Pastoral Perspective - I have changed, and you can too!

We all welcome change. Well, that is until things start to change. The results of a recent challenge in my office environment reminded me of what happens when we encounter something worth changing. Or in this case, what can happen when our focus is on something other than the change itself. It happened almost unnoticed.

I recently got a big study chair. It is wonderful, except for the fact that it keeps me from getting very close to the left side of my L-shaped desk. It seemed to be in the way, until I realized that I was using the mouse pad on the right side of my keyboard drawer. By moving the mouse pad to the left side of the drawer which lines up with the rest of my desk, I had plenty of room. Problem solved!

It took a little getting used to the change, but it was worth the initial awkwardness. Then I remembered. I am left-handed and should have had my mouse pad on the left all along. For five years I had used my mouse pad on the right because of the desk I was using. In that desk setup, there was no room on the left and there was a pull-out drawer on my right that I had to use. I had gotten so accustomed to that arrangement that when I changed desks I automatically set up with my mouse to the right.

Office layouts may be irrelevant, but consider what happened. I changed, without even realizing it! My focus was on my study, so the inconvenience and clumsiness of the change was greatly lessened. Before long, the change was so complete that the former way of setting up was forgotten.

There is a direct parallel spiritually! 2 Corinthians 5:17 promises us "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

We rejoice in that promise and welcome the change, until things start to change. We are challenged in Romans 12:2 to be "transformed", and it sounds great. But often we find ourselves in the middle of a slow transformation, or a frustration that the "new creature" isn't quite what we thought it should be. Keep your focus on your relationship with God, and the renewing will take place in time!


I can change, and you can too!

Throwing It All Away, By Leonard Woeppel

It takes a special person to stay dedicated to their goal. Most of us are not special people. The failures we encounter in this life are, for the most part, caused by our own laziness or selfishness. If we have the FAITH to seek after Jesus, we should have the faith to finish the race and receive our reward. We fall by the wayside because we lack roots. There is no there, there, to our Christian walk. We were excited at first, but life wore us down and there was no one there to help us get back on our feet.

Events do not always work out the way we want. Many young Christians believe they are immune to the vagaries of life because they are disciples of Jesus. WRONG! Good and BAD things happen to everyone. Friends and family members are going to get sick and die. We all get old. Your car may be stolen. Your house may be broken into. YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO DO STUPID THINGS.

We live in a world of sin and despair. The bad things in life will touch all of us. Our faith gives us the tools and understanding to get past the rough spots. JESUS WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU IN THE TOUGH TIMES. The biggest tool we are given is the Bible. The legacy of knowledge in the Bible is unsurpassed. If we can spend time in Bible study; we will find the answers to all of our life problems are there. The challenge we fail is in our reluctance to use the solutions given to us in the Bible. You may be able to recite chapter and verse from the Bible, but you need to put your knowledge to work. Your actions will always speak louder than your words.

The Great Commission is a call to action. The people the church wants to reach are outside the walls of the sanctuary. It will require all of us to play a part if we are to be successful. Jesus did not preach in one spot. He went to people where they were. We need to be open to the opportunity when it presents itself. A friend’s house, a wedding, a funeral, the hillside, or walking along the shore; Jesus was always ready to make the case. We need to be prepared and ready also.

We have been given a great gift. The truth we received from Jesus needs to be shared. We need to share the ‘LIVING WATER”   we are filled with. Our life will grow stale and sour if we do not share the truth of Jesus Christ. Do not throw away the gift (the pearl of great price) you have been given by Jesus. We make our own opportunities in the life we live. If we live a life of service to others; there will be open ears and hearts to hear the message of everlasting life through Jesus.

Now is the time and this is the place. If not now; when? We have the knowledge and tools. Let’s start using them to serve Jesus. If the church is truly the Bride of Christ; let’s start acting like it!

Spiritual Hoarding- By April Coonfare

Not long ago while visiting a relative in the hospital, I learned about a television series called Hoarders. It was appalling to see people live in such a mess of an environment that is unhealthy and nasty! To label it a little more plainly: they are people that have too much junk. Usually as a result of a tragedy or some deeply-rooted issue, but it’s about to kill them in one form or another.

Their pattern overtakes their homes and causing disease and disaster, their habit of holding on to things excessively is a seemingly unbreakable one. A dangerous situation is unfolding. The mode of their minds is such that, in the beginning, they are in denial, and they refuse to believe that things are as bad as they are. Then as the reality of their situation hits them, the bottom line is the same for each one: A change of mind and heart is imperative. The decision must be made to rip out the old and usher in the new, then trade the old habits for new ones.

I was thinking about this the other day, what about spiritual hoarding?

Many of us hold onto our old nasty habits that we just don’t want to get rid of. Some hold onto their past and can’t let go. Holding onto habits and past things can hinder us and hold us back from going forward in our walk with God. Maybe you have some emotional hoarding.

Has someone in your past hurt you, and even though it doesn’t feel good, it feels very safe to hold on to that unforgiveness? What other emotions do you hold on to? Anger, resentment, or perhaps bitterness? A friend has betrayed your trust. A loved one has hurt you. Your spouse has said some very hurtful things, and you’re still holding on to those. As long as you’re hoarding the past and all its trash it will ultimately pile up a lot of negative emotions and stifle our walk with God.

We need to be able to declutter the lives of our past sins, negative feelings, and emotions. We need to allow Jesus to clean deep within us. We need to repent of our past sins, put them in a black garbage bag and allow Jesus to throw them away.

Jesus died for our sins so we can let go of our “old things” and wipe our slate clean so we can start a new life with Him. Let go of your stinky past trash and take it to God. God didn’t endure the pain on the cross for us to cling on to our sins and negative events that have happened in our previous life. He went through the pain and suffering for us to let go of our “old garbage” and renew ourselves in a new life experience with Him. Allow His Spirit to cleanse you and free you from all the hindering “trash” you have been holding onto. It is time to do spiritual spring cleaning!!

Worthless by, Vicki Leonardson

"Just as the Lord has found great pleasure in causing you to prosper and multiply, the Lord will find pleasure in destroying you. You will be torn from the land you are about to enter and occupy. For the Lord will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship foreign gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods made of wood and stone! There among those nations, you will find no peace or place to rest. And the Lord will cause your heart to tremble, your eyesight to fail, and your soul to despair." Deuteronomy 28:63-65

There is much detail in Deuteronomy 28 regarding the destruction of Israel if they chose not to obey God. Unfortunately, they chose not to obey God. 

And so...

"This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the Lord their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. They offered sacrifices on all the hilltops, just like the nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the Lord’s anger. Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the Lord’s specific and repeated warnings.

Again and again, the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.”

But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.

They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.

Because the Lord was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land. But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the Lord their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced. The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.

For when the Lord tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the Lord and made them commit a great sin. And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sins until the Lord finally swept them away from his presence, just as all his prophets had warned. So Israel was exiled from their land to Assyria, where they remain to this day." 2 Kings 17:7-21

God was very specific.

"If you do this, you will be blessed beyond measure."

And He told them exactly how they would be blessed. 

"However, if you do this, you will be destroyed."

And He explained exactly how they would be destroyed.

I'm mystified as to why many folks choose not to serve God. 

"They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves." 2 Kings 17:15 

Are you struggling with commitment to God? Are you an unbeliever? 

Why?

1. You simply don't believe.

"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."

Hebrews 11:6

2. You are living in delusion, believing a lie.

"And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" 

2 Thessalonians 2:11

3. You are planning to serve God later in life. You are not ready to leave your current lifestyle which may be against God's word.

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone." James 4:14

4. You feel like God has forsaken you. Serving God hasn't worked out very well for you.

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

5. You have been hurt by Christians or family.

"Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” Luke 17:4

6. God is not drawing you any longer.

"For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me..." 

John 6:44

7. Living the Christian life is simply too hard.

"I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me." 

Romans 7:22-23

8. You are concerned about losing friends and/or family.

"Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close." Psalm 27:10

I'm sure there are more reasons for not serving God.

I can understand why you may feel like the bad sometimes outweighs the good for those who live for God. I agree, living for God can be difficult at times. But, if you are honest with yourself and God, you will find that the end reward, whether good are bad, is real. 

Look to the children of Israel and learn from their mistakes. Look to God for direction. He is waiting for you to lay all your doubts at His feet. Do you feel Him drawing you? I hope so. 

If He decides to cease gently tugging on our hearts, then we will no longer have hope. 

I'm reminded of another scripture. 

"He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Matthew 3:12

"Dear Jesus, there are those of us who are half-hearted in our walk with You. You continue to draw us and we continue to hang back. I pray that You will not give up on us! I pray that You will continue to draw us! We are helpless and hopeless without You, dear Jesus. We must continue to follow Your tug on our hearts, lest You stop drawing us. We don't want to become worthless chaff thrown into the fire. Forgive us, oh Lord! Thank You that You hear every prayer and see every tear. In Your precious name, we pray these things, AMEN."