Category: Faith Fix

A Prodigal Returned

Luke 15:20 

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

Recently, in a place I frequent, I was blessed to witness a beautiful moment. A man, who had been without his son for a while due to various circumstances, was reunited with him. The son, a full grown man, came in to where I was sitting and approached his father. The light on this father’s face was precious as he welcomed his troubled boy with a smile and an embrace.

I love how the Lord reveals truth to me in everyday life. My spirit leaped as the Lord began to remind me of His mercy. In a world of distraction and opposition, something I often see is well-meaning and good-hearted Christians falling into condemnation because of mistakes they have made. These are people who truly love God, but miss the mark on occasion or even often. Have you ever missed the mark?

God is good and just but most of all He is a loving Father. In fact, He is the best of them. Scripture tells us in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This means more to us than we can even realize. The reason we sometimes fail to understand God’s forgiveness is because we have not yet learned to forgive on our own. The one that we, as good-hearted Christians, fail to forgive most often is ourselves. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” God is not condemning you and you shouldn’t either.

What I always suggest to people, is to do a little test. If I find myself upset with me, I ask a few questions. Am I in blatant sin that I am convicted about? Am I in God’s will for my life? Am I seeking Him the best I know how? The first can be the most deceiving but is fairly easy to deal with. Don’t go nitpicking and digging trying to drum up some hidden failure. God doesn’t, so don’t you either! If you are in God’s will the best you know how (which includes faithful church attendance with prayer and Word time), and following His plan for your life the best you know how, then you can be assured God’s Spirit will let you know of adjustments that need to be made.

In simplicity, follow Psalm 37:3, “trust God and do good”. This walk is not hard but we do need help. We cannot do it alone. We need God, we need a church, and we need a pastor. Find out about God’s grace and live for Him. True freedom in life is always found right there. You will live blessed, exhibiting God’s fruit and you will even be able to help someone else along the way. 

Luke 15:32 

It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Psalms 73:2-3 

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalms 73:16-17 

When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.

Walking with God does not always seem the easiest way but it is still the best way. We live in a very prosperous and full society. The problems that most people face in our country are relatively small when you compare them to other places in the world. The truth is, in America, the poor are still full. 

I traveled to Brazil a few years ago with my pastor. On this trip I got to experience poverty on levels that someone who is raised in our country could never understand. There was a time when I truly had nothing, a little electric space heater on 3 wheels, that I heated my entire apartment with.  I had to take my boys to my mom’s just to feed them. I was unemployed and depressed, but as bad as I had it at the time, it paled in comparison to what I saw there in Brazil. 

Following God has been an amazing journey and one that continually teaches me so much.  Just because I have jumped all in for God does not mean I am without struggles. In fact, sometimes it seems there are more. As I look at the world around me, people doing what they please, living for themselves, there is a kind of enticement in it, when you are one that lives to serve. Jesus teaches His disciples that we serve first and be served last.

What’s all that for? Why would anyone want to give up the pursuit of themselves and their own? After all, we are being constantly bombarded and enticed by the riches of the world. Perhaps one of the most difficult things that I have had to teach my kids is that the fleeting pleasures of the moment are not worth a lifetime of idolatry. Though there is an innate desire to be drawn to every little thing, it is more blessed to put their focus on God and let Him bring it to pass. There are things He brings us that will bless us here, but the best things He brings are eternal in nature and therefore worth our attention. God builds in you such wonderful character with which you can truly be in joy and peace and thus fully enjoy all He blesses you with. No man nor circumstance can ever take that from you. All that and you get to spend eternity with Him! 

Psalms 73:27-28

For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Avoiding Responsibility

We live in a society where many people refuse to accept responsibility for their actions. It’s so commonplace to blame others for things you have caused yourself. We see it in children first, but then in people of all ages because they never learned how not to think like a child. Look at Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.” Unchecked foolishness will have lasting effects. We are seeing this in the American society today, and even within the church. 

Proverbs 13:16 says, “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.” Foolishness can be defined as a lack of judgment, and really we could say, a lack of judging oneself. In other words, a foolish person is a person who won’t take responsibility for their own folly, their own lapse in judgment, or their own immaturity. Look at 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” It’s knowledge of the Word that helps us to mature and put away our childish nature. 

Sadly, too many Christians won’t actually take responsibility in their Christian walk. They may serve in the local church, tithe and give, and they may even put on a good facade for others, but in their hearts, they haven’t put away childish folly. Romans 12:2 reminds us to, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is our responsibility. We must actually spend time with God, or we will never mature. Immaturity is expected in babies, but it’s really ugly in adults. 

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us of the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We know this though, the fruit of a tree never grows unless the tree is nourished properly. When we avoid our responsibility to build spiritual maturity, faith, knowledge and understanding in us by the renewing of our minds, we’re avoiding the nourishment that produces these fruits. The result? 20 year old babies, 40 year old babies, 60 year old babies, and a society filled with folly, A.K.A. a bunch of ugly adult babies. 

Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Do you want good things? Do you want real fruit? Start taking responsibility for yourself. 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée 

His Words Or Mine

1 Peter 4:11 (NKJV)

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies…

Public speaking is an interesting thing and one that I never cared to partake of. In fact, even the thought of speaking publicly would make me physically ill. It’s safe to say, I didn’t choose the job I am now in. 

I loved serving God and I loved serving my man of God, my pastor, in the local church, and in the ministry of helps.  It became an absolute passion of mine. I didn’t always do so perfectly but this I know, I did so with my whole heart. The Bible tells us, he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. When you serve God like that, He will promote you. Into what, isn’t determined by you, but He will reveal it to you. 

Now I don’t say all this to brag on me, not in the least. If there is anything that I have proved in my life, it’s that I am worthless without Jesus. Thank God, I’m not without Him anymore. The point I am making is that, though we don’t decide what God will have us to do, our faithfulness will open the door to what we will do for Him. And He is with us, using us and speaking through us.

The Bible instructs, as a matter of fact, that if we are ministering or speaking to make sure that it is as the mouth piece of God. How does one do that exactly? By following His Word and His Spirit.

People sometimes erroneously think that when a minister ministers, they do so from their own opinion and knowledge. I suppose for some, even many, this is truth. I will say however, I would never follow anyone who was preaching their own ideas. The Bible tells us that the noble will search the scriptures to know that what is being preached is Truth. 

I say all that to say this, God has set appointments for each one of us. Those appointments are with our pastors in the local church. These appointments are not for God but for man. They are meant to grow us, but won’t if you don’t accept the Word being preached as the Word of God. You must know for yourself where you are called to be because God determines for each one of us which soil we need. After that we must stay put and be fed by the Word of God, taking heed to what our pastor says knowing that this gift (five fold ministry office) is there to help you. Sometimes we won’t like what is said because correction often hurts in the moment. Though it hurts, it also saves us from coming destruction. Our job is to not be offended, but to receive the Word as if Jesus Himself was speaking it. The fact that it is His chosen method tells us He is doing just that. When you come to church that way, a whole new world will open to you and you will find a victory you have never known before. 

James 1:21 (NKJV)

…receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Traditionally Bound

Mark 7:9 (NKJV)

He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

Tradition isn’t a bad thing. I quite enjoy tradition actually. I love Christmas and our Christmas traditions that have become a yearly staple. Yes, traditions can be very nice, however when they become bondage that’s where their benefits end.

Religion is full of traditions, and always has been. If you’ve grown up in a church you are probably quite accustomed to those traditions. Traditions generally grow out of something that has been good or has worked in the past and people grab onto them in the hopes that they will continue to work in the future. It’s not a bad thought on the surface, but does it help us to be more spiritual? The answer is no. Often times, we do things that seem good because we always have, yet there is not much power in them. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:5 warning Timothy, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Tradition in of itself may not be wrong but when it becomes something we do without understanding, it then turns into bondage.

Many denominations do things more out of fear than they do out of godly reasoning or direction. I have seen this clearly in one particular sect of Christianity we have in our area. The people belonging to this sect are wonderful people, hard workers, thrifty, and very innovative. There is a lot of their culture that is to be emulated. However, one that is dangerous is their tradition of bondage. There are many things that they do simply based out of tradition, many of which they have no understanding of why they do them. They do them based in a fear that if they don’t continue God will reject them. 

This Jesus spoke about in Matthew 15:9 where He said, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The ironic thing is, all these traditional practices bring absolutely no one closer to God. God sent Jesus to make us free, not bind us by fear. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that, “without faith it is impossible to please God”. Faith by definition is surety. You cannot be sure of anything that you cannot understand. If you can’t be sure, then you can’t have faith, and if you can’t have faith you are living in sin. This is the very reason why scripture is written. Knowledge of His Word is what leads us to God, not traditions based on the whims or fears of man. 

I don’t write this to bash or look down upon anybody. The Bible tells us that when we know the Truth that very Truth will set us free (John 8:32). I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t come to give more rules but to free us from the bondage of trying to follow them. God desires a relationship with us. A good relationship is never one where someone is forced into obligation. God so loved the world that He sent His Son to set us free. If His Son sets us free we are free indeed, from every whim and tradition of man. Have tradition at Christmas with your family or any other time that blesses you. When it comes to your faith, have the freedom of a relationship with the most amazing Father to ever exist!

John 8:36 (NKJV)

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

What’s Your Reason?

It seems so often that people go about life just sort of spinning wheels, not really going anywhere, but wearing themselves out. It’s almost this purposeless existence and sadly, it’s a human epidemic even found in the church, in Christians. God created us with a purpose! We were made to do good things. Look at Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

The enemy would love to keep us from that plan God has for us, but often times he doesn’t even have to try.  Look at Proverbs 1:32, “For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.” This word complacency is actually the same problem that Jeremiah dealt with in Jeremiah 22:21, “I spoke to you in your prosperity (complacency),

But you said, ‘I will not hear.’” Complacency can be defined as self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. Too often people are self-satisfied, thinking they don’t need God. This is complacency, and notice what the above definition says, those who are complacent are unaware of the actual dangers of it. See, often times, we’re our own worst enemy. 

Have you ever watched one of those blooper moments on television, when an athlete is running towards the goal, scores and then celebrates only to find out he just won the game for the other team? So many times Christians are scoring goals toward the enemy’s scorecard. We need to take guard lest we become complacent Christians. 

Revelation chapter 3 addresses this issue of complacency in the Laodicean church.  Revelation 3:16, “…because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” It’s so awful to the Lord that His people become complacent that He’d rather vomit! The Word says this! Look at vs. 17, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” These Christians were self-satisfied, unaware of their own deficiencies, inconsiderate of their need for God. They had lost their fervor. They had lost their first love. This life may not feel that bad for a while, but ultimately it’s a path to misery. 

Now look at Revelation 2:3-4, “…you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Notice here that it’s good-hearted, willing and obedient Christians that have walked into complacency. We must not be the Christians who run for God but forget why we’re running! Are we at a place in our walk with the Lord that we’ve stopped coming to Him just to spend time with Him? Are we paying more attention to what we can accomplish for our lives instead of what He has for us to do? We need Him. We actually need Him, if we’re going to have the blessed life we were created to have. 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée