Living Water Life Coaching

Succeeding At Relationship Seminar - Free

2011-02-08T06:23:00.003-05:00

This Saturday at 10 AM at First Church West Dr. Norman Wise will be presenting his new seminar "Succeeding At Relationships". Come and find out about the dynamics that can make relationships work. This is a totally free seminar.

First Church West is located 1/4 mile past Flamingo Road on Broward Blvd. The address is

12700 West Broward Blvd
Plantation, Florida 33325

Call 954-452-4407 for directions and more information

Am I drifting from God?

2010-08-24T07:44:00.001-04:00

Jeremiah 2:4-13
4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? 6 They did not say, "Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?" 7 I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?" Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit.
9 Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children's children. 10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water
God asks us hard questions here. What do you find in the LORD that caused you to desert HIM? What was wrong with God’s character and competence that the LORD was not worth making your ultimate concern?
Now God is talking to HIS people at a time of backsliding and unbelief. The LORD is speaking to us on one of those days when we have been living out our unbelief much more than our faith. Perhaps it has become more than a day. Maybe, it has become a month, a quarter, or even a year. Normally we slip step by step backward and suddenly find ourselves in a spiritual place that is a land of drought and deep darkness.
Maybe today you find it hard to relate to this passage because today you have been living mainly by faith. You find it hard to imagine because the last month, quarter, or year has been one in which you have seen your faith grow. It is difficult for you today to even imagine backsliding into a dark spiritual place. Yet, be aware that only by guarding ourselves against falling into such insanity can we avoid it. The history of God’s people is that we a prone to eventually drift away. So this passage is a good reminder to be careful to maintain your faith and not take it for granted.
God spends most of his time talking to the people of the nation. He sees that the loss of faith is ultimately one that takes place on the level of the individual heart. While political rulers, priests, and prophets all hold great responsibility for encouraging idol worship, neglecting a call to prayer, and failure to proclaim God’s word, this does not excuse the people themselves for their deserting their Divine Savior who redeemed them. We can never blame leaders for our failures of faith. They are responsible for their sins and we are responsible for our sins.
Now the United States is not Israel. That is important to remember since we have had times when we see ourselves in that role. The Church is spiritual Israel. No national state is now the chosen people but rather the chosen people are of called from all nations to form God’s nation, the kingdom of God.
But, with this reminder it would be good to take note that the United States as a culture is moving from being a society dedicated to a Christian vision of God based on the Bible to a generic god of our own creation, an idol that justifies all our actions. The reason our moral and ethics are changing is because our faith is changing.
What evidence is there that this is the case? Here are just a few signs of the times.
Gallup reports that from 1948 to 2009 the percentage of people who identify themselves as Christian has dropped from 91% to 77%. In 1948 on 2% of Americans would say that they were not religious at all and that number is now at 12%. This is the fastest growing social group in the nation. The percentage of Americans identifying as Protestant or another non-Catholic Christian religion has been declining since the mid-1960s. When Gallup began tracking religious identification, the percentage of U.S. adults identifying with some non-Catholic Christian religion was routinely in the high 60%-low 70% range. The percentage fell below 60% for the first time in 1979, and since 2000 has been between 55% and 57%. This means that a faith that represents strong biblical principles founded on the reformation is declining. Faith in the Bible being the inspired word of God in which every word can be trusted to be inspired has declined from 38% (average in 1976-1984) to about 31% today (average from 1997 to 2007). All of these surveys indicate that we are moving away from God’s truth and not towards it as a society.
Now faith within the visible church is also struggling. George Barna reports the following information about how many people follow a Christian world view in America. Here is what Barna says:
“Defining Terms
For the purposes of the survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview.
National Results
Overall, the current research revealed that only 9% of all American adults have a biblical worldview. Among the sixty subgroups of respondents that the survey explored was one defined by those who said they have made a personal to commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today and that they are certain that they will go to Heaven after they die only because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior. Labeled “born again Christians,” the study discovered that they were twice as likely as the average adult to possess a biblical worldview. However, that meant that even among born again Christians, less than one out of every five (19%) had such an outlook on life.
The same questions were asked of respondents in national surveys by Barna in 1995, 2000 and 2005. The results indicate that the percentage of adults with a biblical worldview, as defined above, has remained unchanged for more than a decade. The numbers show that 7% had such a worldview in 1995, compared to 10% in 2000, 11% in 2005, and 9% now. Even among born again adults, the statistics have remained flat: 18% in 1995, 22% in 2000, 21% in 2005, and 19% today.”
On one hand we are not seeing a decline in those who hold a biblical world view over the last 10 years but the total number of Americans holding this world view is about nineteen million out of a population of roughly 217 million adults. We can be a significant influence. But we are only a minority and we are not growing.
We need to have reformation in the Church, which is a return to a biblical world view.
We need to have renewal in the Church, which is a return to a living and passionate spirituality.
We need to have revival in the society, which is an experience of God’s saving grace in the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do this we must check our own spiritual direction today. Are we moving in the direction of having more faith or are we moving in the direction of having less faith.
Are we neglecting spiritual disciplines such as fasting, prayer, biblical meditation, giving to the poor, study of scripture, witnessing, and praise?
How consistently do we seek the LORD?
What do we seek when we need to find encouragement for our souls? Is it something outside of the Christian faith? Is this an idol in our life?
Whatever becomes the ultimate concern of our lives has become our God.
What is the ultimate concern of my life at this moment?
Have you been back sliding? Is your faith less than it was a year ago? What has weakened your faith? How could this be overcome? What could you do to grow in faith again? What most nurtures your faith? Do you need to take a weekend with be with God and talk out your frustrations and fears with the LORD? Why is it hard to say no to temptation? How could your strength to overcome your temptations be increased?
Is your faith greater than it was a year ago? How could it become even greater? What spiritual challenge do you need to accept from God? What steps should you take to prevent back sliding? What can you do to build up your local church? How could you be a blessing to your congregation? How could your faith impact your friends, neighbors, family, and associates in a greater way? How do you plan to seek as the ultimate concern of your life the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness?
God is faithful. The LORD knows that we drift away. The Lord brings reformation, renewal, and revival. The Messiah Jesus will build HIS church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. If God is for us then who can be against us? With hopeful faith we must pray for reformation, renewal, and revival. Seize the day for Christ Jesus!
(The nearly daily devotional is a ministry of First Church West. More information about this fellowship can be found at firstchurchwest.net. If you do not regularly receive this e-mail devotional then you can be put on the list by e-mailing terry_wise@bellsouth.net and asking receive the devotional.)

New Book: Succeeding At Life

2010-08-18T08:00:00.004-04:00

This book written by Dr. Norman Wise, has a process that can effectively teach you how to live a sane, stable, and spiritual life. It not only has information but it has a method which has effectively helped thousands to improve the quality of their lives and gain self control. It teaches a process of change that can radically help transform your life. It teaches you how to have a right relationship with your own emotions and thoughts. It outlines how you can make peace with your painful past and how to plan for your abundant future. The program suggested will help you get rid of false guilt and how to deal with real guilt. It is based on ancient wisdom but applied to the 21st century. It has been written to provide a tool box to help you be equipped to succeed at life. Order today

Go to amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Succeeding-Life-Living-Stable-Spiritual/dp/1453726012/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282132708&sr=1-12

Hang on to sanity during hard times

2010-08-06T05:42:00.003-04:00

We face hard times in our lives.

Times when we are powerless such as when one we love dies.
Or times when we feel homeless when we suffer significant financial loss.
Or times we feel orphaned when people we love betray us and abandon us.
Or times we feel victimized as people abuse us emotionally. physically and verbally.

At such times it is easy to give into insanity. It is easy to give ourselves up to the dark emotions of depression, rage, and bitterness. We feel justified in doing crazy things because crazy things are happening to us. We decide to return crazy with crazy. This by the way only leads to more crazy.

We are not in control of circumstances or others. We are not responsible for circumstances or others. Our control is only control over ourselves. We can remain sane and stable in the midst of hard, painful, and dark times. We do not have to surrender our sanity just because our world has gone insane.

Now to do this we will need God's help. We must turn our anxiety and fears over to HIM. We must comfort our heart by telling us the truth about HIS perfect love for us and how Messiah Jesus died for our sins. We must ask for HIS help in having self control. Bad circumstances and abusive behavior does not have to make us crazy. We can choose to remain sane before the face of God day by day.

May the LORD help you remain sane even during insane times.

The Father's Unfailing Love

2010-07-28T08:06:00.001-04:00

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels. My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD. (Hosea 11:1-11 ESV)
It would seem clear from reading the Bible that parents are not responsible for the behavior of their children. One key example of this truth is that God is the Father of His people and they are always rebelling against HIM. God is a perfect Father. Yet, HIS children do not obey.
God loves HIS children. He communicates them HIS love. He invites them into a healthy relationship with HIM but instead they follow other gods. God the Father teaches His children, heals them, and feeds them. Yet, they go astray.
At the time this passage was written the apostasy of Israel had brought upon them the promised results. If they did not want to be the children of God then they could return to the world. The EXODUS could be reversed. From the nations they were created and to the nations they could return. Assyria will come and take the ten tribes into captivity because they had rebelled.
But, as the heavenly Father sees the just and logical consequences of the sins of his covenant children HE cannot just let them go. How can he allow them to be destroyed like Admah and Zeboiim, two minor cities that were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah? No, the FATHER’s great compassion cannot allow that to be their end. He will bring revival to Israel. He will give them life again.
Here we see God’s great grace motivated by HIS great love. He will wake up HIS spiritually sleeping children and they will return to HIM. He will save the nation and they will fulfill HIS redemptive purpose in history. God’s grace will satisfy God’s justice and bring the kingdom of God to the earth. God’s grace gives hope.
Now God’s election works at many different levels. God the Father elects individuals to have personal faith in Messiah Jesus and be His disciples in a broken world. God the Father has also elected to create a new community “The Church” which is the “new Israel” made up of both Jew and Gentile believers to be His covenant people (see Ephesians 2). God the Father has also elected to bring all of physical Israel and most of the middle east to faith before the final coming (see Romans 11 and Isaiah 19:19-25). God works with both individuals and with groups.
God, the creator of the world, is the ruler of the nations. What is the basic principle by which God works among the nations?
If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind. If I promise to make a nation strong, but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all. (Jeremiah 18:7-10 CEV)
So God is at work to establish justice among the nations but mixes this with mercy and compassion. Like Nineveh, rebellious nations can be spared (see Jonah). Repentance is always the wisest choice for nations, churches, or individuals (Revelation 2 & 3).
Today let us remember that God is our heavenly Father. He has adopted us in Messiah Jesus. He has given us the same relationship with HIM as Messiah Jesus has with HIM. We have become the “sons and daughters of God”. He gave this gift to us. It was 100% motivated by HIS great love. It was given to us by grace alone.
How have we rebelled against HIM today? What actions, words, and attitudes are not conformed to HIS will? What idols (objects of ultimate concern) do we have in our lives?
Do you hear the Heavenly Father calling out to you today? Do you hear HIS invitation to come home? Are you ready to return to HIS will for your life and the warm embrace of HIS unconditional love?
Remember, the heavenly FATHER who began a good work in you will see to it that you finish the race well and are with HIM forever in glory. HE never fails to save any of HIS true children. Find joy in HIS grace and love this day.

Be a peace maker

2010-06-08T06:15:00.000-04:00

As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 CEV)

Eph 4:3

(ASV) giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(CEV) Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.

(DRB) Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(EMTV) being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(ESV) eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(GNB) Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.

How can the church maintain the unity that the Holy Spirit has created by baptizing us into the body of Christ? How can we live in guietness and rest with each other. How can we keep our relationships right?

None of this is easy. Sin's first impact was to divide the man and the woman in shame from each other. Christians have struggled to have emotionally healthy relationships since the first century. So how can we strive to obey this command? How can we move in the direction of preserving the unity and peace of the body of Christ?

I believe that the first step is prayer. We must really pray for each other. If I am praying for my brother or sister sincerely then it is less likely that I will say or do things to hurt them. Now, the prayer has to be an honest prayer and not a self righteous judgment in the form of a prayer. I have to actually be praying the Lord will bless my brother or sister. I also have to pray that God will restore and reconcile our relationship.

I also have to remind myself of the common ground that I have with every other Christian. We all have the same heavenly Father. We all have the same Savior. The Holy Spirit is in both of us. We share a common faith and the common goal of the kingdom of God. We are forever family. This bond is actually stronger that that of blood from God's perspective.

I need to grant the judgment of charity, love, mercy, and grace to my brother or sister when they do or say something wrong, foolish, or confusing. What would be the best motivation my brother or sister could have had for doing or saying this? We must not demonize each other or think that our brother or sister only had the darkest and most vile motivations when they did something. Our emotions are controlled by the story we tell ourselves. If we tell ourselves a horror story then our feelings will become filled with fear and anger. We must tell ourselves the best story we can about what has happened since only God knows the heart. When I make my brother or sister a monster this is most likely not God's view of my brother or sister.

Judge thyself with the judgment of sincerity, and thou will judge others with the judgment of charity. — John Mitchell Mason

We must follow Matthew 18

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
(Matthew 18:15-17 ESV)

We must understand that while gossip, rumor spreading, and murmuring come naturally to us this has never helped to protect the unity of the church or promote peace. We must face the self rightous roots of all such behavior and dedicate ourselves to going to people one on one when we have conflicts or have been hurt. If we cannot find reconcilation we must press on and get counseling with people where there is division. Some things may not be able to be fixed but we need to know that we have really attempted in every way humanly to find reconcilation. Whenever we do not have reconcilation in a relationship we have fallen short of God's perfect will. As much as it relies upon us we need to seek to have peace (Rom 12:18).

I find this hard to do. I think we all do. I think I have not sought for outside counsel when I should have in order to find reconciation when my own efforts failed. I have left to many things half fixed or unfixed simply because I did not know how to make them any better. I am challenged to work harder to solve these problems and not think they will just go away. We must strive to have a real unity in the body and one free of unhealthy division. We must be an emotionally healthy church.

I want to be a peace maker. I hope that each of us can strive to find ways to be kind to each other and seek harmony in the body of Christ. May God have mercy on us and help us be an emotionally heathy body of Christ.

Endure Trouble

2010-05-12T07:16:00.000-04:00

be patient in tribulation (ESV)

Be patient in time of trouble (CEV)

Enduring in tribulation (EMTV)

Be patient in your troubles (GNB)

This passage would tell us to stay under the rule of faith and persevere during times when we are under pressure from difficult circumstances such as persecution, afflictions, disease, famine, poverty, broken relationships, loneliness, political oppression, rejection, abandonment, and abuse. We are not to flee from faith when we face hardships but to hold fast to our faith in Messiah Jesus during the hardest of times. The Apostle Paul would encourage us to be brave and not panic during times of trouble.

We live in a society that is not very patient. We do not endure a lack of pleasure or pain very long or very well. We live in an "instant" society and want immediate results. The idea of trusting God during hard and dark times is the opposite of what we would expect we would have to do. A call to be remain faithful to God and faith even when God is not keeping bad things from happening in my life is a difficult concept. This is especially true if by the giving up of our faith we can get rid of the pressure we are under. Messiah Jesus warns that some will receive the gospel with great joy but when persecutions and hardships arise will fall away. If the roots of our faith are shallow then that faith will not endure.

It is clear the Apostles did not have a theology that said that if a person had faith they would not have tribulation and trouble in this life. The normal Christian life is one where people struggle and suffer. Faith helps us endure the suffering it does not keep the suffering from coming into our lives. We live in a time when one of the central doctrines of faith in America is that God will rapture all Christians out of the world so they will not have to suffer tribulation. It is vital to the faith of many that they will not have to endure such a time of great trouble. Now prophecy aside, what we do know is that Christians do suffer great trouble and have suffered great tribulation during all of Church history.

In this year alone an estimated 175,000 people will be killed because of their faith in Messiah Jesus. There are millions of Christians who suffer persecution under oppressive governments around the world today. They are patient in their tribulation. Regardless of our prophecy we must be ready to endure trouble, persecution, oppression, ridicule, and poverty for the sake of Messiah Jesus.

Paul is really saying that true love for Messiah Jesus will endure all things. Our faith is a relationship of committed love. As we suffer various problems we need to gain God's strength in the relationship we have because of Messiah Jesus' death for our sins and resurrection from the dead. Seeing His love for us should inspire us to trust and love Him as well.

To be patient in my troubles also means that I will not give into frustration and anger. Most of our abuse of others occurs during times when we feel under pressure. Our worst outbursts of anger come when things go wrong in our life and we feel pain. We forget that undisciplined human anger cannot make things right. The gospel calls us to bless people in our pain even as Messiah Jesus prayed for those who crucified HIM. Part of living a life of love is learning to exercise self control when we are under pressure.

How can I increase my ability to be patient when suffering and not give in to frustration, anger, and fear? One way is to remind myself of eternity and the hope of Christ's perfect kingdom. Tribulation will not be forever. It is just a short time and then I will be free of pain and know only God's warm embrace forever. Another is to believe that there is purpose in all pain. God is at work in the trouble to bring about something good in my soul and in the world. All pain is pregnant with kingdom potential. When I know that there is a purpose in my suffering it helps me endure the pain. Finally, my kingdom focused suffering allows me to better understand the heart of Messiah Jesus. As I take up my cross daily and suffer for God's kingdom, I become more like Messiah Jesus in HIS taking up the cross for my sins. My suffering makes me more like my Lord Jesus

Never Give In!

2010-05-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

Never Give Up!

Not slothful in business (ESV)
... in diligence not slothful (ASV)
Never give up (CEV)
In carefulness not slothful (DRB)
... not lagging in diligence (EMTV)
Work hard and do not be lazy (GNB)
Never be lazy in showing such devotion. (ISV)

Here we understand that love works hard. Godly passion makes us focused, hardworking, and purpose driven. The gospel says we are not saved by works but calls us to work hard.

Oknerous, is the Greek word translated lazy or slothful and describes those who are slow due to hesitation, anxiety, or negligence. It is used in the Old Testament in Proverbs 6:6; 9 of those who allow inconveniences to stop them or who never move from the idea of a good action to actually do something about it (Proverbs 20:4; 21:25). Jesus the Messiah warns in Matthew 25:26 about professed disciples who hesitate to put their gifts to work and fail to live up to their eternal responsibilities.

The word translated "business" or "diligence" is the Greek word spoude which literally means speed or haste. Literally this verse would be "to not be slow in being speedy". But the word implies speaking or acting seriously. Doing what ought to be done as faithfully as we can do it. The meaning seems to be that we are not to become slow in doing what God wants to be the top priorities of our life.

The gospel calls us to a serious life. God sent His SON to die for our sins. God is serious about saving us. He wants us to share in being sober and serious people who are living disciplined and focused lives. We are to be seeking first God's kingdom and righteousness.

It is not easy to remain serious. We live in a culture that values entertainment and much of that entertainment makes us apathetic about seeking righteousness. Happiness is for us the opposite of being serious. Yet, only in being serious can we know joy.

For some of us we have been striving for decades. It is hard to keep the energy up. We sometimes lose heart. We feel the pressure of Ecclesiastes. We hear the song of "Vanity, Vanity, all is Vanity" ringing in our ears and we begin slowing down in our seeking the kingdom. Our acts of faith become tempered by fear of failure and cynicism has us abandon doing what we know God has called us to do.

We must never give up. By remembering what God has done for us in Messiah Jesus and has given us in Messiah Jesus we can keep ourselves focused on God's purpose and plan for our lives. The Lord who has started a good work in us will finish it.

In 1941, Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke to a school. The days were dark. The power of Nazism seemed impossible to stop. It would be easy to give up and easy to surrender. In the midst of those dark and desperate times the Prime Minister spoke these words.

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

We are in battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The enemy is telling us to give up. To give in and choose the broad and easy way is tempting. How can we hope to make a difference in the middle of such a dark and broken world? Yet, we must remember Nazism does not win. God's kingdom will come and God's will done on this planet. We must never yield and be faithful in doing our duty with diligence, focus, and faith.

This reminds me of a hymn I sang as a child: "This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." (Maltbie D. Babcock – "This Is My Father’s World" 1901). We will need to review our performance and sing to our hearts the song of God's victory in Christ. As our morale rallies we will find that we can find new strength to press on and "never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never ...

Glued to Good

2010-05-05T07:18:00.000-04:00

... hold fast what is good. (ESV)

... cleave to that which is good (ASV)

... hold tight to everything that is good (CEV)

Cling to that which is good. (EMTV)

Now we are not saved by our good works. However, this is due to the lack of such good works in our life and not because God does not take pleasure in our doing good. We have been saved by God's grace alone by the death of Messiah Jesus for us. Now that we have been saved, God has ordained us to live a life full of good works (Eph 2:8-10). We do good deeds not be be saved but because we are saved.

The Greek word here for "hold fast" is killao which is literally "glue". Strive to forever attach yourself to the good. To have the good stick to you is a literal image. We are to glue ourselves to the good or agathos. We are to become fully attached to virtue, health, usefulness, excellence, honor and that which brings true joyfulness into the world.

We are to run from in horror the moral depravity that causes pain and death and run passionately after moral good which causes true joy and brings life. We are to desire to become so attached to good that it would be like being "super glued" to something. We are to be unable to get rid of it without a lot of pain and trouble. To do good is to be and act like Messiah Jesus. It is to love God first and then have compassion on people. It is to live a sane, stable, and spiritual life consistently.

How can we get "glued to good"? Here are some ideas.

1. Wear goodness - This would mean first of all to dress in a modest way. It would mean for married people to keep their wedding bands on. It would mean to have something that reminds you of your relationship with Christ. Maybe a cross around your neck or a "big idea" card in your wallet. What can I do that will "glue goodness" to my appearance, dress, and routine of getting ready for daily life.

2. Read and talk about goodness to yourself. Watch your self talk and make sure that it is moving you in the direction of virtue and not vice. Talk to yourself about the goodness of God in dying for your sins in the person of Messiah Jesus. Remind yourself of the good character of God. Read the Bible and other devotional books which call upon you to seek goodness and run from evil.

3. Have your entertainment encourage being "glued to goodness" and not a temptation to vice. Entertainment has a lot to do with what we become "glued to" in our emotions and actions. Seek to find fun ways to seek a sane, stable, and healthy life. Some entertainment encourages our dark side while some fun activities help us appreciate living well. Is the music in your life encouraging virtue or vice?

4. Seek out relationships with people who encourage you being good. Bad company ruins good morals. We need people who will be "rubbing us the right way" and being cheer leaders for right behavior. This is one of the aspects of a small group since it can hold us accountable to what we know to be "good."

5. Make every meal a time to ask God to help you be filled with the Holy Spirit and seek first the Kingdom of God. By turning every meal into a reminder of God's love for us and our need to love Him, then this allows us to become "glued to goodness".

6. Make up self talk that summarizes all the benefits of doing good. Read this self talk as part of your meal time and morning devotions. Sell yourself on the wisdom of doing what is morally noble over compromising with your darker desires. Fall in love with goodness.

7. Talk about good things with other people. Strive to take the "high moral ground" in conversations. Confess desire to do evil as wrong. Do not play with bad attitudes by expressing approval of wrong doing. Be a person who will counsel good behavior and wise living even when you struggle to do it.

8. Be alert to the opportunity to do good. Goodness will remain very abstract until we just "do it". By visiting the lonely, feeding the sick, encouraging the discouraged, giving to the poor, worshiping God with passion, sharing the gospel with the lost, giving wise counsel to the confused, and praying for those in need we become "glued to goodness" because it becomes a lifestyle.

9. Bathe yourself in reminders to be and do good. Have signs, posters, art, and rituals which remind you that because of Christ's goodness to you that now you desire to be good. Put reminders to do good and be good into your daily calender.

10. Become sensitive to the "clues" that you are beginning to backslide. Keep a radical moral inventory of your life up to date. Most of us become "unglued" over a long period of time. Our attachment to God's will for our lives is something lost by erosion rather than a radical decision to do evil. We simply stop reinforcing our commitment to goodness and then one day we notice we are in a very bad place spiritually.

Finally one more danger. Ignore anyone who says you are being too "religious" or taking seeking goodness to extremes. None of us on judgment day will be sad because we gained some virtue but many of us will regret the vices that still dominated our lives.

May God help me become glued to goodness this day.

Love one another

2010-04-26T06:19:00.001-04:00

Jesus the Messiah wants us to love one another. He wants us to show respect to each other. He wants us to treat other Christians well and really even love our enemy. His desire is for a healthy and whole human community in which people can dwell without fear of being abused. Sound simple, but it is not simple.

Human community is complex. We have different personalities, needs, back grounds, doctrines, experiences, fears, emotional wounds, prejudices, passions, gifts, abilities, skills, agendas, definitions, and desires. We share faith in Christ but really if we analyzed what we meant by that what that really means to any two of us is radically different in many ways and only similar in a few ways. Most of the time "birds of a feather flock together" but in the church we may be called to be part of a flock that has many different species of "Christians" in it. To love and respect people who are like me and who agree with me is one thing but to love and respect people who are different than me and do not agree with me is a whole different story.

The local church is suppose to be an example of a healthy human community under the leadership of Messiah Jesus in the real and sinful broken world. We are to be an emotionally healthy church filled with people who know how to live emotionally healthy spirituality. To the degree we are emotionally healthy we fulfill the will of Christ for the church and to the degree we are not emotionally healthy we do not fulfill the will of Christ for the church. The church is suppose to be one of the main apologetics for the faith. The beauty of our love for each other and for humanity as a whole is to be what draws people to the truth of the gospel. If the gospel can produce a community of love then it is valuable to the human race.

On Sunday I talked to a man from India who was a Christian. He had become a Christian because his grandfather had become a Christian. His grandfather had become a deep and devoted follower of Messiah Jesus who had been born into a Hindu family. When I asked him how his grand father had become a Christian he told me a story of persecuted Christians who had shown his grandfather kindness and love consistently over many years. They had provided his grandfather with financial support, a place to live, and food to eat during hard times. They had helped him to get an education. Their actions seems so different than what his grandfather was use to that when given a bible he read it and eventually became a Christian. What really won his grandfather to the faith was the love of Christians for their enemies. This man was part of the fruit of that love. For this man had believed and was not a Hindu because his grandfather had become radically converted.

I am humbled by all of this. I fail to love as I should love so often. I fail to be as emotionally healthy as I should be so often. As a pastor I fail to really provide the healthy leadership I should so often. I need to become more an example of emotionally healthy spirituality so that we can better become an emotionally healthy community of faith. Ultimately, only then will we be able to be a clear witness of love and grace into a broken world.

The Lord is my Shepherd

2010-04-20T06:59:00.000-04:00

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Lord Jesus is my loving leader and therefore every need I have in my life will be provided as a gift of grace. He puts me in places where I am fed and watered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He restores my energy and my life daily. He directs me on the paths that lead to life and not death. Sometimes those paths lead into very dark places and my confidence is that the Lord is with me, protecting me as we go into the darkness. On the other side of the toughest times the Lord has prepared for me again a place of abundant provision and abundant refreshment in the midst of a dangerous world. The goodness and the mercy of the Lord Jesus pursues me and chases me down every day of my life and one day I will dwell in the heavenly temple with my loving Lord for all eternity. (Norm Wise Paraphrase)
This psalm was part of my early spiritual education. My mother read this psalm every morning before she went to work. It was her psalm. She gave it to me.
When I was a little boy I thought this was a strange psalm at first. I understood the first verse to mean that the Lord was a shepherd that I did not want in my life! I wondered; “Why was I telling God that I did not want Him?”
At times maybe there is more truth to that then I would want to admit. All we like sheep have gone astray. The shepherd keeps the sheep no t the sheep the shepherd.
Now of course the real meaning is the Lord is my Shepherd and He will provide for me. God will give me food, drink, and protection as I have need of them in this life. He will be with be during the hardest times and eventually lead me to be comforted and provided for in the midst of my enemies. The psalm never denies hardship and danger, it only assures me that the good shepherd will get me through and give me glory.
Now this is one of the best known psalms in our country. Most people would still recognize Psalm 23. However, part of this is because it is normally read at funerals. It is psalm of comfort where our focus is that we imagine our loved one sitting in heaven as God’s dinner guest. Or perhaps we see ourselves walking through the dark valley of grief assured that eventually God will comfort us. The Psalm is used by God to bring comfort in all of these circumstances.

In some ways this makes sense since Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22 which is an account of God’s suffering servant. Here we have a poetic prophecy of Messiah dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. Now the risen Lord will be the shepherd of His people and eventually bring them into His kingdom. They will overcome their enemies and see God provide for them salvation.
But the psalm does not have to be understood in this light. For African and Asian believers this psalm has become a call to reject tyrannical political rulers who want to “shepherd” them and their lives. These believers quote the psalm as a clear statement that THE LORD and not the government is my ultimate shepherd that I will trust to take care of my needs. It has become their “Jesus is Lord; not Caesar” psalm and has significant political meaning to them.
The enemies of the Christian are the unbelieving world culture we live in, the rebellious and wicked fallen angels and the remaining lack of faith within our own hearts. None of these have the power to keep the Shepherd’s purpose of providing and protecting us from being achieved. The plan of the Shepherd to provide for us will be accomplished and the enemies of our soul will fail. This is God’s promise and gift to us. The Lord is our shepherd we will not fail.
This psalm also speaks to us of the Lord’s Supper. The shepherd has prepared a table for us. This is what Jesus did with the cup and the bread. How will the shepherd provide for our needs? We are very needy. The Shepherd will have to die for the sheep. He will have to suffer so they can be provided for and protected. The Shepherd will have to die to defeat the purpose of the enemies of the sheep. The table is a provision and a protection. It shows His care and His comfort. As we take of the cup and the bread that Jesus the Messiah has given to us it tells us that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever in fellowship with our KING.
The bottom line to this psalm is this. The Lord is watching over us and will win over the enemies of our soul. We do have enemies and face dark times. If we were left on our own then we would be devoured by the real dangers of this life. But we are not alone. The Lord is our Shepherd and He will provide for us care and comfort. This Shepherd is chasing us down when we stray to give to us His mercy and love. If we tell ourselves this story daily, as my mother did just before she went to work, how can we fail to not have our anxiety fall and our faith rise up in confident joy. May the Lord, grant that we will experience some of that reality this day.

Journaling Seminar This Saturday at 10:00 AM

2010-04-06T06:26:00.002-04:00

On April 10, 2010 Dr. Norman Wise will be leading a seminar on Journaling. This seminar will answer questions on how to journal effectively, explain different types of journaling, and give practical pointers on how to overcome obstacles to journaling effectively.

Journaling is one of the best processes for deepening our prayer life, our knowledge of our own personalities, our past, and planning for our future. It is a skill that can be of great help in resolving our pain and fixing our problems.

The cost is $25 and includes a journaling book and lunch.

Call 954-452-4407 to register.

Pastoral counseling

2010-04-01T07:25:00.003-04:00

What are the advantages of pastoral counseling? Why would one turn to a pastor to counsel instead of a licenced professional? Some pastors are licenced professionals and others are not so how can one tell how much training a pastor has in counseling? When is pastoral counseling a better option?

The church has always provided pastoral counseling to people in need. The pastor was the counselor of the western world before the advent of modern psychology. There has been to some degree the false perspective of science and faith at war with each other reflected in the realm of psychology and counseling. In many ways secular psychology invaded and took over a realm that had been the mainly dominated by pastors and religious leaders until modern times. So is there a place for pastoral counseling today?

The answer is yes. Pastoral counseling is still a vital aspect of the ministry of the church. The pastoral counselor is one that operates as a general practitioner or family doctor as opposed to a specialist for most wounds of the soul or family. The pastoral counselor may very well be able to guide us through reconciling relationships, overcoming some forms of depression, and improving our parenting skills. The pastor can also act as a helpful source of referrals to Christan counselors and other specialists when the problems we have seem to be beyond their ability to help.

In addition the pastoral counselor can often offer help to people who would normally not get help at all. Lack of funds or insurance places many people without any ability to get help at their darkest moments from the mental health community. Pastoral counseling is offered as part of the ministry of the gospel of grace and is open to all in need. It is a service the church provides.

The pastor also is uniquely equipped to deal with some particular aspects of a problem. Spiritual direction is the key element that can be provided by the pastoral counselor. Where is God in all of this? The pastor is well trained in finding and explaining how God is at work in our darkest moments. If I want to get a biblical or spiritual insight into my struggles then seeking a pastoral counselor makes the most sense.

Another reality is that the pastor may be the only one willing to confront my behavior as "sin". In our morally relative world it is hard to find someone who can awaken my conscience and help me fix my moral compass. If deep inside of me I know that this is one of my primary needs then seeking pastoral counseling may be critical.

Now pastoral counseling is not regulated by any central group like that offered by the state licenced professionals. So asking the pastor about his experience and training in counseling is a wise and prudent approach. Some pastors are especially gifted and skilled in this areas while others have less ability.

However, we all know that simply because someone is a licenced professional that does not guarantee us that they will provide us good counsel. Such regulation attempts to maintain a basic standard but cannot promise us that every licenced professional is a good counselor. So in reality we just need to be as careful as we normally would be in seeking the help of anyone as we deal with difficult problems. Ask about how much experience the person has especially in dealing with the problem you are facing.

So is there a place for pastoral counseling. The answer is yes. Is there a need of pastoral counseling the answer is also yes. Pastoral counseling provides a vital service to many people that would be without counsel entirely, integrates scripture into psycological methods, and alone can give a spiritual perspective on our problems. There is a need for both liscenced mental health professionals and pastoral counselors. Working together these people can provide a team that can best serve the healing of our souls.

For further reading on this one can read:

Competent to Counsel by Jay Edward Adams

Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth by Howard John Clinebell

Clinical Handbook of Pastoral Counseling (Integration Books) by Richard D. Parsons, Robert J. Wicks, and Donald Capps

The narrow path

2010-03-05T05:38:00.004-05:00

To actually be sane, stable, and spiritual is not easy.

To be sane one must be dedicated to face reality at every level. This means that one must be able to look into the mirror and really see themselves for who they really are and get past all self defense mechanisms. To know oneself is the key. Without self knowledge then everything else is built on sand. If our vision of ourselves, others, and the world is an illussion then nothing will be stable in our lives. Yet, such knowledge is rare for our we love our illussions more than we love the truth. Sanity also requires that we be able to think clearly about how we should respond to the true state of reality. In light of what really exist how would a mature and logically thinking person respond.

Stability would be the ability to keep in the truth and begin to adapt to the truth on a daily basis. It would mean that we are able to compensate for our swings in biological stability and waves of difficult circumstances. We would have the determination to keep to the path outlined by our most mature self and use this as the compass of our soul and our actions. Stability is a hunger adn thirt to live a sane life regardless of the cost.

Spirituality is really the key. Only by being actually touched by the Spirit of God can we see and accept reality. Normally our pride will keep us from seeing ourselves as we really do exist. The Spirit of the Lord must give us humility in order for us to be sane. It is so easy for us to substitute in a "religious spirit" one filled with self righteousness that has been baptized in a false humility instead of actually being naked before the face of God in truth. To be a simple disciple of Messiah Jesus is not simple. So on the one hand we can only be sane if we have been given spirituality and we can only experience spirituality if we have been given the gift of sanity.

So one reality we must face is that this is not easy. To be sane, stable, and spiritual is a narrow path and few will find it. May God have mercy on us and let us be encouraged by the truth that all who seek will find. So let us seek it with all our hearts.

God gives!

2010-02-16T07:16:00.001-05:00

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
1 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." 4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Literal - This passage has to do with giving. It tells a faithful member of Israel what to do when they have a harvest in the land. They are to take the fact that they have a harvest as a reason to worship and celebrate. To have profit without worship is pride.
As the faithful member of God’s people comes with their offering the focus is on what God has given to them. The focus of this passage is on giving. Seven times the word is used in this section. Six times the giver is God. God gives to the whole community the land and at the same time gives very personally and directly to the individual believer as well. We are to see that God is giving to all of His people and also giving to us directly. The seventh use of the word give contrast the good gifts of God with the gifts of Egypt. Egypt gave to Israel hard labor, affliction, and harshness. Egypt represents the unbelieving world system and the slavery of unbelief. We have been delivered from this into God’s good gifts.
We see here the use of prescribed liturgical words. Each individual who was a faithful child of the covenant would come and say
"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me."
It was by these orthodox words which recited the gospel of God’s saving grace to Israel that the context was set for rejoicing, offering, and worship. God is not against the use of liturgical practices but only against them becoming empty of true faith and love. He wants us to meditate upon the truth and respond to the truth.
At the end of this section God’s wonderful giving had led the faithful member of God’s covenant to give. He now shares his food with the ministers of the Lord and the poor. God’s kingdom is manifested on the earth as there is a celebration before the Lord in joy. God’s people give generously when they see God as being generous to them. When people see God as a great giver of grace then they will be great givers to others and God’s work.
Christological - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Moral - The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ESV)

Eternal - And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10 ESV)

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the greatness of your gifts to me.

Contemplation: You are the good Father who gives good gifts.

Action: Count your many blessing name them one by one. Look at the glass half full today. Acknowledge all that God has given you today and open your heart to taking joy in it.

Realistic Living

2010-02-16T06:10:00.004-05:00

Living in reality is hard. Most of us use illusions to help us to cope with the harsh reality of life. Few couples get married planning their funerals. Few parents of newborns are taking courses on how to deal with rebellious teenagers. Most young people do not think about how they will handle losing their health as they get older. We deny these realities and live as though they would not happen.

Living in illusions works until reality comes crashing in on us. Suddenly the projected futures we have of eternal youth, deathless friends, and happy children all crash. The dreams we have had of life do not match life. The lost of those dreams can cause us to become depressed.

To live a realisitic life we must be ready to adapt to what is the real state of our lives. We must want to get rid of our illussions. Our desire must be to embrace what is and not have unrealistic expectations about what reality offers.

Sanity is the acceptance of reality. Stability comes when we have adapted ourselves to reality. Spirituality is where we gain strength from God in Jesus Christ, to handle the challenges of reality and keep ourselves in touch with ultimate reality.

So give yourself a reality check today. Are you living in the real world? Are you living based on the truth of what really is or on lies that you have made up? The truth will set you free.

Dealing with Anger with God over Haiti

2010-02-06T07:14:00.001-05:00

If the Christian God exists then how do you explain the suffering and death in Haiti?
A meditation by Dr. Norman R, Wise
The suffering and death in Haiti due to the earth quake of 2010 are very great. The devastation of the earthquake is equal in many ways to an atomic bomb being dropped on that nation. The pain of the children and families of Haiti has touched the heart of humanity and opened up a sea of aid to this impoverished nation. Is there any way to reconcile this event with the existence of the Christian God?
Haiti of course is just being used as an illustration of the problem of suffering and evil. That problem could be sent forth in the following manner.
1. The Christian God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.
2. If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil.
3. If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists.
4. If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil.
5. Evil exists.
6. If evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn't have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn't know when evil exists, or doesn't have the desire to eliminate all evil.
7. Therefore, the Christian God doesn't exist if evil exists.
This argument however has been answered by Dr. Alvin Plantiga and other philosophers by pointing out that the elimination of some evil might produce a greater evil or prevent a greater good from occurring. If this reality is allowed then this argument against the existence of a Christian God fails to prove its point.
The argument in response would be:
1. The Christian God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.
2. If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil that would not lead to a worst evil or a greater good but would not prevent any evil when doing so would lead to a greater evil or the elimination of a greater good.
3. If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists and what evil is necessary to allow for the purpose of avoiding a greater evil or attaining a greater good.
4. If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil that is not necessary to lead to the prevention of a greater evil or a greater good.
5. Evil exists.
6. If evil exists and God exists, then the evil that exists does so in order to prevent a greater evil or establish a greater good.
7. Therefore, it is logically possible that the Christian God could exist.
There is no way to prove absolutely that the evil that occurs in our world does not avoid some greater evil or prevent some greater good. A claim to have such knowledge would seem to require omniscience. Without such proof then the logical argument against the existence of the Christian God fails to prove its point.
Now these logical arguments seem far removed from the suffering, pain, and death in Haiti. While logically valid it is very hard to feel they address the main issues that we face when confronted with such massive suffering. It just seems to us that the “Christian God” if He exists should prevent such catastrophes from happening.
Some people describe the Christian view of God as God is the Father of humanity and we are His innocent children. If this is the case then why would a good Father allow His children to suffer as human beings suffer on this planet? Either God is an abusive parent, a crippled and powerless Dad, or perhaps we are orphans abandoned to die. But, if this is the Christian story then it is hard to see how we can view God as competent and of good character.
However, no orthodox Christian would agree with this summary of their story about the world. Since it is the existence of the Christian God in particular that is being challenged by the events in Haiti then it would be important for us to know the characteristics of this deity and see if catastrophes like Haiti argue against the existence of the God taught by Christianity. If according to Christians the relationship of God to the world is more complicated than these simple approaches would suggest; then this could help us see how people can rationally believe in the existence of the Christian God in a world filled with suffering, pain, and death as illustrated by Haiti.
The Christian world view can be summarized as having four key concepts. These key concepts are wise creation, moral fall, just judgment, and merciful redemption. These four concepts find their focus point in the idea of the “Kingdom of God”. The purpose of creation is to establish this Kingdom which can only be established through the historical process of creation, fall, judgment, and redemption. It is through these four concepts focused on the “Kingdom of God” that Christians historically have developed their paradigm of reality.
Wise Creation
The Christian God is the creator of the world and is the source of its order and design (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-6). The Christian God is one of morality who due to His omniscience understands the eternal and unchanging logic of good and evil and has chosen the good. All of these realities exist within the Christian God who is eternal and outside of time.
The Christian God created humanity for the purpose of reflecting the nature of the Eternal in time and forming a community of peace. Part of this reflection was that humanity was to choose good over evil even as God has eternally chosen the good over evil. We were to be like God by being dedicated to righteousness even as God is dedicated to righteousness. As we lived in a righteous community we would be God’s kingdom come to earth.
Moral Fall
However, in every possible world that could be conceived by an all knowing God when humanity is given the greater good of having free will they always use it to rebel against God as their king and choose to follow evil instead (Romans 1:18 -32). All human beings have wandered from the path of righteousness and fell short of reflecting the glory of God into creation. Humanity is a moral failure in every possible world.
The only way to eliminate this evil would be to eliminate the good of having beings made in God’s image and able to experience free moral will. Since the purpose of creation was the establishment of “The Kingdom of God” and this kingdom could only exist if human beings made in God’s image existed; it became necessary to allow this moral evil if the end was ever to be achieved. God could have made a perfect zoo lacking creatures of free choice but the positive good of the Kingdom of God would have been lost.
Righteous Judgment (mixed with mercy)
The result of this rebellion against God was that the judgment of suffering and death was passed on humanity due to their moral rebellion. The order of creation became mixed with chaos. Moral transgression acted as a physical and spiritual cancer in God’s creation bringing with it disorder, disease, and death. However, in mercy God restrained the full effects of evil and allowed human beings to live in a “stay of execution” in which they might repent of their rebellion and return to God.
God also choose to suffer the rebellion and sin of humanity as He patiently waited for them to find repentance. Their evil caused God’s holy soul pain and sadness. Yet, God loved His enemies and was merciful to those who had rebelled against Him. Instead of the world being turned over to the full chaos which should have resulted from moral rebellion against God, the earth normally provides for the needs and even the pleasures of humanity (Matthew 5:44-48). The vast majority of human beings are blessed by this common grace and mercy of God every day that provides their needs through creation even as they rebel against God.
From a Christian point of view human beings are not God’s children. We are the sworn enemies of God and His Kingdom. We are the terrorist of the universe against the Kingdom of peace. The suffering, pain, and evil in this world are physical signs of that rebellion. The suffering in the universe is not worst because God patiently waits for us to repent of this rebellion and has mercy on us even in our rebellion. God would be justified morally in releasing the ten plagues of Egypt on every square foot of the planet every day due to our moral rebellion. Catastrophes are not surprising from the Christian point of view. What is surprising is how few catastrophes we suffer as rebels against God’s kingdom.
Merciful Redemption
From a Christian perspective the current world is not paradise but could be seen as place for a purging process that seeks to rid humanity of their moral rebellion. In this life there is some pleasure and some pain. The pleasure when rightly experienced reminds us of paradise and the pain reminds us that we have lost paradise due to our moral failure.
The purpose of this historical process is that we will eventually as humans evolve into those who will choose righteousness and avoid evil. This process requires forgiveness of our rebellion and conversion into consistent citizens of God’s kingdom. Only those who are citizens of God’s kingdom are God’s adopted children. This process includes the death of Jesus the Messiah on the cross for our moral rebellion and His resurrection as proof that the demands of justice have been satisfied. God choose this path of pain and suffering not just for humanity but for Himself as well. The cost of attaining the kingdom would be the necessary pain and suffering of history.

The Kingdom of God
It is clear that Jesus the Messiah, the founder of Christianity did not see any conflict with a world of suffering and the existence of God.
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:3-14 ESV)

A world without pain, suffering, false teaching, wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution would prove that the Christian God does not exist. Jesus the Messiah who founded Christianity clearly believed that the world would suffer such things and had to experience them before the final peaceful kingdom of God could be established. Christianity teaches that what one should expect in the current state of the world under God’s judgment for moral failure is famines and earthquakes to occur. When they do occur, Christians understand that this is normal due to the current rejection of God’s kingdom by human kind. Such suffering is sad but expected. It does not surprise a person thinking from a Christian world view or seem inconsistent with their philosophy of life. Christians believe that this suffering will end when humanity makes peace with God and His kingdom.
We have rebelled against the law of the kingdom of God which is to love one another
The Christian God has delegated to humanity the proper stewardship of this planet and to show love for each other. Part of humanity being made in the image of God is they were given the responsibility to rule this planet (Gen 1:28-30). The Christian God would be there to help, support, provide inner strength and wisdom in response to prayer, and teach wisdom; but not micromanage.
God would establish the laws of nature that humanity could learn and use to increase their effectiveness in being stewards of this planet. These laws would be God’s normal and predictable way of bringing order to the physical world. God would and could at times directly intervene; but these would be rare occasions. Most of God’s work would be done very subtlety and through people. Human beings were entrusted with this part of the Cosmos and expected to bring God’s kingdom to earth.
God is restraining moral evil in humanity so that we will not be as depraved as we could be if left to ourselves. God is intervening in an active way in history, by keeping humanity from practicing self destruction, anarchy, and social chaos. This intervention is done without taking from humanity their ability to make moral choices or to suffer consequences due to those choices.
So when we look at the suffering of the world we need to ask how much of it could have been prevented if human beings had loved their neighbors as themselves and been good stewards of the resources of the planet. Rather than judging God; it would seem better to judge ourselves. If the world community had made it a top priority to make sure the infrastructure of Haiti was stronger, the people fed, an economy established, a just government developed and proper housing provided then much of the suffering of this earthquake would have been avoided. What does Haiti tell us about our moral failure as humanity? A Christian view of the Haiti would focus not on God’s failure but on humanities moral failure in this catastrophe.
Now that we have a better understanding of the Christian view of the world we can understand that it has always justified the existence of evil by looking at the historical process as a necessary evil in order to bring about the greater good of God’s eternal kingdom. God could not just create out of nothing instantly this kingdom because this kingdom had in it characteristics that required a process in order to mature and bear fruit. Only by going through this painful historical process could God create what God wanted, which was a greater good.
If one was to eliminate all the suffering and pain in this world which is caused by a lack of human beings loving each other, it would be fair to say that a very significant part of suffering and pain would end. Catastrophes are rare compared with human exploitation, selfishness, greed, abuse, wars, and violence. All of this evil is here because human beings are given the freedom to operate as moral agents. We can choose to love our neighbor or not to love our neighbor.
This evil could only be eliminated if the greater good of having people being able to make moral choices was eliminated. Only by eliminating our freedom could God eliminate this evil which would be a greater evil than allowing it. If humanity was not given free moral choice we could never progressively evolve into being consistently righteous. This would make the establishment of the kingdom of God which is the purpose of creation impossible. A greater good would be lost.
Also we must see that the elimination of all pain and suffering would also eliminate the opportunity to grow in our trust in God, to do good and show compassion to those in need. James the brother of Jesus the Messiah writes:
“My friends; maintain a positive outlook, even if you have a lot of trouble and suffer catastrophes. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith in God tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. If any of you need wisdom about suffering trouble and catastrophe, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking. “(James 1:2-5)

Again, the Christian world view expects life to have trouble, suffering, and catastrophes. It would teach people not to expect a world without such problems until the final kingdom of God is established and the moral rebellion of humanity ends. It also acknowledges that our normal reaction to such events is to doubt God’s wisdom, goodness, or existence. Such events challenge us to keep a positive outlook trusting in God to work all things together for good.

In such times of trouble we will have the opportunity to show love to the hurting, clothe the naked, and feed the hunger. Human beings would not be as compassionate if there were no times of trouble, suffering and catastrophe. This would be another good lost if all suffering and evil were eliminated. Not allowing any villains would also keep anyone from being a hero.

The book of Job, one of the most ancient expressions of faith, makes clear that the anguish of soul and the need of understanding in the midst of suffering are not new. There appears from this book to be at least six sources of anguish in our lives. Five of these are outside of our control. These five are when other human beings hurt us and abuse us, when disasters occur such as hurricanes and earthquakes, when we lose economic security, loss of our health and physical well being, and the loss of loved ones in death.

The last part of our anguish we do control. That is the psychological impact of the other five sources of suffering. We will decide to interpret illness, poverty, catastrophe, suffering, and abuse into a “story” or “grand narrative” and out of this we will gain either comfort or more pain. Faith in God working all things together for good is seen as a healthy psychological approach to such times of anguish. Such a belief allows our anxiety to drop, our hope to survive, and depression to be abated. Faith that a greater good is coming from our pain helps us have less stress and anguish of soul about our pain.

One of the elements that impacts a Christian view towards suffering is that physical death is not seen as an end. Physical death is significant, but the soul of the person survives their death and then that soul lives on forever after being judged for what was done in this life. So death is not annihilation but transition into another aspect of existence.

Children who die and whose souls would be innocent of sins have nothing to fear at God’s just judgment. Christians depend on God to treat each soul with at least justice and for many with extreme mercy. Temporal catastrophes are seen as less significant because human souls are eternal. No human being ever ceases to exist due to a temporal catastrophe. Therefore, while suffering in this life is seen as significant and steps should be taken to eliminate it whenever we can to aid others, Christians do not see it as the ultimate evil. The lack of a righteous character in human beings is a greater evil than a hurricane, flood, or earthquake. Our greatest crisis is moral not physical.

Foundational to Christian thought is that God has permitted suffering and evil in order to attain a greater good. There is purpose, potential, and power in all pain. There is no pointless pain. This faith is tested during times of catastrophe but is the basis of gaining wisdom about such difficult and painful events.

We will face such painful events. That is without a doubt. But it does matter if we face them with faith or in unbelief.

The suffering in Haiti is just from a Christian point of view, because it is believed that every square inch of our planet should suffer catastrophe daily due to our moral rebellion. Christians know that they will not normally be made exempt from the general suffering which all humanity may experience due to this rebellion. They are forgiven and been adopted as God’s children but have been called as Christ was called to share in the suffering of a rebellious planet. Their role is to show how to trust God in the midst of the darkness of pain, suffering, and death. They are to be a light to the rest of the world to demonstrate how to love God and others in the midst of catastrophes, suffering, and death.

How does this apply to Haiti?

So what good could come out of the earthquake in Haiti? Christians would first say that only God can really tell us the answer to this question. God alone is wise enough and all knowing enough to really be able to tell us how each event fits into this grand plan of establishing the kingdom of God on earth.

We can however speculate. The suffering has already led millions around the world to demonstrate more compassion than they were doing before the earthquake. For all we know 100 years from now the history of Haiti may record the earthquake of 2010 as the catalyst that ended poverty in Haiti, helped establish a just and stable government, and brought about a golden era in Haitian history. Those who are now suffering will not have suffered in vain.

God’s main concern is the development of our character and our love for justice. As the prophet Micah summarized.

The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly have a relationship with your God." (Micah 6:8)

The pain, death, and suffering of this earthquake may become leveraged by God’s providential work in history to bless the Haitian people from this point forward. It has created an event that calls upon us to act in mercy towards the Haitian people and to seek to establish justice in their nation. At the very least the earthquake has created the emotional leverage and potential for such a golden age for Haiti.

If this opportunity for good is lost it will be due to the immorality of humanity. Sometimes, God provides us an opportunity for good through a catastrophe and we fail this moral test. This is the greater catastrophe. This however is not a failure on God’s part but on our part. Every catastrophe is telling us to repent, to love our neighbor, and to seek God.

This is the main idea that Jesus the Messiah taught concerning catastrophes. He said;

“About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed while they were offering sacrifices. Jesus replied: Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what happened to them? Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed. What about those eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die.” (Luke 13:1-5 CEV)

Catastrophes are not to teach us that those who suffer catastrophes are worst sinners than those who do not suffer catastrophes. No instead it is remind us that we should suffer the same fate and except for the mercy of God would have suffered the same catastrophe. It is appointed for every human being to suffer death and then face the just moral judgment of God to give an account for their lives. We should be focusing on our own personal need to repent and make peace with God and not be judging others. We should demonstrate this repentance by showing love to others and especially those in need in Haiti. This should be our response to the catastrophe in Haiti. This would be a part of the greater good that could come about through the suffering in Haiti.

Why does the problem of suffering and evil not destroy faith in a good God?

It is clear that times of great suffering, death, and catastrophes challenge our faith in a good God. It is normal for people to have moments of great doubt and anguish in the midst of suffering. The Bible itself records songs of “lament” part of which is struggling with the problem of evil and pain (see the book of Job, Psalm 73). Why do some people see the problem of evil and pain as a “faith killer” that justifies their lack of faith in any “good God” while other people reconcile their faith in a good God with the existence of suffering and evil?

There are many reasons for this but let us list a few of them since this may help us understand this whole question from another perspective. First we must recognize that the problem of suffering and evil is not some new threat to faith. It is not as if there was some scientific experiment done that discovered the “problem of evil” and now modern people for the first time are aware of its existence. No, ancient poems that were being sung at 2000 BC had as their main theme the problem of suffering and evil. So if this problem was going to be a faith killer for the majority of human beings then it would have happened long ago.

Yet, faith in a good God has continued to endure despite the presence of suffering and evil in the world. C.S. Lewis comments that in light of the suffering in this world it is hard to even imagine how the idea of a good God evolved without supernatural revelation, yet it has persisted even in the darkest times of suffering. It seems clear from the history of humanity that catastrophes, suffering, and death will never destroy faith in a good God.

This is true in Haiti today. If the earthquake was going to kill faith in a good God any where it would seem that it should kill faith in the Haitian people. But with every church building in ruins we find congregations gathering to worship God, seek comfort for their losses, pray for strength to endure, ask God hard questions about “why” this occurred, express anger at God in the hope of finding answers to their pain and finding encouragement in hearing the Bible. So faith in a good God is not dependent upon not experiencing bad events.

Some people when they suffer catastrophe do lose faith but other people would claim that their faith actually grew. People of faith will go through a dark night of the soul and struggle with doubts because of pain, suffering, and death but in the end reconcile their trust in a good God with the painful events they have experienced. The strongest faith will actually be experienced at times by people who have suffered the most.

The reason for this is that people believe in a good God for many different reasons. If a person believes that God has responded to their needs at some critical points in their life with psychological or physical help then they view the current suffering from a perspective of trust in God. People that have personal experiences and even what they would call relationships with God believe in God for a host of rational and emotional reasons. All of their faith is not in one basket. One disappointment does not lead to them abandoning God.

Their faith was not born in a problem free world. They did not live in paradise when they first came to faith in God. They came to faith in God knowing they lived in a world of suffering and evil. Some experience of suffering or evil may have actually motivated them to seek God. As the saying goes there are no atheists in fox holes.

Now if a person does not believe in God, has been disappointed with God, or is angry with God then they perceive human suffering and evil as justification for their negative assessment of God. If a person’s experiences with God and religion have been disappointing, frustrating, abusive, and hurtful then arguments from the problem of evil fit well within the life story that they have created which either denies God’s existence or looks upon God s lacking both character and competence. Some people would say they do not know if God exists but if God does exist they hate Him.

Dr. Julie Juola Exline of Case Western Reserve University has done research on people experiencing anger towards God. It is normal for people of faith to get angry with God over pain, suffering, and catastrophe. It is customary for part of the prayers of people who believe to be “Why?” and “How long”. Prayer is often not “tame” but rather pointed and even challenging. She found about 63% of people admit to times when they became angry at God. She also found some atheism to be “emotional atheism” which really reflected people who were angry at God and expressed that anger as a profession of atheism. For an emotional atheist saying they did not believe in God was their way of executing justice or revenge on God for His failure of them or others.

Believers in God normally could process their anger and “forgive God” over time for what they perceived as a failure on His part or come to reconcile themselves to trusting God again after some event disappointed them. Emotional atheists had a harder time ever letting go of their anger and this led many times to intense feelings of bitterness and anxiety. The problem of suffering and evil as related to God is one of significance to the psychological health of human beings.

These questions and the psychological struggle they produce for human beings are not new. They have been around as long as human beings have been around. There is no reason to think that people will abandon their faith in a good God simply because evil, catastrophe, and suffering exist. Faith in a good God has always existed with people knowing evil and suffering existed as well.

Conclusion:

What would a logical defense of the existence of the Christian God look like? Here is a basic outline.

1. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good.

2. God’s purpose in creation was to form the redemptive Kingdom of God through history.

3. Humanity freely authored evil into this world as part of that purpose.

4. Humanity’s evil; is what has brought into reality, all abnormal suffering .

5. God has not yet eliminated every evil because to do so would make the creation of the Kingdom of God impossible and thus eliminate a greater good. One of the good things that is gained from God delaying the Day of Judgment is that this gives humanity more time to repent and increases the population of the Kingdom of God. If God eliminated evil prematurely from history, it would abort or diminish His plan to establish the Kingdom and make all the suffering of history unjustified.

6. Jesus came as God incarnate and suffered the agony of the hell fire for His people. God has suffered infinitely more than all His creatures put together because of evil. This demonstrates both God’s commitment to establishing the peaceful kingdom of righteousness and His deep loving compassion towards those who have rebelled against Him. It requires this demonstration of Gods’ love to win the moral loyalty of humanity so that they will consistently choose righteousness over evil. This allows humanity to be citizens of the kingdom of God and freely not fall into sin. Only in redemptive love can the heart of human beings be won to produce consistent righteousness, thus the need of the history of salvation in order to produce the kingdom.

7. God uses suffering for kingdom purposes and therefore no suffering is without some kingdom purpose. There is no pain without a kingdom purpose. This includes the suffering now in Haiti due to the earthquake.

8. When Jesus returns justice, mercy, and righteousness will fully manifest themselves. All evil will be eliminated from God’s kingdom and all unjust suffering will stop.

9. Therefore, God exists; He is all powerful, all knowing, and infinite in goodness. Evil exists at the present time due to God’s kingdom purpose and good long-suffering nature, and God will eliminate all evil from His kingdom once His purpose has been accomplished.

10. God’s allowing pain and evil to exist in creation has produced the greater good of the redemptive Kingdom of God. Only because God allowed pain and evil did the greater good of God’s kingdom come into existence. Therefore, God is all powerful and all good even though evil and suffering exist.

It is my belief that this is a logical and biblical answer which demonstrates that the existence of the Christian God is consistent with the existence of evil and pain.

A parable

Once upon a time there was a husband and wife. The wife became pregnant one day after making love with her husband. Now the wife understood the nature and process of pregnancy but her husband did not have any knowledge of pregnancy or babies at all.

The husband begins to worry about his wife. She is sick every morning and is gaining weight. Her husband tells her he hopes she will get well soon. She explains that she will be sick for nine months. She outlines how she will get heavier and more uncomfortable. She even warns him that she may die at the end of this process. The husband asks her if there is any way to stop this illness. The wife says there is but she does not want to end the process because the pain and risk of pregnancy is worth the birth of their baby. The husband never having seen a baby has a hard time understanding what could be worth all that his wife is suffering. He has real doubts about the wisdom of pregnancy but is assured by his wife that if the baby is born then he will be satisfied that all of this difficult and painful process is worth it.

After nine months the woman gives birth to a child. The father watches as the new life is born. In that moment he sees the value of all the suffering and affirms that this process was worth the pain. Seeing the baby made the process of painful pregnancy justified.
From a Christian point of view the cosmos has become pregnant with God’s “Kingdom Child” and the process of giving birth to this Kingdom has put the cosmos in a sick and unstable state. However, this process is necessary for the Kingdom must be born out of great tribulation. This has always been the faith of the Christian church.

“They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. "We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God," they taught. “ (Acts 14:22 GNB)

Therefore, it does not seem we can make the existence of suffering inconsistent with the Christian view of God since suffering plays such a significant part of the Christian view of the reality. Christianity has always presupposed that it was only my passing through many troubles that the Kingdom of God could be achieved. Because of this the existence of evil and suffering is perfectly compatible with a Christian view of the world.

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Finding My Purpose

2010-02-02T05:59:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, "I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord." 9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
This history of Jeremiah’s call to his office formed a part of his first address to the people. He claimed to act by an external authority, and to speak not his own words but those of Yahweh the creator of the universe and the redeemer of Israel (see Jer_15:13; Jer_20:7, Jer_20:14-18). It was the WORD of deity that was in Jeremiah’s mouth and not just his own perspective. He was a minister of the WORD.
God tells Jeremiah what the Almighty One has been doing in Jeremiah’s life.
1. Yahweh knew Jeremiah before his body was formed in the womb.
2. Before Jeremiah was born Yahweh had set him apart to be a prophet to the nations
At this point the prophet interrupts God. Jeremiah does not know anything about before he was formed in his mother’s womb. He does not know anything about a destiny given to him before he was born. He does know who he is in the here and now. Jeremiah is sure Yahweh has chosen the wrong man.
"Sovereign LORD, I don't know how to speak; I am too young."

Jeremiah knows that he is not a skilled speaker. He is not experienced. He is not worthy to be a prophet. He does not have charisma. Who will listen to him? Yahweh can surely find a better spokesman.
The Sovereign Lord answers Jeremiah. No, do not look at your powers. Do not focus on your abilities. Your qualifications are that I am the one who is sending you and it will my WORDS in your mouth. You do not have to be a great speaker you only need to repeat what you are told. God knows that the culture will not respond well to what He has to say. Yahweh promises that He will preserve Jeremiah when the people respond with anger to the WORD.
Then Yahweh actually puts the DIVINE WORD into the mouth of the prophet. He is given the gift of the WORD of God that now is incarnate in his mouth. His mouth has become the mouth of God. Jeremiah because he is God’s prophet now has authority because he speaks for God. The authority is not in Jeremiah but in the WORD of God which has become a part of Jeremiah.
This WORD OF God will have a positive and negative impact. The judgments of God in history will uproot and destroy the agricultural economics of that day and the great cities like Jerusalem will be pull downed and overthrown. Humanities rebellion and the apostasy of God’s people will bring the just curse of God crashing down upon the world. Yet, out of the rumble the promise of God still speaks. A New Jerusalem will be built and a fruitful garden planted. The kingdom of God will come. The curse will pass away and the merciful promise will be fulfilled. The WORD OF GOD brings death and life, curse and blessing, destruction and restoration.
Today we also have the WORD of God. We proclaim both LAW and GOSPEL. The LAW brings just warnings of condemnation due to our moral rebellion and imperfection. The LAW gives us understanding of the flow of history and the principles that rule all of life. The LAW is good and spiritual but comes to us as a messenger of death because we are neither good nor spiritual. With only the LAW we would be in despair. But, as the LAW takes from us all hope in ourselves the GOSPEL gives us hope in the love of GOD found in Messiah Jesus. The GOSPEL is Yahweh’s promise to forgive and restore sinners out of condemnation and into a perfectly restored relationship. The GOSPEL is full of grace at a price we can never understand in MESSIAH’S suffering for our sins. So just like Jeremiah our message both destroys and restores.
This passage also tells us that God has a plan for every Christian which we have no choice but fulfill. Our choices are that either Yahweh has a few people like Jeremiah that “he knows” and ‘sets apart” before their birth or that this is what Yahweh has done for all of HIS people. Based on Ephesians 1:4 and Romans 8:29 it is clear Yahweh is choosing and foreknowing all of HIS children and not just the prophets. Jeremiah’s destiny is not in doubt because GOD has had it in HIS mind forever. Every Christian has been given a part in GOD’S drama and we must all play our roles. Each of us have a positive contribution to make and our success is not based on us but on GOD being with us and working in us. This perspective, if it becomes part of our life story which we repeat to ourselves in our self talk can give us great confidence, a sense of significance, and even peace in the midst of our struggles, tears, and fears.
Christocentric - Jesus the Messiah is the incarnate WORD OF GOD and is the promise of Yahweh in the flesh. (John 1:1-18)
Moral – Our authority to do our ministry is because GOD has given us our ministry. The power to do our ministry is GOD’s power in us. It is wrong to look to ourselves and either refuse ministry because of our weakness or to think we are strong enough to do it without GOD’s abundant help.
Eternal - In eternity we will fully live in the GOSPEL and be able to live the essence of the LAW. We will become the incarnation of the fulfillment of the WORD OF GOD.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us GOSPEL in the midst of our sins. LORD, thank you for choosing us to be your people with a purpose.
Contemplation: You have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
Action: What part of God’s LAW do I need to hear, understand, and share? What part of the GOSPEL do I need to hear, understand, and share? With whom? Remind myself that I am a chosen child of God living a life designed for GOD’s GLORY!
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.” – The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren P.17

The power of positive thinking and the danger of negative thinking.

2010-01-28T06:07:00.003-05:00

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts. ~Samuel Johnson

Every growing person is dominated predominately by positive thinking. When negative thinking grows in a person then the positive passion and power of that person fades and they begin to diminish. It is important therefore that we promote positive thinking in our own lives and resist the temptation to be negative. Only when there is more positive thinking than negative thinking will our lives be healthy and growing.

What is realistic positive thinking?

Look at the best side of a situation while acknowledging problems
Believing that God can change me and others
Believe in God answering prayer in a positive way
Having hope in what God will do with in the future
Supporting positive comments and encouraging faith in others
Avoiding griping, complaining, and murmuring
Find true encouraging things to say about myself and others
Confess my sins with the confidence that God forgives me my sins in Christ Jesus
Pray for the pastor, leaders, and the other people in the church while praising God
Pray for the political leaders of my nation and the world while praising God for working for good in the midst of history.
As led by the Holy Spirit try new or challenging things hopeful that God will use them
Get better as I reflect about the past, identify mistakes, and gain wisdom from it
Encourage new, creative, and inventive ideas and see them as possible
Try to see new things from new perspectives. Seek to grow as a Christian and person.
Take prayerful and thoughtful risks
Be encouraged by those who are looking for the “up side” of a disaster
Believe that God is working all things together for good
Praise attempts to fix a dysfunctional situation
Be open to changing my point of view to see things more from God’s perspective
Believe I am realistic not optimistic
What is negative thinking?
I look at the worst side of a situation and make that the focus.
I lack the belief that I could change or others could change
I lose hope in the future being better
I take the opposing view in any positive conversation
I never make upbeat or uplifting comments about myself or others
I turn conversations into griping, complaining, or murmuring sessions
I spread rumors and gossip about leaders and suspect them of evil without proof
I complain about the pastor, the leaders, and other people in the church, and even God
I complain about political leaders, promote the idea of secret conspiracies, and offer no hope for society. I don't bother to pray for leaders I know God will not hear.
I try nothing new or challenging because I feel that I will fail.
I get bitter over how people treat me.
I put down new, creative, and inventive ideas as impossible without being willing to brain storm.
I limit my vision of what God could be doing in my life.
I take no risks.
I am cynical towards those who are looking for an “up” side of a tragedy, failure, or disaster.
I ridicule those who say “all things are working together for good.”
I ridicule attempts to fix dysfunctional situations.
I tell people I am realistic not pessimistic.

No one is totally positive or negative. These tendencies will go up and down in each of us as individuals and as a society as a whole. Where the majority of the people and the weight of the emotional energy is positive then growth in a society will normally occur.

People are attracted to positive groups and repelled by negative ones. We should strive therefore to be realistically positive in all we do if we want our lives, our families, our communities, our culture, and the world to become more healthy. It is by promoting such an attitude that we will enjoy the life that God has given to us and attach other people to live such a life as well.

What Affects Human Behavior?

2010-01-04T05:24:00.003-05:00

What affects human behavior? This question is important to us because we want to understand our own behavior and that of others. We desire to even understand the behavior of groups of people found in society and culture. Behind the question is that some behavior is seen as being healthy and some is seen as being unhealthy. Some is seen as being moral and some as immoral. We would want to promote sane, stable, and spiritual behavior and limit insane, unstable, and hateful behavior. So what affects human behavior?

There are two root sources of human behavior. One is the physical biology of the human being. The other is the core "faith" or central "beliefs" of that person. These significant beliefs form "Life commandments", values, principles, and proverbs by which the person lives. This is the "wisdom" of the person. These two factors, the one biological and the other philosophical govern the behavior of the person.

Biology would include genetics which do not so much govern behavior as create tendencies in some direction. However, in some cases such as schizophrenia the actual experience of the person is strongly impacted by the genetic disorder. The body being "unhealthy" can impact our thinking ability and perception of reality. Being bi-polar radically changes how a person feels about life and perceives reality. Knowing that something is biological can help us control it but it still has a great impact. For a practical way of getting our heads around this I would recommend watching the movie "A Beautiful Mind" which is about a man who must face the fact that his mind is lying to him due to a chemical imbalance. This is one reason why the use of medication to help restore normal balance to our bodies is part of what must be considered if we become aware of a biological problem existing.

The "core faith" of a person or what one philosopher calls our "religious ground motives" is the pair of glasses we have chosen and been given, through which we see life. The reason these glasses have both been chosen and been given is that as children our "religious ground motives" or "core faith" is given to us by our family, peers, society, media, experiences, and culture. As Dr. Francis Schaeffer said most people catch their view of the world the same way the catch the common cold. They simply are exposed to it and catch it without much thought on their part.

However, the maturing process by which we move from thinking like children to thinking like adults is designed for us to question the "core faith" we have been given and either confirm it for our own reasons, modify it, or replace it with something new. Some people never do this and lack this process of maturity. There faith remains the faith of a child even though they are adults. The fact is we have a moral responsibility to "know ourselves" and evaluate if our "core beliefs" or "religious ground motives" are true or false. It is out of these heart felt beliefs that we will develop our life style and behavior. Therefore, the choice of these key values is of vital importance in understanding and influencing human behavior.

From these core beliefs we then frame our thinking. Dr. Thomas S. Kuhn in his work on the structure of scientific revolutions has demonstrated that breakthroughs in science are not normally caused by new information but by a change in mental "paradigms" by which the information is interpreted. The same is true for our thinking. Our presuppositions about life determine what we think. We begin to narrate a story about our lives, the lives of others, and society based on these core beliefs.

Our thinking which is expressed in our "self talk" and "life story" create our emotions. If this inner voice is telling a story that is optimistic and noble we feel "happy" and if this voice tells a tragic story about life we become pessimistic and sad. If our story makes us "victims" we can feel defensive and angry. If our inner tale pictures us as noble heroes and heroines then we have a tendency to act out our roles. These stories are very complex and have many sub-plots. But the truth is that the world is a stage and we are actors on it. But not only actors but playwrights and directors as well.

All of our actions are governed by our emotions. Mr. Spock in the series "Star Trek" would not act logically except he loved logic. In fact in the development of this character as his beliefs about emotions change and the story he has about life changes, then we see the actions of Mr. Spock changing to include the acceptance of the expression of emotions as a positive good. Emotions are created out of the story we are telling about our lives and about life generally. They can also be created out of our biology. Therefore, these are the two immediate things that affect our behavior. However, ultimately our story is guided by our "core faith" about life. To change the behavior we have to change the script and to change the script one has to change their "core beliefs" that govern that personal script.

So if there is behavior you would want to get rid of as an individual you have to be willing to look at your core beliefs and your biological state. Where is the behavior you want to change coming from? Only by taking a step back and striving to objectively "know ourselves" can we decide to change our beliefs and biology. If we were to hope to change society and culture this could only be done by attempting to impact people at the level of their "core beliefs" or "central values" while encouraging proper use of medication that would produce better behavior.

It is interesting to note that our biology can be impacted by our environment.
A group of scientist have released a report called "Hardwired to Connect:
The Scientific Case for Authoritative Communities" (http://www.americanvalues.org/html/hardwired_-_ex_summary.html)
which suggest that one of the reasons why American youth have to be put on so much medication to control their behavior is due to the lack of healthy social communities in which they are being raised. The study seems to indicate that there is healthy way for society to be structured that helps children biologically to remain balanced and dysfunctional structures of society that actually produces biological problems in governing behavior.

It is also true that in some cases we are using medication when we should be helping people go deeper into their philosophical belief systems which may be the source of their struggles. Dr. Lou Marinoff in his book "Plato, Not Prozac! Applying Philosophy to Everyday Problems" makes a good case that in some cases if we could get our thinking straight that this would do us more good than medication.

What affects our behavior? The short answer is biology and beliefs. How could we change our behavior. We need to know ourselves and rightly determine the source of our feelings so that we know if they are coming from our beliefs or our biology and even how these two may be interacting. Only by being willing to change some of our core beliefs or biology would we be able to make life style changes. This occurs only when we stop justifying our current behavior and are willing to recognize that we have a problem. Only the humble can change.

Dealing with difficult people

2010-01-02T17:49:00.002-05:00

How do we deal with difficult people? How do we make peace in a world of aggressive people? How do we keep from becoming abusive to abusers?

The first step we must make is to recognize we are not responsible for the other person or their abuse. We do not cause someone to abuse us. When someone acts in a wrong way they are 100% responsible for what they do.

The second reality is that we must carefully think through our response. We must not react but carefully choose what we say and do. Each word and each action should revlect our most sane, stable, and spiritual self.

The third reality is that as much as it is under our control we should strive to be at peace with every person. While setting proper boundaries we should strive to find resolutions to conflict. Our aim should not be "justice" but harmony.

We will always have to deal with difficult and abusive people. There will always be people who hurt us. But we can limit that pain by being peace makers. By having realistic expectations and striving for self control we can maximize our influence for good and limit the evil such people can cause.

The power of purpose

2010-01-01T09:26:00.004-05:00

Human beings need a sense of purpose. In World War II the Japanese would break prisoners by first having them dig a ditch in the morning and then fill in the same ditch in the afternoon. Working without purpose drives us crazy.

We need to feel that our efforts will allow us to live. There must be a connection in our minds between our doing and our surviving.

We need to feel that our efforts will lead us to love. We want to know the love of God and other people. To be loved and to love are critical. Our efforts must give us hope that our relationships will deepen.

We need to believe we are learning. Our efforts must be leading us to better knowledge of life, the world, others, God, and our experiences. We do not want to believe we will not find answers.

We need to believe that we will find laughter in our doing. Life without the potential for fun is enough to drive us mad. The joy of life is part of what we seek.

Finally, we want to believe that what we do will leave a good legacy. We must believe that our striving, working, sweating, and struggling will leave a good mark upon the world. We want to believe that God is using our life for good.

Our purpose is to live, love, learn, laugh, and leave a good legacy to the next generation. Only as we have a sense of divine calling and significance in each of these areas are we sane, stable, and spiritual.

As we begin 2010 let us check our lives. Are we on course? Is our direction leading to what we want to accomplish in our lives? If not; then what needs to change? How would we change it? It is a good time to ask such questions.

Gravity works

2009-12-30T08:20:00.001-05:00

Gravity Works
One of the hardest realities we have to face is that we are not above the rules that are set into the very structure of life. There are principles which no one can escape. Wisdom is being careful to live within the framework of these principles. Folly is when I believe; I can break the rules and use that to my advantage.
We seek happiness. Vice historically has been understood as the unhealthy, insane, and short road to happiness. Vices bring pleasure instantly. Surely, happiness will be found by maximizing pleasure. So as the vices produce pleasure, we feel that we will achieve being happy, and this leads us back to practice the vice once more. This cycle becomes addictive.
Vices have the ability to trigger the pleasure part of our brain easily and effectively. In this way of looking at things “vice” is cheap. But there is always a cost to vice. Addicts make bad spouses and parents. Over the long haul most vices take a toll on our bodies. If we devote ourselves to finding pleasure in all the wrong places we will normally find ourselves isolated, alone, and rejected as we face death.
But how else will we find happiness? If happiness is not found in “vice” then where is it found? Historically the answer to this question has been virtue. Virtue was understood as the healthy, sane, and long road to happiness. Virtue is living a life by figuring out what reality is and then adapting to it. It is striving to be free of illusion and denial.
The most significant transforming moment in a person’s life is when they lose faith in “Vice” and we come to believe that true and long lasting happiness will be found in living a life of virtue in accordance with the principles of life woven into the very fabric of our beings. We decide to not try to “cheat” at life to win but instead decide to strive within the confines of the “rules.”
We believe and accept that gravity works.

Merry Christmas for all the sad people

2009-12-24T07:20:00.003-05:00

You may be feeling very sad today. It is OK to feel sad on Christmas eve. God is OK with that.

He understands how living in a broken world can cause sadness. He came to live with you in the broken world. To share in it and to know it on an intimate level. He understands being abused, rejected, slandered, neglected, and hated. He has cried about all those realities and He has suffered all those realities.

One of the wonderful realities of Christmas is that in the person of Messiah Jesus, God is now with us. He is not watching us from a safe distance in heaven. He came to be with us in our pain, sorrow, confusion, loss, and hurt. He embraces us in our brokenness. He is not ashamed to be in a relationship with us even though everything is dark and polluted in our lives. He touches us where we are.

So even as you feel sad this holiday. Understand that God is with you in your sorrow and understands your sadness. He is embracing you with unconditional love and is fully committed to never leaving you. Live in that reality.

Merry Christmas

Sanity 101

2009-12-23T17:44:00.002-05:00

To say no to illusions is hard. Illusion often feel better than reality. But when one depends on an illusion to be real that is when the real pain comes. That is when we feel our worlds collapse.

For this reason one must have a commitment to the real world. To seek to know and accept what really exists and not the dreams that we would wish exist. We must have expectations based on what actually does exist.

Yet, we need to be careful to not limit reality. If we do we may never invent airplanes or computers. Sometimes our vision of what is real is far to small. There is greater potential in reality than some of us would ever dream.

So part of being sane is to open to all that is real and strive to discern what is from what is illusion. We must get rid of illusionarythinking and strive for realistic thinking. But we must in this process remember that reality has great God given potentials beyond what we would normally think. Therefore part of facing reality is to be creative and imaginative in our search for what actually exists.

Holiday happiness

2009-12-22T08:22:00.003-05:00

How to deal with the holiday blues

1. Recognize that they will be over very soon

2. Remember that the people wishing you "Happy Holidays" really do for the most part want you to know happiness during this season. You may not be able to be happy but to have people wishing you blessing is never bad.

3. Take time to look at the cup half full. Make a list of what you do have. Keep yourself from denying the good that is in your life.

4. Choose to do one act of kindness for someone regardless of how you feel.

5. Give yourself the right to grieve your losses in the security that God embraces you in His love which is found in Messiah Jesus.

Remember: blessed are all those who mourn for they will be comforted.

Holiday Blues

2009-12-13T10:42:00.002-05:00

How does one deal with the Holiday blues? To be depressed and disappointed when the rest of the world seems filled with joy and excitement is one of the most difficult experiences to have in our lives. Yet, every holiday there are tens of millions of people that find the holidays a difficult struggle and rejoice when they are over because they know that inwardly they are not filling happiness but instead sadness.

There are many reasons for the holiday blues. The holidays can force us to face the fact that we are in real financial trouble and cannot give the gifts we would like unless we want to add to our already over burdened credit card debt. For others this season is mixed with the loss of a loved one. Perhaps this Christmas will be the first one where that person is not around the table. Their loss is felt deeply and their contribution to the dynamics of the family is experienced. Sometimes the holidays force us to face the fact our family is split, divided, and alienated. We are alone not because of death but because of conflict. The New Year might just remind us that we enter it without any hope of our dreams being reached and the sense that our visions have died. We do not enter the new year with goals but with fear of losing what little we have left. All of these factors and many others can make the holidays a crisis of soul.

How do we fight the holiday blue? First to remember that the real message of the holidays is about God's undonditional love for us in the middle of our struggles. God did not come to seek the happy but the helpless in the Messiah Jesus. Therefore, if we are feeling hopeless and helpless we are the very ones for whom Messiah Jesus came. He said only the sick need Him. If we confess that our soul is sick then we are qualified to have Messiah Jesus give us some of His joy freely. Maybe we need to allow ourselves to really listen to the message of the Chirstmas carols. They are not about how life is great, they are about how God loves us in our difficult and struggling lives. How God has decided to forgive our failures and give us paridise as a gift paid for by the death of His Messiah Son Jesus. The Holidays are Holy Days because they remind us of good news intended for those who feel poor in spirit. Maybe those who are not confessing their spiritual poverty are really the ones out of touch with the spirit of the season. Maybe in our struggle and pain we are the ones most ready to hear the wonder of God's love and be touched by His grace.

Second, just decide to not be rushed or pressurred into doing more than your soul can take. Seek to have a meditative and quiet time. Seek fellowship with people who are safe. If you are emotionally fed by being alone then give yourself some thoughtful walks and take time to journal. If being around people helps you then most churches will be having events that allows you to have a spiritual family even if your physical family is not able to be with you.

Third this may be the time to find a counselor, coach, or spiritual director. Out of the ashes of the past you can decide to reframe and renew a search for answers. Out of the hope of the holidays you can decide to respond with new hope. If you need comfort for a loss, now is the time to begin a journey of healing and if despair had dominated your life, now is the time to seek hope. The holidays are a problem but they are also a potential.

I hope that you will feel the presence of the God who loves you more than your wildest dreams of God's love. Even if you are angry with God, He is loving you. God loves His enemies. He understands your pain better than anyone else. He understands you better than anyone else. He is inside your mind and heart. Your soul is naked before God. He embraces you in Christ. In that embrace is healing. Open your heart to that comforting embrace this holiday season.

What legacy will you leave?

2009-12-12T18:01:00.004-05:00

On the one hand life is very unpredictable. On the other hand we know the book ends well. We were born and we will die. When we die we cannot take with us the power, fame, or success we gained.

We know that before death we will have days of joy and days of sadness. We will have days of health and days of sickness. For some of us we may face daily physical pain. For others we will have to be the friends and family of those who suffer. Life is tough. No one is ever beyond having their world rocked. As I hear and pray for Tiger Wood who would have predicted that his world was so fragile. Yet,all of our worlds are fragile.

This week a good friend died. He was a man of faith in Christ and left a legacy of eternal hope to his friends and family. He was a man who shared with me his wisdom, his love, and his support. I have rarely seen a man of such consistent character. He was a real inspiration to me.

Several years back he suddenly was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This would cause a huge change in his life and abilities. A man who had hardly ever been sick was now handicapped. His life which had reflected such success on every level was now shaken. Yet, his faith remained firm. He had peace in his hard journey. That was also an inspiration to me.

It is important that we have realistic expectations about life. It will be hard. it is always fragile. For Christians who believe in the life to come this reality is balanced with a promise that eternity will be greater than our best expectations. Faith in the God of grace allows us to rest in the idea that all the pain has purpose and will end in eternity, replaced by perfect pleasure forever. What we can do is take time to look for and find the positive realities that are also in life and know that our responses to difficult circumstances is the only legacy that will really last. Like my friend, his faithfulness under struggles, has left me more than any other gift he could have given me.

What legacy will you leave?

Seeking a postive attitude in a painful world

2009-12-09T09:33:00.005-05:00

Everyone knows that positive thinking is better for us mentally, emotionally, and physically than being negative. There is real power in positive thinking. No one really doubts this.

The problem is how can one be positive when the facts of life seem so negative? How can one have a positive attitude when so many painful and disappointing events occur? Without losing touch with reality, how exactly can we keep a positive attitude?

To do this we must come to a deep conviction and insight about three ideas.

1. God has given meaning to our lives under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.

2. There is purpose in all pain. Not one moment of suffering is unnecessary to fulfill our God given meaning and destiny. There was no way for us to achieve our end without suffering. Life is like pregnancy, it is a painful process but the end result is worth the discomfort.

3. We have the responsibility to interpret life from the perspective of faith that seeks to comprehend God's meaning and purpose for our lives in every event.

To have a positive attitude is not to deny the pain of our lives. It is to seek the silver lining in the storm clouds. It is to look for the half of the glass that is full while not denying the half that is empty. It is believing that even our failures and mistakes are ultimately not powerful enough to keep us from reaching God's original plan for our lives. It is trusting in God's purpose and plan and seeking to accept it by faith.

We must believe that God exists and that God rewards those who seek for HIM.

So can we develop a positive attitude in a painful world without denying the reality of pain and suffering. But it depends on us viewing the pain and suffering in a different light.

Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The 100% Rule

2009-12-08T10:17:00.005-05:00

One of the first things we must work thru in our souls and minds is the idea that we are 100% responsible for our words, actions, and attitudes. We cannot blame what we say, what we do, or our general emotional health on our family, our spouse, our children, the government, our circumstances, or the culture. The one and only thing we have control over is ourselves.

Now we are not responsible for other people's words, actions, or attitudes. A friend of mine was deeply hurt by the rude actions and words of another. Part of that hurt was because they felt that they could have prevented the rudeness of this person if they had done better in some way. That if they had only done "better" they would be able to protected from people being rude to them. This is an illusion. No one is protected from the hurthful words, actions, and attitudes of others.

We also do not control circumstances of life. We cannot determine ahead of time that people will buy our product or respond to our sales pitch. We can plan for an emotionally bonding time with another person only to see our plan fail. Every goal must be held losely for they are never totally under our control.

However, what we do have control over is ourselves. We can decide to respond to the circumstances with either sane, stable, and spiritual words and actions or react in insane and unstable ways. Now a crazy reaction may be easier than a sane response. But we have the ability to choose between the two.

Now part of what we control is the story we tell about our circumstances. The story we tell ourselves helps us to determine what response seems reasonable to what we are experiencing. The following example is given by Viktor Frankl.

"Once, an elderly general practitioner consulted me because of his severe depression. He could not overcome the loss of his wife who had died two years before and whom he had loved above all else. Now how could I help him? What should I tell him? I refrained from telling him anything, but instead confronted him with a question, "What would have happened, Doctor, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?:" "Oh," he said, "for her this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!" Whereupon I replied, "You see, Doctor, such a suffering has been spared her, and it is you who have spared her this suffering; but now, you have to pay for it by surviving and mourning her." He said no word but shook my hand and calmly left the office." (^ Frankl, Viktor (1959). Man's Search for Meaning. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press. pp. 178-179. ISBN 0807014265)

We are not in control of when our loved ones will die. We are in control of how we will respond and interpret their death. We can decide to pray and seek to gain spiritual strength or we can decide to not pray in an act of self reliance or despair. These choices are not made by the circumstances but instead are made by us.

So while it can seem easier to blame all of our actions, words, and attitudes on others it really leaves us without any power. So while it is hard to have responsibility it is our primary freedom.

What is depression?

2009-12-05T08:21:00.004-05:00

The other day I was thinking about depression. As one who has struggled with depression and one who has helped people struggle with the feelings of depression, the issue is one of interest and concern for me. Depression is a serious problem.

Now there is biological depression and psychological depression. These two can interact and impact each other. There are times when we need to seek medical help to overcome biological depression. What I am focused on today is psychological depression. It can create and increase biological depression in some people. So to overcome psychological depression can be a great help.

As I was thinking about depression it came to me that it reflects a total lack of motivation. I was reading some articles on motivation and one of the key things that motivates us is the belief that our competence and character will matter in what we achieve in life. When people or cultures come to believe that their competence and character do not matter and that their destiny are governed by "chance" or "luck" then their motivation to have great competence or praise worthy character declines. Helpless people lack motivation and are depressed.

The depressed person feels that their character and competence will not save them. They feel destined to defeat in what matter to them. So why get out of bed? Why put in the energy? Where does one find energy when one feels that the effort is hopeless? Depression is for many people the logical emotion for the prophecy they have set over their lives. When we are depressed we say to ourselves " I will lose" and therefore our motivation to run the race of life comes to an end. We stop running. Why try?

It is interesting in a race and especially a marathon that most of the runners know early on that they will not be the first one across the finish line. If the only definition of success was to finish first then all but two or three of the runners could just stop running at about the second mile. In fact most of the runners know that the odds of them winning the race by being "number one" are slight if not zero. Then why do they run? They have defined "success" as the act of running and this gives them an internal reward when they do their best. These runners run not to be the first across the finish line or to have their names in the paper. These people run because they see the value of running.

I think that to defeat depression we need to have a personal awakening in which we change the rules we live by and see the value of the journey of life. We need to see that being a person who has maximized their personal competence and character has its own intrinsic value regardless of what it produces in outward change of our circumstances. To strive for this goal to be our personal best is an on going process day by day. Winning it to try.

It does in fact matter to God that we reflect the character of Christ Jesus. He just wants us to try to follow the Messiah. God the Father will forgive us our failures and strengthen our hearts. We really are actors before an audience of one. Due to God's great grace in dying for our sins in the death of Messiah Jesus we are not accepted and adopted by God the Father. We receive a standing ovation from the heavenly Father when we strive to walk the life of faith. Regardless of the circumstances or the criticisms of other people, our striving to maximize our competence and character to give glory to Messiah Jesus for dying for our sins is appreciated by God and gives the heavenly Father joy. We are winning when as we strive to live sane, stable, and spiritual lives.

So to overcome depression we have to find a new source of motivation. The story we have been telling ourselves in which we define ourselves as losers has to be silenced. We have to find a new life story. A story that makes sense of our struggles. I would recommend the story of God's love in Jesus the Messiah. This true story above all others can heal the soul and help us in our fight against depression.

Processing hurtful conversations

2009-10-22T08:01:00.003-04:00

We all have conversations with loved ones that leave us hurting. Sometimes it is very clear that we have been hurt because the conversation became very loud. At other times the hurt occur ed in the middle of a moment of emotional intimacy and the other person from our perspective threw in an emotional spear that pierced our souls. There are times when we know that the relationship has become fragile and we are walking on eggs, afraid we will break something, and feel like we did. In all of this normally our friend or family member is feeling the same dynamic. Lost to find a way to avoid getting hurt and feeling defensive enough to swing back at what they see as attacks from us. Add to this many times that our relationships have professional and organizational aspects and the complexity of relating become filled with fear, doubts, confusion, and if we are not careful; paranoia.

So when we have a conversation that hurts us what can we do?

1. Put the conversation in the context of the entire relationship. Are we justified in thinking the worst of this conversation or is this relationship really healthier than the conversation we just had? If a relationship is basically unhealthy then a painful conversation is to be expected and we should not be surprised. If a relationship is basically healthy then we should become overly negative and instead seek to interpret the words in the best light.

2. Can we without doing some additional harm to the relationship seek to express our pain to our friend and seek a resolution? Is there some way to make peace with our friend or family member? If not, then what keeps this from happening? This problem is really what has to be solved.

If we go to our friend it may help to write things out.

a. What actually was said that hurt me. Explain how you understood these words.
b. Explain what you felt in response to these words
c. Define how you would like to resolve the hurt of these words.

3. Seek God's comfort in prayer. God is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46). God loves us with an infinite love in Jesus the Messiah. While friends and family may at times abuse us and abandon us we are always secure in the love of our Lord (Romans 8:28-36). The Lord will comfort us and give us the strength to go forward if we seek help.

Being hurt in a conversation is a common thing. It is very easy for us to hurt one another with our words. It is important that we process such wounds since they can easily become areas of bitterness in our hearts and then lead to greater problems.

Hard to be human

2009-10-15T07:02:00.002-04:00

To be in human relationships is hard. People do not normally relate well. To have safe, secure, and satisfying relationships is something we all want but few of us find. People hurt each other much easier in human relationships than nurture each other. Even when we want to be intimate in friendships and families we find that injure the very peoploe we try to love.

There is no silver bullet that can solve all this. There is so many dynamics that impact a relationship. Every person brings their past and pain with them into the current situation. We do not come in as bland slates. We come in needing security and feeling that only by having power and control that we can be safe. Each person has also a 'narrative" or story that they have been telling themselves about the other people and about themselves. This "narrative" creates the emotions which then frames how we understand each other. Many times we are not reading from the same script. It is like actors from different plays suddenly being put on the same stage to perform. Then there are those darker sides of our hearts. The deep evil that can poison everything we do unless carefully governed and monitered.

In the end all I can do is try to be sane, stable, and spiritual within my own soul and life. I can strive to think clearly, logically, realistically, fairly, objectively, and with empathy. I need to have humility to be sane. I need to know I don't know everything and that what others think and feel has value. I need to be able to stay in this space of sanity on a reguler basis. Avoiding radical actions and denials we stay in a place of mental and emotional balance as a life style. A critical part of this is to develop a real spirituality in which I dwell in the presence of God in Christ where I can receive comfort, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom. As I begin more and more to be sane, stable, and spiritual; then I can offer this to the other people in my life. At least my part of the relationship is not unhealthy. That is really all the control I have.

Now part of the truth of this is that this will not keep me from being crucified by others. At times this happens. But other times I find myself in fellowship with others who also are seeking to grow in sanity, stability, and spirituality. Then we become family.

Not judging the heart

2009-10-12T15:36:00.002-04:00

1Ki 8:39 then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),
2Ch 6:30 then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
Mat 7:1-5 "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Act 1:24 And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
1Co 2:11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1Co 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Eph 4:29-32 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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Jas 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
1Pe 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

God alone knows the hearts of human beings. Because our hearts are deceitful our own self knowledge may be imperfect. Next to God, each of us has the greatest ability to know our own hearts and what motivates us in our words and actions. It is impossible however for anyone else to know what the thoughts and intentions of the heart of another person are unless they are self pronounced. When we judge the motives of people we take the place of God.
People are made in the image of God and therefore have dignity and deserve respect (1 Peter 2:17). Those in authority have been put in that position of authority by God and therefore deserve honor for being the one chosen by God to hold that position (Romans 13:1-5). We are to love other people even our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Part of loving another person is not to judge their motives but to give them the judgment of charity which is that we should believe the best motives for whatever they have done.
We live in a time when we do not know how to honor other people. We are not well trained in showing honor to authorities. We do not know how to disagree in an agreeable manner. We find it hard to season every word with grace, mercy, longsuffering, and patience. It is easy for our words to do great harm (James 3).
There is also the need of humility. We do need to judge ourselves and our own motives. We need to think more highly of others then we think of ourselves (Phil 2:3). We should be able to admit our own need to change and improve. We may even come to believe that others have something positive to teach us. It is possible that in the dialogue of ideas that we may actually grow if we do not assume we have all the answers before we begin.
We live in very polarized times. We see those who disagree with us as being “worthless” and “empty headed”, not recognizing that such judgments make us guilty of the sin of murder (Matthew 522). It is one thing to say we disagree with what a person says or does. We can and should judge an idea or action as wrong. But it is entirely different to curse one who is made is the image of God and fail to give them the respect and honor due them from God. When we do this we open up a dark door of vengeance and self righteousness which normally only leads to a growing escalation of abuse and eventually violence.
So let each of us each evaluate what we say and do in judging the motives of others. Let us strive to be peace makers in a world who has lost its taste for peace. Let us guard against gossip and speech which is cynical and belittling. Let us pray for those we disagree with and treat them with the respect that God has ordained we give to them. Then we will be salt and light in the world and a source of healing.

Principles of Sanity

2009-10-11T22:14:00.003-04:00

Sanity is the ability to know the difference between reality and illusion.

The struggle is that at times sanity is very painful. It confronts us with painful truths. Death, sickness, rejection, abandonment, and abuse. We fear that seeking reality will kill us. We believe to survive we need to lie to ourselves and deny the truth.

But the illusions begin to have a cost. They begin to create more pain. We also find ourselves lost in our illusions. At some point we do not know who we are.

So we must make sure we see all of reality. The glass half full as well as half empty. Then reality becomes a comfort as well as a challenge. We must come to be content with what really is true. This gives us the sanity we need.

Seek Justice

2009-10-08T08:46:00.001-04:00

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. 7 Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!
10 They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. 11 Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. 12 For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. 13 Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time. 14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15 Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Literal - This chapter is part of a “funeral Dirge” a song of lament for the nation of Israel (Amos 5:1-2). This is a strong statement because the nation has not actually “died “yet. This piece of “prophetic drama” was purposely done to awaken the nation to its serious spiritual plight even as it enjoyed political and economic prosperity.
Amos was a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, Jonah and Hosea. Under Jeroboam II (around 781 B.C.) the kingdom of Israel reached the zenith of its prosperity. The gap between rich and poor widened at this time and the rich were becoming richer by oppressing the poor, taking their land, and bribing the judicial system. Amos was called by God from his rural home in the Southern Kingdom to remind the rich and powerful of God's requirement for social and political justice (2:6-16). He claimed that religion that is not accompanied by right action is cursed by God (5:21ff.), and prophesied that the kingdom of Israel would be destroyed which occurred about sixty years after these prophecies were given (e.g. 5:1-2; 8:2).
Amos instead of saying “God bless Israel” actually said “God damn Israel unless she repent”. Perhaps Amos is called because Jonah has a hard time warning Israel of God’s condemnation due to her sins because of his love of Israel as a nation which leads to his desire to see her enemies destroyed even when God may have a redemptive plan.
This “funeral Dirge” was done at one of the centers of worship in Israel located at Bethel. It was the place where the king loved to worship and thank God for all the prosperity that had come upon the nations. It was where the state paid prophets would declare how God would prosper Israel and defeat her enemies. In the midst of this optimistic and positive environment comes Amos singing a song of death and mourning over a nation that has died, but simply does not know it yet.
Amos says that Israel must repent or die. They have turned “justice” into poison. Justice is to be the source of nourishment and life to a society. But here it has been turned into wormwood a bitter poison that only brings sickness and health. Righteousness has been knocked down and pushed out of the way. All of this has happened in the gate of the city where people where people were to go to find justice.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was very concerned in what happened "in the gate" because it was the primary public arena for finding fairness, compassion, and social order in accord with the principles, personality and history of Yahweh and Yahweh’s people. The book of Moses reminded Israel that God "takes no bribe," "executes justice for the orphan and the widow," and "loves the strangers." Israel was to be a reflection of God's justice in its own life and social relationships (Deuteronomy 10:17-18). Their failure to do this was now bringing God’s judgment upon them.
The key problem here is that the poor have not been given equal justice. Their rights have not been upheld in the public square. The rich have been able to win in court and avoid punishment for their crimes while the poor have not been given fair trials. The rich have been able to manipulate the system to keep the poor from keeping their land and the truly impoverished have not been cared for with compassion. God is condemning Israel for her lack of social and political justice. The eternal creator of the universe cares that we demonstrate love for our neighbor by the establishment of a just social system. Failure to do this will bring about the end of that society and divine judgment upon them.
For believers our concern must be to know and define the nature of social and political justice. God is for justice. We are to be for justice. What is justice? What does it mean to have a just society? What actions in a society are seen as unjust and a failure to love our neighbor? How can the poor be oppressed by the rich in our society? How could the poor be protected? These are critical concerns for God. They need to also be critical concerns for us.
Christological: One of our hopes to see Christ return is that with that return perfect justice will reign over all the earth. Jesus the Messiah will bring an end to all oppression and unjust rule. He will establish perfect fairness in the governing of the earth.
Moral: We should hunger and thirst after righteousness and social justice. It should be a deep desire and need in our lives to see this fulfilled in our lives and our community.
Eternal: Rev 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Prayer: Help me to hate evil and love good. Grant me a heart and mind that understands and desires justice for the weak, poor, and oppressed.
Contemplation: Seek justice and love righteousness
Action: List areas of injustice in our community. What could you do to help restore justice? What are you doing that encourages injustice? What would Amos say to us today? How should you and I change?

New Seminars For Personal Growth

2009-07-14T15:42:00.001-04:00

The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work

July 9th, 2009

ON TUESDAY - JULY 28 - AT 6:30 PM

Dr. Norman R. Wise, the director of Living Water Life Coaching and Counseling will be presenting the seven principles which make marriages work and practical advice in how to bring these principles into your marriage. Dr Wise will outline for couples the life principles that will make their marriage become restored and revived. This seminar is designed to give each couple a clear path to finding new and dynamic answers to the issues they face.

The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work Seminar will begin at 6:30 PM and end at 9:30 PM.

Call 954-452-4407 for more information and to register. The cost is $25 a person or $33 a couple. This could be the most important night you every invest in your making your marriage better!

New Anger Management Classes Beginning On July 14!

July 7th, 2009

Dr. Norman Wise will be teaching his course “Control Your Anger Before It Controls You!” on Tuesday Nights beginning on July 14th. If you know that your anger has been hurting your relationships and your life then now is the time to learn the tools needed to gain control and manage your anger effectively. This is a skill that can be learned and mastered by anyone regardless of thier background or biology. Call 954-452-4407 to register today.

Remember That The World Is Filled With Good Actions

2009-04-30T18:13:00.002-04:00

The modern media has a tendency to focus on the negatives of life. Because of this we sometimes feel over come with a feeling that our existence is only one of crisis and pain. This is not the whole story. The reality is that the world is filled with actions of love, compassion, caring, encouragement, mentorship, compaionship, sacrifical giving, and thankfulness. All of these positive moments are easily lost. As we lose these events we also have a tendency to lose hope. It is good for us to remember all the good and noble events that occur. We can also see in all of these wonderful moments evidence of God since the Spirit of the Divine is seen in every good deed.

What is your story?

2009-04-22T21:43:00.005-04:00

Every person tells themselves a story. This story comes from our real core beliefs and world view. This will be the large "philosophy" of our life. It may well be related to our religious faith and our deepest convictions. But as Jim Loehr points out in The Power of Story these life stories control our personal experience of our worlds.

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One of the unique things about human beings is that we tell stories. Put ten people around a camp fire and within minutes they will tell stories. Stories that are funny. Stories that are scary. Stories that are thoughtful. Stories of our life. We will gossip and philosophize. In these stories we share ourselves and our views. In these stories we find community and meaning. These narratives help us know how we should feel, react, and respond. They are the lens through which we interpret the world and ourselves.

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The circumstances of our life are mute. They do not tell us anything. We have a flat tire, lose a job, have a loved one die, or suffer great abuse from one we loved. These events do not tell us anything but we give meaning to these event by the stories we tell about them.

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For example, there was a man who was a minister who was being put into the gas chambers in WWII and just before he went in, he turned and said; "There is no God". This became his story about the gas chambers. Another man who ran an orphanage in the Warsaw Gettho had to deal with the horrible day when the Nazis came to take his orphaned Jewish children to the gas chambers. The Nazis said he could go. But he said no. He said "I must go with my children so that the will see that God does not abandon them". For this man the gas chambers was an opportunity to demonstrate the faithfulness of God even in times of great evil caused by evil men. They were the same gas chambers. They were mute. They did not tell a story. But different men told different stories and intrepreted them differently based on the narratives that really ruled their hearts.

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How can we figure out what our story is? We must listen to our undisciplined "self talk". That constant inner world of words that we speak to ourselves daily. That is our narration on our lives and on the world.

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Some of us will have formal, cultural, or religious stories that we may outwardly say our the story of our lives because it is expected of us to hold so particular group of values, but in reality in our inner core there is an entirely different story. This story we tell ourselves day by day and it is this story that rules our lives, our words, our actions, and our attitudes.

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We can also catch our story when we tell it in an unguarded way. Around that camp fire we tell our story. In an intimate conversation with a friend we express our tale. In the safe environment of a counselors office we spill our guts. Then we begin to tell about the events of our life interpreted by the script we have chosen and written to make sense of our life. Sometimes it is only when we tell our story that we know of what our story really consist.

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Out of our stories comes feelings of depression, hope, anxiety, confidence, anger or inner peace. These emotional states are not created by the mute events and circumstances of our life. They are created by the words we choose to interpret them and give them meaning.

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For Christian we should interpret the world through the light of the radical intervention of the creator God in the Jesus the Messiah. We should see in his incarnation, death, burial, and resurrection a foundation for hope in God's restoration of the world and healing of suffering and evil. In light of this story we should see the moments of our personal lives connected to and reflections of this large divine drama. Such an interpretation means that there is purpose in the pain and God has not abandoned us even when we suffer. (See Who Gets to Narrate the World?: Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals by Robert E. Webber for more details on this)

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So what is your story? Do you want to change it? Only when we change our stories can we change our moods. That part of our emotional state that is not dependent on our biology come out of the stories we use to interpret our lives. The good news is we can choose a different story that leads to a better mental and emotional state. Through directed "self talk" we can reinforce this new story and see over time a significant change in how we feel and how we live.

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So what do you think? Do you need a new story?

Thoughts about anger and peace

2009-02-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

Sources of Deep Anger

I hate who I am
I hate the family I was born into
I hate my body
I feel stupid
I have always been alone and no one understands me
I can trust no one
People have hurt me so bad that I will never recover from it
I have no luck but bad luck
My mistakes have so wounded my life that I have no hope of winning
No one loves me
I have been betrayed by everyone I trusted
Memories of my past drive me insane inside
My parents abandoned me
My parents abused me
I was sexually abused and raped
When I tell people I was hurt they do not believe me
People blame me for when they hurt me
I feel that I have no hope of happiness
I feel trapped in addiction with no way out
I have been treated unfairly my entire life

Notes

Outline of a peaceful life

1. Begin the day with a good night’s rest whenever possible
2. Start the day with prayer, positive self talk, and journaling
3. If possible exercise some and have a good breakfast
4. Look for the positive and good things of each day as you live it
5. If stress or conflicts arise look for ways to “pause” it and seek to communicate in a healthy way.
6. At lunch take one minute to pray and one minute to give yourself positive self talk
7. Look for positive and good things in the afternoon
8. If stress or conflicts arise look for ways to “pause” it and seek to communicate in a healthy way.
9. On your way home review the good things.
10. Before you get out or your car take a deep breath, pray, and give yourself positive self talk. Be prepared to help and meet the needs of your family\
11. Before you go to sleep try to find about 30 minutes to relax and do something nice for yourself
12. End the day with prayer, positive self talk, and journaling

Help for a proud person

2009-02-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

The Reading

NLT Psalm 30:1 A psalm of David, sung at the dedication of the Temple. I will praise you, LORD, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health. 3 You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. 4 Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. 5 His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 When I was prosperous I said, "Nothing can stop me now!" 7 Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. 8 I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, 9 "What will you gain if I die, if I sink down into the grave? Can my dust praise you from the grave? Can it tell the world of your faithfulness? 10 Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD." 11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!

In this psalm we find a simple pattern. The psalmist is in trouble, he prayed about it, and got a dramatic answer from God that saved him from his trouble, and now he is dedicated to praise and worship of God. This type of psalm can be found in several psalms such as 18, 34,,40,50,66,116, and 130. This psalm is very personal. It apparently is a psalm of David that was sung after his death at the dedication of the Temple under Solomon.

We find here a parallel structure that is the characteristic of Hebrew poetry. This type of poetic structure is called chiasm. Chiasm is a literary structure used in the Torah, the Bible, as well as in other works. Concepts or ideas are placed in a special symmetric order or pattern to emphasize them.

Vs. 1. I will praise you, LORD, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me

Vs. 11 & 12 11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!

This psalm is one of thanksgiving and praise. The reason for that there was a time of loss and mourning only which God amazingly turned into a time of blessing and joy. It would be what we would feel if suddenly we found the stock market at 40,000 and our income doubled. It would be as if the war in Iraq was over and all terrorists had laid down their weapons. Or perhaps if every person in our family that was sick was suddenly made physically whole and also all our lost relatives trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We would have reason to be thankful. We all have enemies. Either people or events can be opposed to our plans, hopes, and dreams. Imagine how you would feel if all your “enemies” were defeated and you had total victory over everything that was not as you desired in your life. Would that give you joy?

We see the parallel structure also work out as we compare vs. 2 with vs. 10.

. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health.

10 Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD."

Here we find the simple, direct, and passionate prayer that brought about this great deliverance. It was a “cry for help”. The Hebrew suggests it was loud “shout” to the heavens for help. There was no incantation or magic here. This prayer was simply a desperate man of faith in desperate need.

The comparison of thought continues in verses 3 &9

. 3 You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death8 4 Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name.

8 I cried out to you, O LORD. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,, 9 "What will you gain if I die, if I sink down into the grave? Can my dust praise you from the grave? Can it tell the world of your faithfulness?

The Old Testament people of God had less revelation about the after life than we have in the New Testament. The term “grave” here is SHEOL in which it appears that the person who died was in a shadowy existence in the inner parts of the earth. It appears the psalmist may have feared that he was lost and would be cut of from God forever. In SHEOL the psalmist would be cut off from God and unable to praise God for his faithfulness. What profit did God gain from having the psalmist die in sin and defeat? Compare this with Psalm 23 in which an afterlife of great joy is envisioned.

Here the psalmist is recalling his prayer for deliverance and how it came about. It reflects the fear of being lost and the joy of being saved.

The structured comparison of thought continues in verses 5 and 7.

5 His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning

7 Your favor, O LORD, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered

These verses point out how fragile we are. Today we have the favor of God in what we do. We become proud and look at our success as coming from our own hands. God who gave us success can remove it in a moment. Our lives can be shattered because we stand by grace alone. Yet, when we humble ourselves in prayer the LORD is able to bring back our joy as quickly as it was taken away.

In the movie “God of War” which portrays the beginning of the civil war they have Stone Wall Jackson who had been victorious and unstoppable be humbled at the death of a little girl with whom he had made friends. Despite the best efforts of his personal surgeons the young girl died. As he reflects on her death he says “Everything is so fragile”. This is the insight that the psalmist is sharing as well.

The focal point and center of this psalm is verse 6.

6. When I was prosperous I said, "Nothing can stop me now!"

Here was the fault of the psalmist. The LORD’s favor had made him wildly successful. He seemed to be an unstoppable force. In the midst of his success he lost his daily humble dependence on the LORD and felt that he had things under control. The LORD resists the proud and helps the humble. We are all fragile, only dust, and need the breathe of God upon us to give us life and fruitfulness. Without the LORD we can do nothing.

What do we do when we cry out to the LORD in our defeat and desperation and the LORD does not deliver us or our loved ones from destruction and defeat? Can we trust the LORD in the dark of defeat, disease, and death? Can we wait for the victory of eternity to give us joy? This is yet another dimension of faith that has to be faced.

Christological - NLT Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

Moral - Never take success as something you are “due” or have “earned” it is by grace alone. It was given by grace and will only be maintained by grace. Run from pride and turn to the LORD in humble and needy faith.

Eternal - The promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ has allowed us who believe to never have to fear being cut off from God in SHEOL. Praise be the LORD.

Prayer - LORD HELP!

Contemplation - I resist the proud; but give grace to the humble.

Action: Pray for help and pray to be humble. Look inward to see if you have pride.

How to express your anger in a healthy way

2009-01-17T07:52:00.002-05:00

The Process of Healthy Expression of Anger by Dr. Norman R. Wise[1]

Goal: Learning to Express My Anger in a Mature Adult Manner & how to handle other people when they express their anger in an immature manner.

FOUNDATION: I want to use my anger in a mature and healthy way and do not want to abuse or be abused by anyone else. I value being healthy more than I value winning in the short term.

Step One: Know Your Anger & Keep Your Cool

1. Catch yourself at the early stages of Anger – BUILD AN INTERNAL RADAR.

If your anger would rate on a scale from 1-3 you’re irritated and need to take a pause to gain focus and control. THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO CONTROL AND GUIDE YOUR ANGER.

If your anger would rate on a scale from 4-6 you’re mad and in danger of thinking illogically and acting impulsively. STOP! GET TO A REST ROOM – WALK OUTSIDE – DO NOT CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION OR INTERACTION. BAD THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WORST.

If your anger would rate on a scale from 7 to 10 it means you are in a rage. There is great danger that you will hurt yourself or others physically, verbally, emotionally, sexually, or religiously. STOP! STOP! STOP! – CALL YOUR SPONSER- DRIVE TO A CHURCH AND PRAY-GO TO A STARBUCKS- GET OUT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND END WHATEVER IS MOTIVATING YOU TO CHOOSE TO GET ANGRY. STOP! STOP! STOP!

II. Keep yourself from reacting immediately in anger and give yourself time to think and relax. Few situations require immediate and thoughtless action or words. Slow down your reaction time. Spontaneous expression of anger is normally destructive and abusive.

III. Analyze your anger – Perhaps keep an anger journal to use to process your anger

Who or what has made you angry? What are my triggers?
Is this an issue over which you want to lose your cool and need to lose your cool for the good of everyone?
What is behind the anger? Is it frustration, fear, confusion, or a sense of needing to right an injustice
Is the intensity of your anger consistent with the cause of your anger? Are you angrier than the circumstances are justifying? What could be the reason for this?

IV. Give yourself three options and consider the short term and long term consequences of each.

Options
Short Term
Long Term
Let it pass – Love covers a multitude of sins – Not worth the energy and time. In prayer give it over to God to make right.

Respond with a forceful, elevated, but controlled anger
- The aim here is to stop abuse for everyone and gain a space where better solutions can be found.

Walk away to pause, process, and plan a response. Organize a safe and secure way to communicate your pain and the reason you were angry with the person who triggered it. In prayer ask for wisdom on how to express your hurt. Seek wise counsel if the issue is very difficult and complex.

V. Now respond in what you have considered to be the long term good of you and the other person. Respond as a reasonable, mature, and controlled adult. Be your most mature self in this situation.

VI. Remember that you acting as a mature adult does not control the other person. Each person is 100% responsible for how they speak and act. You may properly respond to this hurtful situation and the other person may continue to act in an abusive manner and even attack you for being healthy and mature. Do not allow the other person to tempt you to relapse into an abusive expression of anger. You win to the degree you act in a sane, stable, and spiritual manner regardless of how the other person reacts.

VII. Reward yourself for acting as a mature adult and expressing your anger in a healthy manner.

[1] This material is copyrighted and can only be used with the permission of the author. All rights are reserved.

How to express your anger in a healthy way

2009-01-17T07:52:00.001-05:00

New Classes Starting

2008-10-26T08:43:00.002-04:00

Call 954-452-4407 Today! We have many new classes beginning right now. Also ask about our January classes. Now is a good time to change directions and gain the skills needed to win at life!

Family Life Skills Phase II

2008-10-24T08:10:00.004-04:00

We are now offerring for graduates of Family Life Skills the "Phase II" class. This will be taught by Dr. Norman R. Wise. Each class will set its own priorities and agenda so that the individuals will gain the most in their desire to master the skills they were taught in Family Life Skills (Phase I). Call Janet at 954-452-4407 to get more details.

Winning At Life Class Begins January 4th 2009

2008-10-24T08:02:00.003-04:00

Based on thirty years of thinking, processing, living, recovering, praying, and study the “Winning At Life” class has been designed to help you develop a sane, stable, and spiritual lifestyle. The format of this program will be short 15 minute “Sanity Checks” which will be followed by a dialogue and process by which each participant can take that moment of clarity and work it into their lives. The aim is true life transformation and not just information. The class will can have men and women in it but will be limited to 15. Call 954-452-4407 for to sign up.

Family Life Skill Classes Begin!

2008-09-19T08:17:00.001-04:00

We are beginning both men and women Family Life Skill classes! Call 954-452-4407 to get information and register for these exciting and life changing groups that have positively impacted thousands of individuals and homes in the South Florida area! Now is the time to join the 30 week adventure in starting a new and wonderful chapter to your life and family. Call today! 954-452-4407

Family Life Skill Classes Begin!

2008-09-19T08:10:00.003-04:00

Living Water Celebration Banquet

2008-09-17T06:19:00.002-04:00

Friday, - October 3rd - 6:30 PM

Living Water Banquet and Vision Celebration

Come and join us for dinner and a silent auction. We will review what God has done in this past year and where we hope to see Him take our ministry in the next year. We should have the first showing of our infomation spot which will air on public television. Call Janet at 954-452-4407 to reserve your seat, sponser a table, or make a pledge.

During this time we ask people to remember us in their giving. We need to raise $50,000 to keep Living Water operating at its current levels. Please pray for us to reach this goal. Also please send us your financial support as you are able since we are in desperate need right now of special gifts and help.

Thank you for your prayers and concers for our ministry.

Life of Love

2008-09-12T06:48:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Friday, September 12, 2008

Reading:

NLT Romans 13:8 Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law. 9 For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting-- and any other commandment-- are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements.

11 Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. 13 We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. 14 But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.

Meditation

Literal: Paul is outlining two main motivations for living a godly life. The first is the best. That is love. We love in response to God’s love. The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God in our hearts by speaking to us of the work and person of Jesus Christ. As we see Him and His sacrifice for our sins then we love Him in light of how much He has loved us. The more we recognize the magnitude of our own forgiveness the more we love and the more we love the more we consistently keep the commandments of God. As we become love incarnate like Jesus we do no wrong to anyone.

The second motivation for living a godly life is that either Jesus is coming to us soon or we are going to Jesus soon. We live in the light that the second coming could come any day or we could die any day. Every day takes us closer to our ultimate encounter with God. We are only a breath away from judgment day. It is appointed for every person to die and then comes the judgment. We should be concerned about the people who might be brought in as witnesses of our behavior on judgment day and therefore live consistently before all people. Every decision we make we should make in the light of explaining it on the Day of Judgment. While our justification on that day relies totally on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, our ability to give God glory and be rewarded for eternity depends on being able to give a good report before the judge on that day. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and Paul calls us not to take judgment day lightly. Our goal should be to be controlled by the Spirit of Jesus the righteous one and not the spirit of sinful Adam.

Christological: Our love for God depends on our understanding of how great our salvation is in Jesus Christ. Paul has spent eleven chapters pointing to the grace of God found in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection before he calls upon us to love. Those who know they have been given abundant grace and huge forgiveness will love Jesus freely and spontaneously. Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king. We are accountable to Him. We must give a report of our life to Him. If we value that relationship then we will strive to please Him in all we do.

Moral: Augustine said: “Love God and live as you please”. He could have added that if you love God you will live as God pleases.

Eternal: Standing before the judgment seat of Christ should rule every attitude, thought, word, and deed that we produce during this life. Only those who are heavenly minded are any earthly good.
“It may be that the day of judgment will dawn tomorrow; in that case we will gladly stop working toward a better future. But not before.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prayer: Holy Spirit show me Jesus more and more today. In the light of His love make fill me with love. Amen.

Contemplation: Prepare yourself!

Action: Let me find ways to help the victims in Haiti due to the hurricane and attempt to show the love of Christ in all my actions this day.

Take joy in the Lord's acceptance of you!

2008-09-10T05:26:00.001-04:00

Devotions

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Reading

NLT Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. 2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. 3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the faithful rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. 6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands-- 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, 9 to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glory of his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!

Meditation:

Literal: Outline

Vs. 1 – Command to vocalize the wonder of the Lord’s great character and deeds in the assembly of those with faith.

Vs. 2. – Command for the people of God to rejoice in their redemptive creator and Sovereign ruler

Vs. 3. – Command to vocalize with passion about the LORD’s authority and character with celebration, dancing, tambourine, and lyre (which was not a “harp” as we think about it but a hand held musical instrument).

Vs. 4 – The reason for this praise is that the LORD delights ( hc'r' ratsah (953a) Meaning: to be pleased with, accept favorably) His people. He glorifies, exults, and gives them beauty for they are weak and afflicted. He gives to them “salvation” which is the word h['Wvy> (yeshuah)
The name Yehoshua has the form of a compound of "Yeho-" and "shua": Yeho- יְהוֹ is another form of יָהוּ Yahu, a theophoric element standing for the personal name of God YHWH, and שׁוּעַ shua is a noun meaning "a cry for help", "a saving cry", that is, a shout given when in need of rescue. Together the name would then literally mean, "'God' is a saving-cry," that is, shout to God when in need of help.
Vs. 5 – In light of being so highly honored and favored by the LORD those with faith are to be full of joy at all times, even when they lay down after a long day of work.

Vs. 6 - The psalm at this point turns from worship to war. They are to be praising the LORD for their salvation and ready to fight His battles.
Vs. 7 - The purpose of this war is to bring God’s judgment against those nations who have rebelled and sinned against the LORD. Israel at times was used to literally be engaged in holy wars in the Old Testament and this was seen as part of the duty that God required.
Vs. 8 – The purpose of the war is to bring heathen kings into captivity and under the rule of the LORD.
Vs. 9. – The glory of the people of faith is that God will use them to bring judgment upon the rulers of an apostate world.
The first five verses of this Psalm focus on the need and reason for God’s people to be filled with praise and wonder in the LORD. The fifth verse is the center of the psalm and the main point. We are to be filled with JOY for the LORD has taken pleasure in us and given us the gift of salvation.
The hard part of the psalm is found in vs. 6-9 for the focus there is upon God’s judgment on those who are outside of grace and a call for His people to join Him in His judgment of the nations. In the New Testament we know that our battle is not with flesh and blood and that the kingdom of God is not now to be established with literal swords. Instead our warfare is now spiritual.

ESV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Christological – It is interesting to not that when this psalm says that the LORD gives them salvation it is a word related to the Hebrew name for Jesus – Yeshua. God gives His people Jesus because He favors them and wants to exalt them out of sin and the rebellious world.
Moral: We have a duty to be passionate in our worship. The LORD deserves our very best praise. Our faith should lead us to positive emotions of joy and faithful loyalty to God in the midst of a rebellious world.
Eternal: The Kingdom of Heaven will be full of joy, thankfulness, praise, and passionate worship. The worship we have on earth is just a shadow of an eternity we will spend soaked in the pleasure, favor, acceptance, and embrace of our LORD.
Prayer: Lord, when I face the difficulties of my life, the disappointments of my failures, and the hardship of my circumstances, let me not lose my joy in my salvation.
Contemplation: Rejoice and again I say rejoice
Action: Take time to remember that God is for me today because He has sent Jesus to me to save me. Remember my salvation and take joy in it.

Remember God's Love

2008-09-07T07:02:00.000-04:00

Devotion

Reading

NLT Exodus 12:1 Now the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron while they were still in the land of Egypt: 2 "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice. 4 If a family is too small to eat an entire lamb, let them share the lamb with another family in the neighborhood. Whether or not they share in this way depends on the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 This animal must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no physical defects. 6 "Take special care of these lambs until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then each family in the community must slaughter its lamb. 7 They are to take some of the lamb's blood and smear it on the top and sides of the doorframe of the house where the lamb will be eaten. 8 That evening everyone must eat roast lamb with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. 9 The meat must never be eaten raw or boiled; roast it all, including the head, legs, and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next day. Whatever is not eaten that night must be burned before morning. 11 "Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD's Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! 13 The blood you have smeared on your doorposts will serve as a sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 "You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD.

Meditation

Literal

The Passover was the key miracle and event that would free Israel from slavery in Egypt and release them to become the nation of God under the direct rule of God. God wanted His people to recognize the great significance of this event. He altered their calendars and said that they must now make this the beginning of everything. The Jews were most likely living under an Egyptian Calendar at the time which would have made their new year normally begin in July. God’s command here moves their New Year to March/April and it is done that they might recognize that this redemptive event is central to their birth as a nation.

God has been showing that He is sovereign over Egypt and their “gods”. In this battle over “who owns Israel” Yahweh has demonstrated that He has the power to humble Egypt and bring His people to Himself. Now in this final plague upon Egypt God is telling His people something very profound. Every household is under the sentence of death. Only the blood of the covenant can keep anyone alive. Here is the reality. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. All deserve death. Only a God ordained sacrifice can cause this judgment to “Passover” a person and leave them alive.

Our 21st century reaction to this is how unfair it seems. We see most people as innocent. We see no reason for God to condemn us to death. Surely, we are not so sinful as to deserve devastation and tragedy. Weren’t the Egyptians doing the best they could? Why is God so angry with them? These perspectives are due to our lack of taking sin and rebellion against God seriously. The idolatry of Egypt seems primitive to us but not necessary evil. Yet, in the eyes of God it is an abomination and worthy of plagues. The passage challenges us to have a greater love for holiness and of the serious nature of sin.

Here we find a call for Israel to remember. They exist only because the blood has been shed. Death passed over them because of the blood of the lamb. They were a nation born out of the blood of God’s chosen sacrifice. This remains true for the people of God today.

Chrstocentic: ESV 1 Corinthians 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

The Church is to see the fulfillment of Passover in the Lord Jesus Christ. All the Passover lambs of all the centuries were really only shadows of Jesus. His blood is the real ordained sacrifice the causes the just condemnation of God to pass over our heads and leave us safe. He is our one hope of life, deliverance, and salvation.

Moral: In light of Christ being our Passover we must be ready to leave our “Egypt”, which is that pagan culture in which we were born with all of its idols. We must be ready to walk with Jesus and leave the unbelieving world system in the same way that the Jews had to be ready to leave with God to worship in the wilderness. We must say no to our culture of origin and yes to God’s kingdom culture ruled by Jesus Christ.

Eternal: We will worship the Passover Lamb on the throne. In heaven we will always be filled with joy that God’s just wrath has not touched us because of the blood of the lamb. This will be the center of heavenly worship forever and ever.

Prayer: Lord, help me remember your sacrifice for my sins and help me see the magnitude of my forgiveness.

Contemplation: Remember my Sacrifice!

Action: Identify a attitude, habit, belief, practice, or activity that reflects part of American pagan culture that is still part of my life. Then purge this out in honor of Christ being my Passover.

The importance of sacrifice

2008-09-06T06:17:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Reading: NLT Matthew 16:21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he told them what would happen to him there. He would suffer at the hands of the leaders and the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and he would be raised on the third day. 22 But Peter took him aside and corrected him. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!" 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's." 24 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. 26 And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds.

Meditation:

Literal: The Holy Spirit has just revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God. Jesus has assured the disciples that the Messianic community that he called “the Church” would be victorious in smashing the gates of hell and that they had true spiritual authority to bind or loose on earth.

Then in the midst of this optimistic and upbeat message, Jesus puts forward a dark cloud. He will go to Jerusalem and be killed. He adds that he will be raised on the third day but this seems to not be heard by Peter or the others. They get emotionally stuck on the fact that Jesus just said that he would be killed which seems to wipe out all the optimistic dreams which had just be spoken.

Peter, then takes Jesus aside privately to correct his theology. “Lord, you are the Messiah, the Messiah cannot die!” Jesus strongly rebukes Peter for this. He calls him an adversary or “Satan” since at this point he is speaking merely from the perspective of a friend and human wisdom, not inspired by the Holy Spirit. Jesus knows that suffering is part of the price of establishing God’s kingdom. Suffering is part of God’s plan.

Jesus then warns the disciples to understand that even though the gates of hell will not stand against them, this does not mean they will not suffer. No instead they must understand that their victory will come through suffering, sacrifice, and pain. Only where people are willing to suffer for the sake of God’s kingdom will the will of God be done on the earth as in heaven. The defeat of hell depends upon the sacrifice of heaven. Only by dying to earthly perspectives, pleasures, and purposes can the disciple become a source of life.

Jesus stresses that the eternal must be valued more than the temporal. The soul must be seen of greater value than the body. While His sacrifice for our sins alone the basis of our acceptance by God we must never believe that “faith” does not include turning away form immoral pleasures and purposes. To believe means to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus. We must never think to use grace and promise as an excuse for not striving to follow. Jesus will judge everything one day and He will not be mocked by people who try to “spiritually con” their way into heaven. The sincerity and reality of our faith will be tested on that day. It is therefore important that we have a faith that accepts sacrifice.

Christocentric: Jesus is Lord. He will be the final judge. He is 100% God and 100% man. His evaluation of our lives is all that matters. He will be the one that ultimately determines our eternal fate and evaluates the validity of our faith. This one person is the most important person in the entire universe. All authority and power rests in Him.

Moral: Jesus urges us to deny ourselves the comfort of false beliefs, immoral passions and uncontrolled appetites by abstinence and the acceptance of pain or discomfort from persecution and loss of ungodly pleasures as necessary elements of our discipleship.

Eternal: Every decision we make should be one that we will be proud of on the Day of Judgment when Jesus examines all our deeds. Judge everything in light of judgment day.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me have the grace and strength to take up my cross today and follow you.

Contemplation: Follow me!

Action: Let me look for ways to die to worldly perspectives and pleasures today. Help me seek the “my cross” where my will has to die in order to do the will of God. Lord, give me the grace to take up my cross today!

Love is the answer

2008-09-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Reading

NLT Romans 12:9 Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. 13 When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night. 14 If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. 19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord. 20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you." 21 Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Meditation

Paul here defines what a life of genuine love would be like. He compares and contrasts the actions and attitudes that would reflect a sincere love. This love comes from a sincere faith that Jesus has died for our sins, was buried, and now is raised to glory to seal our forgiveness and redemption. Faith and hope in the true gospel creates love for God and others in our hearts.

Paul calls on to have an inward reality where we are sincere in our love and not pretending to be nice. He wants us to really hate what is evil and be passionate for taking the side of good. He wants our love to be an emotional experience and an intellectual value. We are to be enthusiastic in our lives. We are to actually feel delight in lifting others up and speaking well of them. We are to have gladness for God’s plans for our lives regardless of our circumstances as we patiently wait and pray in the midst of trouble. We are to be able to rejoice in when others are happy and weep when they are sad. Our hearts are open to have real and healthy empathy with what others are feeling. We are to be humble and aware of our ignorance. We are to guard our hearts from the attitude of revenge and vengeance which come from unresolved anger. We are to nurture a attitude of seeking and desiring peace and harmony in all our relationships as we seek to love our enemies.

This inward reality which is a fruit of faith in the gospel is to have practical application to specific activities. We are to be hard workers in whatever we do. We are to be ready to meet the needs of others with practical help to meet those needs. Our homes are to be open to having guests and we need to be ready to share our table with others. We are not to act better than others and put on airs of importance. We are to take actions that will lead to peace and harmony instead of conflict. Our actions are to be above reproach and we are not to do evil for good reasons. We are to give to our enemies what they need and to have a strategy of defeating evil by overwhelming it with acts of kindness and mercy.

Our modern world often asks what relevance faith has to modern life. Here we see that if every Christian sought to live this type of life on a daily basis that no one would ask that question. Paul has outlined a dynamic lifestyle of faith which would be powerful in its impact in the world. May God give us the faith to live such a life.

Christocentric: This life Paul has outlines is really a blue print of what it means to be like Jesus. Jesus was the one who was the incarnation of sincere love. While hating evil he loved His enemies. He was the ultimate peace maker and conquered ultimate evil by doing the ultimate good on the cross. This passage not only tells us what we should be like it tells us what Jesus is like.

Moral: Love is the ultimate moral demand. We are to love God sincerely with all our hearts and love others without hypocrisy. Love produces a moral life. Immorality at its core is a failure to love God or others as we ought to love them. The greatest moral responsibility we have is to love.

Eternal: Heave will be where we feel and experience only love. We will love God and God will love us. We will love everyone and everyone will love us. The true joy of heaven is that we will be swimming in love, acceptance, harmony, and peace.

Prayer: Lord pour out your love into my heart by having the Holy Spirit increase my faith in the gospel. Lord let my faith grow that my love might grow. Give me the gift of a loving heart.

Contemplation: I am love

Action: Let me seek an opportunity to take positive and practical action which reflects Christ like love today. Let me overcome evil today by an act of sacrificial love in my daily life. Lord give me an opportunity to show your love today in a concrete and real way.

Beware Bad Company

2008-09-04T06:43:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Reading

NLT Psalm 26:1 A psalm of David. Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. 2 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. 3 For I am constantly aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. 4 I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites. 5 I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O LORD, 7 singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your miracles. 8 I love your sanctuary, LORD, the place where your glory shines.

Meditation

Literal: Here we have the Psalmist declaring that he has had sincere faith in the LORD without wavering from his reliance on God’s promises. This is what he means by being “innocent”. He is innocent of lacking trust or losing faith in God’s promises of redemption through the Messiah. Now part of all sincere faith would be the confession of sins and dependence on the blood which was shed on the altar for sin.

He is so sure of his unwavering faith that he asks the LORD to put him on trial and cross examine his inner motivations and passions. He believes that he is pure of heart. He has no doubt in his sincerity.

The focus of the psalmist faith is the faithful covenant love of the LORD which is promised to all who live by faith in God’s revelation given to the people of Israel. The content of faith is defined by the scriptures. The psalmist declares he trust in the revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as given through Moses. Faith must always have content.

The psalmist knows that “bad company ruins good morals” and therefore has avoided people who are not sincere in their faith and live by a double standard. He does not make his best friends those who speak about God but whose hearts are far from the LORD. When people get together to plan to get into trouble, the psalmist is sure, to avoid such social gatherings. He does not become part of “the crowd” but keeps himself out of compromising circumstances.

Instead of this the psalmist seeks out those who gather to worship. He ceremonially washes his hands to demonstrate his desire to be pure and focuses on the altar where blood sacrifice is made to pay for sins. He sings praises to the LORD and reminds himself of God’s grand narrative by declaring the mighty and wonderful deeds of the Lord in history to redeem His people. The psalmist knows that only by drawing near to God and seeking a vision of His awesome character, love, and faithful redemption can he avoid becoming part of the rebellious world system.

Christocentric: The one person who would be truly innocent was Jesus. His faithfulness was 100% and while coming to be a friend of sinners never allowed this friendship to lead him away from God. He is the one totally righteous son of David and King of Israel. He is the only one if put on trail would really pass the test of God’s holy judgment. It is because of this total purity that He could die for our sins and pay the price of our transgressions.

Moral: Do not love the world system based on unbelief and rebellion but seek the scriptures and the fellowship of those who sincerely worship God that you might believe and remain faithful.

Eternal: One day we will spend forever free from the presence of evil and face to face with God’s wonderful and awesome glory. We will be filled with a Spirit of worship, praise, and thanksgiving. Then our eyes will see all the wonders that God has performed and we willed be overwhelmed with admiration for the LORD.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to your glory and the wonder of all your works. Give to me a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Teach me to worship you in spirit and truth.

Contemplation: Guard you heart against the influence of the ungodly culture

Action: What relationships draw me away from my love for God? What relationships draw me closer to the LORD? Who encourages me to be less godly? Who encourages me to be godlier? How can I seek the LORD today?

Don't let the fear of people keep you from doing right!

2008-09-03T06:37:00.001-04:00

Devotions

Reading

NLT Jeremiah 15:15 Then I said, "LORD, you know I am suffering for your sake. Punish my persecutors! Don't let them kill me! Be merciful to me and give them what they deserve! 16 Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. 17 I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I burst with indignation at their sins. 18 Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook. It is like a spring that has gone dry." 19 The LORD replied, "If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you! 20 They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall. They will not conquer you, for I will protect and deliver you. I, the LORD, have spoken! 21 Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands."

Meditation

Literal:

We have more psychological insight into Jeremiah than any biblical character outside of Job or Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. Jeremiah will suffer abuse. He will be abandoned and rejected by everyone. He will be verbally, emotionally, and physically abused for answering God’s call to be a prophet and give an unpopular message. He will have to say “Israel will lose” to be faithful to God. His great love for His nation and people will be questioned because he dares question their national morality and piety. In the midst of this abuse, it does not seem to him that God is protecting him by brining his worst persecutors to judgment.

Jeremiah loved God’s word and this was his strength. He hated sin and this was his grief. His hatred of sin led to isolation from the “parties” of his time which were prone to abuse of alcohol and sex as “parties” in all generations are prone. He also felt that the people were ignoring the real crisis they were in. He alone was mourning over the nation’s fall into idolatry and immorality. His heart was broken. How could they not all be weeping? In the midst of this Jeremiah is feeling God’s presence and help is distant. He is the servant of the LORD, yet he feels abandoned even by God.

The LORD speaks to him in this time of intense prayer and struggle. He tells him that he need to turn back to receive the LORD’s embrace. It is not God who has moved but him. The LORD encourages him to keep faithful to the words he has been given to speak. Do not abandon his divine mission. He will be attacked but God will be a fortress to him. His life will be preserved. Jeremiah must simply hold on and not give in to the fear of what others might do to him.

This passage points out that the righteous do suffer for doing righteousness. Living a life of faith does not automatically lead to health, wealth, and prosperity. We will lose our popularity and social standing at times if we remain faithful to God. We will feel at times that the presence of the Lord is far from us. Yet, the reality is that He is our fortress and strength. His word provides guidance, challenge, and comfort. Like Jeremiah we must remain faithful even when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.

Christological: Jeremiah is a shadow of Christ. He is the suffering servant. He is rejected by the nation he has come to save. He will suffer great psychological pain even as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. It is thought that Jeremiah was martyred by being cut in two and Christ died for our sins in order to fulfill the redemptive will of God. Here in this man of sorrow we can see our Savior as he weeps over Jerusalem who is addicted to her sins.

Moral: Never abandon doing God’s will due to social pressure or persecution. Do not allow depression to keep you from being faithful.

Eternal: In the fully manifested kingdom of heaven all the wicked and cruel plans of sinful people to hurt us will be forever stopped. We will be in total safety and joy. Our fortress from harm for all eternity will be the eternal LORD himself! We will have 100% security forever. We will not be condemned by God or humanity. Instead we will live in an environment of praise, worship, and acceptance forever and forever. Amen.

Prayer: Lord keep me from being unfaithful due to the fear of other people or failure. Give me a stronger faith and an enduring spirit.

Contemplation: I am with you always

Action; Where do I need to speak boldly God’s word into my world today?

Exodus 3:1-15 - God working in unexpected ways

2008-09-01T07:33:00.001-04:00

Devotions

Reading

NLT Exodus 3:1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. 3 "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." 4 When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey-- the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. 9 The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11 "But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?" Moses asked God. "How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 Then God told him, "I will be with you. And this will serve as proof that I have sent you: When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain." 13 But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they won't believe me. They will ask, 'Which god are you talking about? What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" 14 God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " 15 God also said, "Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations.

Meditation

Literal

Moses was about 80 years old when God encountered him in the burning bush. Up to this time Moses has had a life that had no real miracles and a lot of lost dreams. Saved by his mother, sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter he had become a prince of Egypt. He believed at the age of 40 that he would lead his people into a revolt against Egypt but they rejected his leadership and he ran into the desert to avoid being convicted of murder. He became the son-in-law of a Jethro, a priest of Midian, and had lived as a part of that shepherding community for 40 years feeling exiled from his people. At the age of 80 he had lost any dreams of being a great man or doing great things. There had been no miraculous intervention by God in his life. His dream of being God’s deliverer of His people had died long ago. He had become a old man who did not feel that he had gained wisdom but felt despair over the outcome of his life. At this point of despair and weakness, God comes and calls Him.

God comes to Him as the Eternal one who has made a promise to Abraham. The one who is outside of time is found in time because of His promise to Abraham. The people are to know that the God who Moses will represent is the same God that by a miracle brought Isaac to be born because He had promised Abraham that the one who would remove the curse would come through Him. God is reminding Moses and Israel of their historic faith. The name that God will forever be known by is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This is the covenant name of God. The God who is committed to keeping His promises of His chosen ones is the one true God.

Why does God act now? He responds to the prayers and cries of His people. God the eternal one hears His people and has compassion on them in their pain.

This passage clearly tells us that God’s ways are not our ways. His timing is not our timing. Rev. Pummel had been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Kingsville for thirty years. In that thirty years he had never seen a revival. The church had remained plateaued at about 300 people as one generation of farm and factory workers replaced another generation of farm and factory workers in the small Ohio town. Now in His sixties he did not really expect anything different. Then in a unexpected turn of events a small meeting of seven teenagers at his house explodes into 70. Dozens are getting saved. A core group want to go into full time Christian ministry. The local paper is putting the group on the front page since in a world of drugs, sex, and rock and roll there are now a group of young people turning to Jesus. No one would have guessed that at the end of the school year Rev Pummel will die having had the last year of his life be the most fruitful of over 30 years of ministry. God’s timing and our timing are never the same.

Christocentric: - Christ will be called into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tested after living a largely normal life after a miraculous birth. For thirty years he had been a faithful son and carpenter. Then he goes to be baptized by John and the heavens open and He is marked off as the anointed one of God and sent into the wilderness to be tested. It was God’s time.
Moral: Do not doubt that God has a plan just because even decades go by without a revival or reformation. God calls us to be faithful in the quiet times. We are not to doubt in the dark what God has revealed to us in the light. Cry out to God for revival and reformation and He will in time bring us seasons of awakening like we would never dream could happen.
Eternal: One day we will see the eternal one and fully experience the eternal life He has given us.

Prayer: Lord help me not fail to cry out to you and seek you for days of revival and reformation. Give me a heart of prayer. Lord, send us days of awakening and power!

Contemplation: I Am that I am

Action: Examine your life and look for the working of God that is there in the everyday events. At point in my life did I have a “burning bush” experience? How did it change me? Pray for revival without ceasing and do not be discouraged by the “quiet times”.

Union and Communion with Jesus

2008-08-31T08:10:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Reading

NLT 1 Corinthians 11:23 For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it." 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again.

Meditation:

Literal: Paul was rebuking the believers in Corinth because the love feasts at which their celebration of communion took place had become very much like a pagan party. People were getting drunk and the rich had nothing to do with the poor. The ugliness of pagan life had been “baptized” and now was part of their worship services.

Paul now reminds them of the simplicity and sincerity that should be part of our keeping the Lord’s supper by taking them back to the words of Jesus himself on that night. On a night of betrayal He gave thanks. Facing His own sacrifice for sins. He worshiped at the Passover meal.

The bread is my body – remember my incarnation and physical suffering. The cup is represents the shedding of my blood – remember my spiritual suffering. It is this maximum suffering that has brought you into union and communion with God. Every spiritual blessing we have has been given to us as a gift from Jesus the Christ. It is this faith that must endure until He comes again. Therefore, remember His love and sacrifice, and be filled with joy and gratitude.

In this vision of our Lord, suffering for us and risen again we can then escape from the insanity of our pagan culture just as the Corinthians were being asked to remember the real meaning of the Lord’s supper so that they could be free from the ways of their pagan culture. May the Lord grant us such a vision as we take the Lord’s supper.

Christocentric: The Lord’s supper makes it clear. All of our salvation depends on Jesus alone. He is the one who has given us a covenant with God. His blood has reconciled us. He alone is our Savior. He wants us to remember the wonder of His sacrifice and the reality of His return.

Moral: Turn from the ways and thinking of the world. Do not just “baptize” the world and bring its principles and spirit into the church. Seek to remember the sacrifice of Jesus and make this the center of all you live.

Eternal: The Lord ’s Supper is only the beginning of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb where we will eat of heavenly manna and know face to face communion with Jesus our Lord. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Prayer: Help me take your supper in a worthy way. Give me the faith today to remember you. Help your people remember you. Give us a fresh vision of you today.

Contemplation: Remember me!

Action: Lord, help me remember your love every day this week and in every relationship.

Matthew 16 - The Darkness will lose!

2008-08-30T06:41:00.000-04:00

Devotions

Reading: NLT Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets." 15 Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

Meditation

When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., his kingdom was divided, with his son Archelaeus inheriting Judea and Samaria, Herod Antipas receiving Galilee and Perea (Transjordan), and Philip taking over Gaulanitis, the territory on the Golan, east of the Jordan River and north of the Sea of Galilee. Following the example of his father, Philip built the first city at Panias, naming it Caesarea Philippi to honor the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus and to distinguish it from Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast.

Caesarea Philippi became a center of Greek-Roman culture, a city known for its pagan worship, its prestigious status as the capital city of Herod Philip’s domain, and its significant Gentile population. References to "the district of Caesarea Philippi" (Matt 16:13) and "the villages of Caesarea Philippi" (Mark 8:27) reflect the city’s status as the power center of Philip’s territory.

These factors, together with the sheer rock cliff at the worship site, made this an ideal place for Jesus to make His historic announcements. Peter’s declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," challenged the gods in the niches of the cliff and their devotees who worshiped these gods as though they actually existed. I was impressed when I was in Israel that it was here that Jesus declared that the “gates of hell” would not prevail against His church.

If Jesus were standing with His disciples in front of this sheer cliff, it would explain His use of the metaphor "rock" used in His conversation with Peter. The word He used was petra, a term that would be used to describe such a bluff. (Cf. Matt 7:24,25, ". . .who built his house upon the rock petra.") It was Jesus’ practice to teach in metaphors and parables that related to the physical context in which He was ministering, for example, "fishers of men" and "a sower went out to sow" spoken on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where fishing and sowing could readily be observed. It is likely, therefore, that on this occasion, as they stood before this rock bluff, Jesus’ choice of the metaphor, petra, reflected this practice.[1]

What is this passage teaching. First that there will be many view of concerning the identity of Jesus. Perhaps a prophet, a resurrected spirit from another time, or the second coming of Elijah. We should not be surprised when people try to make Jesus fit into their world views.

Second, that the true understanding of Jesus is that He is the promised Messiah, the anointed prophet, priest, and king and promised divine Son of God found in Psalm 2 who is worshipped by the kings of the earth. Only when we see Jesus in this light do we really understand Him.

The third teaching is that this true understanding of Jesus comes only thru divine revelation. It is the Father who must reveal this to us thru the work of the Holy Spirit in our heart. We cannot see this without divine help.

The fourth teaching is that Peter’s profession of faith will be used like a rock catapulted against the walls of a fortress and smash the “gates of hell” and lay the foundation for Christ’s Church. We see this as Peter is used to preach the gospel to the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles.

The fifth teaching is that Christ has promised His Church that they will be victorious in their struggle with unbelief in the world. The commission to make disciples of all nations will be a success. The Church is asked to minister in a very optimistic attitude.

We should be encouraged by this passage to see Jesus as the true Messiah, thank God for being able to see Him in that light, and have courage to press on in discipling the nations due to the promise of ultimate success.

Christocentric: This who passage screams at us that Jesus is the promised Messiah and assures us that though His coming did not bring in world peace and harmony as expected that the real plan of discipling the nations and overcoming the spiritual strong holds of the enemy is being accomplished. The first step towards world peace and harmony is to build the Church.

Moral: Have faith in Christ and in His plan!

Eternal: In eternity we will fully understand the greatness of how Christ planned to build His Church and overcome spiritual strongholds through the preaching of the gospel. We will see the grand design and be awed and inspired by the Wisdom of our God.

Prayer: Lord, let me see you more clearly, that I might love you more dearly, and follow you more dearly this day.

Contemplation: Take courage: I have won!

Action: What can I do to join the Christ in building His Church? Do it now!

[1] http://www.ancientsandals.com/overviews/caesarea_philippi.htm

Psalm 138 - You give me strength and give me success!

2008-08-29T10:39:00.004-04:00

Devotions

Reading: NLT Psalm 138:1 A psalm of David. I give you thanks, O LORD, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. 2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. 3 When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need. 4 Every king in all the earth will give you thanks, O LORD, for all of them will hear your words. 5 Yes, they will sing about the LORD's ways, for the glory of the LORD is very great. 6 Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. 7 Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me. 8 The LORD will work out his plans for my life-- for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me.

Meditation

Literal
Verse 1. The false gods were the gods of other countries, like Babylon and Assyria. These “gods” could also be the pagan political rulers who claimed many times to be gods or sons of gods. "*Praises" are words that say how great somebody is. So the psalmist is saying that in the presence of idols that the pagans depend to give them power and the great men who claim to be walking demi-gods, he will sing the greatness of The LORD.

In these circumstances the *psalmist writes about the *LORD. The *LORD is a special name for God. It is the "*covenant" name for God. A *covenant is when there is a promise given between two people. This promise can be conditional or unconditional. The LORD has unconditionally promised to love and give help to the people He has chosen. "With all my *heart" is a Hebrew (and English) way to say, "as well as I possibly can".

Verse 2. "Your name" means more than just "God" or "*LORD". It means everything that God is. The "unfailing and faithful love" is a special Bible word. It means the love that God has for his people:
· will never finish;
· will always send help.
These promises are fully guaranteed by God. He will keep His word.

Verse 3. God gave David strength. This is what David would write. Often, when he wanted help, he prayed to the *LORD. The *LORD always answered him. Not by keeping him from having problems but by giving him the strength to get through the problem. David knew that this strength to endure was not his strength but the LORD’s strength given him.

Verses 4 and 5. The day is coming when every leader of every land will hear the word of the LORD. They:
· thanked him (verse 4); and
· sang about it (verse 5).
God has *glory because he is infinite in greatness both in character and in deeds. He is very, very great. So spiritually speaking the greatness and wonder of the LORD shines as the sun shines! That is what "*glory" means.

Verse 6. This is about two groups of people. One group is people that need help. God is high above us in eternity. But he can still see who needs help. He also sees the *proud people. These people think that they are so good that they do not need help and reject God’s word concerning their need.

Verse 7. "The right hand of God" is a Hebrew way to say "what God does on the earth". We could translate it, "by the power of God". God will ultimately protect us from our enemies and give us victory over the satanic forces of darkness. The pagan kings and their gods will not have the ultimate victory in my life. This belongs to the LORD.

Verse 8. This great LORD will accomplish His plan for my life. He will cause every one of his people to know true eternal success.
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Christocentric Perspective – Christ is the fulfilment of all the promises of God. It is through Him that the ultimate enemy Satan has been defeated. His death on the cross, burial, and resurrection has brought the power of God into history through the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Church. The great commission will take the message of Christ and disciple every nation. The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s church and the His purpose for us will be totally fulfilled.
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Moral Perspective - I should trust in and give praise for the faithful love of the LORD.
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Eternal: In the eternal kingdom we will dwell before the Lord and see His Glory face to face. We will be filled with thankfulness and see every enemy of our soul totally crushed and powerless. We will give praise to the LORD out of the fullness of our heart and with every atom of our being. This intense and total worship will fulfil us more than anything else we have ever experienced. This is our ultimate destiny as believers in Jesus Christ.
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Prayer: Lord let me see your greatness, express wonder and praise for your greatness, and give to me the strength I need to get through all the struggles I face today. Let me know this is your strength and not mine.
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Contemplation: In Christ is the victory!
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Action: I will not fear what I read in the paper about politics but I will rejoice in the promises of God to me in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 51 - Hope in the middle of trouble

2008-08-28T07:25:00.000-04:00

Reading

NLT Isaiah 51:1 "Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance-- all who seek the LORD! Consider the quarry from which you were mined, the rock from which you were cut! 2 Yes, think about your ancestors Abraham and Sarah, from whom you came. Abraham was alone when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation." 3 The LORD will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren wilderness will become as beautiful as Eden-- the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. 4 "Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My mercy and justice are coming soon. Your salvation is on the way. I will rule the nations. They will wait for me and long for my power. 6 Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth beneath. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!

Meditation:

Literal Interpretation:

This was written to give Israel hope of a future redemption even though in the present they were faced with devastation and judgment because of their sins. The LORD is assuring his people that the promises given to Abraham that his descendents would be inherit the world would yet be kept. The Kingdom of God will be established and fill the earth.

This passage breaks into the following parts

I. Listen and Consider (1)
II. Abraham began without hope of family and ended up with a great nation (2)
III. Therefore: Israel who now seems without hope with become great again (3)
IV. Listen & Hear – (4a)
V. I will bless all nations thru Abraham’s children (4b)
VI. The Kingdom of God is coming soon! (5)
VII. Look! Creation will wear out but my Kingdom will never end! (6)

The point God is making is this. Prophecy has a practical purpose. To keep us from getting discouraged or defeated! Rough times come but God’s purposes cannot fail! You and I are part of something huge. We are part of the LORD’s kingdom which cannot fail will never end! Remember you are part of the kingdom that cannot be defeated! Use that to help you have courage to face the battles of today!

Christocentric perspective: This passage is soaked in promises of the Messiah and the extension of the gospel throughout the world. Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises given to Abraham (Romans 4). The word for “law” here can also be translated “teaching” and could easily refer to the spread of the gospel to all nations. Clearly, the purpose of the LORD was to bless all nations thru Jesus even in the Old Testament. The fact that such bold affirmation of the great commission was proclaimed in Isaiah’s day should give us confidence of the reality of all that Christ Jesus claims to be! It also tells us the importance of seeking to fulfill the great commission in our lives today!

Moral perspective: This passage would tell us to “Listen, Consider, Hear, and Look” at the promises of God found in the gospel. We are to fight the discouragement we feel when trouble and trial come by focusing on the good news of God assurances that evil, error, abuse, and attacks will not be the final word of human history. We are to find courage to live a faithful life by reminding ourselves that God is faithful!

Eternal perspective: This passage gives us a vision of a perfect kingdom of justice, order, paradise, Eden, prosperity, joy, happiness, lovely songs, and thanksgiving. This is our future and destiny because Christ has died for our sins. A perfect kingdom of peace, righteousness, and joy! The struggles of this life will seem small in light of the glory found in this final and eternal kingdom of the LORD.

Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, may your name be glorified! Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! LORD, encourage my heart today by reminding me of your kingdom promises!

Contemplation: Come unto me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest!

Action: Preach the gospel to myself today! Seek to preach the gospel to others today! Seek to know joy in the gospel today!

Psalm 124 - The LORD has saved us!

2008-08-27T06:27:00.002-04:00

Devotions

Reading: NLT Psalm 124:1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. If the LORD had not been on our side-- let Israel now say-- 2 if the LORD had not been on our side when people rose up against us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive because of their burning anger against us. 4 The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. 5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. 6 Blessed be the LORD, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! 7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! 8 Our help is from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth.

NLT Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
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Meditation:

Literal: The psalm breaks into three sections

I. Call for Faithful Confession of the LORD (1-2)
II. How we would have been without the LORD (3-5)
III. Blessing to the LORD for deliverance (6-8)

This song was one that Israel sang as they gathered for their three annual feasts in Jerusalem. It was originally created perhaps by King David motivated by seeing the nation escape some great political danger which outcome seemed certain national disaster. The focus of the Psalm is on what would had been had not the LORD intervened and how thankful we should be because the LORD has intervened.

Many times the greatness of what the LORD has done can only be seen in light of how things would had been without His rising up to save us. In this case the Psalm reflects on this deliverance as being saved from drowning in a burning sea of the enemy’s unrestrained anger. Unless the LORD had acted then we would have burned the fire of our enemies rage. In this image we are in danger of being sunk in the chaos of the abuse, harm, torture, and even death of our enemies. This is due to passionate desire that hates our very being. This anger is because we are “Israel” the people of God and those who have been set aside to the covenant of grace.

The other image is that of being eaten by a wild animal or captured by a hunter. Here we are the prey of a predator. Helpless as a bird caught in a trap. Our deliverance is not due to some great power or strength within us. No the LORD has come breaking the trap and taking us from the jaws of death so that we might be free.

The image of drowning in the waging sea represents being engulfed in the restless masses of unruly, unbelieving, pagan, and lawless human society and culture.
"The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." Isaiah 57:20
"The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." Isaiah 60:5
The image of a beast devouring the people of God represents political power directed by Satan to destroy God’s people.

NLT 1 Peter 5:8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.

NLT Revelation 11:7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them.

NAS Revelation 13:1 And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

The Psalmist rejoices that the one who made heaven and earth is more than able to save us from our enemies, both spiritual and physical. The people of God survive not because of their great power but because of the Lord’s great works of salvation. For this reason we should give to the LORD blessing and praise.

Chrstocentric perspective: Here we only have to return Genesis 3:15 where the original promise of deliverance is found. Who will deliver us from the rage of the unbelieving world system directed by the devil? The answer is that the LORD will work his deliverance for us through His anointed one. The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent and set us free of the trap of sin and rebellion in which we have been caught.

Moral perspective : Great deliverance demands great praise. To be the objects of a great salvation and fail to give heart felt worship to the LORD out of gratitude is a great blasphemy. Let us seek to worship and praise out of pure and thankful hearts.

Eternal perspective: The eternal worship of God’s people will be in the light of their fully seeing and perceiving before the throne of God the truly great peril they were in and the great lengths the LORD went to in order to make sure they arrived to the kingdom of God safe and sound. The main emotions of heaven will be gratitude and joy which will spontaneously bring forth praise for all that our LORD Jesus Chris has done to save us.

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Prayer: I praise you LORD for dying on the cross to save me from the power of the enemy of my soul. I bless you LORD for I was helpless and lost, and you found me and embraced me in your love. I have no hope but you.
Contemplation: I am your hero that delivers you!

Action: I will seek to focus on what my life would have been like if Jesus the Christ has not saved me. Where would I be without Jesus? Then in light of all that He has given me by dying for my sins and coming to me in His resurrection, I will open my heart to gratitude, worship, service, and praise.

Matthew 15:10-20 - What messes up my life?

2008-08-23T06:41:00.001-04:00

Devotions
8/23/2008

Reading: NLT Matthew 15:10 Then Jesus called to the crowds and said, "Listen to what I say and try to understand. 11 You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do. " 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?" 13 Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be rooted up, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch." 15 Then Peter asked Jesus, "Explain what you meant when you said people aren't defiled by what they eat." 16 "Don't you understand?" Jesus asked him. 17 "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes out of the body. 18 But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands could never defile you and make you unacceptable to God!"

Meditation

1. Literal – This section has two features of Jesus’ teaching ministry that stand out most when one reads the New Testament. First, Jesus’ teaching in conflict and offends the Pharisees and Jesus uses parables to get his point across. The first teaching here seems very straight forward. We become “unclean” or defiled not by breaking the washing rituals and dietary code of Israel but by our sinful actions. Now this was teaching contradicted the idea that it was important to follow all the outward dietary laws and rituals to be righteous.

The entire section of Matthew 15:1-28 is concerned with ritual purity -- who is clean/unclean and what makes them that way? There is a connection from beginning to end with the word artos = "bread". Unfortunately, this Greek word is usually left untranslated in v. 2b: "For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." It is a key image in Jesus' conversation with the Canaanite woman, v. 26 and in the feeding stories before and after our text: 14:17, 19; 15:33, 34, 36. (Note also its use in 16:5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). The chapter begins because the disciples have not followed the ritual cleansing riturals of the Pharisees when eating bread, a women is humble enough to ask for the crumbs of bread that fall of the table filled with Messianic blessing for the Jews, and the blessing of the kingdom is given by the multiplication of bread given like Manna from heaven.

Pharisees have come to Jesus asking why his disciples break the oral law, which they believe to be God-given and to have equal status with Mosaic Law: why do they not wash before eating? He has pointed out to them that at times they give priority to the oral law over the biblical Law. The Pharisees teach rules of human, rather than divine, origin.

Now (v. 10) he tells the crowd a “parable” (v. 15), a saying with a hidden meaning. He sees moral behaviour (“out of the mouth”, v. 11) as important, not food laws (“into the mouth”). When the disciples point out that he has offended the Pharisees (v. 12) by his reply to their question, he is blunt: do not follow them; being “blind” (v. 14), they and their followers will be judged adversely (“pit”). When Peter asks for an explanation, Jesus addresses all the disciples (“you”, v. 16, is plural). What is eaten, Jesus says, even though ritually clean, ends up unclean (“sewer”, v. 17), so food laws are unimportant (for their purpose was to keep Israel pure from idols and separate from the nations not to become viewed as magical). The “mouth” (v. 18) was seen as the channel by which the “heart”, the very being, expressed itself. Immoral behavior (“evil intentions ...”, v. 19) does alienate one from God (“defile”, v. 20) but not breaking laws of human origin or misunderstandings of God’s own Word.

Christocentric: We are confronted here with the reality of Jesus being the Christ. He is the authoritative prophet, priest, and king from God. His word is greater than the tradition of the rabbis of Israel. His interpretation of the dietary laws is enough to change the practice of God’s people. One must see Him as the one who has sight while orthodox Judaism is blind. We must recognize the strong demand here to bow the knee to Jesus as the ultimate authority over life and faith.

Moral: Don’t sweat the superficial and small things. Don’t focus life on things that end up in the sewer or the trash. Do be concerned about your words and deeds. Do worry about what your words and deeds reveal about the condition of your heart. Don’t view yourself as righteous and good because you keep a few “outward” Christian things. Instead recognize the depth of your sin within your heart and the need for forgiveness. Do not be a blind person leading another blind person. If you are blind then admit it and lead no one. Put first things first. Above all else ask God to give you a pure heart.

Eternal: The greatest joy of heaven will be that the controversies will be over, the questions will be all answered, and most important of all our hearts will be pure of all sin. The greatest joy of heaven will be that we are really morally clean, washed pure from all sin, and no longer defiled. We will be cured of our moral cancer and actually experience in our entire being love for God and love for others. We will become an incarnation of love, purity, and holiness. This will be the fulfillment of our greatest potential as human being. Lord, come quickly that we may be pure!

Prayer: Lord, continue to purify my heart. Keep me from superficial self justification of my actions. Lord, work in my heart to give me a greater and greater love for righteousness. Thank you for cleansing me of my sin by your sacrifice on the cross.

Contemplation: Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see me

Action: Make a list of every impure thought, word, and deed today. Seek to become sensitive to wrong intentions, wrong words, and wrong actions. At the end of the day confess these very specific things knowing that the blood of Christ washes away all my defilement. Then be really thankful for Christ’s death for my sins.

Psalm 67 - God will win in our lives!

2008-08-22T07:45:00.001-04:00

Reading

NLT Psalm 67:1 For the choir director: A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. A song. May God be merciful and bless us. May his face shine with favor upon us. Interlude 2 May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. 3 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 4 How glad the nations will be, singing for joy, because you govern them with justice and direct the actions of the whole world. Interlude 5 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 6 Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. 7 Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.

Meditation:

Literal - This is a royal psalm. Scholars often refer to a number of the psalms as royal psalms. These psalms are not all of one literary type, such as prayers of petition and songs of thanksgiving, but they are linked thematically by their emphasis on how God works through the office of king.

Like Psalms 65, 118 and 124, this is a Psalm of national thanksgiving, possibly used at the Hebrew New Year. At this time, Israel were exhorted to be joyful (Deut. 16:15; Lev. 23:40) The opening verse recalls the Aaronic Blessing that we frequently use in Christian worship (Num. 6:24-26). The Psalm first attends not to human experience but to God and to God’s grace.

The Psalm asks for God to have mercy on his people and favor them with His embrace. It then prays for all the nations that they may learn the ways of God and be touched by His Holy Spirit so that they may be delivered from the worship of idols and darkness into the light of worship in spirit and truth. This desire for global revival is because the psalmist desires global praise and worship of the true God. God’s kingdom coming to the earth will bring about harmony, peace, and gladness. To be under the rule of God is to be blessed. Here is clear proof that the Old Testament desired and saw a day when every nation would be called to faith. Here we have a prayer for true and substantial revival for all the earth.

Christocentric - Christ echoed this prayer when He taught us to pray; Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. He also called upon us to put feet to this prayer when He said to us, “Go into the whole world and make disciple, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Christ in His death has destroyed the work of the devil and in His resurrection has been given universal authority and power. Christ is the means by which God’s kingdom will come to earth. God will exult the people of the Lord and all nations will come to learn of His ways so that every culture and people will be transformed by His amazing Grace (Isaiah 2:1-5). Jesus Christ is the answer to this psalm.

Moral: We must desire to see God’s will done on earth as in heaven. We must bow the knee to Christ Jesus and have Him practically govern over us. We must learn His ways and not just have Him as our Savior but really have Him as our Lord. The kingdom of God must start in our heart, then our homes, and then it can reach out to govern the entire world. Personal piety is the beginning of global dominion for God’s kingdom. We must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in a sincere and real way in our own private worlds before we will see cultures consistently change to become Christ like.

Eternal: There is no doubt this prayer will be answered. When Jesus the Christ returns there will be much gladness, joy, and rejoicing among all nations, peoples, and tribes for His perfect rule will have come. The creation itself groans in deep desire to see the perfect peace the Prince of Peace will bring to all the earth. We should rejoice today in the knowledge that God’s will is going to be done on the earth and righteousness will dominate every nation. God’s kingdom will come and God’s will be done – Halleluiah!

Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 10 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 'Give us this day our daily bread. 12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.'

Contemplation: Why do you call me “Lord, Lord” and not do the things that I say? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Action: I will pray for global revival. I will seek to promote and support missions more than I do. I will seek to make disciples in my daily life more that God may be praised.

Genesis 45 - Purpose Behind Pain

2008-08-21T07:45:00.001-04:00

Reading

Genesis 45

3 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Meditation

Literal: Joseph here is showing great mercy and insight as he reveals his survival and blessing to his brothers who wished him dead. Joseph was a man rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, put into prison, and then exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh. He could just as easily interpret his brothers coming to him as an opportunity for vengeance as for mercy. Joseph never lost love for his family even when they abused him. This is amazing. He does test their hearts but his heart is focused on reconciliation. He has seen in God’s hand behind all of his hardships. He has seen purpose in his pain.

Christocentric: Joseph is a figure of Christ. Prophesied to be an anointed leader to whom his brothers would bow, rejected by his brothers, figuratively sacrificed in the dipping of the coat of many colors in animal blood, treated as a sinner though righteous, buried in prison, and raised up to glory. Here is the gospel in the Old Testament. Christ also forgives us though we were those who betrayed him because it was God’s will that He suffer and pay the price of our redemption. King Jesus now receives us back by grace though we deserve His wrath. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that Joseph reflected.

Moral: We are to trust that God is working all things together for good. We are to see behind events and allow this to govern our anger and desire for revenge. We are to love our enemy and treat them kindly since this is the only way to overcome evil. By doing this we imitate the gospel and reflect the truth of God in our lives.

Eternal: There will be a day when we will hear “You are forgiven” by our Lord Jesus Christ and we will be given a heavenly view of our whole history. We will see how God was at work in our most painful times to bring good to others and develop our character. We will see the full plan of God revealed and then the pain will make sense for we will be able to connect all the dots and see the wisdom behind all of Gods’ plans. This reality should help us trust God today even when we are in the dark about his plans.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me trust you when bad things happen. Forgive me for murmuring and pouting. Give me greater faith in your plan. Help me understand more deeply what it means to have your favor. Grant me wisdom in understanding the losses and struggles we have in life. Lord have mercy on me. Lord have mercy on my family. Lord have mercy on the ministry. Lord guide us with your wisdom.

Contemplation: Trust in me with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding

Act: Today I will look to see God’s hand in the midst of my opportunities and trials. I will attempt to look on my life through Joseph’s eyes and see God’s plan in all that happens. Lord give me wisdom. Help me live a wise life. I will seek to acknowledge and trust in God presence and power today.

The joy of harmony in our human relationships

2008-08-20T12:28:00.001-04:00

Reading
NLT Psalm 133:1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. 3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life forevermore.

Meditation:

Literal: The traditional view of this passage was that it was written by David and sang by people as they came to the three great feasts to Jerusalem to worship. The brothers here would have been all the different tribes who would be coming together to worship the Lord at His temple. Some believe that this psalm was sung by Levites as they returned from exile in Babylon to the temple.

The focus is on how much pleasure comes when there is unity, peace, and tranquility in human relationships. It “smells” right and brings joy to individuals, families, tribes, and nations. The Psalmist also describes it as refreshing dew and then speaks of the most northern parts of the country which is illustrated by Mount Hermon and the Southern with Mount Zion. Both Israel and Judea united seems to be part of the focus.

The blessing that is upon God’s covenant people is that they have in the Messiah been given everlasting life. Harmony is found in remembering the one eternal life that all of God’s people share.

Christocentric - It was at Mount Hermon that Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. It was in Jerusalem that He would die to redeem His church. He came to make both believing Jews and believing Gentiles one people and to knock down the wall of division between them. He has said that when we live in unity and harmony then the world will know that He was sent by the Father. The heart of Christ is that His people not be divided into fractions but that we love one another as he loved us.

Moral: Why are there wars among Christian brothers? Because of our envy, self righteousness, and greed there is division and discord. Our lack of unity as the people of God creates a spiritual “stink” that repels people from the Christian faith. It is much easier to find fault than to give praise. It is much easier to condemn than to encourage. We must strive to keep the unity that has been given to us through the Holy Spirit and strive to be peace makers with all people, especially those who believe.

Eternal – The full wonder and experience of this passage will be seen by God’s people when we gather at the throne of heaven. We will be one people with one shepherd. We will have love for Jesus and love for one another. Part of the kingdom of heaven will be perfect human relationships. We will be from many nations, tribes, cultures, and colors; but we will be one people who will know harmony, peace, joy, and love between each other.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you have created unity among believers through the Holy Spirit. I ask you Lord to make me a peace maker both within your Church and outside of the church. Allow my heart to seek harmony in all my human relationships. Keep my mouth from saying hurtful things. Let me seek to find the good in every relationship and the courage to rebuke when needed to maintain the peace. Lord help your people to avoid division that we may not cause the world to speak evil of you.

Contemplation: Love one another as I have loved you

Action: I will seek to understand others and to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. I will strive to keep my mouth from speaking judgment or condemnation on fellow Christians.

Yearly Celebration Banquet on Oct 3

2008-08-06T16:35:00.002-04:00

Living Water Celebration Banquet

Friday Night

Oct 3 - 6:30 PM

at
VOLUNTEER PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
12050 W. Sunrise Blvd.

We would invite you to our celebration banquet on Friday night, Oct 3rd 2008. It will be a night of good food, good fellowship, and praise for all God has accomplished through our ministry in the last year.

These banquets are always special and are a vital part of our ministry. By people coming to our banquet and having a night of joyful giving this allows us to continue to minister to hurting hearts and homes. Our goal this year is to raise $50,000.

Will you come for a night of fun and vision!

Call today an get one ticket for $25 or sponser an entire table for $250. Help us to continue to minister to those who are hurting.

Call 954-452-4407

New Family Life Skill Classes Beginning In August

2008-08-06T16:29:00.002-04:00

As people come back from vacation they are focusing again on the needs of their families. These needs include communication, conflict resolution, parenting skills, and anger management.

Family Life Skill classes provide useful training in all of these areas which as been demonstrated over a decade to transform individuals and their relationships. If you are looking to enter into the fall with new methods of coping with old problems then call 954-452-4407 today and talk to Janet about joining a class in your area.

We offer classes in Plantation, Boca, and Rio Vista. Make a choice today to get the answers you need to overcome the struggles your facing in your family and in your heart.

We Need Students For For New Family Life Skill Class On Saturday

2008-07-18T15:27:00.002-04:00

We are in the process of beginning new classes. The Saturday Women's class needs three more students. If you would like to take Family Life Skills and discover the skills that can change your life and perhaps your relationships then call 954-452-4406.

Today is a good day to begin to see healing for your heart and home

Living Water Long Distance

2008-07-08T14:33:00.003-04:00

What is Life Coaching?

Life Coaching is a relationship which is based on the client's expressed interests, goals, and objectives. Life Coaching is a learning process in which the vision for preferred future is clarified and the method to reach that future is defined.

A Life Coach may use inquiry, reflection, requests and discussion to help clients identify life and/or business and/or relationship goals, develop strategies, relationships and action plans intended to achieve those goals. A coach provides a place for clients to be held accountable to themselves by monitoring the clients' progress towards implementation of their action plans. .A Life Coach acts as a human mirror for clients by sharing an outside and unbiased perspective on what they are observing about their clients.

Clients are responsible for their own achievements and success. The client takes action; and the coach may assist, but never leads or does more than the client. Therefore, a coach cannot and does not promise that a client will take any specific action or attain specific goals.

Life Coaching is not counseling, therapy or consulting.

Who should have a life coach? Anyone who is dedicated to seeing real change take place in their life.

How Does This Work?
Living Water Online Coaching

We offer 2 types of Coaching services:

1. By e-mail alone
2. By Phone with some e-mail support

E-mail Coaching
1. I Need an Answer Now Coaching

Best when you have a quick question or you want to try our services.

Receive 15 minutes worth of Coaching with a short Coaching email, plus personalized questions and a short concluding email.
Coaching fee - $20 USD.

2. Quick Coaching

Best for help with an immediate challenge or if you want to know your coach better.

Receive 30 minutes worth of Coaching with a long Coaching email, plus personalized questions and a short concluding email. --- Coaching fee - $35 USD.

3. Regular Coaching

Best for relationship issues or if you want more in depth understanding of an issue.

Receive 60 minutes worth of Coaching with 2 long Coaching emails, plus personalized questions and a short concluding email.
Coaching fee - $60 USD.

4. Extensive Coaching

Best when you are in a difficult situation or want a more comprehensive session.

Receive 2 hours worth of Coaching with 4 long Coaching emails, plus personalized questions and a short concluding email.
Coaching fee - $100 USD.

Phone Coaching

The same four levels of service are offered except that instead of getting you’re interaction by e-mail you speak by telephone with your coach. The cost for the telephone coaching is double that of the e-mail because the telephone coaching includes with it short e-mail support. The time hour and two hour sessions can be broken up into several telephone calls. Your exact program will be worked out with your coach.

Call 954-452-4407 for more information and to talk to a Life Coach.

The decision to have a life coach may well be the turning point in your life.

Do I need this?

Do you sometimes feel that more meaningful success and far better results are possible in your life, relationships, spirituality, career or business?

Have you accomplished a lot, yet notice that something important might still be missing?
Are you struggling with stress or time management and longing for far greater clarity, peace, passion, purpose, meaning, or balance in your work, relationship, and inner life.
Are you looking for the very best in spiritual support to leverage your strengths, and finally make those important changes that you believe God would have you make?
Then Life Coaching is for you!

You now can get help from a living water coach to help you and pray through and think through your issues on-line!

Boca Begins New Family Life Skill Classes

2008-03-15T17:43:00.001-04:00

Our Boca Teaching Center is beginning new Family Life Skill Classes for men and women!

Now is a great time to take the step and learn the dynamics of how to have a sane, stable, and spiritual home.

Call 954-452-4407 today to get started!

New Groups

2008-02-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

New FLS Men's Group starts Tuesday Feb 19th - Call 954-452-4407 to register
New FLS Phase II Group for men will begin as soon as we have 10 men sign up

Communication Seminar on Feb 21st at the Soncoast Community Church. Call 954-452-4407 to sign up. This is a free community seminar!

Communication Seminar - Feb 21 2008 - 7 PM

2008-01-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

The three keys to a good relationship are:

1. Communication
2. Communication
3. Communication

But what are the keys to effective communication. Dr. Norman Wise will outline in a practical way the keys to how we can communicate to the significant others in our lives. This is a free Community Seminar and is being held at the Son Coast Community Church in Boca. Call 954-452-4407 for directions and to register so that we can have notes prepared for you. Invite your friends and family to this helpful and useful seminar.

New Classes Begin In January and February

2008-01-11T12:22:00.000-05:00

Now is a great time to call us and check out our new group of classes.

New Family Life Skill Classes
New Family Life Skills Phase II for men
New "Blue Print For Life" Classes
New "Shelter from the Storm Classes for those suffering from sexual abuse.

Why not begin the year by beginning your process of healing and wholeness.

Call us at 954-452-4407 for details

We Need You To Send God’s Blessing

2007-12-27T08:26:00.000-05:00

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Acts, 20:35

The highest exercise of charity is charity towards the uncharitable."
Buckminster, J. S. Clergyman (1797-1812)

"Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much."
Fromm, Erich Psychoanalyst and author (1900–1980)

"As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled."
Hugo, Victor French poet (1802–1885)

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
I Corinthians 13:1-3

Many conservatives strongly oppose government helping those in need. The other side of this coin however is that a consistent conservative is a person dedicated to generous private giving to help others. Only then can we say we love our neighbor and our society. Living Water is a means of God’s grace and a blessing to many people. The main reason we cannot reach more people is because we are on such a limited budget. In the last fiscal year we had $198,000 donated to help people with troubled hearts and homes. This was $50,000 under our budget. It was $50,000 less than we had in 2006. Many of you count on Living Water when a friend or family member goes through a crisis. The reality is we will be here only if God’s people send to us the resources that God has given them to give us. Will you please send us today what God desires you to send to us. Ultimately this will be a blessing to hurting people, Living Water, and to yourself.

Make check payable to “Living Water”
12700 West Broward Blvd
Plantation, Florida 33325

We take Master Card and Visa and you can call in your donations at 954-452-4407

Thank you for being used by God to help this ministry!

Working ON Our national Outreach

2007-12-27T08:23:00.000-05:00

Our plans to reach out to the nation as a source for seminars, training facilitators for small groups, and life coaching through a partnership with V Productions which will produce a short informational clip about our ministry and open the door to taking our message of transforming hearts and homes to the entire nation through T.V. and the internet. To make this Big Hair Audacious Goal (B.H.A.G) become a reality we need to raise $25,000 for production costs. Will you dream with us and send us a dedicated gift for making this dream of reaching the nation a reality?

Winning At Life Groups Begin In February

2007-12-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

We are offering a new group which is aimed at helping men and women move from where they are to the preferred future where they would like to go. This program has been developed by Dr. Norman R. Wise and will use his new published workbook entitled “Winning At Life”.
This program will help you find a personal process so that you can lead a sane, stable, and spiritual life consistently so that you will be effective and fruitful in your life. Regardless of your age, circumstances, or past history the principles found in this group dynamic will be life changing. This group will be taught by Dr. Norman Wise himself.

Sexual Freedom: Winning Over Pornography

2007-12-27T08:15:00.000-05:00

A Free Seminar for men
on Saturday, January 26
From
9 AM to Noon
There is victory over
sinful lust!

This seminar will provide a proven method of dealing with the temptation of using pornography. It will also help men deal with other sinful behaviors. If you have felt trapped in a cage of sinful lust and filled with shame, then this seminar is for you. Please call and just leave your first name or register anonymously so that we can prepare enough materials

Family Life Skills—Phase 2 for Men in January

2007-12-27T08:12:00.000-05:00

For those men who have taken Phase One and feel that they need to move on to deepen their Family Life Skills that they learned in Phase 1 we are offering a 13 week Family Life Skills Phase 2 class focused on THE POWER OF THE MIND in which we will look at Denial, Our Belief Systems, and our Addictive Thinking. We will be also taking ideas from a book The Lies We Believe by Chris Thurman to help us to reprogram our minds and help us to overcome the impact of our painful pasts If you have been feeling the need of boost in your Family Life Skills this Phase 2 class could be just the thing for you to get you back on track. This is all new material and Phase 2 allows for a lot more time spent in check in, process time, and participants interacting to help each other in their process. The content builds on what you have already learned and a whole new group of tools and ideas are presented. Why not start the New Year by making a resolution to take Phase 2 today!

Family Life Skill Classes Starting In January

2007-12-27T08:02:00.000-05:00

We have been active in teaching Family Life Skill Classes for going on 14 years. These classes have transformed hundreds of individuals and families. One person said:

“Family Life Skills made me see how my child hood was impacting my life on a daily basis. It also trained me on how to stop the cycle of abuse I had in my relationships and begin to free myself of the life commandments of my childhood. Family Life Skills really transformed my life. “

Perhaps you took Family Life Skills years ago but really did not turn what you lived into a new lifestyle. Many of our graduates found that in taking the class a second time they were able to turn the theory into experience. Perhaps your life has been transformed by this program. Who in your life do you need to tell about this program because you know they are going through a rough time? Call to join a class today at 954-452-4407

Free Community Seminars Now Offered

2007-12-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

Living Water Community Seminars are offered as a service to any group that needs a speaker or training.
These seminars will be held for any group from 10 to 1000 without any charge. Seminars can be designed to last from one hour to four hours in length.
These seminars are taught by Dr. Norman R. Wise, the Executive Director of Living Water Life Coaching & Spiritual Direction. Dr. Wise has been a public speaker since 1972 and has co-authored several books. His latest book is Winning At Life. He has provided counseling and coaching for over thirty years. His desire is to see transformed and empowered lives that reach their full potential for the Kingdom of God.
Some of the titles of seminars are:
· Becoming Proactive
· Winning At Life
· Developing Good Strategic Decisions
· How to Change your life
· How to Effectively Love Your Wife
· What is a Women to do?
· Deepening our Prayer life
· Transformational Journaling
· Overcoming our Painful Past
· How to Prioritize Your Life
· Developing Your Life Purpose
· Keys to Effective Parenting
For a complete list of possible seminars call 954-452-4407 or email us at livingwatercoaching@yahoo.com.
Seminars can be specifically designed to meet the needs of your group. Call us to set up a brainstorming session on how we can serve your group.
If you have influence in making plans for any group of people please call us and help us work together towards providing your organization with excellent training entirely free.

Denise Malave Retires From Living Water

2007-12-27T07:58:00.001-05:00

Denise Malave who has served as the receptionist/scheduler for Living Water for eleven years has accepted another position with another company. We are sad to see Denise leave us but rejoice in all the years of service that she gave to our ministry. We are sure that God has good things for her in this new chapter of the book of her life. We thank God for Denise and all the work, love, and wisdom she put into her work with us. She was a real grace gift to this ministry. By God’s grace we have already found a replacement for Denise, Maria Legra who began her first day on December 5th. Please pray for Maria as she becomes trained in all the different aspects

Blue Print For Life Seminar

2007-12-27T07:51:00.000-05:00

Blue Print For Life Seminar on January 19th 2008
From 9 AM to 12:30
The cost is $25 which includes a complete Blue Print For Life Kit .
This is a golden opportunity for the next year. Put it on your calendar today!

Have you been looking to define and seek God’s will and purpose in your life? This seminar will be the door way which will give you the tools to know and fulfill God’s will for your life.
Blueprint for Life’s Christian life planning and coaching system helps you understand that you don't have to max out in life to reach your full potential. Christian life planning and coaching along with soul searching exercises reveal the unique marks God left on your soul when He created you. From this foundation, you will create your strategic Christian blueprint containing goals and action steps for five key areas of living a strategic Christian life: Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Financial and Career.
This seminar could be the most life changing of any you have attended in your life. Call 954-452-4407 today to register.
This seminar could change your entire life and put you on the road to reaching your full potential! Call Today!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

The Staff of Living Water prays that all of you will know the joy of Christmas, the comfort of God to those who mourn, and the hope of Jesus' amazing love.

New Classes Begin In January

2007-12-19T16:04:00.001-05:00

Are you ready to take life transforming classes at Living Water?

Beginning in January & Feburary we will be having new:

Family Life Skill classes for men and women
Shelter in the Storm classes for women who have suffered sexual abuse
Sacred Sexuality for couples looking for greater intimacy
Family Life Skills (Phase 2) for men who have gone through our Family Life Skills

and a brand new class for men and women

Winning At Life taught by Dr. Norman R. Wise for people ready to move forward in attaining their dreams.

Call 954-452-4407 to learn more and to sign up for these great groups today!

Beating the Holiday Blues

2007-12-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

Beating the Holiday Blues
Feelings of sadness and depression are common during the holidays, but not inevitable. UM experts offer a variety of practical tips to help you keep the blues away
Once again the holidays are upon us, which means it's time for festive partying with friends and family, sharing gifts and laughter -- and getting depressed. That's right. For many people, the holidays bring on feelings of sadness and anxiety that can be hard to shake.
According to the National Mental Health Association, reasons for feeling blue around the holidays are numerous. They range from fatigue -- a result of all of the increased holiday activity -- to financial limitations and family tensions. Experts say one of the fastest routes to holiday depression is unrealistic expectations.
"People often hold on to what they remember as an ideal holiday from years gone by, and are unable to reproduce it," said Jill RachBeisel, M.D., director of community psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "There are also expectations around the holidays that 'everything must be perfect', and perfection is, of course, rarely obtainable."
To reduce heightened expectations, Hinda Dubin, M.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, suggests that people be honest with themselves about what they can do during the holiday season.
"Set realistic goals," said Dubin, who is also a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. "If your holiday plans require you to run around shopping and going to parties until you are exhausted, and staying up all night to wrap presents, your plans aren't very realistic. You need to pace yourself and get enough rest so that you won't be grouchy and testy."
Other factors that can contribute to feelings of sadness around the holidays are memories of deceased loved ones and strained family dynamics.
"The holidays are associated with family and togetherness," said RachBeisel, who is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "In today's world of high divorce rates and fragmented family units, stress is commonly experienced as family members attempt to find some compromise in defining shared time.
Creating family traditions is one way to bring family members closer together, said Dubin. These traditions don't have to be formal or elaborate. For instance, she recommends visiting a nursing home to help serve holiday meals to some of the residents, or videotaping holiday celebrations and making an annual event of watching the previous year's celebration.
Holiday Blues vs. Serious Depression
The holidays cause many people to feel anxious and depressed in a general sense, but for some, holiday tensions can lead to full-blown clinical depression.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 19 million American adults suffer from depressive illnesses every year. Unfortunately, many people with clinical depression don't seek help, even though depression is a treatable condition.
"Some people still look at mental illness as a character flaw," Dubin said. "The truth is that it is no different from any other kind of illness. If your body couldn't produce enough insulin, no one would tell you to 'get over it'. You'd need to go to the doctor and get treated for your insulin deficiency. It is the same with mental illness."
Symptoms of Depression
Below are a list of depressive symptoms compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health. NIMH experts suggest that you seek professional help if you experience five or more of these symptoms every day for two weeks. If you have recurring thoughts of death or suicide, you should get help immediately.
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
How to Cope
Don't let all of the pressures of shopping, coordinating social functions, negotiating family issues and missing lost loved ones overwhelm you this holiday season. There are a number of things you can do to keep stress, anxiety and depression at bay.
One of the best antidotes for the holiday blues is doing something for someone else.
"Volunteer your time this holiday season to help others who have less than you do," said Dubin. "Taking the focus off of yourself and putting it on others can really make you feel much better. Not only can you help other people, but doing so will add a lot more meaning to your holiday season."
Dubin offers these additional tips to help you banish the holiday blues:
Delegate. Don't try to do it all by yourself. People often want to help and to be involved. By breaking down tasks and doling them out to friends and family, everything becomes more manageable.
Spend Some Time Alone. Some people love the energy and exuberance of big holiday parties and activities. For others, all of it is very taxing. If you find yourself getting a little anxious, take a breather. Find a quiet spot to relax and recharge your batteries. Other people will be so caught up in what is going on that they probably won't even miss you.
Let Go of the Past. Don't be disappointed if your holidays aren't like they used to be. Life brings changes. Embrace the future, and don't dwell on the fact that the "good old days" are gone.
Don't Drink Too Much. It is easy to overindulge around the holidays, but excessive drinking will only make you feel more depressed.
Give Yourself a Break. Don't think in absolute terms. You aren't the best cook in the world, or the worst. You aren't super mom, or the most horrible mother in the world.
If despite your best efforts to remain upbeat this holiday season, you find yourself feeling down for a sustained period of time, get help. Don't try to "tough it out" alone. There are treatment options available to you that could make a significant difference in your outlook.

http://www.umm.edu/features/holiday_blues.htm

SEXUAL FREEDOM SEMINAR MOVED TO JAN 26TH 2008

2007-12-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

This seminar is from 9 to noon and will equip men to overcome the domination of pornography in their lives. Come and learn about "freedom tools". Call and register at 954-452-4407. You can use your first name or just tell us you are coming without giving your name so we will have enough notebooks for everyone. Don't allow shame to keep you from getting help.

Blue Print For Life Seminar

2007-12-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Blue Print For Life Seminar on January 19th 2008
From 9 AM to 12:30
Cost: $25 which includes a complete Blue Print For Life Kit!
Blue Print for Life Seminar
A golden opportunity for the next year. Put it on your calendar today!
Have you been looking to define and seek God’s will and purpose in your life? This seminar will be the door way which will give you the tools to know and fulfill God’s will for your life.
Blueprint for Life’s Christian life planning and coaching system helps you understand that you don't have to max out in life to reach your full potential. Christian life planning and coaching along with soul searching exercises reveal the unique marks God left on your soul when He created you. From this foundation, you will create your strategic Christian blueprint containing goals and action steps for five key areas of living a strategic Christian life: Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Financial and Career.
This seminar could be the most life changing of any you have attended in your life. Call 954-452-4404 today to register.

Our Contact Number Is 954-452-4407

2007-12-04T06:40:00.000-05:00

If you want to contact us for more information about our ministry you can do so by calling us at 954-452-4407 or e-mail us at livingwatercoaching@yahoo.com.

See our web page at livingwatercoaching.com

Sane Word For Today

2007-12-04T06:22:00.000-05:00

Much of our struggle with dealing with the past is to fully recognize some realities about the past.

1. The past is gone only a memory of the past remains
2. Whatever happened in the past, by the grace of God you survived it
3. The memory is just a mental "ghost" of the past pain and has no real power to harm you but can scare and haunt you.
4. When you experienced the events that led to your memory of the past you were younger and weaker than you are today.
5. Your younger and weaker self survived the reality that your memory now reflects
6. Your stronger and more mature self today can face and be free of the fear of the memory
7. Prayers of release and self talk that is aimed at living in present time as one who has survived and grown stronger are key methods of overcoming our painful past. (Read Philippians 4)

By dealing with our past we can reach the full potential for our future.

Thought For the Week

2007-11-28T15:49:00.001-05:00

The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one's life.

SEXUAL FREEDOM SEMINAR MOVED TO JAN 26TH 2008

2007-11-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

Saturday
Jan 26th
From 9-12

This seminar is aimed to help men understand how to gain self control over sexual lust, use of pornography, and sinful sexual practices. This seminar is practical, real, and has been a means for many men to begin their first steps in gaining freedom from sexual lust. If your tired of struggling with sexual desires that are outside of God's will for your life this this seminar is for you..

Check out our web page

2007-11-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

http://livingwatercoaching.com/

Blue Print For Life Seminar

2007-11-22T07:56:00.000-05:00

Denise Leaving

2007-11-22T07:53:00.001-05:00

Denise Malave has been called by God to new employment. Denise has been our receptionist for eleven years. We will greatly miss her.

We are looking for a new person to fill this position. If you are interested please call 954-452-4404 and give your information to Terry.

Pray for us as we go through this transition

New Classes Begin

2007-10-23T15:09:00.000-04:00

New Classes Begin in Plantation, Boca, East Fort Lauderdale, and Lakeland

A new series of Family Life Skill Classes and Shelter from the Storm classes have begun in October. If you would like to find out more about these classes call Denise at 954-452-4407.

Family Life Skills is designed to help men and women learn the dynamics of effective relationships, anger management, loving communications, and healing from our past so that it does not destroy our present. These classes have transformed people for over twenty years.

Shelter From the Storm is focused on helping people who have been sexually abused. The wounds of sexual abuse can impact every aspect of our lives and relationships. Finding substantial healing for these wounds can great increase our ability to love and be loved in a healthy and whole manner. We have seen many surviving victims of abuse have their lives opened up to reach their full potential due to the experience of healing received in these classes.

If you think that these classes could help you call us at 954-452-4407.

Living Water Banquet Results!

2007-10-23T15:06:00.000-04:00

We praise God for a great Banquet on Oct 12th!

We had 150 people attend!
We reviewed the wonderful achievements of 2007
We set our new goals of beginning Life Coaching nationally in 2008
We visioned for the opening of our Spiritual Retreat Center by 2010

We raised over $25,000 in donations and had $10,000 pledged

We want to thank everyone who particapated and made this event such a great time!

Living Water Vision Banquet 2007

2007-10-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

Living Water Life Coaching & Spiritual Direction is having our 15th annual Vision Banquet

It will be on Friday, October 12th
at
Volunteer Park
12050 W Sunrise Blvd.
Plantation, FL

Their will be a Silent Auction at 6:30 PM
The Banquet will begin at 7:00 PM

Call Denise at 954-452-4407 to RSVP

Find out about all the wonderful things that God has done in our ministry in 2007 and all the plans for growth we have for 2008!

Being Pro-Active

2007-06-06T06:41:00.000-04:00

What does it mean to be pro-active? It means to accept that we are 100% responsible for our thoughts, actions, words, and attitudes. It also means we do not accept responsibility for other people or for circumstances. These are outside our control. Our focus is on being "response able" as we face other people and circumstances. To accept that we have the duty to exercise self control and wisdom in every circumstance.

To be pro-active also means that we are looking ahead. We are not waiting to "react" but instead to be planning how we will respond and what we will do before anything happens. We are not looking to other people or circumstances to set our values, goals, or objectives. Instead we have a mission and plan that we aim to seek to bring to reality.

How are you doing today in the area of being pro-active? Are you accepting that only you are responsible for your thoughts, actions, words, and attitudes? Have you blamed someone for what you did in the last 24 hours? Strive today to have a pro-active attitude that aims at self control and seeks to be guided by long term wisdom in every action.

Living Water Life Coaching News

2006-11-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

We are opening a new teaching center for our Family Life Skills at the Rio Vista Community Church located just south of Broward on Federal Highway. We should be beginning both men's and women's classes by the end of January. If you have anyone on the East Side of Fort Lauderdale that you would like to take these classes call 954-452-4407 and talk to Denise.