O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Psalm 64:8
Like jars of clay, we are made very specific by God to know Him and enjoy Him forever. A jar is a container and a container is created to be filled with something. We are made to be filled, and what we should be filled with is the knowledge of the glory of God. Anytime we seek knowledge, relationship, or pleasure outside of God’s will for our lives, we become addicts in our vain attempt to find meaning and fulfillment.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
According to a recent Time Magazine article by Michael D. Lemonick titled “How We Get Addicted”, as species wired for survival, we have an odd habit of getting hooked on things that can kill us. “Addictions,” says Joseph Frascella, director of the division of clinical neuroscience at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “are repetitive behaviors in the face of negative consequences, the desire to continue something you know is bad for you.”
Jesus taught that we have an enemy who comes to deceive us and tempt us to participate in activities that will destroy our lives. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The devil comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
Addictions in America change over time. Here’s a look at what substance and behavior addictions have us hooked today. (Time Magazine, July 16, 2007)
18:7 million people, or 7.7% of the population, are dependent on or abuse alcohol, and 12,000 more try it for the first time every day. Alcoholics Anonymous has over 2 million members.
An estimated 3.6 million people are dependent on drugs. On average, 8,000 try them for the first time each day, and 700,000 are undergoing treatment for addiction.
There are about 71.5 million users of tobacco products in the U.S. About 23.4% of men and 18.5% of women are cigarette smokers.
Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world and is routinely ingested by about 80% to 90% of Americans, primarily through soda and coffee.
An addiction to food affects as many as 4 million U.S. adults and is strongly linked to depression. About 15% of mildly obese people are compulsive eaters.
Two million American adults, or 0.67% of the population, are thought to be pathological gamblers, wagering heedless of the consequences. An additional 4 to 8 million are considered problem gamblers.
At least 1 in 20 Americans is a compulsive shopper, according to a Stanford University study. Cultural factors, like advertising’s emphasis on the happiness products can bring, are thought to fuel addictive buying.
About 16 million Americans suffer from compulsive sexual behavior, the least understood of all addictions. A third are women; about 60% of all sex addicts were abused in childhood.
Like compulsive gambling, Internet addiction is thought to be an impulse-control disorder that can disrupt social relationships.
Wow, maybe this research reveals that the devil is real and Jesus knows what He is talking about.
Stay tuned for part 2 on Addiction Affliction.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Global Warning: God is a Consuming Fire
Hebrews 12:28-29 says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29) for our “God is a consuming fire.”
What does is mean that our God is a consuming fire? It means everything God consumes, every place where God’s fire comes, he purifies and makes holy. Holiness means morally and spiritually excellent or perfect. It means belonging to, devoted to, or empowered by God. It means to be consecrated and sacred.
When God consumes us with his fire, he purifies us and makes us holy, he swallows up, he consumes, he burns up all our pride, our greed, our jealousy, our bitterness, our anger, our self-righteousness, even our dreams, our hopes, our visions for ourselves.
Israel was delivered by God out of Egypt, and he chose to guide them out with a pillar of cloud by daytime and a pillar of fire at night. It’s interesting when you think about God choosing this pillar of fire by night, and it makes perfect sense. The Bible tells us God led them as a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night so they could travel anytime—both day and night.
God consumes us and purifies us, but not only that. When God comes in our life like a fire, he recreates us. He transforms us so that day or night, 24/7, every moment of our existence, we will be prepared to follow him and move at his initiative. Everyone who has been consumed by the fire of God is now God-mobile, day or night. When you are consumed by the fire of God, you become a journeyman in the darkness. God becomes the light. The Scriptures say the pillar of fire always stayed in front of them to lead them as God moved. God comes and consumes us not when we want God to follow us, but when we are ready to follow him.
You know the wonderful thing about fire? It’s irreversible. It’s a consuming experience. Some of you reading this blog are wood. You’ve been going to church or someplace all your life, and you carry your wood around. You’re religious, and your wood is valuable to you. But you’ve never encountered God; he’s never encountered you. You’ve never opened your life to him, and you’ve never been set on fire. So you’ve got all this wood—it’s religion and ritual. And the way you can know you are just wood and not fire is because you’re not passionate about the things of God. But be careful with your wood, because God can even consume wood that’s been drenched in water.
Some of you reading this blog are ashes. What’s happened with you is that you were wood, and at some vulnerable moment in your life you said, “God, I’m yours. I understand you’re a consuming fire. I give you everything I am. I throw my life, my future, my dreams, my hopes, my pains, everything to you.” And God consumed you in that moment and you were burning for God. But then you let the fire go out, and you discovered you were nothing but ashes. And the way you talk is, “There once was a time when I knew God. There was a time I felt close to God.” You keep looking back on your life, and you’re just carrying around these ashes. (Erwin McManus)
Others of you are matches. You are shining a little light, but it is about to burn out. God says, “It’s not enough. I don’t want you to have a little, tiny light. I want you to be a fire consumed in God.”
Do you know how you can tell if a person is connected to God? It’s the one that gets set on fire.
What does is mean that our God is a consuming fire? It means everything God consumes, every place where God’s fire comes, he purifies and makes holy. Holiness means morally and spiritually excellent or perfect. It means belonging to, devoted to, or empowered by God. It means to be consecrated and sacred.
When God consumes us with his fire, he purifies us and makes us holy, he swallows up, he consumes, he burns up all our pride, our greed, our jealousy, our bitterness, our anger, our self-righteousness, even our dreams, our hopes, our visions for ourselves.
Israel was delivered by God out of Egypt, and he chose to guide them out with a pillar of cloud by daytime and a pillar of fire at night. It’s interesting when you think about God choosing this pillar of fire by night, and it makes perfect sense. The Bible tells us God led them as a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night so they could travel anytime—both day and night.
God consumes us and purifies us, but not only that. When God comes in our life like a fire, he recreates us. He transforms us so that day or night, 24/7, every moment of our existence, we will be prepared to follow him and move at his initiative. Everyone who has been consumed by the fire of God is now God-mobile, day or night. When you are consumed by the fire of God, you become a journeyman in the darkness. God becomes the light. The Scriptures say the pillar of fire always stayed in front of them to lead them as God moved. God comes and consumes us not when we want God to follow us, but when we are ready to follow him.
You know the wonderful thing about fire? It’s irreversible. It’s a consuming experience. Some of you reading this blog are wood. You’ve been going to church or someplace all your life, and you carry your wood around. You’re religious, and your wood is valuable to you. But you’ve never encountered God; he’s never encountered you. You’ve never opened your life to him, and you’ve never been set on fire. So you’ve got all this wood—it’s religion and ritual. And the way you can know you are just wood and not fire is because you’re not passionate about the things of God. But be careful with your wood, because God can even consume wood that’s been drenched in water.
Some of you reading this blog are ashes. What’s happened with you is that you were wood, and at some vulnerable moment in your life you said, “God, I’m yours. I understand you’re a consuming fire. I give you everything I am. I throw my life, my future, my dreams, my hopes, my pains, everything to you.” And God consumed you in that moment and you were burning for God. But then you let the fire go out, and you discovered you were nothing but ashes. And the way you talk is, “There once was a time when I knew God. There was a time I felt close to God.” You keep looking back on your life, and you’re just carrying around these ashes. (Erwin McManus)
Others of you are matches. You are shining a little light, but it is about to burn out. God says, “It’s not enough. I don’t want you to have a little, tiny light. I want you to be a fire consumed in God.”
Do you know how you can tell if a person is connected to God? It’s the one that gets set on fire.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Global Warning (Part 2)
If there is anything our society lacks today, it is a reverence and awe for God. We tend to think that God will always extend us the same amount of grace no matter what decisions we make. In other words, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and God will not make us suffer the consequences of our bad decisions. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Hebrews 12:14-17 says, 14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
According to this passage of scripture, we can miss the grace of God. Esau, lacking self-control, sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for food (Genesis 25:30-34). Birthright involved the right as head of the family (Genesis 27:29) and a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). This stripped Esau of the headship of the people through which Messiah would come. Thus, the lineage became Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Esau is referred to as godless because he sold his birthright. It is very important to God that we take our position in life very serious. It is a godless act to forfeit our destiny or not fulfill the purpose for which we were created. A simple deal over a bowl of food in a weak moment would forever determine the course of Esau’s life. There was nothing he could do to change his momentary lapse of reason.
King David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. God promoted him to King of his people because David desired to please God and do his will. In a momentary lapse of reason, David disobeyed God and committed adultery with Bathsheba. Although God forgave him, the consequences from this decision would prove to be devastating. The sword would never leave his house after this incident. Even his own sons would rebel against his leadership and try to have him overthrown and killed.
God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt to bring them into the promise land of Canaan. Because of their disobedience, grumbling and complaining, only two people of the original generation that left Egypt would make it to the promise land. God allowed the rest of the Israelites to perish as they wandered aimlessly in the desert for over forty years.
Yes, it is true that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Yes, it is true that God so loves the world that he sent his Son so that none would perish (John 3:16). However, God is also holy and God is also just. His holiness does not tolerate sin and his justice demands a punishment for sin. Unfortunately, we miss the grace of God by ignoring the holiness and justice of God by being flippant with his commands.
More than anything else, God desires that his people do his will. He brings fire into our soul to burn away anything that would stand in opposition to Him. In fact, God knows families would even be divided over the issue of doing God’s will and obeying His commandments.
In Luke 12:49-53 Jesus says, 49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
See to it that you don't miss the grace of God! Stay tuned for part 3 of Global Warnnig.
Hebrews 12:14-17 says, 14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
According to this passage of scripture, we can miss the grace of God. Esau, lacking self-control, sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for food (Genesis 25:30-34). Birthright involved the right as head of the family (Genesis 27:29) and a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). This stripped Esau of the headship of the people through which Messiah would come. Thus, the lineage became Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Esau is referred to as godless because he sold his birthright. It is very important to God that we take our position in life very serious. It is a godless act to forfeit our destiny or not fulfill the purpose for which we were created. A simple deal over a bowl of food in a weak moment would forever determine the course of Esau’s life. There was nothing he could do to change his momentary lapse of reason.
King David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. God promoted him to King of his people because David desired to please God and do his will. In a momentary lapse of reason, David disobeyed God and committed adultery with Bathsheba. Although God forgave him, the consequences from this decision would prove to be devastating. The sword would never leave his house after this incident. Even his own sons would rebel against his leadership and try to have him overthrown and killed.
God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt to bring them into the promise land of Canaan. Because of their disobedience, grumbling and complaining, only two people of the original generation that left Egypt would make it to the promise land. God allowed the rest of the Israelites to perish as they wandered aimlessly in the desert for over forty years.
Yes, it is true that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Yes, it is true that God so loves the world that he sent his Son so that none would perish (John 3:16). However, God is also holy and God is also just. His holiness does not tolerate sin and his justice demands a punishment for sin. Unfortunately, we miss the grace of God by ignoring the holiness and justice of God by being flippant with his commands.
More than anything else, God desires that his people do his will. He brings fire into our soul to burn away anything that would stand in opposition to Him. In fact, God knows families would even be divided over the issue of doing God’s will and obeying His commandments.
In Luke 12:49-53 Jesus says, 49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
See to it that you don't miss the grace of God! Stay tuned for part 3 of Global Warnnig.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Global Warning
Do you remember where you were on New Year’s Eve before the turn of the new millennium? Where you partying “like its 1999”? I spent the night at the hotel where my father was working as the general manager. He had to work that night in case the Y2K bug crashed all of the hotel’s computer systems. Media and popular culture had us convinced the world was going to shut down once the clock struck midnight. Fear was resonating in the hearts of millions of Americans.
I remember watching Dick Clark do the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown as the ball dropped in Time Square. Next thing I knew, I was giving my wife a Happy New Year’s kiss and thanking God that all of the lights were still on. The new millennium was here and there was no bug to be found in the computers. However there was still fear to be found in the hearts of people.
The events in the new millennium have done anything but eliminate the fear that permeates our society. In 2000, we had the “hanging chad” election where a majority of people were convinced there was some kind of conspiracy determining the result. In 2001 on 9/11, terrorists hijacked planes and used them as weapons of mass destruction on U.S. soil.
In 2004, the hurricane season was notable as one of the deadliest and most costly Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, with at least 150 deaths and roughly $42 billion (2004 US dollars) in damage. The most notable storms for the season were the four hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. state of Florida, three of them with at least 115 mph (185 km/h) sustained winds: Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
In 2005, Southeast Asia was be devastated as many people lost there lives during a tsunami. Also in 2005, the world watched as Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans died on national television after being left stranded for days without food and water.
In fact, as I type this blog, the news stations are reporting on a bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis and fell into the Mississippi River. It seems that we can’t even travel across our bridges anymore without worrying about their stability.
It was during the hurricane season of 2005 that I recall overhearing conversation after conversation in the gym about the topic of “end times”. The men in the locker room were certain that all of these events were signs that we are living in the last days. People seemed to be facing the fact that we are not invincible. This shaking was definitely stirring the God conscious in all who witnessed these tragedies.
In this new millennium, could God be using these misfortunes to give us a global warning?
Hebrews 12:25-27 says, “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? (26) At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (27) The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29) for our “God is a consuming fire.”
What does it mean to worship God acceptably with awe and reverence? It means that the most important and serious activity we should attend to in life is worship. Worship is homage or reverence paid to God, and it is complete adoration and devotion to Him.
If there is anything our society lacks today, it is a reverence and awe for God. We tend to think that God will always extend us the same amount of grace no matter what decisions we make. In other words, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and God will not make us suffer the consequences of our bad decisions. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Stay tuned for part two of Global Warning and come visit us for part two of our Global Warning series at Every Nation Tallahassee. Service times are 9am and 11am. I look forward to seeing you there.
I remember watching Dick Clark do the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown as the ball dropped in Time Square. Next thing I knew, I was giving my wife a Happy New Year’s kiss and thanking God that all of the lights were still on. The new millennium was here and there was no bug to be found in the computers. However there was still fear to be found in the hearts of people.
The events in the new millennium have done anything but eliminate the fear that permeates our society. In 2000, we had the “hanging chad” election where a majority of people were convinced there was some kind of conspiracy determining the result. In 2001 on 9/11, terrorists hijacked planes and used them as weapons of mass destruction on U.S. soil.
In 2004, the hurricane season was notable as one of the deadliest and most costly Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, with at least 150 deaths and roughly $42 billion (2004 US dollars) in damage. The most notable storms for the season were the four hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. state of Florida, three of them with at least 115 mph (185 km/h) sustained winds: Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
In 2005, Southeast Asia was be devastated as many people lost there lives during a tsunami. Also in 2005, the world watched as Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans died on national television after being left stranded for days without food and water.
In fact, as I type this blog, the news stations are reporting on a bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis and fell into the Mississippi River. It seems that we can’t even travel across our bridges anymore without worrying about their stability.
It was during the hurricane season of 2005 that I recall overhearing conversation after conversation in the gym about the topic of “end times”. The men in the locker room were certain that all of these events were signs that we are living in the last days. People seemed to be facing the fact that we are not invincible. This shaking was definitely stirring the God conscious in all who witnessed these tragedies.
In this new millennium, could God be using these misfortunes to give us a global warning?
Hebrews 12:25-27 says, “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? (26) At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (27) The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29) for our “God is a consuming fire.”
What does it mean to worship God acceptably with awe and reverence? It means that the most important and serious activity we should attend to in life is worship. Worship is homage or reverence paid to God, and it is complete adoration and devotion to Him.
If there is anything our society lacks today, it is a reverence and awe for God. We tend to think that God will always extend us the same amount of grace no matter what decisions we make. In other words, all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and God will not make us suffer the consequences of our bad decisions. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Stay tuned for part two of Global Warning and come visit us for part two of our Global Warning series at Every Nation Tallahassee. Service times are 9am and 11am. I look forward to seeing you there.
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