Light A Fire

In Isaiah 61:3 God is giving us the oil of gladness instead of mourning.  So what is this oil of gladness?  If you get a gift and you don’t know what it is, you should find out.  Oil in the bible is symbolic of the anointing, which is God’s supernaturally miraculous empowered purpose for your life.  Try saying that three times fast.  David was anointed to be King by Samuel when he was just a shepherd boy.  The anointing was for his purpose.  Next, he goes off and caps Goliath.  Oil is what was used in lamps as fuel to produce fire, which was used as light.  So the oil of gladness is God’s fuel for the fire with in you to accomplish the plan he has for your life, your purpose.  God has a purpose for you.  The oil is the supernatural power provided by the Spirit of God with in you to help drive you to that purpose.  It is oil of gladness.  We could all use a little more gladness.  Hebrews 12 teaches us that Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.  This is telling us that our godly purpose is something that will bring us joy; we love it.  Isn’t it awesome that God wants us to do something that He makes us passionate about.  Its something we love to do.  What has God anointed you to do?  Well, what lights your fire?  God knows we will need a great deal of fuel to stay motivated through all of the battles along the way of reaching His plan for our life.  People sometimes tell me they don’t know what to do with there lives, and I tell them, well then, find your oil and light it on fire.  It should provide plenty of light and passion to get you well on your way.  And don’t forget to enjoy the ride!

A Crown of Beauty

Selfish ambition is bad, but ambition for God’s glory is good.  In Genesis 12 God has promised to make your name great.  Why would he want your name great?  Because God wants His people to have a voice on this planet.  Isaiah 61: 3 says that Christ will “provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”  Those who grieve in Zion are those who have received Christ and entered the Kingdom of God, but are not okay with the how the world currently is.  It means you would like to see things get better.  Like Nehemiah who was not okay with the wall in Jerusalem being broken. We look at this world and see world hunger, disease, poverty, wrong influences in entertainment, or education, our government systems, or greed, and you want things to improve.  If you have ambitions to help make positive change in this world for God, then Jesus has a crown of beauty for you.  What does a crown do?  Well, a crown says that you are in charge.  Kings wear crowns.  Jesus is the King of Kings, and he is crowning you.  It is a crown of beauty.  This means that God wants others to follow you because they are attracted to you, they like you.  It isn’t ruler-ship out of fear, but ruler-ship because you have favor.  Sometimes Christians don’t realize that Christ wants us to be in charge, influencing the world.  We are to influence the world as salt and light.  Leadership is influence.  Would television be better if Christians were choosing what was airing?  How about education, could it use some Christian influence?  How about our economy?  How about radio, oh wait, we are doing that right now, aren’t we.

No More Grumpy

Well, here is a story about attitude.  In the book of Nehemiah, the Israelites have left God, worshipped other idols and have been conquered, they are serving the Persian empire and Nehemiah, himself a captive is cup bearer to the King of Persia.  This is worse than having to take out the trash, or do dishes, or homework.  He and all his family and friends are oppressed by another nation.  Nehemiah then finds out that the walls of Jerusalem are in ruin.  So the next time he approaches the king the scripture says in chapter 2 that Nehemiah had not been sad in the kings presence ever before.  This means that Nehemiah was always happy.  His default attitude was a good mood.  Are you ever grumpy?  Moody?  Not Nehemiah.  When he found out the wall was down it really upset him, and this was not normal.  Well, so what, you might say.  As the story goes, because he had never been down in front of the King before, the king takes notice.  The king asks Nehemiah what is wrong.  When Nehemiah tells him, the King releases Nehemiah from his service, put’s him in charge of the region of Jerusalem, and gives him the money and authority to rebuild the wall.  Ahhh, now do you see the power of having a good attitude.  Nehemiah was so used to having a good attitude, that when the news about the wall reached him, his only possible response was to become part of the solution, and not just another complainer.  There are people who complain about things, and people who fix things.  It’s the good attitude people that are out fixing things.  So change your attitude, moody should be the exception, not the norm.  Do I have to do another radio spot??  Ugh, oh wait, attitude.

Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Why did Jesus have to die for us?  In a minute?  Really, ok here goes.  God told Adam that if he ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that he would surely die.  As you know, Adam ate and sinned.  Now, when Adam ate, you were in Adam, so you as well sinned and when you were born into this world you were born a sinner.  Sin passes through the man.  But Jesus was not born of man.  Mary was a virgin, and yet found with child, Jesus was the first man since Adam to be in the world but sinless.  Jesus remained sinless, completely innocent.  Now remember, that God had promised that Adam would surely die if he disobeyed God.  But God allowed a substitute to die, an animal could be sacrificed in place of man to atone for the sin.  Blood had to be shed.  When the Israelites were leaving Egypt they sacrificed a lamb without blemish and painted the blood over their door posts as protection from the angel of death.  Here that lamb again was dying to atone for sin.  This was called the Passover feast, and is celebrated every year on the 14^th day of the first month of the Hebrew Calendar.  This is infact the same day Jesus was crucified, 1500 years later, on the 14^th day of the first month, at the Passover celebration, He is the lamb of God, the lamb with out blemish that was sacrificed for us.  When God told Adam that if he sinned he would surely die, someone had to pay that price.  Jesus paid it for us, for all man, for all time.  Jesus is the Lamb of God.  Thank you Jesus.

Daily Chocolate Cake Compote

I was tempted greatly the other day by a wonderful moist piece of warm cake filled with hot fudge and topped with ice cream.  That cursed dessert called out to me from the pit to indulge and eat.  Well now, not eating dessert isn’t quite in the 10 commandments, so I caved.  I’m an easy target.  But Jesus, after not eating for forty days was approached by Satan.  Satan tempted Jesus to turn some rocks into bread and eat them.  Jesus response was this “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  Yes, God’s word is what gives us life.  Not the same life we get from chocolate cake, or even rock bread, instead it is life that lasts eternally.  It’s real life.  You can be ALIVE.  Hope, joy peace, patience, love; these things come from God’s bread.  And like we eat every day, we need God’s bread every single day, not just on Sundays.  The bible promises you a life that is full of light, that the mere meditation on God’s word will cause everything you touch to prosper.  Are we reading the bible enough?  Are we getting that bread?  Make it interesting for yourself, do searches for words and studies.  Set aside a time for God.  Grey’s Anatomy is not going to add anything to your life, and it may get a whole hour.  God’s word has so much more for you.  Take notes on what you are learning.  Really eat it.  Chew it up.  What do you want to learn about?  Now stop listening to this and go read. 

Get The Doubt Out

Last time I talked to you about Abraham and Sarah, being far to old to have children, they were waiting to in fact do just that.  God had promised Abraham 25 years earlier that he would have child, but here at the age of 99, he still did not have that promised child.  I’m sure many of Abrahams friends and acquaintances had no problem having children, some of them may have not even known or believed in God.  Yet, Abraham still had no child, a promise he really desired.  Most people would be pretty doubtful after 25 years that it would ever happen.  Abraham however does have that child, in the very next year, at the age of 100.  The miracle happens.  Verse 20 of Romans 4 says that Abraham “Did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith.”  Jesus told us in Matt 21 that “if you have faith and do not doubt” you can speak to mountains and have them move.  So then we see how important it is to have faith in God and what he said, and also to NOT doubt.  Abraham did not waver through unbelief.  When we begin to doubt even just a little part of God or His Word, we are wavering.  Unwavering is the key.  We don’t need a lot of faith, it just needs to be the size of a mustard seed, small faith, and no doubt.  If you are in need of healing, stand strong on what God said, “By Jesus stripes you have been healed”  Or Jesus became poor, so that you might be made rich!  God said it, then it’s true.  Now you need to believe and not doubt!  Unwavering Faith.  Let’s get the doubt out.