Bible is the objective truth of God. So often, our experiences are subjective. We feel God speaking to us or sense His direction. Perhaps we see a vision. These are wonderful experiences from God, but how can we know that they are really from Him and not ourselves or the enemy? The answer is by testing the revelation against the Word of God. Our subjective experiences must be submitted to the absolute Word of God. That’s another reason why it is so important to know God’s Word, so we can test all spiritual experiences to verify that they are from Him.

3) God’s Word reveals His experience.
We serve a Living God, and He wants us to know Him in a living way. We should know God through experience, but what is the basis that the experience should come from? The Word of God. There are two opposite errors that can be made when it comes to experiencing God, and many Christians fall for one or the other. The first mistake is to assume that knowing the Scriptures, in and of themselves, is enough. In other words, these people deny God’s active involvement in their life and believe He no longer speaks through prophecy, dreams, or visions. This group makes the same mistake as the Pharisees in Jesus’ day; they study God’s Word but never allow it to lead them into relationship with the living Christ. The second trap, however, is equally dangerous. This trap causes many to put so much emphasis on experience that they ignore the Word of God. These people will run after every prophecy, vision, or wind of doctrine that comes by, but have little time to study the Word of God. What they forget is that experience of God comes from knowing His Word. Allow God to fill your head and heart with His Word, and then He will be able to give you experiences with Himself that reinforce what His Word has taught you. Let’s ask God to give us a love for truth and His Word so that we can truly know Him.

Dwelling Place Series 1.7-The Temple of Ezekiel "Absolute Holiness for 'The Lord is There'"

2007-04-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

"I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession (Ezekiel 44:28)."

Have you ever played a game because you wanted to win a prize? When I was in the arcade or bowling alley, I used to commonly play the “Skill Crane” machine. That’s the game where you try to pick up the toy by dropping the mechanical claw over it at the right time. I don’t know how much money I wasted trying to get prizes that I rarely won, and even when I did win it the prize was never that great!

The final dwelling place in our series on the 7 Dwelling Places of God is the Temple of Ezekiel, and one of the remarkable aspects of this temple is the tremendous prize of the faithful servants there. The Temple of Ezekiel is a literal, futuristic temple that will be built during the 1000 year millennial rule of Christ. The temple will be built in Jerusalem, where Christ will reign over all the nations. We know that the temple is to be built in the future, for no temple has ever existed according to the pattern that the prophet Ezekiel described.

This temple will be a place of absolute holiness. The name of the area surrounding the temple will be Jehovah Shammah, which means “The Lord is there.” God’s presence will saturate this temple; His glory will saturate the place in unprecedented ways. And if we want to be a part of this glory, the law is that we must be holy. A river of life will also flow out of this temple, giving life to the city of Jerusalem. This river represents the Holy Spirit, who should also flow out of us as a spiritual river bringing life and salvation.

The ministers in the Holy Place of this temple will be the spiritual sons of Zadok. Who were the sons of Zadok? They were the faithful priests in the time of Ezekiel. When the other Levites went astray and helped the people in their worship of idols, the sons of Zadok stayed faithful. Thus, if we are going to be spiritual sons of Zadok, we must stay faithful to God and never compromise. We must never lower our standards or compromise our holiness in order to draw a crowd and attract people. If we compromise, we will lose our inheritance.

God had mercy on the unfaithful Levites and allowed them to have a job in the outer court of the temple, serving the people. Thus, the inheritance of the unfaithful servants was ministry to people. What was the inheritance of the sons of Zadok? Their inheritance was not a ministry, a building, or a piece of land; their inheritance was God Himself. The spiritual sons of Zadok are those who “win Christ (Philippians 3:8)” and enjoy the most intimate fellowship with Him for all of eternity. So as we conclude this series on the 7 Dwelling Places of God, let’s be inspired to drop any hint of compromise in our own life and to set our eyes on Christ. He is the One we are after, He is the One we should long for, He is the only One who will satisfy. We can dwell in Him and He in us, both now and forever.

Dwelling Place Series 1.6-"The Church" Lively Stones with a Living Lord

2007-03-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

“I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).”

Stained glass windows. A tall steeple. A picture of the cross at the front. What images do you get in your mind when you think of church? There is nothing wrong with most of these things, but they are not primarily that with which we should associate the Church. The Church is not a building or an external being, rather, it is the living Body of Christ, His representative on earth.

The sixth dwelling place in our study of the Dwelling Places of God is the Church. It is the dwelling place of the current age of history (the Church Age); today, God dwells not in a building made by human hands but in the individual members of His worldwide Church. And if you are a believer in Christ, you are part of the universal Church and are called to be His dwelling place.

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes the Church by using 3 “B’s”. The Church belongs to Christ, and it is His Building, His Body, and His Bride.

1) His Building (Ephesians 2:19-22).

We are God’s building, called to be “living stones” making a spiritual house. As living stones, we must allow God to polish and shape us into the image He has in mind for us. Just as a man walks into a building and rests, so God desires to rest inside of you.

2) His Body (Ephesians 1:22,23).

How often are you inside your body? Does your brain go places that your body isn’t taking it? No, we are inside of our body all the time! If we are healthy, our head controls the body and dictates what it does. Likewise, Christ is our Head and we should be submitted to His lordship. If we are not listening to our Head, we have a spiritual sickness and must cry out to God for repentance and restoration. Christ is in now in heaven-we are His hands and feet extended to the world. Let’s be a faithful representation of Him.

3) His Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27,31,32).

A man dwells with his bride every day. No one knows a man better and lives closer to him than his wife! This is the kind of relationship God wants to have with us; open, transparent, and holy. As His Bride, we should seek to be clothed in pure, white spiritual garments, free from sin and corruption. God is calling us to be His special possession-are we willing to obey?

Let’s be faithful so that we will eternally be part of Christ’s Building, Body, and Bride!

The Visitation of the King of kings-Dwelling Place Series 1.5

2007-03-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

"Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer of all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves (Mark 11:17)."

The fifth dwelling place in our series is Herod’s Temple. This dwelling place was actually an extension and repair of the Restoration Temple. It is named after Herod, the evil Roman king who ordered it to be built. Why would evil Herod desire to build a temple for God? The answer is that he was trying to become more popular with the people he was governing, the Jews. Thus, he built this temple not for God’s glory but for his own.

However, the extraordinary thing is that God overcame this bad beginning to dwell in this temple in remarkable ways. Herod’s Temple is the temple that was standing during Christ’s time on earth. Thus, any time you read of an event happening in the temple during the life of Christ (such as His dedication, discussing issues with the doctors of law, explaining about the river of life, the veil being torn upon His crucifixion), this is the temple in which it took place. Truly, there was a tremendous glory in this temple as it was visited by the King of kings in the flesh!

During the time of Christ, merchants and money changers had flooded this temple, using it is a place of profit. When Christ saw this, holy anger rose within Him and He drove them out. He declared that His house was not to be a place of business, but above all else was to be a house of prayer.

This statement brings us to a vital truth about God’s dwelling places; they are always to be characterized by prayer above all else! If you want your life to be a place that God is pleased to dwell in, you must be a person of prayer. He is looking for those who will press in to Him, spending time each day seeking His face, people who have a passion for prayer and His presence. Let’s be prayer-saturated dwelling places for Him.

The Glory that is Coming is Greater than that which was Lost-Dwelling Place Series 1.4

2007-03-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:9)”

If you’re a sports fan, you know that there are few things more exciting than a comeback. When your team is down by a large margin with time running out and still comes back to win, it is exhilarating. Or even better is when you are playing the game and participating in the comeback!

The fourth dwelling place in our series is the Restoration Temple, which is the story of a much-greater comeback. It replaced the Temple of Solomon, which stood for about 400 years before being destroyed because of the Jews’ continual disobedience to God and worship of idols. The Jews then spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon before God caused them to be set free and return to Jerusalem.

Upon their return to Jerusalem, the Jews began to rebuild the temple, which had been completely ruined. Upon the completion of the temple, the Jews had a dedication service. It was time of great joy, but also a time of sorrow as the old men who had once seen the Temple of Solomon compared it to the Restoration Temple. When it came to outward beauty, the Restoration Temple was nothing compared to the previous. Whereas the Temple of Solomon had been the joy of the whole earth, the Restoration Temple was little more than a run of the mill place of worship.

However, although the Restoration Temple lacked in outer beauty, the prophets of God saw a different side of it; in fact, they declared that it’s glory would exceed that of Solomon’s temple! God does not look at things the same way that man does. The glory that was coming was greater than that which was lost!

And this is a tremendously important truth for us today. Why? Because the Restoration Temple is a picture of today’s Church, and it gives us a promise; we have greater glory coming! When you look at the Church today, it seems that we are nothing compared to the Church in the book of Acts. They had such power, glory, faith, and grace, and we simply do not measure up to them. However, God’s promise to us is that the glory of the last day Church will be even greater than that of the early Church; the former and latter rain will fall together (Joel 2:23). Tremendous revival is coming, and you can be a part of it. So don’t despair over our current condition, but have faith; God is going to send revival the likes of which the world has never seen. And if you humble yourself and passionately seek God’s face, you will be part of it. Do you want greater glory? It’s coming, so press in to be a part of it!

The Glory, Wisdom, and Power of God Revealed-Dwelling Place Series 1.3

2007-02-26T20:37:00.000-08:00

"When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1)."

When I was 17, I remember visiting Washington DC for the first time. It is the capital city of the United States and the architecture there can be breathtaking. When I saw the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, the Lincoln Memorial, I was amazed by their grandeur. However, as awesome as these buildings are, their physical beauty pales in comparison to that of our third dwelling place-the Temple of Solomon.

The Temple of Solomon was conceived by King David and built by King Solomon, about 1000 years before the time of Christ. During David’s reign, Israel had become the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth. David had wanted to build God a glorious house, but God told David that he should not build it; rather, his son Solomon should. So David spent the latter part of his life abundantly preparing for the temple. He collected vast quantities of gold, precious stone, cedar wood, and other properties to leave behind so Solomon could use them to build. Solomon followed his father’s example by also gathering precious resources for God.

In the fourth year of his reign Solomon started building the temple, and he finished it seven years later. When it was finished, the beauty of the temple made it the joy of the whole earth. Kings and dignitaries from the nations of the world would come to Jerusalem to see the glorious structure and would be awestruck. The temple was made of cedar wood, but completely overlaid with gold. Polished stones, prepared before they were brought to the construction site, adorned the temple. It was truly remarkable. What does all of this mean for us today?

The temple of Solomon is a picture of the glory, wisdom, and power that will be revealed in the last-day Church and the Millennium. In the last day revival, the Church will be the head and not the tail, a picture of wisdom that all in the world can see. Just as Solomon’s temple was filled with the glory and the fire of God, so the Church will be. There will be no lack for the Church, but the blessings of God will overflow.

There are also important lessons we can learn for our personal lives. As we said, the temple was made of cedar wood, overlaid with gold. Cedar wood speaks of our human nature, while gold speaks of the divine nature. If we are going to be a part of the last-day revival and then the millennium, we must let the nature of God dominate and cover our human nature. We must fully submit to his Lordship. Furthermore, the stones of the temple all had to be polished off-site; there was no drilling and shaping of the stones at the temple. We are called to be living stones, and God is showing us this; the time to be prepared is now. We cannot wait until the Millennium to allow God to shape us and make us conquerors; we must yield to His work in our lives today. Then we will be qualified for greater glory.

So let’s make our lives the glorious dwelling place in which God is looking to manifest in the last days. God wants to bring you to perfection, power, and glory; will you let Him? May we all answer “yes.”

Worship Within the Veil-Dwelling Place Series 1.2

2007-02-23T02:02:00.000-08:00

After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins,And I will set it up (Acts 15:16).

Have you ever built a house out of cards? I used to try to do this, but was never any good at it. No matter how carefully or neatly I tried to stack the cards, I simply could not get them to stand without falling. After they fell I would try to rebuild, but was never very successful. Fortunately, for all of us, when God declares He will rebuild something, He is always successful.

The Tabernacle of David is the second dwelling place in our series. It was originally built by David on Mt. Zion, near the beginning of his reign over all Israel. David’s tabernacle was unique over all the other dwelling places in that it was only a tent, with the Ark of the Covenant inside. It was not an elaborate building like the Temple of Solomon, or a huge structure like the Tabernacle of Moses. Yet God declared that He would rebuild David’s tabernacle. It is the tabernacle that governs the New Testament age that we all live in. What made this tabernacle so special?

The answer is that the tabernacle of David had no veil separating people from the presence of God. In every other Old Testament dwelling place there was a veil, or curtain, that kept people away from the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the power, glory, and manifest presence of God. Because Christ had not yet come to atone for sin, God had to place separation between Himself and man in the form of a thick curtain.

However, David had such a passion in His heart for God that God overlooked His own law and allowed David into His very presence. David’s hunger and desire for God brought him through every obstacle. God found him to be a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), and God is still looking for these men and women today. Passion will bring us through the veil and into the living presence of our Living Savior.

The great thing is that not only did David get to enjoy the blessing of his passion, those around him did also. During David’s time, every one with clean hands and a pure heart could enter into God’s unveiled presence. If you grab passionately grab hold of God, others will follow. Again, this tabernacle symbolizes the New Testament age we all live in. God no longer is hiding behind a curtain, but is waiting for us to come and commune with Him. So be inspired by the desire of David. God is looking for this kind to worship Him.

Entering through the Blood-Dwelling Place Series 1.1

2007-02-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

Exodus 25:8, "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."

For a moment, I want you to close your eyes. Okay, you better open now or you won’t be able to read the rest! But think now about your home, the place that you are from. There is no place in the world that you are so comfortable. I can still picture my bedroom when I was growing up. Our homes are a place of comfort, security, and rest. We all love to be at home!

God also has a home, or a dwelling place that He prefers above all others. The God of the universe wants to live inside of you and me. As we study the Scripture, we find at least seven distinct dwelling places of God. Through studying these dwelling places (which are mainly natural, historical buildings) we find keys to qualities we need in our lives in order for God to dwell among us. Over the next few weeks, we will consider each of these dwelling places.

The 7 Dwelling Places of God revealed in Scripture are the following:

1) The Tabernacle of Moses
2) The Tabernacle of David
3) The Temple of Solomon
4) The Restoration Temple
5) Herod’s Temple
6) The Church
7) The Temple of Ezekiel

We will start with the first dwelling place, the Tabernacle of Moses. This tabernacle was built in the wilderness, about two years after God had delivered the children of Israel from Egypt. God declared that the reason He brought the children of Israel out of slavery was so that He could dwell among them. And that is the same reason God delivers us from sin and the world! We are saved for fellowship with God.

The tabernacle of Moses contains countless lessons for us, many more than we can look at today. The main lesson of the tabernacle of Moses is that we enter the presence of God through the blood of Jesus. In short, the tabernacle was divided into three basic sections-the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The Ark of the Covenant and the manifest presence of God was in the Holy of Holies. All Israelites were allowed in the Outer Court with their sacrifice, only the priests could come into the Holy Place, and only the high priest was allowed in the Holy of Holies, and only once a year. Each time he came in, he had to bring the blood of the yearly sacrifice. What does this mean for us?

It shows us that the way into the presence of Jesus is through the blood. Of course, it’s no longer the blood of an animal, but rather through the blood of Jesus Christ. And since He died, one time for all of our sins, we can live in His presence. We no longer have to only come in once a year (like the high priest)-we can now come into His glory daily and be changed by Him.

But each step we take into God’s presence is not through our merit. We must always remember it is only through the blood, the sacrifice of Jesus, that we come to God. Make much of His blood. Ask Christ to cleanse you in His blood, to cover you in His blood, to strengthen you through His blood. Fellowship with God is all about Christ and the work He has done. We did not deserve it and we cannot earn it. All we can do is have faith in the work He has done! So ask God to take you into His holy of holies, into deep relationship with Him, through Christ’s work on the cross.

Great Time in the Philippines

2007-02-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

I had a great week in the Philippines. I was there for 6 days, from Saturday, February 3rd to Thursday, February 8th. There were several highlights, but I will just share a few of them now.

I preached at Born in Zion Church on Sunday morning. The church is pastured by Rossanna Relucio (many of you know her). Before the service started, they had testimony time. Pastor Rossanna came forward and told the church how God had speaking to her all week about having a “glorious purpose.” And the amazing thing was that was the exact title of my message-“Glorious Purpose!” Rossanna even read from Colossians 1:10-17, and my text verse was Colossians 1:15-17. So God really confirmed the message. After the message we had a time of prayer. It was great to see the Holy Spirit move in that place.

During the week I spent most of my time at Zion Ministerial Institute in Antipolo. I taught for 4 days, 2 days on the 7 Dwelling Places of God and 2 days on the book of Colossians. I was able to complete all of the teaching in the allotted time, so that’s always good. There is a real anointing at the school and it is great to teach in that atmosphere. The worship there was awesome, as it always is. The peace and joy there is so strong it’s tangible. After worship Wednesday morning we prayed for all the students, and there was a real prophetic flow.

I also got to catch up with many old friends during my time there. Every day brought more opportunities for fellowship, whether at Faith Academy or with old friends from ZMI. It was really refreshing.

In short, my trip in the Philippines was a great time of being recharged by the Holy Spirit, as well of ministry. Of course, I missed Delia and Caleb the whole time, and am very happy to be back together with them now! But I look forward to many more times at ZMI Philippines in the future.

Until next time!

Cameron

Trip to the Philippines

2007-02-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight I leave for the Philippines! I'm really looking forward to returning to my "second home."

I will be there until Thursday night. On Sunday morning I will be speaking at Great Harvest for Jesus Church, and will then be teaching at Zion Ministerial Institute, Philippines, from Monday-Thursday. I'll spend 2 days on the 7 Dwelling Places of God and then 2 days on Colossians. There also could be other ministry opportunities. Please keep me in prayer for the anointing and revelation as I teach. Also, please pray that the students and church will be blessed.
And finally, please pray for Delia and Caleb as a I leave them behind in the Philippines. Thanks a lot!

I will post on the trip when I get back. Until then...God bless you all!

Radically Josiah

2007-01-18T23:26:00.000-08:00

We live in a world where people commonly make fantastic claims. Over and over we hear that something or someone is the best ever. As a sports fan, I’ve noticed that one week the commentators will all be proclaiming one basketball player the greatest ever; the very next week it will be a new player. So the fantastic claims of men and women don’t amount to much. However, when God makes an absolute claim, we can be assured it is true! And He makes one of these claims about Josiah.

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses (2 Kings 23:25).

The Word of God tells us that there had never been a king like Josiah, who turned to God with all his heart, soul, and strength. No one had ever been as passionate, as devoted, as committed as he was, and God wanted everyone to know this. What was it about Josiah that made him so different from all those before and after him? Three quick areas of his life that help us understand what made him so excellent are the following:

1) Josiah was full of the fire of God. The name Josiah means “the fire of God.” From the age of 16 he began to earnestly seek God and God responded by filling him with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

2) Josiah tore up every idol. Josiah had no mercy on the idols in the land of Judah but viciously tore them down. He allowed no idolatry in his heart. We need to be purged of all idolatry as well, having no love of money, popularity, and natural things.

3) Josiah celebrated salvation. He held the biggest Passover celebration in Israel’s history, remembering God’s saving power. Do we celebrate the salvation God has given us by sharing it with our friends?

Let’s follow Josiah’s example. He brought great revival to his nation through his sold-out commitment to God. Let’s live crazily, hilariously, and radically like Josiah did. Our nation and generation can be changed!

Hope

2007-01-12T00:27:00.000-08:00

"Who [Abraham], contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations (Romans 4:18)."

A post by my sister-in-law earlier this week got me thinking about hope...read her inspiring article here.

What does it mean to hope? The above verse describes for us the character of Abraham; when his situation looked dark, he continued to hope in God. We know that in the end of Abraham’s story, he did indeed receive what he hoped for-a son, an inheritance, and the promise of God. But that doesn’t answer our question. What exactly is hope?

Hope is a confident expectation in the goodness of God, rooted first in the character of God and then in our experiences with Him. It’s rooted in God’s character in that we know that God is a good God. We know that we can trust in Him to work for all things together for our good, even if things are difficult for some time. We hope in God because we know He is sovereign, loving, and completely in control of all things on earth.

Next, it’s rooted in our experiences with God because we have seen Him deliver us and bring about His good plans in the past. Experience is an absolutely essential ingredient of hope! What has God done in your past? What sins has He empowered you to overcome? What miracles has He brought about? Which of your friends or family members has He brought to salvation? Hope is built out of these great experiences in God.

This brings us to the difference between hope and faith. Faith is based on the Word of God and is a substance that always brings about results. Hope, on the other hand, isn’t based on a direct word form God but rather from an experiential knowledge of His ways. And when the Bible speaks of faith, hope, and love, telling us that the the greatest of the three is love (1 Corinthians 13:13), that implies that hope is even better than faith! You see, faith is the foundation of everything we receive in the Kingdom of God (and we only come to hope through faith), but hope is greater than faith since it comes through experiences with God. Hope is truly an amazing thing!

So let’s be people who hope in the mercy, grace, and favor of God. Are you going through a difficult time? Be a prisoner of hope (Zechariah 9:12), knowing that God is going to bring about His good purpose through it. Be like David, who reminded himself to hope in God (Psalm 42:5). Hope never, ever, ever disappoints; we are always benefited by hoping in God. So hope at all times!

Determination

2007-01-09T01:34:00.000-08:00

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

One of my favorite places in Singapore is the Singapore Zoo, and one of my favorite places to visit in the zoo is the Great Rift Valley display. This display hosts a great collection of baboons, and they are truly amazing to watch! They jump, fight, and eat in vivid fashion, but, to me, the most remarkable thing about the baboons is the way the babies hold onto their mothers. The young baboons will cling so tightly onto the tail of their mother. Wherever the mother goes, the baby stays connected, following the tail. It often looks as if the baboon will lose its grip, but it never does.

The tenacity of the baby baboon can be inspiring for us. How determined are we in our spiritual walk? God is looking for people who will cling to Him and, by His grace, not let go. Do we have that kind of spirit?

Jacob was a man in the Bible who did have that attitude. He was the grandson of Abraham and was in line to receive all the blessings that God had promised his grandfather. However, he was also a liar; in fact, his name even meant “crooked, deceiver.” Jacob had been lying, cheating, deceiving his entire life, but he realized that he could not continue to go on that way.

In one critical moment in Jacob’s life, a man came and began wrestling with him. The man and Jacob wrestled throughout the night, and Jacob realized that this was not just a man he was wrestling with-it was actually God. Jacob declared that he would not let go until the man blessed him. At that moment, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. He was changed from being a deceiver to being a prince. His determination had been rewarded.

So let’s resolve to follow God and cling onto His ways. Let’s not be satisfied to remain at the same level of spiritual growth, but cry out for God to change us and bring us into more of His glory. Remember this-determination does not mean that we are clinging onto God by our own strength. It is only through His grace and by His grace that we even have the desire to meet with Him. Rather, determination means that we commit to cooperation with Him, and we learn to yield to His grace at all times. God has great plans for our lives in the upcoming year, but will we hold onto Him to achieve those plans? Let’s be like Israel and obtain God’s promises.

Desperation

2007-01-05T01:07:00.000-08:00

"And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! (Mark 10:47)”

My son will turn one month old tomorrow. As a new parent, there are many lessons that can be learned. One thing that has impressed me is the way my son acts when he’s hungry. One moment, he will be lying around peacefully, sleeping or just staring into the distance. The next moment, he will be screaming at the top of his lungs. As soon as he realizes he’s hungry, he cries out for milk! Eating becomes the only thing on his mind, his one concern in life. And he lets everybody know about it! (Fortunately, my baby does not scream much otherwise-only when he’s hungry!)

As young people, we no longer have this desperation for natural food, and that’s a good thing (screaming in public every time you feel hungry would not look good). However, we should have this desperation when it comes to the presence of God. We should be passionate and completely in need of God in our lives. Let’s break out of all complacency and wrong contentedness to cry out for God.

One man in the Bible who demonstrated this quality of desperation was Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus was a blind man who spent his whole life begging at the road side. One day, however, he heard that Jesus was passing by. He knew that this could be his only chance to meet Jesus and be healed, so he began to cry out to attract the Savior’s attention. All those around him told him to be quiet, not to scream so loud, but Bartimaeus began screaming even louder, “Jesus, have mercy on me! Jesus, have mercy on me!” Jesus heard his desperate cries, turned towards the man, and healed him. Bartimaeus’ desperation led to his miracle.

God is looking for that same desperation of Bartimaeus in our lives today. Will you cry out for Him and make Him your greatest desire? Jesus should not just be our number one priority, He should be our only priority. Every other good part of our lives flows out of our relationship with Him. Let’s cry out for more of God, for only He satisfies.

Christmas Letter from the Walcotts

2006-12-25T20:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from sunny Singapore, where we are definitely not having a white Christmas! We hope that you are all having a blessed and joyful Christmas season.

We have had a fruitful year and rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us over the last 12 months. We are both serving as leaders in Generations youth ministry (part of Cornerstone Community Church), where we lead one of the five zones. Generations has been steadily growing over the last few years and now has over 350 members! Cornerstone as a whole is also growing and it is a great joy to be working with the church.

Personally, Cameron has had the opportunity to speak at a few evangelistic events this year where many people have responded for salvation. He also is active in the church’s teaching ministry and has had the opportunity to do a number of writing projects for Generations. He writes two devotions a week for the Generations website (www.e-generations.org) and also produces an outline for a weekly Bible reading plan. Delia has still been enjoying teaching at East View Secondary School and being able to minister and provide counsel to the young people in the school, most of whom are unsaved and from various backgrounds. Some of her students have been born again and are now in a Generations cell group led by her cousin.

Of course, the highlight of the year for us was the birth of our son, Caleb Clark Walcott, on December 6th. Caleb is a big, healthy baby boy and a tremendous joy to us and our family. Delia is recovering very well from the caesarean surgery. We are enjoying our baby, especially this Christmas season. Cameron’s parents and his sister from Michigan arrived a few days ago and we are having a great time celebrating Christmas, together with Delia’s family.

We look with anticipation to the year 2007. Delia’s teaching contract with the ministry of education ends in July, and we are planning on visiting the States for the last three months of the year. Beyond that, we are seeking God for His direction in the year 2008, with the hope of going to the mission field full time.

You are in our prayers and we trust that you will have a great year ahead. You can visit Cameron’s website (www.cameronwalcott.blogspot.com) for his latest writing and for more regular updates on our lives and ministry here in Singapore. We hope you enjoy the attached photos, and we would love to hear back from you. Merry Christmas from the whole Walcott family!

God Bless,

Cameron and Delia and Caleb

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2006-12-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Let's remember the real reason for the season...the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. God became man, immortality took on mortality, the hands that fashioned mountains now became the hands of a little baby, the Creator of the universe divesting Himself of all His glory to meet the needs of lowly man.

Christmas isn't just about giving, or being with family, or nice memories of celebrations past. Those things are great, but it's about so much more. It's about Jesus, it's all for the glory of God, it's all about the joy God gives us through relationship with the Savior. So let's remember the Nativity, the birth of the Savior.

"While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:6-14)."

Merry Christmas everyone!

True Vine

2006-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1).

When I was younger, my grandparents lived on a farm in the rural state of Indiana. Their two-story house was surrounded by fresh air, trees, and plants. My sister and cousins and I used to enjoy walking for hours through the fields. As we were walking, we would come across many branches and twigs that had fallen off of the trees. They could be used to throw, to swing, to play with, but you know what they could not do? Grow. A branch can only grow if it’s connected to the tree.

In His seventh and final “I Am,” Jesus declared, “I am the True Vine.” A vine supplies life to its branches and its fruit. It is from the vine that all life flows. It is impossible for fruit to exist if it is not connected to the vine.

It is the same for us in our spiritual lives. If we want to truly live, we must be connected to Christ, the Vine. As we have mentioned previously in this series, Christ is not only the Life-Giver but the Life-Source. We all have our origin in Him. And spiritually, we are dead if we are not connected to Him. Our natural life was His gift, and so is our spiritual life.

Being connected to Christ gives us life, and it also gives us fruit. Just as every healthy branch bears fruit, so we will do when we are in Him. He is looking for the fruit of the Spirit in our lives-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23). He is also looking for external fruit from us; those people we have led to salvation or greater understanding of God’s ways. But we cannot be fruitful on our own. We are only fruitful if we are in Christ!

So let’s make sure we are connected to the Vine on a day to day basis. Spend time in His Word, reading the Bible and getting to know His character. Spend time praying and seeking Him every day. Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you. He is the Vine, and that is wonderful news for us. He wants to know us more!

Resurrection and the Life

2006-12-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (John 11:25).

Lazarus was a good friend of Jesus. His two sisters, Mary and Martha, were among the most devoted followers of Christ. However, he became sick and died, with Jesus not arriving in time to heal him. His family despaired with sadness, but Jesus did not; He knew that God had a reason to allow Lazarus’ death. And the reason God allowed Lazarus to die was so that Jesus could show His resurrection power! Four days after the death of Lazarus, Jesus and His disciples arrived at the funeral. Jesus walked up to the tomb and commanded Lazarus to come to life, and Lazarus did so! Jesus was and is infinitely more powerful than death.

Shortly before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus declared the fifth “I Am,” saying, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” In other words, Jesus does not just perform resurrections; He is the source of resurrection! He does not just give life; He is life, and all true life finds its beginning and purpose in Him.

It is so important for us to realize this concept, that Jesus is life. So often we spend our time thinking about what we want to do, how we want to spend our lives. We think that our life belongs to us, that it is our right to live and to do as we desire. But our lives are not our own! Every breath we take, every action we make, every pleasure we have, comes directly from God. It is only by His grace that we even exist. He is a tremendously merciful God.

And the best thing is that not only do our lives belong to God, but as we surrender to Him we find our greatest joy and purpose. Allowing Him to glorify His name through our lives is the way to true joy and fulfillment.

Since Jesus is the Resurrection, His followers never need to fear death. We can rest confidently that He is all-powerful. There is nothing for us to fear. He can create life from any circumstance. He can bring life even to the dead areas of our spiritual lives. There is tremendous power in knowing Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

2006-12-15T01:37:00.000-08:00

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

It is hard to get somewhere with bad directions. Have you ever tried to reach a location and then realized you’d been given faulty instructions? It’s very frustrating to drive around in circles; was I supposed to turn left at the traffic light or right? Bad directions keep you from reaching your destination.

In the sixth “I Am” from the book of John, Jesus declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He is the direction we need for our spiritual life, the One who points us in the way of eternal life. All other directions are faulty; every other religion will fail; only He can show us the way to the Father.

Jesus is the Way. In the Early Church, Christians were actually called followers of the Way. As believers, we should receive all of our direction in life from Him. If we try to direct our only life we will make mistakes, but He can perfectly lead and guide us. He will never lead us in a harmful path but always has blessing in mind for us.

He is also the Truth. In a world full of false advertising and conflicting messages, we can rest assured that Jesus is always true. His Word never changes and He never lies. His truth will abide forever. He not only tells the truth but His very essence is truth. Everything about Him is honorable and trustworthy.

Finally, Jesus is the Life. He is the very source of life, and life emanates from His being. His every word brings us into true life. Nothing would exist without Him; He made everything that we see. If you are feeling dead or sluggish in any part of your being, turn to Jesus and ask Him for His life. He will not turn you away.

This assurance that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life is excellent for us to ponder. As we follow His way, walk in His truth, and live in His life, we know that we are being led to an eternity with the Father. And when we are in His presence, we will always increase in our knowledge of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It will be an eternity of discovery and joy. This is our greatest hope.

If you're wondering why I haven't posted for awhile...

2006-12-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

This might give you the answer!
I am very pleased to announce the birth of Caleb Clark Walcott, born December 6th, 2006 at exactly 10:00 PM. He and Delia are both doing great.
Many people have asked me how it feels to be a father, and my answer is great! More thoughts on this will come at a later date, but for now thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. More pictures of Caleb can be seen here.

God bless you all!

Good Shepherd

2006-11-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

When I was a little boy, the first passage of Scripture I ever memorized was Psalm 23. This psalm starts, of course, with the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” These famous words have brought comfort and hope to people of all ages throughout the centuries. It’s wonderful to know that we can trust in God to take care of us.

Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd. What is the job of a shepherd? Taking care of sheep. And who are Jesus’ sheep? You and me! We are His sheep, and He is our faithful Shepherd. We can rely on Him to take care of us and supply for all of our needs.

When Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, the word “good” has two connotations. First of all, Jesus is morally good. All of His actions are for our benefit. He is perfect and never sins, never thinks or plans evil. He is completely righteous.

The second connotation of the word “good” is that Jesus is good at being a shepherd. He excels at His job. He knows exactly what we need and provides for us as no one else can. His strength is inexhaustible and His knowledge is complete.

Finally, we know that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, and of course that is what Jesus did for us. On the cross, Jesus died so that we might have life. We were destined for death and destruction, but He saved us through His death. He sacrificed all for us. He is truly the Good Shepherd.

The Door

2006-11-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

I remember one time when my team was going to another school to play them in a basketball game. This school happened to be our archrival, the team we wanted to beat more than any other! When we arrived at the school, we began looking for the door through which we could enter, but to no avail. It seemed that every door was locked, and we walked all the way around the large building in the freezing weather. Finally, we found the one door that was open, and we were very happy when we made it inside. I can’t remember whether we won this game or not, but at least we made it in because of the door. Doors give us access!

The third way Jesus described Himself in the book of John was by saying, “I am the Door.” In other words, He is the only access we have to the Father, to heaven, to eternal life. Outside the door of Christ is death and sin, but through the Door is life and peace. No other door will ever give us access to the blessings and favor of God.

Jesus promised that if we entered through Him, we would be saved and would have pasture. In other words, through Him we have sustenance, all we ever need in life. He informs that He is the Door to salvation, but that is not the only Door He is. He is also the Door to joy, peace, healing, deliverance, and freedom. Every spiritual blessing is in Christ and Christ alone. So let’s not be distracted by any thing the world has to offer; let’s not chase after blessings from any other streams. Jesus is the Door, and let’s enter through Him!

Light of the World

2006-11-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

When I was a missionary in India, one common irritation we suffered was loss of electricity. This problem was especially acute during the evening; when the electricity went off, so did your light! I remember many times when I was attempting to finish something and suddenly lost light-my activities were stopped or hindered on several occasions. The many experiences of being plunged into darkness made me very grateful for the times when the light does shine! Light, whether it comes from the sun, the moon, fire, or a lightbulb, is an essential quality to life.

In the second of the “I Ams” from the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims, “I am the Light of the World.” Jesus came to earth that the world may have true Light. Since the fall of Adam, mankind had been stumbling in darkness for thousands of years, but Jesus came that all of that might change. He came to bring light.

Jesus promised that those who followed Him would not walk in darkness. Darkness is the condition of all those who do not know Christ. Unbelievers are trapped in a maze, without light to see where they are going. They cannot find satisfaction, fulfillment, or righteousness because of the darkness in which they are.

That is why Jesus as the Light of the world is such excellent news! All who believe on Him can see and can be righteous. We can accomplish God’s purposes for us. God desires us to allow our entire lives to be brought under the light of His truth. As believers, it is imperative that we come to Christ for Light and allow that Light to shine on every part of our lives. Don’t allow any part of your life to stay in the darkness.

Furthermore, as believers we are called to shine Christ’s light. We are not the Light, but can be reflectors of it. The very origin of all light, both natural and spiritual, is God. It is from His glory that all things shine. We can never shine on our own, but can mirror the glorious light of His existence. It is a tremendous privilege we have, to show forth the image of God’s light. Let’s be reflectors for Him!

Something Greater (Part 4)

2006-11-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

(I have been posting "Something Greater" the last four days. This is the last installment in the series.)

4) Join the Army

Ezekiel 37:10, “So I spoke as he commanded me, and the wind entered the bodies, and they began to breathe. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army of them.”

Okay, I know we’ve done this before, but let’s go through our vision one more time. First our scattered dry bones became skeletons, then they received the covering of muscle and skin. In the third step, they received breath from the Spirit of God and came alive. They’re finished now, right? Well, not exactly. Although they are living, fully formed people, what are they currently accomplishing? Not a whole lot, unless you consider standing around in a valley to be particularly challenging! That is why step number four was necessary-they became an exceedingly great army.

If we are going to accomplish God’s purposes in our lives, if we are going to enter into greater realms of power, holiness, and victory, it is not enough just to be connected to Him and to others. It is not sufficient just to receive His righteousness or the power of His Holy Spirit. You see, after He has done these wonderful things internally, we must then join His army and spread these externally!

One thing about an army is that it always has a mission, a goal. Armies do not move aimlessly, but they have a specific purpose in mind. And as part of God’s army, we have a mission, we have a message to spread-“Holiness to the Lord!” We need to burn for the Lord before our friends, family members, classmates, coworkers, neighbors, and all others, that from our lives people receive a message of hope. That from our lives people realize that there is a way out of their sins, there is a way that they can live in righteousness, peace, and joy.

After all, who likes to stay on the sidelines? When I’m playing a sport, I always want to be out on the field, or the court. I hate watching while others are having all the fun! And in God’s Kingdom, I also don’t want to be an observer. I don’t want to stand on the sidelines while the pastor does all the preaching, while the missionary shows all the kindness, while the cell leaders invite all the people to church. I want to be an active participant in God’s Kingdom, spreading His message in any way that I can. Who wants to stand around just breathing in the valley? God has not done mighty things in our lives so that we can keep all the experiences to ourselves-He wants us to spread the news! Holiness to the Lord!

So join God’s army today. Allow God to use you as one of His arrows being shot out to the world. Don’t wait until the enemy attacks you to go to battle, but allow God to lead you on the offensive, going forward with His message, clothed in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13). When we march with God’s army, we have this guarantee-we will always be victorious for He makes us more than conquerors (2 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:37).

So Who Wants the Greater?

As you have read this article, I pray that you have received a fresh desire to enter into greater things with God. I pray that any complacency that has taken hold of you has been broken and you have been awakened to seek Him with new passion, vigor, and energy. There is a greater life out there that we can live in today. If we follow the four steps from Ezekiel 37, we can expect God to bring us into something greater in our lives. He desires to lift us up, and we need only to move with Him. So cry out to God for something greater in your life-He is waiting to answer your prayer!

Something Greater (Part 3)

2006-11-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

(I am currently posting "Something Greater". Check back for the final exciting installment tomorrow!)

3) Receive the Breath of God

Ezekiel 37:9, “Then he said to me, Speak to the winds and say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so that they may live again.”

We have already observed step number one, when our scattered dry bones became perfectly connected skeletons. Then those skeletons were covered with muscle and skin, taking on the proper form of a human body. They still were not finished however-they had no life! If we could see the vision how Ezekiel saw it, the valley would still look rather like a morgue and not really the kind of place we would want to hang out in! So God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to come and breathe into these dead bodies.

In the Scriptures, wind and breath always represent the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1, it was the Spirit of God that moved upon the waters to bring about order to the formless mass of the world; in Genesis 2, it was the Spirit of God that breathed into Adam to bring him to life; and in Acts 2, it was the Spirit of God that came into the upper room like a mighty rushing wind! Of course, it was that same Holy Spirit who breathed into these dead bodies to bring them to life, and it is the exact same Holy Spirit who desires to breathe into your heart today!

So we see clearly that the third step to entering into God’s greater is to receive a fresh touch from His Holy Spirit. If you have not been initially baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, cry out to God today for this glorious experience. And if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, cry out to God for more of His glorious presence in your life. Ephesians 5:18 instructs us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit-however much of the Holy Spirit’s power, anointing and glory you have received, there is more that He can give you. We all need the Holy Spirit’s constant touch to bring us to life.

In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Why did He give them this instruction, telling them to “receive” the Holy Spirit? It must mean they had a choice-if they had wanted to, they could have rejected the gift! You see, there is nothing we can do to earn the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or an increase in His anointing. It is a gift, not something that we deserve. However, that does not mean that we have no part to play in receiving-we still have to make the choice to accept what is being given to us! When the Holy Spirit is being poured out, we need to make the choice to open our hearts and allow Him inside.

If my long-lost uncle came to me one day to give me a check for one million dollars, what would happen if I refused to open my hands, zipped up all of my pockets, and ran away from him as quickly as possible? I would miss out on the free, undeserved gift. In the same way, if we close our hearts and resist the Holy Spirit, He will not force Himself upon us. So today, let’s make the choice to always receive what He wants to give to us, to open our hearts and open our mouths and pray, “Lord, breathe into me that I might live. Give me new life by Your Spirit!”

Something Greater Part 2-New Coverings

2006-11-17T00:53:00.000-08:00

(I will be posting "Something Greater" in four parts. This is part 2. Check back tomorrow for the next installment!)

2) Accept New Coverings

Ezekiel 37:8, “Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.”

Let’s return again to our vision. At the beginning, Ezekiel saw the dry bones scattered all over the valley. Then in the first step, all the bones became connected with each other in their proper places. However, that did not mean they were all set to receive something greater from God-they were still just a bunch of skeletons lying around in a valley! At that point, the scene would have looked far more like a bad horror movie than a revival service. So in step number two, these skeletons were covered with muscles and skin-they now had fully formed bodies and once again looked human!

This experience represents the spiritual covering we need to receive as believers today. What is the covering God wants to put upon you? The covering of His righteousness, the righteousness which comes through faith in Jesus Christ. His righteousness will cover us like a robe (Isaiah 61:10), making us a brand new person. Without the righteousness of Christ upon us, we will be like the skeletons in the vision-ugly, hideous, and without any useful form.

What would you rather wear anyway, a beautiful robe or some filthy rags? Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteousness, or all the good things we can do on our own strength, are no better than filthy rags, soiled garments that are an embarrassment to all around. Too often believers try to be righteous in their own strength, in their own power. You want to be a good Christian, so you tell yourself you’re going to stop committing a certain sin. Or you make a list of rules, swearing to follow them-ensuring yourself that if you can just follow those rules, then you will please God. But trying to be righteous in your own power is futile-you will always return to your sin or exchange it for a new one. Sin’s vicious cycle cannot be broken with our meager might!

That’s the bad news, but the good news is that when you accept the righteousness of Christ you can beat sin every single time! True righteousness does not come by following an external list of rules or through our own willpower, but through realizing the victory Christ won on the cross and accepting that victory in faith. If we cry out to God for His righteousness to cover us, He will give us power to live a life that glorifies Him. It won’t be accomplished through our discipline or good works, but His righteousness will change us on the inside and then enable us to have discipline and display good works.

In Zechariah 3, the prophet saw a vision of Joshua the High Priest standing before the Lord in filthy clothes. Satan was standing next to Joshua, reminding the Lord of all of Joshua’s terrible sins. How did the Lord respond to this situation, hearing the sins and seeing the filthy garments of the man who was supposed to be his servant? Did God condemn him and cast him out? No, the Lord rebuked Satan and gave Joshua a completely pure set of new clothes! And that is how God wants to respond to you-He wants to cast your old sins away and change your heart so that you can go and sin no more! But for this exchange to happen, you must ask God for His righteousness. Repent of your sins, repent of your self-reliance, and ask God today for His power to be all that He wants you to be.

Something Greater (Part 1)

2006-11-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

(I will be posting "Something Greater" over the next four days. Here is part 1. Stay tuned for the full series!)

There must be something better!

Have you ever stumbled around in your attempt to do something, wishing there was a better, more efficient option for you to complete your task? I remember an experience that took place while I was a missionary in India. I had only been there a few weeks when I was eating a lunch with many pastors and leaders after a Bible school inauguration. In the Indian fashion, we were all eating this lunch without utensils, using only our hand. I remember sitting there, desperately trying to navigate through my meal of rice and chicken curry without looking like a complete imbecile! Unfortunately, I was not so successful in my attempt. I remember looking up to see an older lady laughing at me-everyone else in the room was smiling and trying to avoid eye contact! Finally, the hostess came up to me with a very sympathetic look on her face and asked me caringly, “Do you need a spoon?” I gratefully accepted and was then able to finish my meal in a much more confident fashion-the spoon enabled me to enter into a much greater relationship with my food!

As Christians, sometimes we live at a much lower level of spirituality than God has intended for us. He has called us to a life of righteousness, peace and joy-to a life of holiness and victory, where we are more than conquerors in every situation. And yet too often we accept a life of defeat, a life where we are victims of our circumstances rather than conquerors, a life with depression and fear and sin. There is something far greater out there for us!

So our question becomes-how do we enter into this greater life? Fortunately for us, the Bible answers that question! In Ezekiel 37, a beautiful picture is painted of how God wants to bring us in to great things. This passage of Scripture was written when God’s people, the Israelites, were captives in the land of Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision by God, and in this vision he saw a valley full of dry bones, scattered all around (Ezekiel 37:1,2). These dry bones represented the Israelites-God’s people were currently scattered, in defeat, and leading hopeless lives. What good is a dry bone? Maybe useful for a dog, but that is about it! Sometimes, we feel like those bones-tired, discarded, and forgotten.

But what was God’s reaction to these dry bones? Did He tell Ezekiel to leave them alone? Did He condemn them? No, He instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to them so that they could come to life (Ezekiel 37:4-6)! He gave a message of hope! And in His instructions to Ezekiel we can see four steps to receiving something greater from God. Four steps for us to enter the victorious, glorious life He has called us to!

1) Get Connected

Ezekiel 37:7, “So I spoke these words, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as they had been before. ”

I like to use the Internet. When you are online, there is a huge wealth of information available to you. Your computer is communicating with other computers all around the world, enabling you to converse with friends in different zip codes (or countries!), find out the facts on a project you’re working on, or just check out the latest news! But what happens when a computer goes offline? Suddenly, that whole world is no longer available to you. When your computer disconnects, you are missing out on a lot.

Let’s go back to Ezekiel’s vision. Remember, what he first saw was a valley with dry bones lying scattered everywhere. There was a tibia here, a fibula there-craniums and metatarsals and metacarpals just lying strewn all about! What a mess! But here in step number one, Ezekiel saw all of the bones connect with each other in their proper places. The scattered bones became ordered skeletons.

Spiritually, the first step to entering into a greater life is to Get Connected. Just like a computer loses much of it’s effectiveness when it is not connected to others, a Christian has his or her vitality sapped away when not in proper connection.

Our most important connection, of course, is that with Christ. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the Vine, you are the branches.” He is the source of all of our spiritual life, and we need to be plugged into Him. A branch cannot survive apart from its vine, and we can’t survive apart from Christ. We connect to Him through repentance, through prayer, through studying His Word, among other ways. And we don’t only want to be connected to Him in a salvation experience, but our dependence and relationship with Him should continually grow deeper and deeper. If you find that your spiritual life has stagnated, perhaps you need to make a greater effort to spend time with Jesus, the source of all spiritual life.

However, to enter into the fully victorious life God has intended for us, we do not only need to be connected to Christ, we also need to be connected with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 instructs us not to neglect meeting with one another, and it is an essential reminder, especially in today’s nonstop busy world. We should make every effort to meet with other Christians whenever we have the opportunity. Every time our youth group or church has a meeting, we should attend if at all possible. School or workplace Bible studies and prayer meetings are also an excellent source of connection. The early church in the book of Acts lived in the greatest victory the Church has ever seen, and what was one of the reasons? They spent much time together! They ate together, prayed together and met daily. May we likewise be connected today!

(Part 2 of the series is coming tomorrow. Check back!)

The Bread of Life

2006-11-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst (John 6:35).

In the Gospel of John, there are 7 different titles by which Jesus describes Himself, starting with, “I am.” They are commonly referred to as the “Seven I Am’s of Christ,” and are listed below:

1) Bread of Life (6:35,48)
2) Light of the World (8:12)
3) Door (10:9)
4) Good Shepherd (10:11,14)
5) Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
6) Way, Truth, and Life (14:6)
7) True Vine (15:1)

The “Seven I AMs” make an excellent, interesting Bible study, and we will be briefly looking at each of the seven over the next few weeks. The first is in the verse lifted above, where Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life.”

Bread was the staple food of the Jewish culture (much like rice is in the Asia). People lived on bread on a day to day basis; without it, they would starve. Natural life was completely dependent on bread!

When Jesus said He was the Bread of Life, He was revealing to us that He is altogether necessary for true life. His very presence brings life to all who will come to Him. His Word is our daily bread (Matthew 4:4). He was telling all who were hungry, all who were thirsty, all who desired real life to come to Him.

There is no other way to true spiritual nourishment. Without Jesus, we cannot be alive. Our best ideas and best efforts are useless without Him. We are completely dependent on His ongoing presence.

Jesus as the Bread of Life is excellent news. Not only does this Bread keep us alive, but it gives us infinite joy! Jesus promises that as we eat His bread we will never hunger and never thirst. He is an everlasting fountain of joy and satisfaction, an infinite God in who’s presence there will always be greater joy (Psalm 16:11). It is hard for our minds to comprehend, but those who believe in Christ will always, forever increase in joy and satisfaction. We will never look anywhere else for anything; Jesus is all we need.

So let’s learn to “eat” this Bread today through prayer, Bible reading, worship, and keeping God in our thoughts. He is Eternal Bread of Life, so let that life work in you today!

The Greatest Trade of All Time

2006-11-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

When I was a boy, one of my favorite activities was collecting baseball cards. My friends and I would come together with our cards, and we would spend hours making trades with each other. Everyone wanted to make the best possible trades and get something for nothing, while no one wanted to get “ripped off.” It was always dangerous to trade with the older boys, because they would trick you into giving up your best cards for little in return! We’ve probably all made trades before, whether we switched snacks, cards, or Monopoly properties. What’s the best trade you ever made?

God also makes trades with us! Not just any trade, but The Greatest Trade of All Time.

For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

This verse tells us that God made His only Son become sin on our behalf so that we might become righteous on His behalf. In other words, when Jesus was on the cross, He became our sin, in the fact that He took all of our sins upon Himself. The penalty for our sin was death, but Jesus took that penalty for us. This was despite the fact that Jesus had lived a perfect, completely sinless life. He is the only man who has ever lived who did not deserve to die, yet He did die a horrific death on our behalf.

The great news is that all who believe in Jesus are now able to receive His righteousness. He took our sin so we could take His righteousness. When the Father looks upon us, He does not see our sinful frailty, but He sees the righteousness of His Son Christ. And that is The Greatest Trade of All Time. In salvation we traded our penalty for His Reward, and we now get to be with Him forever in heaven.

This trade does not just stop at salvation, however-it extends to every part of our lives. It is the reason that God can bless us and gives us tremendous promises. Have you ever read one of the great promises of the Bible (“I will never leave you or forsake you,” “My thoughts towards you are good,” etc.) and thought, “This can’t be true for me. I’m unworthy.” If you have, the answer is-you’re right. You are unworthy. But Jesus Christ is worthy, and Christ’s righteousness has been transferred to you.

So our standing in God, our relationship as His child, is not based on our feelings but rather on the perfect righteousness of Christ. Remember that God has made a tremendous trade with you, and He does desire to bless you, to give you victory, to make you a champion in life. It is all through the righteousness of Christ that God graciously gives to all who believe in Him. Focus on Christ and rejoice in Him alone! He has made the trade with you.

Hiding Place

2006-11-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

You are my hiding place, You shall preserve me from trouble, You shall surround me with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).

What was your favorite hiding place when you were younger? Under the bed, in the closet, or behind a chair? Or maybe you still like to hide, but with bigger challenges. I know that in the many youth camps I’ve been involved with, hide-and-go-seek in the dark is always a favorite. People stretch out all over the camping ground to hide in the bushes, under trees, or by the riverside. There are many good hiding places to find!

In the above verse, King David tells us his favorite hiding place. Speaking to God, he says, “You are my hiding place; you keep me from trouble; you surround me.” David had learned that when troubled times come, the wisest action to take is to run into the presence of God. And it is the same for us; our most effective hiding place is God Himself.

David was a man who knew about problems. As a shepherd boy he had to protect his flock from bears and lions. He then spent many years of his life running for his life from King Saul. After that, his own son tried to take his kingdom away. These are just some of the many trials David faced, yet he learned this one essential truth-when the storms of life come, God is always faithful! God is the one who hid him from the attacks of the enemy.

Let’s come to this same realization that David had. Let’s learn to look to God when we go through difficulties at home, school, or with our friends. Our Hiding Place is God Himself, and He surely is secure! He will protect us. He will surround us with “songs of deliverance.” In other words, not only does He protect us, He brings us through with songs of rejoicing! As the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The gospel of substitution makes him to be our refuge who otherwise would have been our judge.” We can always run to Him! He is a wonderful Hiding Place, a wonderful Refuge, a wonderful Savior!

Giant Slaying Part 3

2006-11-02T23:35:00.000-08:00

(This is the third and final part of the article "Giant Slaying".)

Goodbye, Giant

When Goliath saw the young man with a slingshot and stick walking towards him, he started to laugh. Surely this little kid wasn’t going to try to face him. Noticing that David was serious in his intention, he looked down on him with a sneer, “Am I dog? Is that why you’re coming against me with a stick? Come here boy, and I’ll feed you to the birds.” Goliath was sure that he would have an easy victory over the young shepherd, and was insulted that the armies of Israel had even allowed David to approach him.

David had carefully picked out five smooth stones for his slingshot. He replied to Goliath’s taunts, “You come against me with your sword and spear, your power and your weapons-but I come against you with something better. I come against you in the name of the Lord! Today God is going to defeat you, and I’m going to cut off your head-this is God’s battle, not mine. The Lord will defeat you!” With these words David began to run towards Goliath as the giant lumbered closer. Taking a stone out of his bag, David hurled it at Goliath, and it miraculously went right through the slits of his helmet and sank into his forehead! As Goliath tumbled to the ground, David took his enemy’s sword out of its sheath and used it to cut off his enormous head. When the Philistines saw their hero dead, they all ran away in panic, and the warriors of Israel gave chase. The armies of God had a mighty victory on that day.

The key to David’s victory was that he placed his faith in God-that is the only way we can slay giants! While all the other Israelites were focused on how powerful Goliath was, David was focused on how powerful his God was! That is something that we must always remember. No matter what our problem, circumstance, or difficulty, God is bigger, God is stronger, God is in control. So don’t look at the size of your giant-look at the size of your God. He is the one who “always causes us to triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14)”, the one who gives us victory all the time!

The five stones chosen by David for his slingshot also teach us an important lesson. In Scripture, the number five represents the grace of God-the five stones indicate that David killed Goliath by God’s grace alone. While God has called us to be giant slayers, it’s important to remember that we cannot do the slaying on our own! It is only by God’s grace, by God’s power, that we can be victorious. So always cry out for His grace when you are in a battle. Our giants tumble, not because we are so big, so strong, or so wise, but because our God is so big. The focus must always be on Him and His grace.

Remember how David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head? This shows us what happens to the enemy’s weapons when we are walking in faith-they do not hurt us but they hurt the enemy himself (Isaiah 54:17). So when the enemy tries to attack you, you can rejoice; as you follow God, the wicked plan will not work for your harm but for your eternal benefit!

After Goliath was dead, all the Philistines ran away in terror, and the once-timid Israelite soldiers chased after them. Do you see the truth here? Faith is contagious! David had faith to defeat Goliath; he knew God was on his side (Psalm 56:9), and through his knowledge others came to know and believe that as well. As you step out in faith and begin slaying giants, your friends, cellmates, family, and others will have their faith increased as well. Those who used to cower in fear will be inspired by your example. So be bold, step out in faith, and watch others follow you as the giants start to drop a your left and your right. When God arises, all of his enemies will be scattered (Psalm 68:1).

So Let’s Get Slaying!

The time for timid Christianity is over; the time for blending in with the world is done. Our generation has too many problems, there are too many spiritual giants binding those all around for us to sit in silence any longer. It is time to attack the enemy, to go after the spiritual principalities and powers that bind our schools, our families, our nation, even our own lives. We go to war not in the natural but in the spirit, with the mighty power of God doing the fighting through us. How will the giants fall? Not by our might, not by our power, but by God’s Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). Let’s live in the victory God has ordained for us-let’s get slaying every Goliath in our path!

Giant Slaying Part 2

2006-11-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

(This is part 2 of our three part series on Giant Slaying. See part 1, below.)

Only a Boy Named David

He was only a boy, probably about eighteen years old. His older brothers were all a part of Saul’s army, but he had stayed at home to care for his father Jesse’s sheep. One day, however, Jesse asked him to go to the battle site, to bring his brothers some bread and cheese, and to come back with news on the war. David was excited as he loaded his donkey with the food-surely he was about to see the armies of God defeating the wicked Philistines. When he got to their camp, however, he was shocked to come across a much different scenario-the Israelite army was cowering in fear as Goliath thundered his blasphemous challenge to the army of Israel. These men, all older, more experienced, and seemingly tougher than David were hiding from an enemy of God.

“Who is this ungodly Philistine who’s challenging the armies of the living God? Who’s going to fight him? What will the reward be? Why is this pagan allowed to speak against God like that?” David began questioning all those around him. The other soldiers began to notice the bravery of the young man. Some snickered at his boldness, while others wondered if they should bring him before the king. David’s oldest brother Eliab heard his questioning and tried to put a stop to it, accusing David of rebellion and pride, but David replied, “What have I done wrong? Isn’t there a cause?”

What was the difference between David and the Israelite soldiers? David put God’s honor and God’s purposes before his own safety and comfort. While the other men were worried about themselves, David was worried about the honor of God’s name. We live in a generation where God is mocked on a daily basis. On television, on the radio, in books and magazines and in daily conversation, God is not honored but treated lightly, as an accessory at best and as non-existent at worst. And for us to go against the flow, to spread the Gospel, to live righteously in our generation, we may have to leave our comfort zone. We may have to risk our reputation, even our very lives. But it is all worth it for God’s honor.

We should ask the same question that David did, “Is there not a cause? Is there not a reason to fight, a giant to slay?” David refused to just live up to the status quo, and we need to do likewise. There is a cause for us to fight, there is a generation that we can reach out and save. Others may not understand you, just as Eliab did not understand David, but don’t let that be your concern. Live for the cause, the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the cause of the salvation of your generation, the cause of fulfilling God’s call for your life!

David was young, inexperienced, and no logical match for Goliath, but he did not let these things stop him from offering to face the giant. He didn’t look at his impossibilities but at His God-possibilities. You may be young, but that doesn’t mean you need to sit around and watch others slay the giants! Right now, God can use you in a mighty way, so don’t let your youth stop you from taking part in God’s battle plan. Don’t wait until you’re twenty, or thirty, or forty to commit to God’s cause-make the decision today.

Choosing the Right Armor

King Saul took a seat inside the tent that was serving as his make-shift throne room. Several of his top generals stood in attention as he agonized over the problem of Goliath. At one point in his reign, perhaps Saul himself would have challenged the giant, but as the years passed by he was growing more lazy, arrogant, and faithless. When Saul heard that someone in the camp was speaking of confronting the giant, he called for him at once-but when he saw that the “someone” was only a boy, his hopes sank and he laughed bitterly. “You want to fight the giant?” Saul asked. “That’s ridiculous! You’re only a boy, and he’s been fighting since he was a boy! He’ll crush you, devour you, obliterate you-don’t be crazy.”

But David wouldn’t let the king’s doubts get him down. “I can fight him!” David insisted. “I’ve killed lions and bears when watching my father’s sheep, and this arrogant Philistine will also die! The Lord who has always given me victory will save me this time as well.” When Saul saw the persistence of David, he gave in and said, “Okay, you may fight him.” Saul then gave David his own armor to borrow in the battle. David stumbled around after trying it on. The oversized helmet blocked his vision, the bronze leggings scraped against the floor, and the sword was almost heavier than he could lift. “I can’t wear these,” David said. “I’ve never used them before.” So instead, David walked out to face the giant, wearing only his shepherd’s clothes, carrying only his shepherd’s weapons, a staff and slingshot.

Saul doubted David’s ability to face Goliath because he looked at the situation through his natural eyes. When we lose God’s anointing and begin to drift away from Him, not only will we not slay giants-we will discourage others from trying to as well! Don’t be a Saul, sitting back when you should be fighting and discouraging the brave-hearted.

What was one reason that David didn’t listen to Saul’s discouragement? Because he had received encouragement from God in the past! God had enabled David to kill a lion and a bear in the past, while protecting his sheep. These victories over smaller enemies helped David have faith that he could defeat the giant enemy. In your life, be faithful to face every enemy that comes against you. Don’t treat small battles as unimportant, but ask God for the victory in every circumstance. After you have defeated your “lion” and your “bear”, your Goliath won’t seem so difficult! When we are faithful in small matters, we will be faithful in larger ones-likewise, when we defeat small enemies, we will be able to defeat large ones in the future. So don’t wait for the day when you’re in front of ten thousand people to preach, to pray, to live holy, and to spread God’s Word; start doing it today.

David also was smart enough not to wear Saul’s armor into the battle. Saul’s armor represents the ways of man, using earthly methods to fight God’s battles. If Saul’s armor was so useful, why was Goliath still standing anyway? As you go to war against the giants, some people will try to get you to use old, worldly methods. They will tell you, “This is how we’ve always done it, and this is how it needs to be done.” But if these methods have never been effective in the past, why use them in the future? Don’t go out in someone else’s armor, but use the gifts and the calling that God has given you. Use God’s armor, God’s anointing, God’s way to defeat His enemies.

David didn’t try to pretend to be something that he was not, but went out to the battle in his shepherd’s clothes. It’s important for you to be like that. Our spiritual enemies are not scared of our big words, lofty prayers, or fancy clothes, but they are scared of God’s power flowing through us. So we don’t have to pretend to be something else, but we can be what God has made us to be. It’s okay to use new methods-God has given you a unique calling so He will work in you in unique ways!

Giant Slaying

2006-10-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

(I'll be posting the article "Giant Slaying" in three parts over the next three days. Enjoy!)

Have you ever been doing something and you met an opponent who seemed impossible to defeat? I remember a basketball game during my last year in high school. My team was playing in an invitational tournament composed of four teams-we had won the tournament the previous three years and wanted to make it four in a row. However, when we saw our first round opponent in warm-ups, our jaws dropped to the floor. The other team had a player who was well over 2 meters tall, taller than any of us had ever played against before. He barely had to jump and he was already above the rim. We all imagined this giant blocking our shots without even jumping, slamming the ball right over our heads, clobbering us into submission until we wanted to quit and run home to our mothers-and we all talked about how impressive our opponent looked. But after a few minutes of this fearful talk, we looked at each other and decided there was no sense in giving up, no sense in losing hope. Instead, we would go out there and play our best game, taking the action right to the giant and focusing on our efforts and not his. And do you know what we discovered as we played the game? The giant couldn’t play basketball at all! He sure looked impressive, but he posed little challenge during the game-he surely was tall, but he couldn’t dribble, play defense, or shoot. My team ended up winning the game quite easily, and winning the tournament the next day. It all happened because we chose not to fear the giant.

Many times in life we face problems that seem too massive for us to overcome. Ephesians 6:12 speaks about these “giants” as being the principalities and powers, the evil forces of Satan that wrestle against us believers. Perhaps God has given you a calling, a vision, or a dream, but while seeking to fulfill that vision you run into trouble. Maybe there is a sin in your life that you have been struggling with for a long time or you could have a sickness or disease that causes you great suffering and pain. We know that God has called each of us to carry the message of salvation to our generation, but when we look at our friends and schoolmates, we see so many gigantic problems-suicide, drug abuse, materialism, unbelief, and a host of others. These are all examples of giants that could stand in our way of fulfilling God’s will. Unfortunately, so often our reaction to that giant is to stop moving forward, to surrender in fear to our problem.

There is good news, however. God has not called you to cower when faced with your giant-He has not called you to run away, hide in a corner, and hope that the giant does not squash you. Instead, God has called you to be a giant-slayer! We can rise up in faith, and with God’s help nothing can hinder us from fulfilling His plan. Just like my basketball team discovered that the two meter plus player wasn’t difficult when confronted, we will discover that spiritual giants will topple when we come against them in faith. So in this article, we are going to look at Scriptures most famous “giant-slayer”, picking up keys on how we can slay giants as well (1 Samuel 17).

Facing Off

The two armies were resting on opposing mountains, with a valley in between them. The soldiers, battle-hardened men who had seen their share of fighting, were tired from months of war and were glad for the respite. However, the break could not go on forever, and so out from the Philistine mountain walked a gigantic figure toward the side of the Israelites. Birds flew away, the ground creaked, and armor clashed against itself as the man’s shadow hovered over the Israelite camp. Who was he? This was none other than Goliath of Gath, who stood over three meters tall. He was covered from head to toe in bronze armor-his breastplate alone weighed almost sixty kilograms, more than some of the Israelite soldiers! Even the tip of his spear weighed 7 kilograms, far more than most of the Israelites could have ever thrown. He carried the spear, a javelin, a sword, and even came equipped with an armor bearer to carry his huge shield.

Suddenly, the giant’s booming voice cried out, “Do we really need a whole army to settle this? There’s no need for such a big fight-I have a better idea. Why don’t you send out one man to face me in a one-on-one battle? If he defeats me, we Philistines will all become your servants. However, if I defeat him, all of you Israelites must serve us. I defy, I dare, I challenge the armies of Israel-stop being chicken and send me a man to fight!” When the men of Israel heard this challenge, they shrank back in fear. There was no way one of them could face this Philistine! Goliath intimidated even their most experienced warrior and king, Saul. The taunts and challenges of Goliath continued to ring out in the Israelite camp for forty days. Still, none of Israel’s warriors would face him. They were paralyzed by their fear.

We can learn several lessons from this mistake of the Israelites. The first question we should consider is this-when did Goliath become a problem for Israel? It was when they were resting on their mountain. God had called them to fight, it was a time of warfare when He wanted to give them victory over their enemy. But in this period, the Israelites grew tired, and decided to take a break and stop moving forward. This rest period was the very moment in which Goliath revealed himself! Likewise, our giants will often reveal themselves when we stop moving forward, when we stop going to battle. Suddenly we begin to think, “I can’t witness to my friends! They won’t like me anymore.” Or in our time of idleness we become tied up in sinful, worldly things, developing giant-like habits. God has called the Church to be an attacking, victorious army (Matthew 16:18), so let’s not sit back when our Commander has called us to war! As we move on in God, as we are attacking the enemy’s gates, the “Goliaths” won’t seem so big.

Another mistake the Israelites made was their focus on Goliath. When the giant challenged them, they magnified his power, his might. They fixed their attention on the size of Goliath’s muscles, the grandeur of his armor, the ferociousness of his weaponry. And sometimes as believers, we tend to glorify the might of the problem that stands in our way. “God, I would love to take the Gospel to my school, but my classmates are so messed up! You don’t know how suicidal they are. My teachers, my principal are so tough, and they’re not Christians. My parents want me to focus on my work.” “I want to be holy, but this sin is so powerful. I can’t beat it!” “This depression always comes over me-it always has and it always will.” Even Saul, the Israelite king who had seen many victories, was afraid. It’s strangely true that sometimes, even after God has given us victories in the past, we tend to forget those, focusing on the size of our problem. What is the way to not focus on the giant? Tomorrow we will continue with our story.

Romans 8:28 His Purpose

2006-10-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

This column is the final one in our 3 part series on Romans 8:28. In part one we saw that “all things” means exactly that-“all things” work for our good! We then considered how we need to be assured of this fact and “know” it in our hearts. Today we will look at the last phrase in the verse, “To those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.”

God works all things together for good for those who love and are called by Him. What is God’s calling for you? The answer to that question is found in the next verse, Romans 8:29, “To be conformed to the image of His Son.” God has a specific calling on your life (to be a pastor, doctor, missionary, etc.) but also a general calling; and that general calling to become like His Son goes out to all Christians.

This calling helps to explain why God allows difficulties, trials, and sadness to come into our life. As we faithfully follow God, these things have a way of transforming us to become like Jesus. Jesus was a man acquainted with sorrow and grief (Isaiah 53:5); He learned through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). And if we want to become like Him, we also need to go through trying situations. There are certain lessons we can only learn through suffering, and we can only suffer during our time on earth-heaven will be a time of eternal bliss and joy.

Becoming like Jesus is a higher prize than anything else. It is the goal of the Christian life, to be transformed into His image. We are created and called for that very purpose. That is why we can rejoice when the trials come! Yes, we will experience sadness, but we never have to be in depression! We may go through sickness, but we never have to feel beaten down. Because God is the One who will always give us the victory in the end, and He always has a plan to bring about our good.

So trust God today that all things are working together for your good. Every difficulty is just a stepping stone to something better. I assure you that if you will stay true to God, everything happening in your life will work out for your benefit. All things, all things, all things. All things! Never despair, never give up-God is working awesome things in your life. Praise Him!

Romans 8:28 We Know

2006-10-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

In part 1 of our Romans 8:28 series, we examined the main point of the verse, “All things work together for good.” Today we’re going to backtrack to look at the first statement in the verse, “And we know.”

Have you ever worried about gravity working? Have you ever thrown a ball into the air and wondered, “What if gravity doesn’t work today? What if the ball doesn’t come back down?” Or as you’re walking down the street, have you ever been concerned you’re your feet are going to leave the ground and you’re suddenly going to fly up into the sky? I think your answer to my questions is, “No! Of course not! That’s just ridiculous. Everyone knows that gravity always works.”

And you’re right, of course. Gravity does always work. We don’t worry about it, we don’t have to think about it, we just know-what goes up, must come down.

We should have the same, or an even greater, assurance when it comes to the promises of God! Just as the laws of science always operate, so it is with the ways of God. We need to “know” that all things are working together for our good. We need to realize that God’s promises are absolute, His intentions towards us are good, and that every difficulty He brings into our lives is just a stepping stone for greater life and blessing in the end.

David is an inspiring example of a man in the Bible who knew this truth (Psalm 56:9). He had the confidence that God was always on his side. Be like David today. Let God place the truth in your heart that He is always working for you. Whether you are going through what seems to be a good time or a bad time is immaterial. God is on your side.

So know that God is working all things together for you. Don’t let the truth stay in your head, but let it come into your heart. Romans 8:28 doesn’t work some of the time-it works all the time. He is on our side.

Friday we’ll look at the last part of the verse, “To those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” Check back here to complete the series!

Romans 8:28 All Things

2006-10-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

This Scripture is one of the most beloved and best known in the entire Bible. What does it mean for us today? We will examine this Scripture in 3 parts.

“All things work together for good.” When this Scripture tells us “all things” are working for us, it simply means all things! As believers, everything in our lives is meant to bring about a good purpose. Not just the happy things, but all things! Every trial we go through, every difficulty, every pain, is working to benefit us.

You might ask, “How can this be?” How can persecution work for my good? How can having trouble with my parents work for my good? How can sickness or pain or sadness work for my good? The answer lies in trusting the sovereignty and the goodness of God.

The sovereignty of God refers to God's complete control of all things on earth. Nothing happens outside of God's knowledge. His purposes cannot be thwarted. When seemingly bad things happen to us, God knows and understands it. The enemy can do nothing against us that God does not allow him to do.

That is why we also need to trust in the goodness of God. As a Christian, you are under God's favor and blessing. He is your Loving Father and only allows things in your life that will benefit you, if you stay faithful to Him. Every difficulty you face (tough exams, disappointments, betrayal) in the natural is working a far, far, far, far greater spiritual reward. Sometimes we see the reward here on earth-sometimes we may not realize it until we are in heaven. But the reward will be very real.

Sometimes here on earth we don't understand why we go through difficult situations. The pain is too great. But when you are in a trial, always remember to trust in God's goodness. He sees you, He knows you, and He is going to bring you through. Trust that He is control, and trust that He is good. And you will see “all things” turned around for eternal blessing in your life.
In part 2, we'll go backward to look at the beginning of the verse, “And we know.” See you then!

A Ransom for Many

2006-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).”

Earlier this week, we saw that we were saved in order to serve others. Jesus left us the ultimate example, by washing the feet of those He came to save. We will consider that same theme in another verse today.

One day, the mother of James and John came to Jesus and asked if her two sons could have the most exalted positions in Jesus’ Kingdom. The other disciples heard her selfish request, and an argument started among them all about who would be the greatest. Jesus responded by telling them that the greatest among them needed to be the servant of all (Matthew 20:20-28).

This statement is such revolutionary thinking! Why should the greatest be the one who serves? This statement runs against the entire thinking of the world, and even runs against the way we often view things as Christians. Shouldn’t the greatest among us be served by all? That is not what Christ said.

Once again, Christ pointed the disciples to His own example. He is the King of heaven, the Lord of lords, the omnipotent Creator of the universe. And yet why did He come to earth? Not to be served by others, but to serve them, and to give His life as a Ransom for our sins.

Why didn’t Christ come to earth to be served? If Christ had needed to be served, it would imply that He had some deficiency, or some need in Himself that He was coming to earth to fulfill. However, Christ had no need, no deficiency. He was eternally complete in Himself, and thus wasn’t coming to earth for people to meet His needs. Rather, He came to earth to meet our needs.

And that is the example we are to follow. We are not complete in ourselves, but we are complete in Christ. And out of our fullness in Him, we can meet the needs of others. We can condescend and look out for their interests. We don’t need earthly glory to be fulfilled, so we don’t need earthly kingship. All of our fulfillment is in Christ!

Only Christ could give His life as a ransom (payment) for sins. Our lives cannot pay for sin, but through the sacrifice of our lives Christ can reveal to others the sacrifice that He has made, and His sacrifice will serve every need anyone will ever have. Let’s give our lives to be servants of others.

Just Like Jesus

2006-10-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

If we are going to experience a victorious Christian life, we need to have a goal always before us. And Romans 8:29 reveals to us what that ultimate goal is-to become just like Jesus. We are told that God has predestined us to be “conformed” into His image; that means He has a plan to mold, shape, transform us until we are like Him.

Becoming like Jesus is the greatest call we could ever have. It is the highest goal, the most glorious promise. It is the ultimate hope of every believer. Can you imagine how awesome it is? To love like Jesus loves, to be righteous and holy and pure like Him? It is exciting to even think about. And that is our eternal destiny, to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus forever, as He continually changes us to be more like Him. That is our goal.

But you may ask: what does that have to do with my life today? What do exams or CCA’s or cell group or cleaning my room have to do with becoming like Jesus? The answer is, these natural things have much to do with our calling to be like Christ.

You see, as Christians we live in two realms. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 2:6), yet we are also still living on this earth. God has given us physical bodies in a physical world surrounded by physical beauty with physical tasks to accomplish. And if we are going to accomplish the ultimate goal of being like Christ in the ultimate reality, we need to live up to goals in our natural living. If you are half-hearted in this world, you will never be fully committed in your spiritual life. God wants us to live a purposeful life.

So set goals for yourself in the natural. Do the absolute best you can on your exams. Excel at your CCA’s. Be a good son or daughter to your parents. And in all of these natural goals you set, keep in mind the Ultimate Goal you are seeking-to become like Jesus. That is our greatest hope.

Saved to Serve

2006-10-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

"For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:15)."

The Master got up from the table and wrapped a towel around His waist. It was dinner time, but first it was time to teach His disciples an important lesson. He filled a pail with water, and began to go around the table washing His disciple’s feet. How shocked His disciples became! In their culture, only the lowest rungs of society performed foot washing; it was a task humiliating even for a slave. Yet here was Jesus, the Master of All, the Creator of the Universe, taking a towel and washing the feet of mere men.

Can you imagine being in that room? Can you imagine the hands that had fashioned the mountains now washing the dirt off of your feet? Can you fathom the awesome humility of Christ? Jesus told the disciples that they should act as servants for each other, that just as He had humbled Himself to wash their feet, so they should humble themselves.

The Christian life is really a paradox of the way things are run in the world. Here on earth, we consider great men to be those with money, power, and privilege. The greatest men on earth do not serve others but are served by the masses. From a Christian perspective, things are the opposite. Greatness is not defined by how many people serve you, but by the level to which you serve others. The greatest of all is the one who is servant to all (Mark 10:44). Those who are high in their pride are really the lowest in the eyes of God, and those who are low in humility are the ones whom God exalts.

That is why your goal as a Christian must be to serve and not to lord. As a Christian, you are called to be a servant! Do not set your heart on the approval of men, but instead focus on the approval of God. Spend your time helping the poor, the sick, and the needy. Put the needs and concerns of others before your own. Be willing to do the right actions even when no one is watching and you will not get credit. The King of all Heaven took upon Himself a servant’s form and died for us so that we could be saved! Let that same mind of humility and servant hood that was in Christ be in you.

God's Joy in Creation

2006-10-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

"Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good (Genesis 1:31)."

Don't you love the sense of accomplishment you get after doing something well? An artist is most pleased after finishing a great painting, a chef after preparing an exquisite meal, and an evotion writer after posting the latest evotion!

God is also pleased with the work of His own hands. And one of God's greatest pleasures comes from the creation. When God saw the completed work, He said that it was all “very good.” God derives great joy from this natural world that He created!

He takes pleasure in floating butterflies and running streams and green valleys and snow-capped mountains and majestic lions and chirping crickets. He is interested in the intricacies of the human eye and the interaction of microscopic atoms and the vastness of the galaxies spanning across the universe. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are thrilled with the world that has been created through the Word of their Power.

God has placed each one of us as natural people in a natural world. We need to realize this fact and understand that natural things do matter. CS Lewis, the famous Christian apologist and author (most famous in modern times for writing the Chronicles of Narnia ) once observed, “Some Christians try to be more spiritual than God.” In other words, it is possible to neglect this world to such a point that we miss out on God's purposes for our lives.

It is true that our ultimate home is not this world, it is heaven. It is true that we are pilgrims on this earth. But we are still here for now! We are in a beautiful place that has been created by the hands of God Himself. Therefore, we should put our best efforts into our natural concerns as well. We should labor at work and at school. And we should derive enjoyment and joy from the world God has created. Our ultimate joy comes not from the world but from God, but God gives us not only spiritual joy but natural joy in the world He has created.

So next time you're walking around outside, look up at the sky. Marvel at its blueness or grayness or darkness. Some day, go to a park and be amazed at the nature all around you. God has great joy in the world He has created, and through Him we can have joy in it as well. God is a great creative God, and what He has created is very, very, “very good.”

The Power of God's Word

2006-10-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).”

In the above verse, we see the answer. All Scripture is given by inspiration from God. That's right-every book, every chapter, every story, every word comes directly from God Himself. That is why it is so important for our lives to be built around and focused on the Scriptures. They are God's very Word to us! The Bible is indeed an amazing book.

And as God's Word, the Scriptures contain tremendous power. The Bible is like a living, sharp sword (Hebrews 4:12) that can cut through all the lies of the enemy. When we witness, when we pray, and in all of our daily activities, the Scriptures contain the keys for our victory over the enemy.

We also have the assurance that all of God's Word is true (John 17:17). In our modern world, truth is so valuable! We are bombarded every day with advertisements and messages telling us one thing or another. We read books, surf the internet, hear teachings and end up with a thousand different opinions about a thousand different things, often contradicting each other. There is only one source that we can always be sure is 100% true-that is the Word of God. Let's know the truth!

So let's be people who know God's word in a personal way. Our lives will not be changed through hype, excitement, or our own efforts-the only way we can be transformed is by the power of God's Word. Let us develop a love for the Word of God, read His Word every day, and pray that He shows us more and more of His truth through the living, powerful Word. Do you want the power? Then plug into the Word.

Welcome to the blog

2006-10-11T03:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by. The purpose of this blog will be to, in the words of the Moravians, "Win for the Savior His Reward for His Suffering." I will post the different things I'm writing for the Generations website and magazine, as well as personal updates. Hope you all enjoy and visit often!

God Bless you all.