overcoming evil

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

 

Terrorist attacks. Racism. Violence. Hatred. Fear.

 

Take one look at your phone or newsfeed over the past few weeks and it is undeniable that the world simply is not as it should be. Sin has fractured our relationship with God and with one another, and we feel the effects every single day. In a world where evil seems to be on the rise with each passing moment, how are we meant to respond? How do we live as faithful followers of Christ in the midst of such pain and brokenness?

 

It is easy to see the needs of the world and feel helpless and overwhelmed, wondering how we can possibly make a difference or bring about peace and hope. I believe it is important to remember that faithfulness begins with seemingly unremarkable acts of goodness and love. You or I as individuals likely will not be able to solve global injustices or terror threats, yet we can seek to bring God’s peace to our neighborhoods, families, and workplaces. Where on your own street is there injustice that you can seek to overcome? Where in your family is there brokenness and hurt that needs the healing touch of Christ?

 

Faithful Christian discipleship is often found in the small, unseen places. It is the daily life of prayer and repentance that God uses to change the world. We join him in his renewing work when we turn away from sin and evil and let our lives be filled with the goodness of His presence. As the great novelist Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

 

When you see stories of evil and sorrow that leave you speechless, do not be overcome with despair. Instead, look close to home and ask the Lord to show you how you can be an agent of his goodness and love in the spheres of influence he has given you. This is how we as Christians learn to faithfully follow Jesus in the midst of a confusing and broken world. As we resist evil and overcome it with good, we encounter a foretaste of the goodness and justice of His coming Kingdom.

Our prayer:  Lord when we are confronted with evil, give us the strength and power of Your Spirit to overcome evil with good and love Amen.

You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14

 

Jesus is a friend to His followers. He is Lord, but He is a friend. He is Savior, but He is a friend. He is the Son of God, but He is a friend. He is sinless and holy, but He is a friend. He is a friend to sinners, and a friend to those He saves. Jesus is a friend to his followers, but it is a friendship based on obedience. Compliance with Christ creates companionship.

 

If I do not obey Christ’s commands, He does not call me friend. It is out of our actions that friendship with Jesus is validated. Obedience to Jesus inspires intimacy with Jesus. It is imperative that we obey Jesus so that we can really get to know Him. His friendship is free for all who follow hard with a hungry heart to obey. Friendship flourishes with faithful fidelity.

 

Friendship with Jesus is an invitation to intimacy. He reveals to His friends the riches of His grace, and the hope of His glory. It is a friendship that bears the fruit of saved souls and solid character. You begin to emulate the attitude, actions, words and spirit of Jesus, because this is what friends do. Friends look, act and sound like each other. You know you are a friend of Jesus, when Jesus consistently influences you to be like Him.

 

When others are around you does your behavior provide evidence that you’ve been with Jesus? Is it a friendship based on conviction, not convenience, intimacy, not intimidation and giving, not getting? As you grow in your friendship with Christ you better understand His heart, and your prayers align more with His will. Friendship with Jesus facilitates friendship with people. True friends flock to be with fellow friends of Jesus. Evangelism of the lost and edification of the saved flow freely when Jesus is your best friend.

Our prayer:  Dear Lord thank you for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  Each day may we make every effort to grow deeper in our intimacy and friendship with you Amen.

Secret to Success

He [Uzziah] sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. 2 Chronicles 26:5

 

It should come as no surprise that success, as God defines it, comes from seeking Him (see Matthew 6:33). For the disciple of Jesus, doing the will of God is the highest degree of success. As we follow God’s will, we are successful. Success is not something waiting for us sometime in the future. We have already achieved success if we are walking in step with our heavenly Father. If we’re not in step with Him, we may have an outward shell of success, but inwardly and relationally we are a failure. Seeking God is a volitional and relational act. It is consciously and regularly seeking to understand our Creator. Seeking God is to know Him. Seeking God is to love Him.

 

Seeking God is to praise and worship Him. Seeking God is confessing and crying out to Him. It is enjoying the comfort of our heavenly Father. It is practicing the presence of Christ in you. You seek God at church, at home, at work, and with your friends. There is no place where He is not sought, other than in hell itself. What a privilege and perk for Jesus’ people, anytime, anywhere, and for any reason, to be able to seek God. Therefore, seek Him just as aggressively during the calm as you do in the chaos. Jesus doesn’t want to just be your crisis manager; He wants to be your Lord, who leads you into wise living.

 

You cannot seek God in isolation. This involves the counsel and advice of those much wiser, godly and mature believers in Christ.  Seeking God involves validation from the wise. In danger is the man or woman who attempts to seek God without submitting to godly teaching, mentoring, and discipling from gifted leaders of the faith. You learn to fear God from those who fear God; you learn to love God from those who love God; you learn to forgive from those who forgive; you learn to pray from those who pray; you learn to serve from those who serve. Seeking God comes from seeking the godly. Avoid hero worship. No one except Christ deserves this level of admiration. A wise way to understand God is to understand the godly.

 

Hang out with those you want to be like. This is why church and community is vital to seeking God. You cannot seek God while not seeking supportive people. Scripture teaches, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out” (Proverbs 18:15). Seek God in His Word. The Bible is God’s anthology and it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Scripture is the first and last word on God. It defines Him, so it can define you. Know His Word, and you will know Him. Read it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Learn it. Above all else, apply it.  Success is a result of seeking God. Therefore, seek Him more often than not.

 

Our Prayer: Heavenly Father, I seek You for success in life—as You define success.

Resting place

God will speak to this people, to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”—but they would not listen. Isaiah 28:11b-12

 

Everyone needs a place to rest, a time to rejuvenate and restore your soul. A soul without rest is vulnerable to doubt, disease, sin, and dread. Without soul care, you risk being ineffective for the long term. So, allow your soul to catch up with your activity through rest. A restless soul loses hope and perspective. Stop right now and take an audit of your soul. Is it strung out and anxious?

 

If it is, rearrange your schedule for rest before it rearranges you. A non-restful pace is unsustainable, and a restful place is necessary to persevere. Do not fall for the false feeling that activity somehow equals progress or success. Without rest, you are going nowhere fast. If you intensify the pace, you are going nowhere, faster.

 

Rest allows you to recalibrate your priorities and replenish your cistern of creativity. Your work rhythms may require a day with no scheduled appointments. Indeed, each resting place looks different, depending on your need. For example, your resting place may be the quiet screened porch, where you relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. For someone else, a resting place may be a comfortable couch, where they nap to the steady beat of raindrops pelting the rooftop.

 

It can be the park where you walk with your best friend, a secluded drive in the countryside, or an adventurous exploration. Whether your resting place is the beach, the mountains, or in front of a good movie, make time to engage with it. God speaks to you in your place of rest. This is one of His favorite spots to shape your soul.

Furthermore, your resting place allows you to resist temptation. Fatigue causes you to stumble and fall through life. If you are working through exhaustion, you may be missing God. A lethargic life struggles to listen to the Lord, and a heart worn down from weariness has a hard time hearing His voice. A depleted spirit is not primed for discernment, and decision-making during duress can be dreadful.

 

Therefore, go away to a resting place. Find God and find yourself under the canopy of His creation. A resting place is your protection from yourself, from evil influences, and from lost perspective. Above all else, your resting place reveals God in a refreshing way. His program takes on a new priority in His place of rest. Your confidence is resurrected. Your trust takes on a new level of intensity.

 

Your patience leads to a deeper understanding of what it means to wait on the Lord. A resting place is for your sake and His. It is necessary to experience God’s very best for you and your family. Discover your resting place in prayer, and go there often. Repentance follows rest, and robust relationships result from rest. Your best and most creative ideas emerge from relaxed meditation on your Master. Wisdom resides in rest.

Our prayer:  Lord reveal to me the times when I am doing too much, and missing my rest time with you.  When I find rest let me find peace, comfort, joy, grace, and love in you Amen.

Trust Him while you wait on Him

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”   Genesis 15:8

 

You know by first knowing God. He does not leave you in the dark to grope around in unbelief. He wants you to go to Him for discernment and understanding. If assurance of knowing what God was saying came easily, you would be tempted to take the credit for your accomplishments with the Lord. He wants you to know what to do, but on His terms. Many times, knowing what to do follows belief, obedience, and trust. Take God at His word today and be faithful to His instruction. It may mean extending kindness to a nemesis at work or praying more for your children and saying less. Indeed, “how to know” follows “how to be.” Be patient, and allow God to work in spite of your self-imposed deadlines. Trust Him as you wait on Him.

 

Furthermore, do not let your drive for possessions paralyze you from trusting and obeying. When you are ready, God will allow you to understand how you can have something. He trusts those who show themselves trustworthy. Be faithful with your finances; they protect you from bypassing God’s best. Personal debt can short-circuit God’s work, so rely on Christ, not credit. Reliance on credit can easily take the place of reliance on God’s provision.

 

So, take a financial reality check and start by paying off the credit card with the lowest balance. Money can draw you closer to your Master or drive you further away. You can know you are positioned to buy something if you have the cash for the purchase. Cash collaborates with the future, but debt presumes on the future. Paying as you go helps you to know the Lord’s leading. So, follow the Lord by faith. You will know all you need to know, as you get to know Him. Knowing Him is your passage to knowing what to do.

 

The Lord loves you too much to leave you in the lurch. He constantly communicates with His children through Holy Scripture. He may speak to you in a dream. He may be shouting at you through friends and foes. Circumstances may be squeezing you toward specific outcomes. Be aware of all that is converging around you, for Christ does not work in a vacuum.

 

God is working all around you. Engage with Him in your crisis of belief. He will let you know what to do next. Trust God with this one thing, and ask Him for discernment on the next steps. Validate your idea with those who know you best and who hold you accountable. Be faithful with these small steps, and He will position and promote you to experience larger roles and responsibilities in His timing.

 

Resist the temptation to rush to the next big thing. There are a lot of little miracles yet to be encountered. The lion’s share of your vision may happen after you are gone. The continued execution of “how to know” may follow you into eternity. So set the table now for those who will feast on the results of your faith after your exit. You know by knowing Him.

Prayer:  Father we put our trust in you.  Make us sensitive to your leading Spirit, that we might be able to apply your principles to our lives and be obedient to your instructions.  In Jesus name Amen.

Anointed or entitled

So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. 1 Samuel 16:12-13

 

An anointed leader is chosen by God, not self-appointed or randomly assigned to a position by man. An anointed leader knows they are called by God, not driven by selfish ambition or the desire to be great. Greatness is reserved for servants of our Lord and Savior, who quietly give themselves to purposes greater than themselves. If I strive to be seen or selected for a role, I miss a chance to grow my faith while waiting on the will of God to unfold. Entitled leaders feel the need for a job title so they seem and feel important, while anointed leaders esteem others as more important.

 

David was minding his own business, being faithful where he was (to his call to shepherd well), when the Lord called him to shepherd His flock. God’s choice was probably a surprise to those who expected a “better” resume, but infinite wisdom knew the wisdom of selecting a servant with a love for God and a fiery heart to defend and lead God’s people. So Samuel, the man of God, followed the Lord’s leading by anointing David in front of his brothers. Because of their faith, submission and obedience, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon God’s anointed (see Psalm 89:20-21).

 

Are you in waiting mode for an opportunity you think is just right for you? Or are you looking and praying for just the right person to serve with you? In either situation be patient, prayerful and opened handed. Trust Jesus and wait on His best, better to be in a storm, trial/tribulation with Jesus, than to be living and doing without Him. At any moment Christ can calm the chaos and bring clarity to the confusion, so pray against getting ahead of God. You bring the most glory to the Lord when your joy and contentment are found in Christ, not your circumstances.

 

The power to lead is not primarily about position, but submission, which positions you for favor from our Lord. Submit to God’s Spirit to cleanse your heart, fill your soul and lead your life. Submit to the authorities in your life to validate your ideas, protect you from yourself and hold you responsible to steward well the organization’s mission. Anointed leadership leads out of weakness, while leaning into the Spirit for strength. Is your faith fatigued? Ask the Lord for a fresh anointing. Be prepared and trust God that in Christ you are anointed.

Our Prayer: Father thank you for the call to lead.  Send a fresh anointing upon us for leadership, and the patience to wait on your instruction and unction in all our leadership decisions Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
The greatest ability is availability

When life isn't fair

For we walk by faith, not by sight.   2 Corinthians 5:7

 

In his book Disappointment with God, Philip Yancey writes about a friend named Douglas who experienced deep disappointment. Douglas’s wife contracted breast cancer. While in the middle of this crisis, a drunk driver swerved across the center line and smashed head-on into Douglas’ car, and Douglas received a severe blow to the head. His vision was affected, and his ability to read was hindered. He could hardly walk down a flight of stairs without assistance. The damage was irreparable. Philip interviewed Douglas to ask if he felt disappointment with God. Philip writes. . .

 

“Douglas was silent for what seemed like a long time. Finally he said, “To tell you the truth, Philip, I didn’t feel any disappointment with God. . . . The reason is this: I learned, first through my wife’s illness and then especially through the incident, not to confuse God with life. . .  I have learned to see beyond the physical reality of this world to the spiritual reality. We tend to think, ‘Life should be fair because God is fair.’ But God is not life. And if I confuse God with the physical reality of life, by expecting constant health, for example, then I set myself up for a crashing disappointment. God’s existence, even his love for me, does not depend on my good health. Frankly, I’ve had more time and opportunity to work on my relationship with God during my impairment than before.”

 

We can see beloved that Douglas learned to successfully navigate disappointment when you don’t get what you want: to believe without seeing, to walk by faith and not by sight. Douglas knew that God is loving and powerful, even though his circumstances didn’t support this truth.

 

Some people think that trusting God as Douglas did, to believe without seeing, is foolish. “Blind faith,” they scoff. But isn’t faith often blind? If faith can see from beginning to end, if faith means that we understand all things like God, then faith is not faith at all.

Prayer:  Lord increase our faith.  Amen

Pastor Todd A. Brown

"Developing Kingdom Ambassadors"

New Mount Zion Baptist Church

Leaders lean

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

 

Everyone believe it or not is a leader. You may not lead a company, a classroom, a boardroom, or a sports team, but you are a leader. Maybe you are a mom who leads her children, or you are a leader for the guy who sits next to you in the office just because he looks up to you as a model of professionalism. Perhaps you lead a little league team. Everyone is a leader somehow, sometime.

 

It’s unfortunate, but sometimes when we start wearing the “leader” label, we also start wearing the “perfection” label. We believe that we must have it all together and be strong, because that’s what leaders are, right? We wrongly believe we always have to be postured, perfect, and never struggle. Anyone who has tried to bear this weight can testify to how heavy it is. But there is good news my friend. God provides grace for all who lead, for all who look to Jesus.   

 

Jesus led his disciples in many ways. In Luke 19:28, He led the disciples by walking in front of them. In John 13:3-5, He led them by demonstrating servant leadership when he washed their feet, and in Matthew 4:19 He led them by inviting them to follow Him. Most importantly, while He was leading His disciples, He was pressing into His Father out of need. When He needed to be strengthened, He spent time alone in prayer (see Luke 5:16), when He grieved over Lazarus’ death He wept, He called out to God for help (see John 11:1-44) even on the cross, and cried out to His Father in His greatest time of need.

 

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli,lema sabachthani?’ (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (See Matthew 27:46).

 

The perfect Christ wrestled and struggled with temptations and trials like we all do (see Hebrews 4:15). So where do we get this ridiculous idea that godly, competent Christians, and Christian leaders shouldn’t have needs? Where do we get the idea that they are never really desperate, that they are always in control and composed, and that if they truly belong to Christ they always have a hallelujah on their lips?

 

We didn’t learn it from Moses, who led a stubborn nation, and cried out to God saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me?” (see Exodus 17:4). We did not learn it from Paul, who was weak because of a thorn in the flesh, and asked God three times to remove it (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-8). When we expect ourselves or other leaders to be perfect, we appeal to the flesh and a standard no one can live up to (see Romans 3:10). The shouting great news is that God provides grace for us to serve Him in the places where He has called us. While we are leading, He invites us to lean into Him out of desperation and need so we can be the leaders He has called us to be. His grace will sustain you to do the job He has called you to. Aren’t you glad you can take off your label of perfection and put on your label of grace?

Our prayer:  Lord raise up the leader in me through the power of Your Spirt.  Let me always be desperate to lean on you for all I need to be the leader You have called me to be Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
The greatest ability is availability

New Mount Zion Baptist Church

www.wbgronline.com

He hears you

Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat my desperate words as wind? You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend.  Job 6:26-27

 

We all want to be heard, for our ideas to be valued. But when we feel unheard, especially by friends, and family our heart can slump into an unhealthy posture of dejection.  From time to time we all need correction, but not to the point of contempt, where it seems like every time we open our mouth, we feel under attack. There was a season in my life and work where I felt totally unheard. My supervisor acted deaf. The intimidation and innuendos were painful to my heart and almost damaging to my very soul (thank God I knew how to do as David and encourage myself in the Lord). Eventually, we parted ways.  

 

Job finds himself in a situation where he feels totally on the outside of a relationship that once throbbed with passion and possibilities. He tries to reason with an unreasonable person, his friend Eliphaz but, Job’s integrity is on the defensive. Like a swirling wind captures a feather, once Job’s words cross his lips, they are swept away and dismissed by a mind already made up. He tries to claw back with a straightforward and stingingly accurate civil discourse. Job learns: unfair accusations need to be addressed with a prayerful, direct response. Integrity hears first, then speaks (See Proverbs 10:9).  

 

Do you feel unheard, misunderstood or misrepresented? If so, be patient, pray, don’t become like the one who makes you feel undone. Ask the Lord what He wants you to learn. As you experience a crucible of sadness, seek quiet but honest introspection. Ask the Spirit to burn away the unnecessary and leave only what’s necessary for Christ’s purposes. By faith you learn to scale the mountain of God’s will in the valley of death to self. Humility listens and learns.

 

By God’s grace, seek to speak the truth with patient, defenseless clarity. Integrity has nothing to prove, only to lean into its proven track record of submission to Jesus. Chronic, non verbal passivity only compounds a communication break down. Instead, courageously practice saying what you feel like the young people say: "Say it with your chest!!". Always remember that an unheard heart must express its deep desire for an honest hearing. God always hears you.

 

Our Prayer:  Lord, thank You for hearing our heart so we have the boldness to share our heart amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown

New Mount Zion Baptist Church
The greatest ability is availability

Is it time to let go?

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

The writer of Ecclesiastes follows the verse above with a list of seasons, or “times,” such as birth and death, weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing. He even includes “a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted.”

I don’t know about you, but I remember when I was growing up in West Chester Pa. I didn't enjoy plucking up weeds and doing yardwork even though it was a necessity of growing up in the Brown household. Though I did not enjoy it I have learned a lot from it (thanks Mom and Dad). First of all, it takes time, and second, it can be taxing, and sometimes painful to pluck and uproot things. You know what I mean. You have a relationship or friendship God is asking you to relinquish. Sure, He planted it in a past season of your life, and it served its purpose. But now He is asking you to uproot it because He wants to do something different. Or perhaps God is saying about your job, “Let it go. I want to uproot it. I’ve got a new assignment for you.” Oh, but we’re so slow to let go because it can be painful, inconvenient, and sometimes just plain hard work (like mulching) But what do we forfeit if we insist on holding on to the old things that either we or God planted in old seasons?

When we refuse to let go, we forfeit the peace of knowing we are following Christ no matter what. We forfeit the joy we experience of being used by Him. Thankfully, we can rest assured of one thing: God never asks us to uproot anything in our lives without a reason and a plan. And He is faithful. He always asks because He wants to plant some kind of new seed to bring about a good change. 

Are you afraid to pluck up something even though its season in your life is over? Yes, you can be sure moving into the unknown with God will never be comfortable, but it will always be right, and great in the end.  You’ll know you’re exactly where you need to be. I encourage you to get out your spiritual gardening gloves today and get to plucking if that’s what God is calling you to do. 

Our Prayer:  Lord, please give the courage to follow you by letting go of anything you ask to that your will and what you ask may be accomplished Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown

New Mount Zion Baptist Church, Orangeburg SC
The greatest ability is availability

The best advice

I [Christ] counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:18

 

The advice of well meaning people is not always best. They advise when we should buy or sell something, or borrow money: when we should save money or save more money, when we should give more money. In the case of a relationship, when we should give it a second chance or continue in a relationship, or when we should break it off. When we consider changing jobs, when we should stay or remain in a job, when we should change jobs. Sincere counsel that sounds right, may not be the best advice. Only Christ gives counsel that is accurate and true all of the time.

 

In the book of Revelation, Jesus’ very insightful counsel exposes the church’s inability to see its unhealthy condition. His remedy is the application of His Spirit’s salve to reveal their need to be clothed in righteousness. Those who recognize their needy state are in a position to receive counsel, but those stuck in denial live in a dream like delusional state, and in a perpetual state of pain. Money can mask issues, but eventually severe dysfunction drives people and organizations to recognize their sickly condition. The longer the delay, the harder it is to fully recover. Only that which is birthed and provided by the Spirit can truly satisfy the thirsty soul. 

 

Wealth of heart gets to the heart of what our Lord desires most for us. Riches can be a roadblock to relationships or can provide additional options for spiritual and emotional growth. Abundance is the asset our generous God offers to His children. Abundance of life, relationships and all we need and desire to live a fulfilling life. The riches of Christ are not without cost. As our faith is tried by the fires of adversity and success we remain faithful to be a channel of the Lord’s acceptance, intimacy and fruitfulness. The best advice comes from our God’s wisdom.

 

Beloved are you open to advice? Have you truly humbled yourself to admit you are in need of help from God and others? Remember, more money is not the answer to issues that set up residence in the heart. The closer a person is to an issue, the harder it is for them to see the best solution.  Faith takes a step back and invites in a third party to help parse the problem and provide good and wise counsel. The best counsel comes from our Savior Jesus Christ. What does He think about your situation? How does Jesus want to love you in your pain? Listen to the Lord, look around to see Him at work, and receive His best advice.

Our prayer:  Father give us an attentive ear, attentive, and humble spirit to receive the full counsel of your Spirt Amen.

Pastor Todd A. Brown

"The best ability is availability"

Silent about sin?

Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer. 2 Thessalonians 3:15

 

It seems no one likes to talk about sin these days. I get it. It’s not fun admitting our flaws, facing our failures, and being honest and transparent about our shortcomings.  If we don’t talk about sin because we’re worried about making a brother or sister in Christ uncomfortable, we’re not really loving them.

 

Sin is like a big bus with an “S” on the side. If I see it rambling down the street and I notice that a Christian brother or sister is going to run into the road, am I loving them if I just encourage them by saying, “Hey, it’s all going to be okay. You’re doing great” Is it loving to remain silent if I know they are going to do something that will blow up their life, ruin their marriage, destroy their career, hurt their body, devastate their children, or make a mess of their finances? There have been a couple of times in my life when I was making some pretty stupid decisions and had a sinful attitude. Even though it would have been difficult for me, I wish a mature, faithful, Christian friend who loved me would have talked with me. I needed someone to help me work through what I was feeling so I could experience an attitude adjustment. I needed to get my heart right with Christ.

 

Though I fear being politically incorrect, not offending anyone has become the enemy of morality, Christian virtue, and even loving others. Maybe you’ve heard people say, “It’s not my place to judge.” True, we can’t judge someone’s salvation. But we are to judge, or identify sin, so we won’t be deceived.  In John 7:24 Jesus says we are to make “righteous judgments.” We are to judge by God’s Word. If this was not true, why the 10 Commandments? Why Christ’s words of how to live? The word of God is our plumb line to help us determine right from wrong and to help us judge, or identify sin. It’s our compass for how to live God’s way. Galatians 6:1 says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. How can we see someone “caught in sin” if we don’t judge sin? Jesus also says in Luke 17:13, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”

 

Now beloved please understand, I am not advocating beating people up with a critical “holier than thou” attitude. We are called to love in humility. We also must realize that loving someone and “rebuking” them as Christ commands if they are caught in sin, are not polar opposites. They are one in the same. It’s helping them so they don’t get flattened by the big “S” bus. It’s helping them avoid destruction and the death caused by sin (See James 1:13-15). We must remember, however, to examine our own hearts and see if there is sin in our own lives before we go to our brother or sister (See Matthew 7:5). We are to speak the truth in love (See Ephesians 4:15); follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and ask for Christ’s wisdom. We should love them with agape love that has their best interests in mind, and if necessary, we should be willing to walk with them through their trial to help them reconcile to Christ.

Our prayer:  Father gives us the boldness of Spirit to walk in love when addressing the sins of our brothers and sisters.  Show us how to judge sin, but not pronounce judgment on others.  Father let us follow Your example in addressing sin properly amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
The greatest ability is availability

www.wbgronline.com

Pray always

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

What do I do continually? I breathe continually, even at night as my body rests, I  breathe with a calm cadence. Breathing is mostly unconscious, unless oxygen to my lungs becomes restricted. If I am underwater too long, instinctively, I bolt to the surface gasping for air. My prayers are like breathing. Sometimes my petitions happen automatically with little effort, other times I am fearful, spiritually smothered with an immediate need to seek heaven’s help. My continual prayers keep me connected to Christ, without which, I drown in self dependence.

 

What does it mean to pray continually? It is much more than an ongoing verbal barrage toward heaven. Humble, wordless cries to Christ draw us to Him, but prideful words pronounced in a self righteous tone isolate us. The soul’s unspoken requests to Jesus are just as necessary as conversational confessions. When we pray we tend to have a better day. Appointments with people run more smoothly when we keep our appointments with God. When we pray the Spirit shows us the way.  A perilously empty scuba diving air tank resembles a suffocating, prayer-less soul.

 

Does prayer really save us time? Yes but our agenda needs constant alignment with God’s agenda. Because there is ample time to do the Lord’s will, we require ongoing prayer for us to adjust around divine priorities. Championship teams often audible at the last second to assure victory over their opponent. Perhaps in prayer we discover a gentle, but firm answer of ‘no’ will get us to God’s best ‘yes.’ Faith is not fearful of disappointing people, but is committed to remaining true to Christ. When the Holy Spirit changes our heart, by faith we are wise to change our mind.

 

Consider employing a prayer list and time as part of your daily routine. Write down a verse, meditate on it and list any reflections and personal applications. See how the Holy Spirit may be speaking to your soul. For example you may pray something like, “Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me all I need. Show me what it means to be content in Christ in my current circumstance.” By faith, pray continually and the Holy Spirit will show you a better way, His ways are not our ways.

Our prayer:  Father ignite in me a heart of prayer, that seeks your face and ways continually.  Help me Lord to have a Proverbs 3:4-5 mentality and soul Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
The greatest ability is availability

www.wbgronline.com

Persevering trust

For the King trusts in the Lord, through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Psalm 21:7

 

Trust in God perseveres. It perseveres with the addition of more responsibilities and in a season of lost opportunities. Whether in the excitement of promotion or the discouragement of demotion it still trusts God. In fact, the more responsibility we gain, the more we need to be dependent on God. The more it seems we are capable, the more we realize we are incapable without the Lord. "Power may tempt us to lower our guard in trusting God, but the more responsibility and power we are entrusted with, the more we need to trust the Lord."  Kings and presidents need Christ as much as or more than paupers and priests. Trust is not contingent on our felt need. It is contingent on our having the ability to breathe. As long as we have breath in our lungs, we desperately need the Lord. Self-confidence is an obstacle to our holy confidence in the Lord. 

 

Trust perseveres because it is buoyant in its belief in the unfailing love of God. The love of God stands secure in the face of suffering. The love of God licks the wounds of a lacerated soul. The love of God provides the grace to forgive and forget. The love of God continues in the face of ugly odds because it is optimistic of what we can hope for in Christ. God’s love draws us into intimacy with Him. It is when God loves us that we feel safe. It is when God loves us that we feel secure. It is when God loves us that we feel support and encouragement. The love of God covers our sin of unbelief. It is the love of the Lord that lifts us when we are at our lowest to continue trusting our compassionate Savior. He is high and lifted up, so He can lift us up. 

 

No one is higher than God. He is the Most High and King of kings and Lord of lords. We have the privilege, the opportunity, and the obligation to go right to the top. The Holy Spirit is God’s gatekeeper. By faith we can trust Him to intercede on our behalf. Our faith may be faltering in our confusion, but Christ clarifies. Do not give up because of the complexities of the current situation. Go to the Most High to unravel the mess in which you find yourself. He is the decision maker. He is your maker. He knows how to guide you through this any and all uncertain process. The Most High has the needed perspective to see you through. It is by faith that we do not completely falter. Trust Him to tell you what you need to know. Persevere.

 

The fruit of trust is perseverance. The lethal high winds of adversity may attempt to uproot your faith, but you will persevere like a strong oak that is rooted and grounded. You will persevere in your marriage though our culture gives you a pass for divorce. You will persevere in your job even though you have been passed over for someone less qualified. You will persevere as a parent because this may be your time to mature and grow up. You will persevere as a leader because God is not finished spreading your influence. You will persevere as a disciple because you trust God. By God’s grace you will not be moved. Allow Him to grow your character. Stand strong. Allow Him to love you through this time of transition.

Our prayer:  Father grant us through the power of your Spirit an enduring faith that completely submits and trusts in your word Amen.

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Pastor Todd A. Brown
The greatest ability is availability

www.wbgronline.com

Wise living

For your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. Psalm 26:3

 

Walk in truth and be led by love. These are the twins of wise living. Love is our leader and truth is our motivator. Love is our strategy, truth is our tactic. Love is our goal, truth is our inspiration. Love is our encouragement, truth is our obedience. We need both to become better followers of Jesus. Love and truth work together to bring us into balance.

 

This is why we look forward to the love of God as a guide for our faith. Faith trusts God to accomplish His own decrees. This is why we do not have to steal for we know God will provide for His children. This is why we do not have to get revenge on others because God can and will handle them in His timing and His way. This is why we look ahead to the love of God. We follow the Lord and His love by faith, we trust and walk in His truth.

 

Secondly, we walk grounded in truth. Truth governs our faith. Truth keeps us rooted in reality. It is obedience to God’s truth that proves our love for Him. Truth takes us back to the basics, “Who does Jesus want me to be?” We walk in truth because it preserves us from sinful behavior. It is the assurance of God’s promises that causes us to believe and behave like Christ. Like a GPS system truth guides us on the best path. Truth obeyed is best not delayed.

 

Moreover, a companion of fools suffers harm (See Proverbs 13:20). Stay away from those who stray from the truth. It may be a pastor, teacher, friend or business client who handles the truth loosely. They lie even when the truth will do. These are vain people. Do not sit with them and be drawn in by their sly charisma. However, those who walk in the truth will tell you things you do not want to hear. So listen when they prescribe doses of truth. The medicine may be distasteful but if applied will heal your heart. Walk in truth, and with those who walk in truth. Follow love’s lead as you walk with truth. 

 

Our prayer:  Lord empower us through your Spirit to walk each day in truth and love that we might always be a beacon that shines brightly for you leading others to life and relationship in you Amen.

 

Pastor Todd A. Brown