Category: Faith Fix

Led By A Pure Heart

Psalms 119:9 

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”

One morning while reflecting on the goodness of God and His faithfulness to teach me continually, I asked Him, “how does one make their heart pure before You?”. Instantly, the above scripture entered my heart as I prayed.

How does one build their love for God? By keeping His Word before them. How do you build faith in God? By keeping His Word before you. I love the 119th psalm because it relays the same message over and over. It is the Word of God continually put in our hearts that changes lives. 

Jesus said this in John 8:31-32, that by living in and according to His Word, we would find the freedom we need. His Word is always the answer. I love this knowledge because Jesus also gave us another promise, that of the Holy Spirit Who would lead us and teach us all we need to know. However, He also told us that the Holy Spirit will remind us of the Word. Well, what if you don’t have His Word in you? You could have the Holy Spirit but He can’t remind you of anything because it’s not there. Therefore, your leading cannot be effective and you can get easily deceived.

This is such a huge problem in the body of Christ, that people are unbalanced; Not enough Word or not enough Spirit. You may ask, “well how much is enough?”. The answer is easy. Jesus said live in it. How often do you do the other things you live on? Don’t you eat until you are full? Don’t you cover up when you are cold? Don’t you sleep when you are tired? I endeavor to put the Word in me continually, nonstop, all the time. Because of this, when the time comes when I have not been doing it as I should, I start noticing something is off. I start getting hungry again and it’s time to eat.

As a Pastor, I have noticed the problems most people have are almost always a result of not spending enough time in the Word or not praying enough. God in His grace gave us His Word, the Psalmist encourages us by relaying, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” I encourage you, feed on God’s Word. In it are all the answers to everything you could ever need. Don’t just read it. Don’t just memorize it. Feed on it. Chew on it. Go back and think about it over and over again. Get it in you and allow His Spirit to guide you. If you want to be led perfectly, God’s Word is the way He will do it.

Romans 8:14

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

Be Blessed, 

Pastor Jeff 

Don’t Drive the Dead Car
I remember giving our oldest son his first car. It was our old car, but it was new to him. He was excited to get it, but it ended up being quite the learning experience for him. He had to pay insurance, he had to put gas in it, and he had to give it routine maintenance. All these things were easier said than done and over a couple years, the car died. It died, died. There was no driving that thing again. Anytime he tried, it got him nowhere and cost him a whole lot of time and money. Christians could learn something from this experience.

Look at Romans 6:1-2, “…Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” When we are born again, it’s like we’ve been given a new car. If we stick with the new car it will take us further. It will benefit our life more. It will make us happier. Life will be easier. See, when our son had gotten a new car, it would have been foolish for him to have kept trying to drive the old one. Imagine him going to that junk yard and trying to sit in that car, trying to turn the ignition over, trying to live like he still belonged in that old car, while all the while his new one was sitting in the parking lot ready to go. It’s kind of a funny picture, isn’t it?

Our old life, by the grace of God, has been made dead to us! 2 Corinthians 5:17, tells us, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Jesus did so much more than just give us a new car. We were lost and living to die, but he made us alive! He made us new! Just as we no longer want to keep driving a dead car because that dead car isn’t getting us anywhere, we no longer want to keep trying to live in our past, because that dead life isn’t getting us anywhere! Living new, living for Him, that’s what takes us places.

Let’s read, 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” We’re joint heirs with Christ according to scripture, and our lives are meant to be lived to the praise of the Lord. We no longer need to live dead and in darkness. Now, we must live alive in the light of His Word. Look at the next two verses in this passage of scripture, verses 11-12, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” We were once inclined to live by the flesh, like the rest of this world, but now, we must incline ourselves to His sayings in order to live by the Word and Spirit and conduct ourselves in the newness of this Christian life. As we live right, as we go about this life in this born anew vessel, others will glorify God as a result. Yes, we’ll take others along for the ride!

Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…”

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renee

 

Pressing On, Pressing Through

Philippians 3:13 (NKJV)
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead

Often when someone who is troubled in life comes to God, they have a renewed vigor for life. Things start turning around, and it often seems too good to be true. I have seen this countless times in just a few years of pastoring and even more as a faithful church attender prior to that. Where the issue seems to be is that after a certain amount of time the vigor leaves, the initial excitement fades, and people are often left wondering, “Did anything really happen at all? Maybe it was all in my head.”

Isn’t that life? In the world we call it the honeymoon stage. In the church we call it many things and there are many references to it in scripture. The truth is, it’s not over and you didn’t imagine it. God is good and His Word is powerful, but we know this according to Colossians 1:23, “if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” Faith isn’t a try it kind of thing. It must be continued in to be effective and that is a choice of each person.

My wife is one of the greatest examples of this I have ever met. Like anyone, there’s times when she gets discouraged. There’s times where it feels to her that it might not work. There’s times when she in her flesh would rather give up. However, I have never met anyone who reignites her courage, renews her faith, and stands back up more than her. No matter what the opposition, small or great, she presses through. If she has been wrong she repents before God and then continues on as if she never skipped a beat. I am both blessed and encouraged by her faith and strength.

This is also why our marriage is so blessed. It is because she doesn’t hold things against me and truly lives as a Godly wife. It encourages me every day to be a better husband, father, and Christian. Our ministry would not thrive if it weren’t for her and I wouldn’t be nearly as effective as a pastor without her.
We have to continue in what the Lord has started in us if we want to see the finish line. Just like a person in a race, if we give up and quit part way through, we will never see the finish line or the prize. God is doing great and mighty things but if there is anything we can learn from every great revival and every denomination that has come out of them, if we stop moving with the Word, the Word stops moving our lives.

When we become spiritually lethargic, and don’t correct it, God’s power will cease to be effective in our lives. Renew your hunger! Stand up against the devil and shout, “No more!” Be Christian (which really means Christlike by the way)! Refuse to be another complacent “believer” and keep the power and grace of God active in your life!

Philippians 3:14 (NKJV)
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff

I Believe In Stuff Like That

While on the NYC subway recently, I overheard a conversation a few strangers were having. They apparently discovered something in common throughout the course of their conversation and one man said it must have been “a sign”. He said, “I believe in stuff like that.” While I believe in divine appointments, what the man meant was that he believes in random signs, or really superstition.

The trouble with “believing in stuff like that” is that there’s so much confusion in what to believe. Sadly, most people have ascribed superstition to God. In this, lines get blurred and people forget who God really is and what He really does. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:33, that “…God is not the author of confusion”. Never in the Bible do we see God sending a sign that either wasn’t expected or wasn’t explained. God doesn’t send random signs to random people with no purpose. God speaks about the kind of signs He would give when Jesus gave the great commission in Mark chapter 16. Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” The signs of God would be healing, speaking with new tongues, devils cast out, and supernatural safety and protection. There’s nothing random in that. Yes, any sign from God will be confirmed in His Word, the Holy Bible.

The trouble with “believing in stuff like that” is that it’s really not believing in anything at all. See, if we don’t believe in something, we’ll believe in anything, and most of that won’t be good. If we don’t believe in who He is, none of what we believe is by faith because you can’t have faith in God unless you believe in Who He IS. Even God’s people, those who call themselves Christians, subscribe to supernatural signs that God doesn’t send. In the New Testament we see an account of the Pharisees, the religious people of the time, seeking after signs from Heaven, though the Lord was right their in their midst. Matthew 16:4 says, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” What Jesus meant here was that the account of Jonah in the belly of the big fish for three days was symbolic of what Jesus was about to fulfill. These Pharisees would have preferred superstition to a relationship with the real Messiah. The real sign from Heaven was Jesus, but they couldn’t see it.

If we’re not careful, we’ll be the same way. The Lord gave us His Word, He gave us His son, He gave us His Spirit, and He invited us to learn about Him, have a relationship with Him, and walk out this life with Him. I believe in that. That’s what I believe in. And believing in that, that’s where the power of this life is found. Believing in Him is where our hope, our strength, our help, and our peace is found. Romans 10:11, “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’” It’s a blessed life following Him. Let’s follow Him and take Him at His Word. Amen?

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renee

Continue reading “Roles Of Love”

When the Heat’s On

When the Israelites had been taken into the captivity of Babylon, there were three young men, friends of Daniel, who refused to worship the golden idol as King Nebuchadnezzar had demanded. The consequence of their failure to comply was that they’d be thrown into the fiery furnace, meant to die in their disobedience to the king. As seen in Daniel chapter 3, these men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, were bound and thrown into the fiery furnace that was so hot it burned up the men who threw them in! Look at Daniel 3:24-25, “King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” If you continue reading, you see that the power of God and His protection in the midst of the fiery furnace even convinced the evil King Nebuchadnezzar that God was real!

This account reminds me of Matthew 18:19-20, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” God was in the midst of these three men who together agreed that going against their Lord was far worse than standing up to their enemy.

You see, there were thousands of God’s people who were captives of Babylon but we don’t hear about many refusing to worship other gods. We don’t hear about many being put in the fire. The devil is after the faithful. But God is on your side! Psalms 118:6, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Many of the Israelites taken into captivity weren’t willing to stand up for their God. They were willing to obey the command to bow before their enemies and their false gods. We don’t hear about the deliverance they received. No, instead we hear about how God came through for those who came through for Him. Look at this important principle in scripture, Isaiah 1:19-20, “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

What’s the fiery furnace of your life? Is it the fact that you seem to be living paycheck to paycheck but the Word tells you to tithe and give offerings into the kingdom of God? “But if we bring 10% forget having our car fixed! We’ll just compromise and skip out on that part of the Bible.” When you choose withhold from God, you choose to bow down to the false idol instead of trusting God to bring you through the furnace. Maybe you desire a spouse, or at least companionship, especially physical companionship…oh the devil will give you plenty of opportunities for that. But will you trust God in the furnace? Will you trust that He’s got someone for you if you remain in faith and patience? Don’t bow down to the false god. Don’t go the way of the world and settle for someone who isn’t serving God. Wait for the right time and the right person. The fiery furnace in your life could be your need for healing, it could be waiting for your wayward children to return, or it could be needing a new job. We can doubt God or we can trust Him regardless of the trial. Yes, regardless of the need, regardless of the opposition, we need to rest and trust God through it.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renee