Counterfeit

This post is a brief summary of a message I preached last Sunday morning.  It is rooted in the thought line that "For every powerful and authentic move of God, Satan has a fabricated counterfeit".


Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death".


Satan has the perfect package for you.  It is a counterfeit package that gives you a false sense of peace.  It gives you a false sense of security.  It tells you that everything is fine.  It tells you that all is well and life is good.  But as the scripture tells us, it may SEEM like its right in our flesh, but it leads to a path of destruction.


Satan is cunning, charming, and an excellent sales person.  You are more apt to buy a product from someone that is passionate about and believes in what they are selling.  Satan is passionate about seeing you destroyed so he makes his sales pitch and many buy his product!


Two of Satan's purposes I want to mention: 1.) He wants to deny the word of God.  2.) He wants to destroy the work of Jesus Christ.


All throughout scripture and history, Satan has done everything he can to try to prevent the Word of God from reaching people and even personally tried to give Jesus earthly reign if he would only bow down to him.  There are many examples of his plan to prevent the connection between you and God.


Here is a great example of Satan's counterfeit.  The wheat is sewn.  It begins to grow.  But there is a problem.....Satan has done some sewing in the same plot of ground.  Satan did not sew something that could be spotted easily.  He did not plant something that could be separated with ease.  He planted something that resembled the authentic grain.  The tare resembled the genuine grain!  It looked like the real thing! It was not until harvest time that it was separated!  At harvest time the authentic was separated from the counterfeit!


We have to always use discernment when making decisions in our life.  The enemy would love nothing more than to trick you into believeing that something he fabricated and placed in your life was believed to be the authentic will of God.  He wants to give you false peace and false security.  Satan wants you to believe everything is ok so he can rock you to sleep.  He wants you to become comlpacent with your life and never reach your full potential. 

 

 



 

It is Getting Deep in Here!

‎"God’s voice speaking tenderly to our hearts today is the same voice that powerfully called creation into being." AW Tozer


I saw this quote this morning and I had to re-read it several times.  Then I read it again.  


I think sometimes as we get caught up in our daily routines, God becomes a bit of an after thought.  We love him, sure, but we are not fully aware of who He is.  I prayed this morning on my way to work.  I have had him on my mind throughout this morning, but the depth of who he is has not crossed my mind.  I have seen miracles in my life and in my family already this year.  We have been blessed and we are grateful. Even still, this great God that we serve is far beyond our comprehension.


We read in Genesis the story of creation and I believe we become numb to the reality of what actually happened in that time frame.  We are introduced to the story as children and by the time we are adults it becomes just another story.  


The same God that spoke everything we see is the same God that speaks peace into your life when you are in trouble.  He is the same God that speaks words of encouragement to you when you fail.  He is the same God that breathed new life into you when you were laying at an altar lost with no hope.  He is the same God that has met your needs, given you deliverance and set you free from the bondage of sin!  From  the "BIG" things to the "small" things, he is still the same God!


The verse that comes to my mind is Romans 8:39: "No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NLT)


He loves us and wants to speak to us.  No power can separate you from hearing the voice of God.  Seek his face and listen as he speaks to you.  It is the same voice that spoke to the men and women all through our Bible.  It is an honor that he would speak to me.  I know that from this day forward I will never take for granted hearing the voice of the God that was, is, and always will be!  

She Made Jesus Cry

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

 ¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles^[b] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
 ²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
 ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
 ²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
 ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
 ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
 ²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
 ³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
 ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
   “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
 ³⁵ Jesus wept.

Mary and Martha had two different approaches.  It seems that they had two different attitudes.  They received two different reactions.

Martha:

"If you had been here, my brother would not have died."  Martha believed in Jesus.  She knew who he was.  When Jesus said, "your brother will rise", the first thing in her mind was not that it would happen that very day.  She immediately recalls the teaching about the resurrection on the last day.  Jesus replies, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”.  She says, "yes..."

Martha's exchange has a student/teacher feel to it.  She approached him face to face.  I do not know the tone of voice that she used, but the first emotion from Christ was not a burst of compassion.

Mary:

When Mary gets to Jesus she falls at his feet and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She said the exact same thing her sister did but had a different approach.  He saw her weeping and was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  There wasn't a lesson on him being the resurrection and the life.  He didnt have a drawn out conversation.  He simply said, "Where have you laid him?".......and Jesus wept.


We know the rest of the story.  I wanted to share this with you today.  Two people were in the same situation.  They said the same words.  They had different attitudes.  They had different approaches.  They received two reactions.  How we approach the King does make a difference.  Remember in the time of need that He knows your heart and intentions.  Come before Jesus with the right attitude and approach and he will meet your need.  After all, he does LOVE you.

Divorced, Homeless, Single-Mothers, and Tattoos.....

I wonder who Jesus would spend his time with in the present day?

To hear some people talk, it would just be people that fit a certain mold.  You would have to be a clean cut, own your own home in a nice neighborhood, married with two kids and have a nice income type of person.  You would not miss a service.  You would give huge offerings.  You would never have a down day.  You would be perfect!!! 

I am tired of hearing some people(even some ministers) act like Jesus spent all of his time in the temple hanging out with all the "saved" folks.  NO!!!!  Jesus was out ministering to people that no one else gave the time of day.  People with no hope.  People who were troubled and hurting.  People that were hungry.  People that had diseases.  Outcasts, loners, and sinners.

Here is an elementary example.  When we as "the church" want to minister to people, we do not take food to the nicest restaurant in town and walk in asking if anyone needs to be fed with our can goods!  We go to the rough neighborhoods and give it to those who need it! 

The last time I checked, God's grace and mercy was for everyone!  It is time to reach out to those that are hurting and stop pretending like people with issues are not deserving of the Gospel.

Divorced people, single mothers and fathers, drug addicts, alcoholics, even people that have tattoos and piercings and wear different clothes than you!  Homeless men and women, criminals, diseased, etc...  That is who Jesus Christ would be spending his time with!  So please stop pretending like they are not worthy.  Need I remind you that even you had to get on your face and ask Jesus to forgive you and be the Lord of your life.  

You may be the only Jesus that people see.  Just because someone is different than you does not mean that HE loves them less than you.  We are supposed to strive to be like Christ.....its time we start acting like him. 

Ordinary Men

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

They had just "lost" their Master, Teacher, and Friend.  Jesus was not walking with them anymore.  He was gone just as he had told them.  Something inside of them was different now that he was gone.

Jesus said to them in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Indeed, they received the power.  They gathered in an upper room and a sound from heaven came roaring through and it filled the house where they were.  The world would never be the same.

The church that had 120 members went to 3,000.......and that was the first day!  They were inspired, determined, and full of the Holy Spirit.  They were ready to take on the world and share the gospel of their Savior.  Miracles, signs and wonders were taking place.  The sick were being healed of their diseases.  Evil spirits were being cast out.  But with the growing power from God came growing danger from the persecutors.  Before long the gospel had spread to Judea and Samaria....Saul is converted, Peter's chains fall off in prison, and on and on...

Back to Acts 4:13. There was nothing special about Peter and John.  Yes, they were 2 of the 3 that were closest to Jesus during his ministry on Earth, but nothing about them screamed excellence.  They were "ordinary men". They were not theologians.  They were not professors of religion.  They were men.  Men that had been selected and called by God to do extraordinary things.  When the people saw the miraculous take place right before their eyes, they were shocked.  They made note that the only way this could happen; the only way that a lame man could get up and walk had to be something to do with Jesus!!  They had to have been with him!  They had been with Jesus.  They had also been in an upper room.

You and I as Christians do not do what we do to receive glory from man.  We do it to honor God so that he can receive glory.  However, it should be our hearts desire to live our lives in such a way that people say "surely they have been with Jesus".  Make time today to get alone with Jesus and your life will be impacted in a powerful way.

The Dead Lion

This post is for those that do not believe they are not "good" enough or "talented" enough to do a work for the Kingdom of God.

Ecclesiastes 9:4
⁴ Anyone who is among the living has hope - even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!



I remember at 12 years old receiving the call to preach and 100% knowing that I was called to minister.  I also remember being scared to death and it being 6 years before I stood up before a group of people to preach.  I was scared to death for 6 years.  I ran from it.  I did whatever I could to try to escape that call.  I hid behind playing music, being involved in my church drama team, etc.  I used every excuse in the book.  I am too young.  No one will want to hear what I have to say.  I will not be able to preach the way I want to preach.  There are so many preachers that are better than me!!

Finally accepting the call to minister has been challenging at times but has also been one of the most rewarding things in my life!  God has allowed me to have an impact on people.  There are still ministers much more talented than me.  There are many, many preachers that are better than I am.  But I am working for God and enjoying every minute of it!

Ecclesiastes 9:4 talks about a live dog and a dead lion.  The lion is a proud animal.  It is powerful.  A gifted fighter and hunter.  A roar that can be heard for miles around!  The king of the jungle. Then you have the dog.  I picture a stray dog with its hair matted.  Fleas. A dog that no one wants.  That is not doing any good for anyone.  No benefit.  Scared and skittish.

This verse has been on my mind for weeks!  It is a verse of hope.  It is a verse that contradicts our thinking.  We look at those that are better and more talented than us.  That are better looking.  The people that are gifted and seem to have it all going for them.  Then we take a look at ourselves in the mirror.  We are often times our worst critic!  We do not see what God sees.  What is being said in this verse?  A live dog is better off than a dead lion.  On the food chain, so to speak, the Lion is at the top.  The dog isn't.  The lion is the king of the jungle.  The dog isn't.  But what good can a dead lion do?  None.  A live dog is better than a dead lion because it is alive!!!  God just needs a willing, obedient vessel that he can use!  You do not have to be the most talented!  You do not have to be the best looking! You just have to be willing to step out in faith and allow God to use you!!

My prayer is that this comes across the same way that I feel it inside.  I want to encourage you to not look at the lions in your life as restrictions.  You are alive!!  Step up to the plate and accept the call of God on your life!!

May 21......Rapture?

The buzz is at a fever pitch.  Mr. Harold Camping, 89, has predicted that the rapture will take place tomorrow.  All over the internet there are articles.  People are criticizing, laughing, joking, and simply just amusing themselves with his declaration.  It does not help that he has done this once before in 1994.  We have all rolled our eyes and laughed it off.

Even the unsaved person knows the Bible says, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  We know that we will not be able to predict when it is coming, however, it is coming!  We have heard "Jesus is coming soon" for generations.  Time is running out.  He truly is coming soon.  Our world is in shambles and everything is setting up just like the Word said it would.

With that thought in mind, do not take lightly the second coming of Christ.  It may not be May 21, but it is coming.  He is coming quickly and when he does there will not be time for last minute changes.  Make a decision today to serve him.  Ask him into your life.  Ask him for forgiveness.  Believe in him and seek his face for the rest of your days.  I promise your latter days will be greater.

What if it happened right now?  Before you got to the end of this sentence, the trumpet sounded.  Are you ready?  

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.  1 John 5:11-12