Category: Faith Fix

Who Do You Serve

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

In context, this scripture is about money but the principle is the same. You are always serving someone or something, there is no question to that. The question is in who or what do you serve?

The word “serve” means to obey, submit, or yield. Most people simply serve their own desires. They submit or yield themselves to what they want. This is often even the motive for doing good, because it makes them feel good. These things they yield to start to define their lives. You know it. When you think of people, you typically think of the things they do or how they act. These actions are driven by their desires that they submit to and thus these are the things that they serve.

One of the great things the Bible does is it instructs us not to conform to these old and natural desires but to transform our lives after God and His ways (Romans 12:2). There is the understanding that once we do we become free from those bondages and get to live blessed and free.

We are bound by our own affections. As a pastor, I have seen this time and time again. Knowing this, the devil sends temptation disguised as what we want. We take the bait and these desires become our pursuits, and these pursuits become our bondages. The devil doesn’t mind if you have what you desire if it keeps you from serving God. You may get frustrated and say, “well how can I even know?” Well, Galatians 5:16 tells us, “I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” We know according to John 6:63, that the Word is Spirit. Walking according to the Word of God keeps us safe.

Look what Titus 3:3 says, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.” What stood out to me about this scripture was when it says, “serving various lusts and pleasures.” That’s the truth and if you take time to look at it, you will see too. We get so obsessed with what we want that we end up serving these things instead of enjoying them. It doesn’t have to be openly sinful or sinful at all. All the devil needs it to do is control us. Boom! Control equals bondage.

I am determined to not be controlled in life anymore by anything that does not produce righteousness. It is this worldly bondage that always leads us to death. No man was ever adulterous who refused to be controlled by desires. No one ever murdered, no one ever stole, nor did anything that hurt another human who was not controlled by their desire. In God we find true freedom, not just for us but for all we interact with. 

Acts 17:28

For in Him we live and move and have our being…

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Committed Acquaintance

2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Our number one priority as a believer in Christ is to get acquainted with God. In fact, it isn’t just something we are to do but something we are to continually do. This is why He gave us His Holy Spirit. He is a constant reminder and draw to our Heavenly Father if we do not push Him aside. A “believer” who does not know God is one who will never be effective and this is precisely why so many Christians live ineffectively. You must take time to learn Who He is!

By and large people are on a journey to discover purpose. Once, I was in an antique shop and I came across an interesting contraption. It was very old and very specific in that it quite obviously had limited purpose. Specific purpose is not a bad thing if one knows how to utilize it. You could have taken this small machine and put it on the shelf, but without knowledge that’s all it would ever do. An instruction manual or someone who knows how to operate it, would have proven valuable. In fact, I have seen many antiquated tools whose only use is decoration because no one knows how they function.

Many people live as useless tools. Why is the bulk of our time spent on the discovery of purpose when we have clear instructions on what our purpose is? We seek happiness when true happiness will be abundant in being what we were made to be! Don’t you know the devil loves to get people confused in this area? God didn’t write instructions for us not to know, but who we are listening to does matter. 

I say that to say this: we have to have understanding of our relationship to Him in order to be able to really trust Him. Only when we truly trust Him will we be safe from what the devil is trying to steal. The second part of the verse I started with (2 Tim. 1:12) tells us, “(I) am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him”. Keep means to save or protect. To commit is to place something in the protective care of someone else.

What do you commit to God? So many people live life like they are at a casino. That may be fine for someone of the world but not a child of God. We have promises and access to things that the world couldn’t remotely get close to. We have real help, real joy, real peace, all at our disposal. It says in Psalms 37:5 to “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” What does He bring to pass? He’ll bring to pass whatever you need, as long as your way is truly committed to Him.  

Stop gambling Christian! Put your confidence in the One who will always comes through for us. Our God is a good God! He is wholy and eternally committed to us. Won’t you commit yourself to Him?

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

Trust In Him

Sometimes as a parent, and especially a mother,  it’s a challenge to separate your emotional love and care for your children from worrying for your children. Anyone who has ever had a mother or has ever been a mother, is familiar with this sort of worrywart nature. It’s almost as if you’re taught unless you worry, you’re not a real, loving mother. I can look back to my childhood and recall instance after instance where my mom expressed her love for me through worry.  And, as a mother, I can think of instance after instance in my life where I’ve expressed my love for my children through worry. This may seem normal, because it is the “norm”, but it’s not God’s highest and best. 

Proverbs 3:5, says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” We all know that our kids don’t know everything. Many times our children are with others many hours of the day whether at school, or at a job, at daycare, or even often times at an ex-spouse’s house. We all know that this world is full of dangerous things and negative influences, but the Word here says to lean not on our own understanding. We must not focus our attention on the “what ifs” or the “what could be’s” but instead we must focus on trusting God. Look at Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…” Remember that worry can’t add anything to our lives (Matt. 6:27) and that fear opens the door for all those things to come in and wreak havoc (Job 3:25). 

One of the meanings of this word “salvation” is victory. I love what one of my spiritual leaders reminded me of recently when I asked about an issue I was concerned over. He said, “No matter what, we have the victory. We have to remember that.” We have to remember that the Lord is always our victory, even when our minds, even when circumstances, even when emotions tell us otherwise. Remember, 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We need to remember to answer those worries and questions with this scripture. “What if my child makes a bad decision?” “What if my child gets hurt?” “What if my child fails?” “What if my child gets sick?” “Thanks be to God who always give me the victory. No plan of the devil can win against my God. My children walk in protection and fulfill the plan of God all the days of their lives.”  

Remember Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” When we are tempted to express fear and concern for our children, or for others we love, we must remember that just as God’s words have creative ability, our words have creative ability. Are we calling into existence that destruction we fear? If so, let’s change that and start calling in the victory and the salvation instead. Look at the first part of Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification…” It’s time to start building up those we love, especially our children who are under our care. Amen?! 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée 

You Can’t Have God Without The Local Church

Ephesians 4:8Therefore He says:“ When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”

The first thing Christ did when He ascended to Heaven after He defeated the grave was give gifts to mankind. These gifts were specific, tailored to the most fundamental human needs. He goes on to tell us what the gifts specifically are. In verses 11 through 16 we discover the gifts are what are known as the fivefold ministry offices. To say it more simply, they are 5 forms in which God ministers to, equips, and protects His people. As we understand today, the place where we assemble together is the only place where these gifts benefit us.

It has become very common in today’s society to forsake coming together as the church because we are distracted by other things. In a world where there is so much going on and so much to distract us, people find themselves finding every reason to stop coming together. They will use every excuse known to man to justify this, however what they fail to see is there is only One who matters. This failure keeps them from partaking of the gifts Jesus thought so important to give to us. God does not give gifts haphazardly. His gifts are purposeful and direct with incredibly important reasons. One of the biggest reasons is found in Ephesians 4:14. This scripture talks specifically about people, God’s people, being deceived. We see this again in 1 Timothy 4:1. 

People are being deceived by outward forces. This deception comes through demons usually working through other people. People who aren’t taught the Word or who won’t listen to the Word end up falling into deception. The worst part is, they don’t even know it!

As a pastor, one of my primary jobs is to protect the flock through feeding them sound Biblical doctrine. As stated many times throughout scripture, I am to feed, point out falsities, and lead them in the direction of God, helping them find God’s plan for their life through the feeding of the Word. God’s Word tells us in Matthew 9:36 that people without a shepherd are scattered and faint. In other words they are weary, without direction, and prone to be victim of attack. If you understood the job of a shepherd you would understand the significance in all of this and why God chose this analogy. 

The shepherd is with the sheep continually. In fact, it is well understood that sheep, out by themselves, are in extreme danger. We are shown this in scripture time after time after time. The sad truth is, as sheep, people generally don’t see this until it is too late. The best thing God ever did after salvation was give me a pastor and a church. He gave me one that wasn’t afraid to speak the truth even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Though at times hard to hear, when my pastor preached truth and I listened, my life always changed. I went from looking for answers to always finding them. My pastor taught and still teaches me, the most valuable thing since salvation. That is, how to hear from God! 

Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Without hearing God, it is impossible to follow Him. It is impossible to do any of this without what God has given us to be able to do so. Ephesians 4:16 says we are joined and knit into the Body by what every part does. Jesus said many times, he who has ears to hear let him hear. Well, isn’t that what ears are for, hearing, and mouths for speaking? If an ear can’t hear because it’s nowhere near the mouth, then the body attached to that ear is in big, big trouble.

Jesus made us one Body for a reason. We are His Body and we are meant to be joined together, not seperate. Make up your mind to not be deceived by anyone in life, but especially by yourself. The Word is our answer, it always is. Put yourself in the place to hear what God has to say and keep yourself from being destroyed. 

Psalms 92:13 Those who are planted (rooted, not moved from) in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Jeff 

 

Planted For Growth

Look at what the Word says in Psalms 92:13-15,“Those who are planted in the house of the LordShall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright…” What does it mean to be planted? To plant is simply to put into the ground or into soil so that it will grow.We know through implication here that it matters that the soil and conditions of the ground must also be good for nourishment. To be planted means to grow roots into the ground and to get set somewhere meant to be stayed there. Planted here is a verb. It denotes action. Christians must choose to be planted and stay planted in the place God called them to be if they expect to truly flourish in life.

What does it mean to bear fruit? It means to see provision where you need provision, to walk in peace and joy, to have strength where you never did before, to have health in your body, and to walk in all the other wonderful promises of God in your life.

I remember one time we decided to put a little plant in a really shallow antique vessel of sorts, actually it was a cast iron ladle that was hung from our porch. At first it was really pretty, something you could have seen on Pinterest. But, because it was too shallow, it never had a place to establish any roots and the wind would knock against it, plus animals would interfere with it, and it ended up succumbing to the opposition so to speak. Christians who won’t let roots be established by being planted where God has called them will always eventually succumb to the opposition. What was once beautiful and full of potential will become dried up and unable to produce anything good.

Instead, Christians are meant to bear fruit into old age, staying fresh in their walk with God, always in a place where they can grow. And I love what verse 15 says, it matters so that we can declare the uprightness, or goodness of the Lord. That dead plant never blessed anybody. But a plant that’s alive…oh there’s a huge draw to that! Think about the agricultural industry, greenhouses, florists, and nurseries. People are drawn to living, beautiful, flourishing plants. Naturally, people spend a lot of money for these things.

Most of us are familiar with John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” But notice the verse right before it, John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” What is the thief trying to steal? He’s trying to steal your pasture, not just with Jesus in Heaven, but the pasture of your local church and pastor. What this means here is that the devil is after our life-giving feeding. He’s out to remove you from the safety and pasture of the Lord, and one of the main ways he will do that is by convincing you to be uprooted from the place God has called you to be.

Matthew 9:36 says, “But when He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. The heart of the Lord is for you to find pasture and to be planted there so that you will grow and flourish, even into old age. Look at 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Let’s be doers of the Word, amen?!

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée

Casting Cares

As a mother and a wife and a pastor and all the other hats that an individual wears, there’s a real battle not to be distracted and worried by all the goings on of life. It’s almost engrained in us in society that we take caring for someone to be synonymous with worrying about someone. I love what Matthew 6:27 (NKJV) says, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” This isn’t just a principle for ourselves, in regards to our own trial, but it applies to us worrying for others as well. How is worrying about the people we love going to add anything to their life? How is worrying going to take them higher? 

Our children, our spouse, our parents, our friends, all need our prayers instead of our worry.  Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV) says we ought to be, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Do you think those close to us could be included in that? Why do Christians pray for strangers, but worry for their loved ones? And why are we so often praying faithless, doubt-filled prayers if we even pray at all? 

Remember 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV), “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” That word care means anxiety and it means worry. The Gospels called the cares of this world thorns and I know this, a thorn never felt good and never helped anybody. Our job as Christians and our job description as parents, pastors, friends, spouses, and the like, is to cast our anxiety on God. When someone you love looks like they’re headed for shipwreck, instead of crying and fretting, go to God. When you go to God, let Him know you trust Him to help them and to help you know your part in helping them. 

We’ve got to put on the armor of God to keep our heads sober and we’ve got to keep our heads sober if we’re going to resist the devil. If we don’t resist the devil, he won’t flee. So cast your cares on God, no matter if they’re for a stranger or for someone you love. Your faith will help them, and you, so much more than your worry. 

Be Blessed,

Pastor Renée