Category: Faith Fix

Words, Words, Words…

Matthew 12:35-37 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

That word justified means to be pronounced just and righteous, just how we ought to be. It means our words will either declare our born again, righteous nature or they won’t. That word condemned means to be found guilty. When we don’t speak right, it denounces Christ in us and what He did for us. We have a choice to make when it comes to our words.  Are we going to get our words lined up with God’s Word or are we going to let our mind, influenced by our five senses and our emotions, influenced by this natural realm, control our tongue?

The Bible compares our tongue to the rudder of a ship, to the bit in a horses mouth, and to a small fire. (James 3:2-6) Our words seem so insignificant, but have great power. Proverbs 18:21 reminds us of an important truth, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Literally, your words can bring you life or they can bring you death. Our words have creative power!

Proverbs 21:23 very wisely writes, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, Keeps his soul from troubles.” “I’m never going to get better.” “This credit card is never going to be paid off.” “I’m never going to find a spouse.” “They’re never going to hire me. I’m not qualified.” “Everyday something bad happens..it’s just the way it is for me.” “I can’t…it’s too hard!” “My kids are never going to listen to me.” “I’m never going to be able to forgive so and so.” “I’m so depressed. I’m never going to find happiness.” It’s just so easy to spout off at the mouth isn’t it? But we’re called to guard our tongues!

So what should we be saying? As Christians with a new nature on the inside of us, our words should reflect this truth. Joshua 1:8 tells us, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

If you keep this Holy Word of God on your lips and in your heart, you’ll have good success and be prosperous. The prosperity and success the Bible speaks of here include peace, joy, health, provision, stability, and so much more! Go ahead and try it! I dare you! Speak the Word, stop speaking doubt and unbelief, and watch the change it brings to your life. Amen?!

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée

Be Fruitful

Ephesians 2:10 in the Amplified Bible says, “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” This scripture isn’t telling us that God is some sort of puppet master pulling strings in Heaven. Instead, the truth is that God planned only good things for mankind.

Originally, when man was formed out of the dust of the ground and God breathed life into him, (Genesis 2:7) His intention was for mankind to have dominion, to live with authority and abundance, and to love and be loved. God even cared about the scenery! He made for mankind every tree that was pleasant for sight! (Genesis 2:9)

Look back to Genesis 1:28, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” God told mankind to be fruitful. This means to bear fruit. If you’ve ever planted a fruit tree in your yard or a tomato plant, you know that its success is determined by whether or not it bears fruit. You also probably wouldn’t have planted it in the first place unless you intended it to bear fruit. The Lord planted us, mankind, so to speak, in order for us to bear fruit. Look at John 15:8, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” It’s important that we live fruitfully.

Something else we need to recognize as Christians is the fact that we have the freedom to determine whether or not we bear much fruit. Galatians 5:13, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh…” You may be reading this thinking, “I’m no apple tree. What’s the fruit she’s talking about?” Galatians 5:22 explains this very well, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” God intended this to be a picture of His born-again creation. Every time we display love, God’s love, not the world’s love, we’ve grown another apple. Every time we choose to live in joy and peace though the circumstances tell us we should worry and fret, we grow another apple. Every time we obtain His promises by faith and patience, we grow another apple. Every time we’re faithful to come to church, to read the Word, to sing His praises, we grow another apple. Every time we put down the lusts of the flesh, those things that make us comfortable, and follow His way above all else, we grow another apple.

In Matthew 7:16-17, Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” We choose the fruit we want to bear. Let’s bear the good, healthy, abundant fruit of the Spirit. Amen!?

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée

Man vs. God

1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Now look at James 4:4, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Humanism is a dangerous thing and it has crept its way into the church. Whenever we take the focus off of God and put it on us, we’ve already lost the fight. I am not saying people don’t matter, not in the least. What I am saying is you cannot have the strength of God and the strength of man coinciding. Humanism is simply exalting man above God. Though it is disguised as empowering and uplifting to people who are weak, it is another tool of self-absorption. This time we live in is the epitome of self-absorption, therein revealing one of the greatest reasons for the waning of the power of God.

Man is not stronger, nor ever will be, than God. However, God does not force Himself or His way upon anyone. I was called from my mother’s womb to be a pastor, but I had to get in line with His will in order for it to ever come to pass. Walking with God is always a choice and many fail to ever realize its importance in their lives and the lives of others.

In the few years that I have pastored, I have already seen trends that my pastor always told me I’d see. People come to God when there’s nowhere else to turn, and some leave as soon as they get what they want. People will get help in some areas through the Word but reject others because they don’t like what it says or because it’s “too hard”. God doesn’t fail people but people time and time again fail God. I am not talking about all people. Some people come in, get connected, and never look back. Others continually reject God then blame Him for not coming through for them.

I have seen people live in discord and reject His body, then wonder why they don’t see healing in their own. I’ve seen people who know what’s right, refuse it, then suffer calamity, questioning God as to why. I have also seen people healed of cancer, depression, various injuries, drug addiction and more, and live fruitful lives serving God. God is love and He loves unconditionally but so often we confuse that with what He’s willing to do.

Think about it like this: imagine you had a family member that abused drugs or had a gambling addiction. This person spent every penny that they got on on their addiction without even a consideration. Would you give them money if they asked for it? If you did, you would be just as, if not more, liable for their trouble as they are. God is the same. We don’t always recognize God’s blessing because most of it goes unseen. You won’t know until you stand before Him how many times He sent angels to save you or had someone faithful praying for you. He blesses us greatly all the time, but the fullness of His blessing comes when we submit our lives to Him.

It’s sad, but I have seen many who will choose just about anything over God. Sure they believe in Him, sure they go to church once in a while, but these are people that will drop it all, and instantly at that, for frivolous things. People will skip church for nice weather or a myriad of other things not caring in the least that maybe someone needs their faith there that Sunday. They will spend money on toys and trips and clothes not considering that someone’s salvation was attached to that building project or new church plant.

It’s time that the whole Body of Christ jumped on board the same train. It’s time that we all contend for what God wants. It’s time we change our focus to see God’s plan and then see it through to the end. Don’t desire the power of God just because you need it, desire it because He gave it to help all people. Don’t just seek God’s hand and what He can do for you; seek His face and watch what He will do for you!

Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff

Greater Works

John 14:12 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I’m a great believer in the importance of spiritual context. I believe that if there is anything God wants us to do today there will be scriptural precedent for it. God is a God of stability, and true stability is found when we adhere closely to what the Word of God shows us.

So what about those works? Jesus walked on water, shouldn’t we? Jesus spit in the eyes of blind people and they saw, shouldn’t we? Jesus fed thousands of hungry people with out spending a dime, miraculously multiplying just a little bit of food, why don’t we? Sometimes in dealing with the letter of the Word we forget about an extremely important principle, the heart of it. I’m a believer in miracles, I’ve witnessed many. I’ve experienced the power of God, and you can’t convince me it doesn’t still meet us. What then should the believer’s life look like? Well, in short, just like Jesus’s.

We need to ask ourselves, what was the heart behind all that Jesus did? It was to teach us and guide us to fully trust in God’s ability to work in us all the way through to the victory of life, that is, all that can come against us in life. Jesus performed amazing miracles, but the miracles themselves were not the point. God wasn’t merely trying to impress us. Trusting in, seeking out, and ultimately being obedient to the Lord in everything we say and do was the point. Jesus didn’t walk on water because He had a special ability to. He did so because He was fully and completely led by the Holy Spirit within in Him. There was need in that moment for those followers to witness the power of God so their faith would be built in it. Once they saw what God can do, then trusted in Him, they were being prepped to go into the world to live miraculous, Spirit inspired, and victorious lives, teaching others to do the same. Often times we will be so intent on seeing someone “walk on water” that we miss the miraculous happening right before us. I’m not saying something like walking on water can’t or won’t happen, but I’m saying it isn’t the focus and purpose of God’s power.

Unlike when people may perform lying signs and wonders, the miracles Jesus performed always had great purpose. Don’t get me wrong, miracles do happen, but there is purpose to them. See, in these Biblical days we have two ditches in the church. There are those that believe in no more true miracles and then there are those who have an abundance of “miracles” with no purpose. God isn’t found in either ditch. He is found smack dab in the middle of the road.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus told us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What are the things that will be added? I’ve heard many speculate it’s this or that, but not those. We can know the “things” if we know the Word and the heart of the Father. The things are whatever things that, if not had, could cause us to worry. How do I know? Because the heart of any good father is to provide. The heart of God our Father is to provide even more. He Himself said, if you being evil give good things, how much more Me? The entire beginning of our Bible shows us how God created provision before He even placed us on earth, then throughout the Bible of how He is always working in us to ensure we are taken care of.

Miracles still happen, and I’m convinced if God needs you to walk on water, He will show you and you will. We just have to remember that the purpose of any miracle is always the same purpose, to show us the heart of God and to lead us to trust Him more. Religion takes the move of God and makes doctrine and ritual out of it. Faith seeks to know God, then follow Him into all He shows us to do. The Word is given to keep us grounded. The Spirit is given to keep us focused on Him. That’s why if you are a Word and Spirit believer, you will walk out the blessed plan of God, through all the storms, over all the mountains into the realm of peace and joy, in the fullness of His blessing! What more could we ever ask for? What greater miracle could He ever perform?

Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff

We Serve Him

Jesus came and served. Yes, He went about teaching and healing the sick. But He also washed the feet of disciples. John 13:14, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” He came to serve. He came to put the work of the ministry and the well-being of others first. 1 John 2:6 tells us, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Are you walking like Jesus?

Let’s read Philippians 2:3-7, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

We are called to be like Jesus. Let the mind of Jesus be the mind we keep. Jesus wasn’t selfish. He came to serve others. He came to serve the commission and the purpose of the kingdom of God. I love this passage in these scriptures, (Jesus) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant. That word bondservant means that He was devoted to others, regardless of His own interests. Jesus gave up self, in order to advance the cause of God. This is the mind we are called to keep.

Sadly, it seems many Christians want what God has to offer but don’t want to give Him what they have to offer. Look at John 12:25-26, “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” This scripture is referring to those who choose their own personal wants and desires above the greater plan of God. Those who choose to live like the rest of the world, those who don’t serve the Lord, will not see the promise of eternal life. Is it all about you and yours? If so, it’s time to take the higher path.

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Then just a few verses later we see, Romans 12:11, “not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” It is a sacrifice on our flesh to go to work all week, then come serve on the cleaning team. It’s a sacrifice sometimes on the mind to bring our tithes when it seems like we’re not even making ends meet. It’s a sacrifice on our flesh sometimes to miss the BBQ, delay the family outing, and get up early to be in church, but this is our reasonable service. Jesus gave up His life, we can give up a little of our recreation time.

Galatians 6:4 tells us each one ought to examine his own work. If you never tell others about Jesus, invite them to church, or share your testimony, is the mind of Christ in you? If you’re not tithing and sowing offerings into your local church and the people of God, is the mind of Christ in you? If you’re only in church a few times a year or once a month because you have other (better) plans, is the mind of Christ in you? If you have no interest in serving others and your local church through the ministry of helps, is the mind of Christ in you? If you go to church, but then live without prayer, without reading your Bible the rest of the week, is the mind of Christ in you? What mind are you keeping? Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée

Living For A Living God

James 4:8
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

There”s no church for the next month. How would it feel? To a lot of Christians it would be no different unless something happened. Unless someone was sick, or died, or they lost their job, or any number of things that can happen in life. Yes, most people wait until something happens until they search for God, but a true relationship with Him isn’t a one way street.
How would you feel if the one you desired to be with most, the one you loved so greatly said, “I just don’t have time for you.” I remember when I was a young adult just starting life, I stayed behind as many of my friends moved away. Life for me continued and I started working, started a family, and doing the things you do in life. I can remember the expectation they would have whenever these friends would come home. Often I would get a call, “So and so is home so we have to hang out.” I would say, “Listen, I have things to do! Just because I stayed behind doesn’t mean I can drop everything now that you are here, and entertain you!”
So many people don’t even consider God unless there is a reason to. I have seen Christians plan their lives, live their lives, do just about anything before they would do a thing for God or His Kingdom. I have literally heard people say, I wanted to come to church but was busy. To so many, it’s enough for them to consider themselves a believer without giving a second thought to what that even means. God is an afterthought, if a thought at all. That is until something happens. Then they come seeking God, “Where were you God? Why did You let this happen?” The truth is, they jumped on the train of life and left God at the station. He wasn’t there because they never brought Him with!

I love what 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those WHOSE HEART IS LOYAL to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” God is with those who desire Him. In Haggai 2:7, Jesus was called the Desire of nations. I love that because in one word we get direction of God, He is to be desired!

For whatever reason people think that God is so very different than we are. I know that there are some differences but we have to remember one of the first things we learn in scripture; we are made in His image and likeness. How rejection feels to you is how it feels to Him. He has placed certain desires within us: the breath of life, the spirit to seek and yearn for Him. He has written His law upon our hearts so that there would be something that always made us look for Him, and then promised we would find Him. God wants us to want Him as greatly as He wants us. How great is this desire? It is so much that He gave us everything in the form of His Son to ensure it would happen.

In Exodus 34:14 we read, “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” That says it all. Whatever we put before Him becomes our God. Whatever we put above Him is our desire. We cannot expect to have the fullness of God, which is His blessing, while we refuse Him. Don’t seek His hand and what He can do, seek His face or Who He is. Put God first and watch how your life will change. Living for Him isn’t boring, it’s truly living. Living for God is the fullness of life and exactly what He made you to be.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff