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I Am Hated!

May 12, 2011 in God, Life, Readiness, spiritual warfare, Thoughts with 2 Comments

I’m not certain about this but I don’t think there are a lot of people who hate me, although there are many who probably dislike me.  Hatred is a pretty strong feeling and implies that one individual is hopeful for the demise or destruction of another.  I have honestly done my best to maintain peace in my relationships and would never relish in others hating me.  Some people enjoy being hated.  I don’t.  However, while studying yesterday I was reminded that I am hated by Satan.  He hates you too.  Peter, one of Christ’s apostles, wrote the following words to the first century church, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  Today, Satan is actively seeking your demise.  He is going to use temptation, disappointments, and persecution to destroy you.  He is going to chase down your character, your family, your insecurities, your ministry, your past, and your thoughts so that he can move in for the kill.  That’s how he rolls.  He hates you.  He hates God.  He hates what is good and right.

So, how does a follower of Christ combat the devil’s hatred for them?  Peter answers that question with these words, “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:9, NLT).

1. Stand firm against Satan. Don’t back down from the fight.  God, who indwells all who believe in Christ, is greater than Satan’s lies and deceit (1 John 4:4).  Through God’s power and strength, believers can stand firm against Satan’s attacks.
2. Be strong in your faith. The best way to resist the devil is to remain obedient to the ways of God.  A holy life is no match for the onslaughts of Satan.
3. You are not alone. Many others, like you, are being attacked by Satan and his oppressors.   You have not been singled out, but the devil is doing his best to wage war against God and any who love Him.

You must be watchful and alert to the attacks of Satan.  He hates you.  He wants to destroy you.  You don’t have to sit back and take it.  Stand firm.  Be strong.  You are not alone.

The Following Story is Rated R

September 23, 2010 in Marriage, Readiness, Relationships, Reputation, Sin, Temptation, Thoughts, Weakness with 3 Comments

There is a sexually explicit story written by Solomon in Proverbs 7 which stars a naive young man and a prostitute.  I don’t remember this one being told in my Children’s Bible Story Book.  The story goes something like this.  There was a young man who lacked common sense (7:7), so he decided to walk down a street known to house a prostitute (7:8-9).  Dressed in a seductive outfit (7:10), the woman came out to meet the young man and greeted him with an embrace  and a kiss (7:13).  I’m sure he liked it.  The woman flattered the youth by saying that she had been trying to find him and that he was the ONE for whom she had been looking (7:15).  She was lying.  She begins to describe in detail the bed that was awaiting them, how they could “drink their fill of love until morning,” and enjoy each others’ caresses (7:16-18).  The immoral woman even put the young man at ease by assuring him that her husband had gone away on a long trip and would not return until later in the month (7:19-20).  He couldn’t resist her scintillating words, so he gave into her advances (7:21).  Solomon writes, “He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter.  He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.  He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life” (7:22-23).  Although these words were written thousands of years ago, this same scenario plays itself out in lives everyday.  The characters may be different and the story may vary, but the process of temptation is the same for all.  Temptation leads to lust.  Lust leads to sin.  Sin eventually leads to death (James 1:14-15).

In my mind, this young man made an avoidable mistake, which ultimately led to his sin.  His mistake is found in Proverbs 7:8, “He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.”  He knew she lived there.  Everyone knew where she lived.

If you want to keep yourself from walking into sin, you might want to quit frequenting the road of temptation.

Next Gen Leader Gets His Turn

October 30, 2009 in Character, Determination, Faith, Impact, Influence, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Readiness, Reputation, The Church, Transition, Wisdom with 0 Comments

The other day I was reading the cover story in the October issue of National Geographic magazine. The article, simply entitled Redwoods: Super Trees, speaks about the value and beauty of redwood trees, which have the potential to be the tallest trees on earth. Although the article addresses issues such as saving the trees and other conservation efforts, the author also writes about a unique process in the forest between the older trees and the second generation trees called release. The writer, Joel K. Bourne, Jr., describes this phenomenon for the reader by saying, “With their high tolerance for shade and ability to sprout, some redwoods can sit almost dormant in the shade of their elders for decades. Yet as soon as a dominant tree falls or is cut down, breaking the canopy and allowing new light to enter the forest, the suppressed redwood springs up with new growth” (October 2009 issue, p. 38).

As soon as I read this statement I paused and re-read it again; it was one of those moments in which I felt as if God was providing a spiritual application to an earthly illustration. In my lifetime I have seen many “elders” and “dominant” leaders pass off the scene which has opened up the forest to many of the “suppressed” (I don’t mean this in a negative way) leaders. For many years, some of you have stood strong in the shadow of an elder who provided shade and protection, but now it is time for you to step into the light and “spring up with new growth.”

I believe Paul wrote some similar advice to those “suppressed” leaders who were getting ready to assume the place of their elders, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:12-16, NLT).

Are you ready to step into the light?

For All You Animal Lovers…

January 9, 2009 in Readiness, True Stories with 0 Comments

Today I went to the doctor’s office to have some blood work done. I arrived about 7:20am on what was a cold, snowy morning. After finishing, I jogged (it was too cold to walk) back out to my car and began backing out of my parking space when something moving in the car beside me caught my eye. I looked a little closer into the slightly tinted windows of the old, beat up jeep beside me. At first I thought it was a person in the backseat moving around, but upon further examination I realized it was a huge dog. It was so big that it may have actually been a small pony. This dog was also old just like the jeep it was sitting in. What in the world was a huge, old dog/pony doing sitting by itself in backseat of a freezing car? Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not an extreme animal lover – the only rides my dog ever gets in the car are when she is going to the veterinarian, going to the groomer to get her stinky body cleaned, or when she is going to the kennel. Marley (my nine-year old German shepherd) gets no Sunday afternoon rides, no trips to PetSmart to smell other dogs’…well, you know what, and she certainly does not accompany me to the doctor just to sit in the car!There was also another thing that caught my attention about this dog – it was not sitting in the seat the proper way. Instead of facing the front (like a human being), the dog was completely turned around facing the back window of the car awaiting his owner to reappear. Why is it that you never see dogs sitting normally in the seat of a car? Mostly, it is because they have arranged themselves to see when their master is returning from being away instead of being surprised by his arrival. Most people could learn a valuable spiritual lesson from this dog.Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy – 1 Peter 1:13-16