Thoughts on Christ and His Word

Do you know what bad shepherds do? They beat their sheep, they neglect the needs of their sheep, they don't even care when the sheep wander off. They are too concerned about themselves to care for their sheep. Now why do I care about shepherds and sheep? Because God compares spiritual leadership with shepherding sheep. In fact before his final ascension Jesus told Peter three times in various ways "Feed my sheep" in John 21. As I read Ezekiel 34:1-10 this morning I was reminded of just what kind of leader God wants me to be: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the s...

I went up to mountains to pray and read the Word with Fidel yesterday. We actually didn't get to go up to our usual place - Fort Mountain - because we would have froze. But we did manage to pray next to a river. The sun warmed us up for a while. As I was reading through the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, God reminded me of what I needed to do with my life. At least one way of knowing what God purposed for our lives is to look at our spiritual gifts. God encouraged and rebuked me (all at once) with these two verses: Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 1 Timothy 4:14 > For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6 > God told me I needed to use my gifts (Leadership & Teaching) wherever possible and not to sidestep opportunities to serve through their use. Admittedly , I was somewhat neglecting the use of them. ...

I heard a preacher recently say that he doesn't use the term "sin" in his messages. He prefers to call them "mistakes". Now I can understand how people don't like to be told they are "sinners" and that people like positive, uplifting messages. But to sugar -coat our offenses against God and merely refer to them as "mistakes" does a great disservice to people and eventually will do them more spiritual harm than good. God clearly revealed this to me with this passage I read recently: The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading. Lamentations 2:14 > The problem with much preaching today is that it fails to expose people's sin, so that they can repent and ward off God's discipline or in the case of unbelievers, save themselves from hell by repenting and turning to Christ in faith. God is all about Hope, but deli...

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog." Just kidding. He was an Old Testament prophet. He got himself into a lot of trouble with the Jewish authorities for speaking the truth. He knew the truth because he would hear it directly from God's mouth. But when he would proclaim the truth, the rulers would get angry and punish him. On one occasion they got so mad at him that they plotted to kill him ( Jer . 38). So they grabbed him and threw him into a cistern (large containers to collect rain water). This one had no water but it did have mud and Jeremiah sunk into it. The idea was to allow him to starve to death. But one man was righteous. His name was Ebed - Melech . He feared God and wanted to save God's prophet. So he spoke to the king and got permission to take Jeremiah out of the cistern. Later on when the Babylonians invaded and ransacked Jerusalem, Ebed - Melech was spared by God. Through Jeremiah God sent this message to Ebed - Melech just prior to the Babylonian invasion: ...

Today's health and wealth preachers (your know the ones who teach "God wants all his children to wealthy and healthy here on earth") are preaching what the masses want them to preach, not what God's Word teaches. In fact God warned us of this danger when he wrote: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:1-4 Jeremiah wrote about the same phenomenon when THE LORD spoke through Jeremiah saying: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them ...

God hates bad leadership. I'm not talking about leadership that makes poor administrative decisions or bad strategic decisions, but ones that make bad moral decisions. "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. 2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:1-2 Poor leaders are harsh, oppressive, self-serving, and disregard the needs of their people. What we need in this world are leaders who use their power to serve their people and care for them. These kind of leaders are needed in families, businesses, and churches. The leader must cast vision, set goals, and motivate his people to achieve greater things, but he must do it with full integrity of character and caring for ...

Jesus is Awesome! His ministry of restoring Israel back to God was too small for Him. So God had him restore the Gentiles also. "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6 It was always God's intention to save the world - "For God so loved the world..." This verse in Isaiah magnifies and exalts the Messiah and also cues the Jews that the Messiah would not be for them along, but would be "a light for the Gentiles" also. And thank God for that.

Reading through Isaiah 40, I was struck with the exceedingly Greatness of God. The Greatness of God's Word vs. the feebleness of mankind - 6 A voice says, "Cry out."And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them.Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:6-8 God is Powerful, yet He uses it to show compassion and give comfort - 10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him,and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart . Isaiah 40:10-11 God's Power is revealed in Creation - 25 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift your eyes an...

We finished our series on "Humbleness" last night at church. Now the whole church is Humble. Yeah, right. But at least we can better define and hopefully practice true biblical humility. I finished by preaching on how "A Humble Person Quickly Admits Wrongdoing" - both to God, like David did when rebuked by Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 12:1-13), and to people we offend. Jesus is so serious about us apologizing and having clear and loving relations with one another that he said" "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:23-24 This shows how God values loving relationships between his children over our empty sacrifices and other forms of worship. So I shared with our church a list of nine steps and a few tips to practically help them to as...

In studying for my message last Sunday entitled " Getting God’s Best Through Submission" I came across a fascinating passage that clearly showed how God wants us to submit to our human authorities, even when they are mean and difficult to live with. In Genesis 16 I found that Hagar was being "mistreated" (v.6) by her mistress and owner Sarah (Abraham's wife). So Hagar runs away into the desert to escape from Sarah and regain peace and freedom. However, on the road to freedom "The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert" (v.7) and he gives her a wonderful promise about the son she would soon bear. But he also gives her a command I'm sure she didn't appreciate: "Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her ." (v.9) What I found fascinating was that the word "mistreated" (v.6) and "submit" (v.9) come from the same Hebrew word in the original text. The Heb...

Timothy and I were reading the Word together the other day and we read an interesting passage: Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. Psalms 77:19 Alongside this verse I had written a note that read "Sometimes God leads us through some rough times in life where we don't even see His footprints. But He is there." I have gone through many times where the "mighty waters" felt they would drown me. But even though God was leading me down paths I had not traveled before and through storms so frightening I could not see Him, His loving arm pulled me through and left me a better man than I was before. God is always more interested in building our character than in our comfort.

As I sat this morning reading Psalms 72, I noticed for the first time that it is a prayer of David for his son Solomon and his upcoming reign. For Solomon he prays for prosperity, long life, that he would be a blessing to his people and that the people would bless him in return: 15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. 16 Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. 17 May his name endure forever;may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. After reading this I stopped and prayed for each one of my kids. May they prosper in this life, may they be a blessing and be blessed by others, may they live long and healthy lives, and I added one thing David may not have thought was too important - may my children marry a man and three women who love G...

I read an awesome prayer from David this morning - "Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before." Psalms 68:28. So I decided to act upon this verse and claim it as mine as I prayed for things that are in my heart. So on July 12, 2007 in a park in Cherokee County, Georgia, I prayed that God would show his power and strength on my behalf (as He had done before for Moses and Joshua). My prayer is that: The Rock Woodstock would reach 250 people in attendance before December 31, 2007 We would get $7,000 for the KSU Ministry We would get $50,000/year for staff and special projects We would get more staff to fill key positions of ministry in the church Launch the Web Church within a year Obviously, it would take God's mighty hand and power to see these prayers become a reality. But the same God that parted the Red Sea and kept the sun still so that Joshua could defeat his enemies is the one I am counting on to come through for me and ou...

I have a friend who doesn't master the English language yet (and probably never will) who once said to his wife "Honey, there is a lot of humility in the air tonight." Of course he meant "humidity". But since there is a lot of "Humility" talk in the air of The Rock Woodstock I will share that I found another powerful verse in Proverbs that captures a important aspect of humility. Proverbs 13:13 says: " He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded." The message is simple - respect and submit to wise instruction and commands and enjoy rewards OR disregard and laugh at instruction and PAY FOR IT. Smack your heard against the proverbial wall. I too must remember to listen carefully to instruction and counsel of others. I think sometimes as a pastor or seasoned parent I can come to think I have all the answers. I don't. I know God will test me to see if I am remaining humble - listening to sound advic...

Prov 12:1 says "he who hates correction is stupid." As I read this verse this morning I was reminded of the new series we are preaching on at the Rock: "Greatness - The Way Up is Down". Jesus said "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-44 So if we want God to exalt us and be men and women of influence, we must humble ourselves (bring ourselves low) in our relationship to God and others. Prov 18:12 reads "Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor." What does a humble man look like? At a minimum a humble man: is Teachable (allows others to mold his life) is a Servant (serves others both physically and spiritually) is Submissive (submits to proper authority - both divine and human) Puts Others First (doesn't grab the biggest and best slice of pizza first) Seeks Advice (doesn't think or act like he's a "...

Today I was struck by a simple yet profound truth: "you reap what you sow". For non farmers that means you eat the consequences of your actions. Proverbs 1:23-33 came alive to me today. First, by seeing the benefits of responding correctly to God's instructions. If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you...whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." Prov 1:23, 33 WOW! When I listen to God, He pours out His heart to me. God pours out HIS HEART to me. The more I listen and obey God the more He will reveal His thoughts and heart to me. The God of the universe will speak and reveal himself to me. If that weren't enough, God says if I listen and obey I will also live in safety, ease, and without fear of harm. However, if we reject God's advice, rebuke, and outstretched helping hand (vs. 24-32) we will reap the consequences --- disaster, calamity, ove...

I finished reading Job today and came upon an interesting characteristic of "leviathan" ( possibly a crocodile or some extinct super creature). God said about leviathan: Nothing on earth is his equal — a creature without fear. Job 41:33 I began to think about how fearful man is --- how fearful I am. Yet God exalts leviathan because he is "a creature without fear." God doesn't like it when we fear because fear is the opposite of faith and we all know that "without faith it is impossible to please God". Fear also has a paralyzing effect. It keeps us from trying great things for God. Our fear of failure or fear of what others might think keep us from taking leaps of faith for God and his kingdom. Fear is a trap from which God wants to release us. The one thing we are repeatedly told to fear in the Bible is God. Let all the earth fear the LORD Psalms 33:8 Here is a little known principle: We serve that which we fear. It controls our lives - thoughts, a...

Yesterday was Father's day. I had a great day. My wife made me breakfast fit for a king - scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, tomatoes , and mushrooms. With that she served me pancakes with maple syrup. Then I played Axis and Allies (a manly war game) with my kids and brother-in-law. I won (my son Josiah helped me win). Then we went to church. I preached a message titled "The Importance of Fathers" (you can hear it on-line on The Rock's website). I challenged the men of our church to take up their proper roles as the leaders of their families - to take the lead in nurturing and disciplining their children in order to raise godly/kingdom building children for God. I firmly believe that if men would stop abandoning their wives and children and grab hold of their God-given role we could effectively wipe out violent crime in our cities and virtually reduce all social ills that plague our society. It takes courageous God-fearing men to raise kids right. I pray th...

As I was reading through Job this morning I began to realize how deep this man's character was. His integrity and uprightness came from the core of his inner being - and he knew it. When his friends misdiagnosed his suffering as a result of his wickedness and secret sins he responded to their verbal accusations by saying: "I will never concede that you are right; I will defend my integrity until I die. I will maintain my innocence without wavering. My conscience is clear for as long as I live." Job 27:5-65 NLT As I kept reading I noticed the righteous character of Job (especially as seen in chapters 29 and 31). Job was a man: of compassion of justice who would not lust after women who was honest (without deceit or falsehood) who was faithful to his wife who treated his employees with dignity and fairness who helped the poor, the widow, and the fatherless who trusted God for his security and not his wealth who did not worship any other god who did not hold grudges nor...

As I was reading through the story of Esther I was amazed at how she had learned to honor her parents even though the man who raised her wasn't even her real father - he was her uncle Mordecai who adopted her after her parents untimely death. She first honored her adoptive father by being obedient: "But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up." Esther 2:20 Obedience to a parent is the highest form of honor. As she grew older and became queen she continued to honor him, but not as a child who simply obeys orders, but as a mature person who knows how to negotiate and find common ground for the good of everyone. So when Mordecai wants her to go to the king and beg for mercy for the Jewish nation, she doesn't just rush in to the throne room (which could have cost her her life). "Then Esther sent this reply...

I just returned from a trip to New Jersey to help our Great Commission church there. A certain situation had arisen there that was hurting the church. After consulting with the parties involved a solution to the problem was agreed upon and everyone agreed to bury the situation and seek love and unity. I couldn't help but notice that this positive outcome was a result of the church there in New Jersey being part of a greater association of like-minded believers, in this case Great Commission Latin America ( GCLA ). They humbly accepted me (and my partner Rodmey ) to come into their church and help restore a spirit of peace, love, and unity. What a blessing! Churches should not be religious islands acting completely independent from the rest of the body of Christ. This kind of independence is foreign to the New Testament, where we repeatedly see interdependent churches - churches working together for the gospel under the supervision of apostles. In 3 John we see what can happen to ...

"The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him." Ezra 7:6 - Ezra got everything he asked from the king because God's gracious hand was on Him. This phrase is repeated 3 times in chapters 7-8. As I read these verses I wondered, "Wouldn't it be great to have the gracious hand of the Lord on ME?" As I further meditated on this God began to show me that His hand is and has been on me. I was reminded of specific prayers I had made (recent ones and some 20 years ago) that God had been answering recently. As I was preparing to do the church-plant in Woodstock I prayed that God would move hearts and send people with me. He did - 50 people in total moved with me from Miami. About 12 years ago I began praying that God would give me apostolic duties, to help churches and church leaders to progress in their ministries. This began to happen last year as I got more involved in our Great Commission church in New Jersey. A...

I read a bout two kings today - Uzziah and his son Jotham . King Uzziah was a great king who God used mightily. 2 Chronicles 26:5 says "As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success." God helped him build his kingdom making him famous throughout the region, giving him an strong army of over 307,000 soldiers, giving him wealth and power so that other countries paid him tribute year after year. But as often happens to people who gain wealth, power, and success, Uzziah got proud. 2 Chronicles 26:15-16 says "His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall." He began to sin against God who then gave him leprosy as his punishment. The King everyone wanted to be with, now became the King no one wanted to touch with a 10-foot pole. King Jotham , Uzziah's son began to rule. He was a good learner for he followed the Lord and gained fame and success, but he ...

Jehoshaphat was one of the great kings of Israel. He served God faithfully and did many good things for his people. The Bible says that "His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD" 2 Chron. 17:6. But he had one major flaw - he loved the people of his own race (Jews) more than he loved the God of the Jews. The Kings of Israel (the northern kingdom) were wicked. They worshiped idols and violated every command of God they could find. One such evil king of Israel was Ahab. He and his wife Jezebel made up a special team of misfits - they murdered people, stole their property, promoted false religions, and killed the prophets of God. To this sort of people, Jehoshaphat decided to align himself. So one day when Ahab wants to go to war with another city, Jehoshaphat joins him. Jehoshaphat says to Ahab "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war." (2 Chron . 18:3) Despite the warning of a prophet of God, Jehoshaphat went with Ahab...