James 4:1-3 (NLT) says "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure."
Today I wanted to talk about our motives when we go to God.
These verses and this whole chapter are very powerful. But if we could just focus on this small portion concerning our motives and our thoughts before God I feel like it could benefit us in a great way.
When I was growing up there was always a joke around my house when it came to asking our Dad for something. Usually that something was a toy or some "fun" item or perhaps a request to go somewhere special. We would joke about "Buttering Up" our dad before asking him, literally telling him how much we love him, hugging on him, doing small things for him that were out of the ordinary. The funny thing about it was when we started acting this way (because it was unordinary) he immediately knew what we were up to and he knew that we were going to be requesting or asking something of him.
Most of the time when this happened it became harder to get the thing we wanted because he knew we were only doing these things in order for us to get something in return.
This morning as I think about that small funny story about my childhood I wonder how many times we do that with God. Going the extra mile for a neighbor in need, being compassionate to people we usually talk bad about or even pretending to be "super spiritual" and closer to God then anyone else. How many times do we start acting this way only because we want something from God. How many times are we guilty of buttering up God before we ask him for something, and how selfish are we to only worship God with passion and excitement only for a blessing in return.
All of this leads me to this question. What are your motives when you go before the Lord? Is this relationship between you and our Father God a one sided relationship? Are you only in this for yourself? For looks? For personal gain? For personal understanding?
I hope not...
One of the biggest steps I took in my Christian walk was when I realized that I should bless God and worship him for who he is, not what he can do for me. I respect him for being the Judge, I respect him for being the Creator, I respect him for who he is not what he is capable of doing for me. And when I started worshipping and praying to him for him and not for myself EVERYTHING changed! God started blessing me in ways I still to this day cannot explain to you.
So, to conclude this blog post, I ask you why are you in a relationship with Jesus Christ? Why do you pray to the Lord? Is it for a selfish ambition? Or is it because you truly want to have a relationship with him.
Change the way you pray, and you will see changes in your life.
Pastor Phil
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Faithfulness = Trustworthy
When you look up the word "Faithful or Faithfulness" in the bible there are 9265 references to this subject.
To simply put it, God is very serious about being faithful and having faithfulness. It's a serious subject that most people don't want to talk about or mention.
But to me being faithful is the only way to do life. I must be faithful to the God who gave his son, who died for me. I must be faithful to my wife. I must be faithful to my job. I must be faithful.
So many times in our world we will hear other voices and opinions trying to tell to us that there is an exception. And our enemy will be the first one that tries to convince us that we can get away with whatever.
That we don't have to be faithful in our relationships, that we don't have to faithful to God.
I read this quote this morning and I loved it; "Your faithfulness makes you trustworthy".
Wow, your faithfulness makes you trustworthy. People can tell what kind of person you are by your committment and faithfulness. They then decide if they can trust you or not.
I would step out on a limb and say that God does the same thing so many times with us. Its not that he doesn't want to bless you and trust you with your wildest dreams, but he wants to see if you are really committed to him, if you are really faithful to him.
This morning I can testify that with Faithfulness and an honest heart before God he will trust you, bless you and give you more than you can imagine. So today I want to challenge you to look at your life and find the places that your unfaithful and then work on them.
If it's going to church on Sunday, if it's a relationship, if it's reading your bible or whatever. Find the things you need to work on and then Be Faithful.
2nd Timothy 2:13 says "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is."
Luke 16:10 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities"
Pastor Philip
To simply put it, God is very serious about being faithful and having faithfulness. It's a serious subject that most people don't want to talk about or mention.
But to me being faithful is the only way to do life. I must be faithful to the God who gave his son, who died for me. I must be faithful to my wife. I must be faithful to my job. I must be faithful.
So many times in our world we will hear other voices and opinions trying to tell to us that there is an exception. And our enemy will be the first one that tries to convince us that we can get away with whatever.
That we don't have to be faithful in our relationships, that we don't have to faithful to God.
I read this quote this morning and I loved it; "Your faithfulness makes you trustworthy".
Wow, your faithfulness makes you trustworthy. People can tell what kind of person you are by your committment and faithfulness. They then decide if they can trust you or not.
I would step out on a limb and say that God does the same thing so many times with us. Its not that he doesn't want to bless you and trust you with your wildest dreams, but he wants to see if you are really committed to him, if you are really faithful to him.
This morning I can testify that with Faithfulness and an honest heart before God he will trust you, bless you and give you more than you can imagine. So today I want to challenge you to look at your life and find the places that your unfaithful and then work on them.
If it's going to church on Sunday, if it's a relationship, if it's reading your bible or whatever. Find the things you need to work on and then Be Faithful.
2nd Timothy 2:13 says "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is."
Luke 16:10 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities"
Pastor Philip
Friday, February 3, 2012
One Ways very own Sarah Christian shares on the song "you won't relent"
I never thought about the meaning of the words of this song until last night. Jesus Culture-----You Wont Relent: "I'll set you as a SEAL upon my heart, as a SEAL upon my arm." As i was immersed in deep worship last night, and as the speaker was talking about this song, God opened my eyes and revealed to me that i must have a seal upon my life.
A seal can be two things: it can be a branding or a protection. Back in the day, like old English times, people would put a seal on their letters before they were carried to the receiver. They did this for two reasons: to protect the contents of the letter from prying eyes and so the receiver would know who the letter was from. A seal was usually made of melted wax that dried on the paper, and was stamped with the insignia of the person who wrote the letter. When the song speaks of a seal upon your heart, it is talking about a seal of protection. When you have a seal on your heart, you are protecting your heart from things that do not need to be let in there. This is a seal that is not easily broken! When you put the seal of God upon your heart, you are allowing only godly things into your heart, you are protecting your heart from corruption, from pornography, from drug abuse, from alcoholism, from sexual desires, from anything that is not of God.
When the song speaks of putting a seal upon your arm, it is speaking about a branding. When settlers moved to the west to becomes ranchers and herders, each rancher developed a brand, which is a series of designs or letters. This brand was then made into a metal branding tool. The rancher would heat up the branding tool, then burn the seal or brand onto all of his cattle. This was to show other ranchers who the cattle belonged to. Each rancher had a brand, and each rancher knew the brands of the other ranchers. God wants us to set him as a seal upon our arm. Our arm is one of the most visible places of our bodies, people see the arms of others everyday. Arms can be used to embrace others or push others away. When we set the seal of God upon our arms it is for others to see, it is for others to know that we belong to Jesus Christ! When we have the seal of God upon our arm, we can embrace others and bring them to Jesus.
Everyone has a seal upon on their life...whose seal is on your heart and arm?
A seal can be two things: it can be a branding or a protection. Back in the day, like old English times, people would put a seal on their letters before they were carried to the receiver. They did this for two reasons: to protect the contents of the letter from prying eyes and so the receiver would know who the letter was from. A seal was usually made of melted wax that dried on the paper, and was stamped with the insignia of the person who wrote the letter. When the song speaks of a seal upon your heart, it is talking about a seal of protection. When you have a seal on your heart, you are protecting your heart from things that do not need to be let in there. This is a seal that is not easily broken! When you put the seal of God upon your heart, you are allowing only godly things into your heart, you are protecting your heart from corruption, from pornography, from drug abuse, from alcoholism, from sexual desires, from anything that is not of God.
When the song speaks of putting a seal upon your arm, it is speaking about a branding. When settlers moved to the west to becomes ranchers and herders, each rancher developed a brand, which is a series of designs or letters. This brand was then made into a metal branding tool. The rancher would heat up the branding tool, then burn the seal or brand onto all of his cattle. This was to show other ranchers who the cattle belonged to. Each rancher had a brand, and each rancher knew the brands of the other ranchers. God wants us to set him as a seal upon our arm. Our arm is one of the most visible places of our bodies, people see the arms of others everyday. Arms can be used to embrace others or push others away. When we set the seal of God upon our arms it is for others to see, it is for others to know that we belong to Jesus Christ! When we have the seal of God upon our arm, we can embrace others and bring them to Jesus.
Everyone has a seal upon on their life...whose seal is on your heart and arm?
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