What is prosperity?  Dictionary.com says this:  1. a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, esp. in financial respects; good fortune.  When we think about prospering or prosperity, we think mostly about money and things.  I know I like money and things.  I know that I can get jealous of people who have money or things.  I have shared previously that this area of my life is one I struggle with at times.  I have heard many preachers talk about wanting more or even saying that God wants us to be rich.  I want to share a few thoughts with you today about God’s prosperity.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I know that it takes money to live.  I also realize that in our economy today, it takes more money now than ever before and many people have less.  One of our main industries in Texarkana shut down today.  Some of the people were transferred while others will just be without a job.  If it weren’t for the road construction, the jobless rate would be doubled. (At least that is what it seems.)  Let me give you encouragement today.  Our economic situation did not catch God off guard.  It might have caught us by surprise, but not Him.  Matter of fact, the economic situation of the USA does not affect God whatsoever.  Nor does it affect His plans for us.  As believers, we need to realize that God’s welfare is different that our society’s.  God’s riches are full of peace, comfort and grace.  The hope and future that He provides is eternity, not retirement.  Now I would like to be able to retire one day, but if I have to work until the last breath I take on the earth I have the hope of a very bright eternal future that will be second to none.  It’s not about what we can accumulate on the earth.  It is all about what we are storing up in Heaven.

How do we store up in Heaven?  How do we have the success of God while we are on the earth?

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Let me answer those questions with another question.  Who is first in your life?  You might say that your family is first.  You might say that God is first.  You might answer with someone else all together.  How do your actions answer that question?  Is it evident to others that you are a believer in Christ?  We are to be about giving God glory in our lives so that He can work through them.  God has planned each one of our lives with His glory in mind.  He knows how we can give Him the honor and praise He so deserves with everything that happens in us and to us.  He knows how we can praise Him in whatever illness or what we think of as being a calamity we go through.  He knows how we can give Him honor in all of our relationships; rather they are good or bad.  God knows exactly how He wants to be glorified, honored, and praise.  How do we do that?  By keeping our mind focused on Him.  By allowing His word to abide in us.  And by us obeying His word in our daily lives.  So many times we lose sight of what is really important or who really matters.  I am guilty of just that.  I lose sight of Him and I turn my focus on others or my circumstances and He has to remind me of His presence.  One example of this was when Lisa and I bought our first Bonneville.  Boy was I proud of that car.  It had leather seats and aluminum wheels.  I thought we were truly driving in style.  Well one day, I was driving to the church and a rock flew up and chipped the windshield.  I was hacked off.  My new car has been damaged.  How could something like that happen so soon after just buying the car.  I then heard that voice in my head that asked me whose car it was.  God reminded me on that day that He provided the car for us and I should be more concerned about Him than the car.  It was just a thing.  The car had no eternal value.  It was a mode of transportation.  Yes, it was nice.  Yes, I was to take care of it.  But that car was not to be any form of pride for me.  Paul says his only boasting can be in Christ.  Rather I have the car of my dreams or not.  Rather I have the house of my dreams or not.  Rather I have the job of my dreams or not.  Rather I have cd’s, ira’s, or off-shore accounts or not.  Rather I have as much as my neighbors or not.  I am to glory in Christ and trust Him for my future and my hope. [Read more…]

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (ESV)
⁹ Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
¹⁰ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.

This morning as I was reading my daily Bible reading, I read what we have come to know as Jabez’s prayer.  Bruce Wilkenson wrote a couple of books using this prayer as the premise of God doing some very spectacular things.  I know many people who have thought that this prayer was almost like a magical chant that would always result in God doing a “miracle.”  Now I believe that God answers prayers.  I believe that God wants to do things in our lives that actually show Him off, so to speak.  I do not believe that God is ever held captive by a prayer or a verse.  There are more aspects to God answering prayer than just saying a certain one.

John 15:7 (ESV)
⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

You see I think that the most important part of the passage about Jabez is the very first phrase that says that “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.”  I believe that Jabez walked with God personally.  Jesus gives us another condition of answered prayer and that is obedience to God’s Word.  We want God to do special things in our lives many times without being “special” with God.  What I mean by being special with God is being holy, righteous, and set apart.  Many people look at God as a genie who grants wishes.  They don’t see Him as God Almighty who deserves to be worshipped and obeyed.  I want to give you a couple of thoughts about God answering our prayers.

1. We must confess our sins.  If we have sin in our lives that is unconfessed to God, He will not answer our prayers.
2. We must be obedient to God’s Word.  I have heard many people say that they need to pray about doing something that is mandated in scripture.  No you don’t have to pray about it.  God’s word says it, therefore do it.
3. We must have faith in God’s ability as well as in His sovereignty.  Many times God answers our prayers differently than we think and so we are not sure that God loves us.  God always loves us.  He also knows what is best for us and for His glory.
4. We must be specific.  I believe that God wants us to pray specifically.  Danielle is going to seminary next month.  I have asked her to list everything that she needs to go, including how much money.  I believe we as a family need to pray about every item, not just say “God help me go to seminary.”
5. We need to pray with the right motives.  As we pray we cannot be selfish or demanding.  We need to be humble before God, yet confident that we can come before Him.

God wants to answer our prayers because as He does He gets glory from our lives.  Every time He answers a prayer we should just brag on God and what He is doing.  As you pray, it is not about saying the right words.  It is about being right with God.

Listening to the radio today, I heard the DJ say that she did not share the loss she experienced a few months ago because she wanted to protect others from the hurt.  She then admitted that she had buried her hurt and not dealt with it until just recently.  Unfortunately, I had to get out of the car before she finished her story.  I have thought about that several times today.  I have even thought about how I try to “protect” my family from hurts or disappointments or trials that I go through.  As I thought about it, I realized that by “protecting” them I am not giving them a true picture of life as well as withholding honesty from them.  Many times I might get cranky or edgy because of what is going on around me and I take it out on them.  Wait a minute.  There I go again letting you into the inner thoughts of my being.  I want to think about a verse that I use a lot in my counseling office.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

When we think we can protect people from hurt, we believe the lie that it is our responsibility to protect others.  We put ourselves in the place of God at that point.

God wants to walk us through the difficult times in our lives for His glory.  He has a plan for everything that we go through.  One of those plans is for us to learn about His grace and peace so that we can teach others and comfort others with the same comfort we received from God.

Now I do not believe that God plans the bad that takes place in our lives.  I believe He knows about it before it ever happens.  I even believe that it is written down in His book.  Yes, He could stop it; but He doesn’t.  Please do not ask me why He doesn’t stop it because I do not know.  Lisa and I have had a few things happen over the course of our marriage that I would consider bad and hurtful.  Someone else might say that our experiences have been less painful than theirs.  We cannot compare one experience next to another.  Everyone responds differently.  What I can do is tell you that every time I allowed God to hold me and comfort me, He taught me more about Himself.

I started out talking about protecting others from pain and hurt.  As I think about our experiences, God has used someone from His family to reach out with His love and mercy to provide His comfort and His teaching.  As born-again believers we need to be a family that shows care, concern, compassion, and comfort with each other.  Jesus told His disciples that…

John 13:35 (ESV)
³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let’s love one another and support one another.  Let’s also give others opportunities to love and support us.  God’s plan for the relationships of the church.

John 21:20-22 (ESV)

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”

²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Today as I think about this passage of scripture, I remember my mom pointing these verses out to me several years ago.  I’m sure then that I just blew it off as mom is “preaching” at me again.  Today my thoughts are totally different.

I have looked around lately at some of the things that some friends of mine have accomplished and I wonder “when’s my turn.”  Every time I have that thought, God reminds me of this verse.  Just as I wrote yesterday about God’s preparation and calling being different in everyone’s life, so is His ministry for and to each person.  Wow, just reading these words makes me feel like I am the most negative and complaining person.  Writing my thoughts down sure is dangerous as I have let people into my life in a lot of different ways.  I have been accused of being too transparent and too vulnerable.  Maybe I am, but my thinking is that if I have struggled in this way or another way maybe someone else has as well.

Sunday my pastor said we make the Christian life too difficult.  I know the context of how he said that statement, but I believe the Christian life is difficult to live; especially when you let your eyes wander to the people around you.  Maybe you do not struggle with this and if you do not, pray for me to learn from God to keep my eyes solely on Him.  If you do struggle with this, the answer continues to be the same as other sins.  We need to make sure we focus on the Lord every day.  We need to take God’s attitude toward others as well as toward our circumstances.

Thank you for reading my thoughts and joining me on my journey.  I pray that my journey will help you on yours.

Transitions in life are inevitable, but can be very difficult.  Transitions come from different life stages, such as going from elementary school to junior high school or middle school; high school to college ; single to married and so on.  As we look at our lives we will see many different transitions depending on our ages.  Recently, Lisa and I have gone through several transitions seemingly at one time.  I had a major job transition that has led to a transition in our finances as well as our children are transitioning in their lives.  Danielle is going to seminary in the fall and Caleb is in a serious relationship with a young lady.  Each one of these situations can be stressful on a marriage as well as an individual.  How do we handle such things?  How do we maintain a sense of peace and purpose in our lives during these kinds of times?  If you know, please let me in on the secret!  Let me share with you some of my thoughts through these processes that I/we are going through.

1. God is still God. I know that you expected me to say that.  Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)
   ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
   ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
   ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

God is not caught by surprise by any of the events in our lives.  He encourages us to seek Him daily with all of our hearts.  Transitions can be unsettling, but with the confidence that God has plans, even through transitions, we can have peace and assurance.

2. Your spouse is still your covenant partner in the transitions. Many times we have a difficult time understanding the idea of covenant and partnership within the marriage.  I realize that God has placed the man has the head of the relationship, but that does not make him the dictator.  Each spouse has a God-given roll to play as equals in the relationship; therefore, as couples we should commit ourselves to one another even more in the difficult times of transition.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV)

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?

¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When you maintain your relationship with God and your spouse, you are strengthened to a point that it is difficult to knock you off track.

How do you maintain these two relationships?

• Spend time with God every day. You do not have to have some marathon Bible study or prayer time.  You have to spend time on your relationship with God.  That would include reading His Word, praying and worshipping Him.  I was talking to a close friend of mine several years ago who was going through some serious problems and he told me that he continued his time alone with God even though he couldn’t hear Him at the time because it was the “right” thing to do.  Spending time with God no matter what is going on in your life is the “right” thing to do.
• Spend time with your spouse. Your spouse should be the second most important person in your life; therefore, you should spend time with them every day.  Drs. Les & Lesley Parrot wrote a book entitled Love List.  In this book they give several things to do over the course of the year.  The daily list of things to do as couples consists of:  talk to each other, laugh with each other, and touch each other.  I think we as couples forget how to do these things in the difficult times.  I know that there are days that I do not spend a lot of time laughing.  I also know that I am not extremely affectionate, so I do not touch, hug or hold Lisa enough I am sure.

Today’s blog might be more of a reminder to me to practice what I am “preaching.”  It is always easier to say than it is to do.  I would ask that you pray for me as I have been praying for everyone who reads my blog.

Friday morning I was weeding a flower bed, which is a job that I do not enjoy at all.  I know that the job has to be done though.  I was thinking while I was doing that how I thought I had all the weeds out of the bed when I planted the flowers earlier.  I put mulch in that was supposed to be free of weeds.  So, how did all of the weeds get into the flower bed?  As I pulled one weed, I found that the roots of that weed went on for what seemed to be forever.  I realized that if I wanted a weed free flower bed, then I would have to get all the roots out as I pulled the weeds out.  I would also have to check on the bed regularly, which I am guilty of not doing, to see if there were any weeds growing and then deal with them immediately.  This is a battle that has to be fought with dedication to the beauty of the flowers and the flower bed.

There are so many spiritual applications that can be made from this scene in my front yard.  I would like to deal with just one:  handling habitual sin in our lives.  Ouch!  You might not have to deal with habitual sin.  You might be living the sanctified life in such a way that there are very few shortcomings that you deal with.  I am not like that.  I strive to be Godly, yet there are some nagging thoughts as well as habits that are attempting to be stumbling blocks for me and the people around me.  Just so you don’t think I making things up, anger and laziness are two that come to my mind immediately.  I really have to work on these two as well as others.  Just please don’t ask my wife to divulge what the others are.  How do we deal with such habitual sins?

1. Ask God’s forgiveness. I John 1:9 says that God will forgive us as we confess our sins.  He will actually cleanse us from the unrighteousness of the sin.
2. Receive God’s forgiveness. Romans 8:1 says that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  One of the hardest things to do is to forgive ourselves.  We often times look at our mistakes or our habits with guilt and self-condemnation.  We might think that we are worthless because we cannot get on top of the problem.  God does not see us that way, therefore we need to ask God to give us His eyes for us and live in His forgiveness.
3. Get to the Root of the Problem. Realize that habits start somewhere.  When did your habit start?  What were the circumstances around the onset of the habit?  Is there someone you need to forgive?  Is there a lie that you believed at the time of starting so-called habit?  In order for us to live victoriously, we must deal with the root of our sins.
4. Watch out for the signs of the Sins. We need to be aware of our sin symptoms.  When we notice the symptoms cropping up, we need to “pull them out.”  If we pay close attention to our lives, then we will be able to get to the weeds before they get to us.

As you look at this short list today, I want you to know that each of us can live a Godly life.  The weeds in our lives do not have to choke out the fruit that God is producing.  It takes time and effort as well as a dedication to the beauty of the garden.

This morning as I sit here thinking about my day, I am being reminded of what David said:

Psalms 139:7-12 (ESV)
⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

The omnipresence of God is an awesome thing to realize.  No matter how good or bad things are in your life, God is there.  He has been there before any of the circumstances happens.

Now does that mean that He protects us from problems or heartaches?  Does He keep us from making bad choices or even other people from making choices that can hurt us or cause us difficulties?  NO!  He does not dictate the world’s happenings.

Could God stop every bad thing from happening?  If He could, why doesn’t He?  These questions have caused people to doubt the goodness of God as well as His presence in all things.  Let me give you some thoughts about why I believe that God allows us to go through difficult times.

1. Jesus says in John 16:33 (ESV)
   ³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus assured his disciples that life was hard.  He knew that they would suffer and be persecuted in all kinds of ways.  Many of the persecutions came from within family relationships as well as church relationships.  I think that we get surprised when it seems that our biggest struggles come from relationships closest to us.  We can deal with strangers many times so much better because there is not as much emotion tied to the event or circumstance.  Jesus told us that we can have peace even in the worst of times.  What an assurance!!! What a testimony of God’s hand on us!  He allows tribulation in our lives so that we can show His peace in our lives.

1. Many of you have heard the story about the man who saw a butterfly trying to get out of the cocoon.  He decided to help the butterfly by cutting the cocoon open for an easier exit from its trappings.  Once the butterfly emerged from the cocoon, it was deformed and could not fly.  The struggles of getting out of the cocoon were designed to develop the butterfly so it could fly and function.  The reason for our struggles is so that we can grow in our relationship with God and function in spite of everything that goes on around us.  What makes a believer in Christ different from the world?  The difference should be seen in the worst of times more than any other time.

1. Finally, God allows us to go through difficulties so that we can help others through their difficulties.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (ESV)
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Our conflicts are not unique.  Our tribulations have been experienced by other people and others will experience them yet.  As we make it through with the comfort of God, He expects us to help someone else go through their experiences in a Godly manner.

I know that all of us have difficulties that we face.  We wonder where God is in the midst of them.  We might ask why God is allowing me to have these problems.  He promises that He is at work in them for our good and His glory.  We probably will not see either at first, but when He is ready to show us He will.  Our task is not to lose sight of God while we are going through them.

Ephesians 4:29-32 (ESV)
²⁹ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Rumors…Wow!  What damage they can cause!!

Today as I was talking with an individual who had heard someone else say…That sentence even starts off ridiculously.   Anyway, I heard it said that the reason some people were not supporting First Choice Pregnancy Resource Center was that “they performed abortions down there.”  What a lie!!!  First Choice PRC is totally Pro-Life.  Our goal is to provide the best information concerning the health of the baby as well as the health of the mother and to help the mother make the decision for life.  Can you imagine how many people’s lives, present and future, that this rumor can damage?

Earlier I was talking to another pastor about how a rumor had gone around concerning his church.  He laughed at how inaccurate the information was.  When I heard the original rumor, since I did not know the origin, I called the people involved to find out if it were accurate.  I knew everyone that was involved in the rumor, so it was easy for me to do some research about the validity.

How often do I do that though?  Some of the time I tell the person I am talking with that I am not interested in hearing what they have to say.  Sometimes I listen and question the source of the statement or how true the statement is.  I know that I should not even listen to a rumor and I definitely should never spread one.   By doing either, we are potentially ruining someone’s life or profession.

Let me give you a couple of questions to ask that could be helpful as you hear people say things.

1. Is it true?
2. Is it beneficial to know?
3. Does it uplift the individual that is being discussed?
4. Would you say the same thing directly to the individual?
5. Do you love the individual with what you are hearing or saying?
6. Is God pleased with what is being said?

As we answer these questions, we should be able to state with confidence if we should be repeating or sharing the information with anyone else.  Once a rumor gets out, it is impossible to get it back.  We must be very careful with our tongues to give praise and honor to God and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ.