Roll It Up & Repent

^“…every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

(James 1:14-15)

(Take a listen to the new song below, after reading)

The summer heat that is kicking right now makes me think of one thing...Hell!! Just joking, really it makes me think of the Holy Spirit & sin...yea I know, but just follow along & I promise it will make sense. When I’m in my car with the A/C on the hot summer heat can't hurt me...because of what I have on the inside. But let me just slightly crack the window & I quickly start to feel the effects of the nasty, blistering, summer heat & though the A/C is still working, the heat is still a problem I can't overlook.

When I crack the window of my life just a hair to sin...it quickly becomes a problem. Much like the heat that swiftly rushes in, it overtakes me. Even though the Holy Spirit is inside me & still at work, that sin makes it hard to recognize the working of the Spirit. It doesn’t take much to allow sin in & allow it to have reign in your life, just leave it the slightest opening. A little gossip with the girls, just a peek at porn, a white lie, some social drinking, sex before marriage, get lax in your time with God, etc... & Satan will slither right in & it won’t just affect you.


If I ride around in this heat with my window cracked, it doesn’t matter how high I have the A/C on, it makes it hard to even tell its working & by the sweat dripping off my brow...others can’t see that my A/C is working either. When you allow sin in, it doesn’t just affect you, it affects everyone you come in contact with & they’ll have a hard time telling if your A/C...I mean Holy Spirit is working.


Solution: If your window is cracked, roll it up & repent & seek God for guidance & forgiveness. He says that He is faithful & just to forgive you & cleanse you.

Vern

Just Jesus

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

(Galatians 5:22-23)

(Check out new video at bottom of blog)

While in Memphis this year working with “Street Reach”, which is a wonderful ministry from Brinkley Heights Baptist Church, we had a discussion where our site missionary asked what we thought was missing on the tough streets of Memphis & what we would give them to solve the problems if we could. We all kind of sat in silence for a bit…but what could we give them to solve their problems? I quietly asked God, “What could we do, what one thing would change this community?” I mean we know what’s missing; we know what we don’t see. No one seems to have a love for one another. The majority don’t seem joyful. It doesn’t at all seem peaceful…wait a minute!! At that time it hit me…no love, no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness, no self-control!!



What would I bring to the tough streets of Memphis? The same thing that I would bring to the gated communities of Hoover or Vestavia, the same thing that I would bring to the poorest places in the world is the same thing that I’d bring to the wealthiest. But actually…it’s really not a “thing”, but a person…the Holy Spirit. In both, they can lack the fruit that only the Holy Spirit can produce. What or who can change the bad streets, rich or poor? Only Jesus Christ, living in people’s hearts…bringing what we all need for a true safe, civil society…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.


Can you imagine what life would be like if we all had the Holy Spirit living in us, guiding our lives, unrestricted by our desires? What one thing? Just Jesus.

Vern



Don't Lose Sight of Scripture

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

(Romans 15:4)

Often we think that when we have read through the Bible then we are done…that we have the main idea of the book, that we get the point of it. That would be true if the Bible were just a novel like War & Peace, Robinson Crusoe or Moby Dick. But the Bible our holy scriptures are “breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16), “…the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12). The Bible is not just a novel but the living breathing word of God.

Ever notice, if you truly study God’s word that when you read a verse & then down the road as you grow closer to God, when you read that verse again, it seems to give you more. God will give you what He can trust you with, when He can trust you with it. His truths are not going to be just thrown out to just anybody…but when a person is His & sincere about following Him then He will trust them with more & more. That’s why a nonbeliever cannot understand God’s word. Yea they can get the story line, but not the deep spiritual meanings that God wants to reveal to His children.


The Bible helps us remember who God is & what He can do. When you stay in it & see all the times that He has provided, protected & prospered His people, it will bring a sense of joy, comfort & peace in your life that He will do the same for you. The God that saved Noah & his family in the flood is the same God that will save you in your troubles. The God who led Abraham in his journey is the same God who will lead you in yours. The God who worked in the lives of Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Ruth, Peter, John & Paul…is the exact same God that will work in your life to lead, guide & make you successful in His will. But if you lose sight of scripture…you will lose sight of God. When you think that you know it, when you think that God cannot teach you anymore from His word, then you are leaning “…on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5), God will teach you from His word as long as you live & as long as you stay in it.


It’s not meant to be legalistic…often when you talk about the need to stay in God’s word daily, the first thing people say is that thinking someone has to read the Bible daily is legalism. But that is not what I mean. If you are reading your Bible as a way to just “appease” God or to just get brownie points for Heaven, then you are being legalistic. But if your goal is to learn God’s will, His truth & His love so it will affect your life…then yes daily Bible study is needed. Don’t freak out trying to read through it just to say you did. What good is it if you read it, but don’t remember it? You need to read in a way that you can study it. Take your time & soak it in, not fly through it just to say you read it. The Bible is meant to be your guide, your instruction manual for life. It should be enjoyable…if it is not or if you have no hunger for it, then there may be a spiritual problem. Be honest & ask God to search your heart. When He reveals the source of the problem to you, then handle it how He wants.


Get alone with God. Set yourself a time daily, just to spend building that strong relationship with Him. Stay in His word, so that you will remember who He is & how much He loves you.

Vern