How to Grow Spiritually.

The Apostle Paul lays out the formula for spiritual growth in Ephesians 3. He reminds us in chapters 1-3 what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Then in chapters 4-6, Paul reminds of how we are called to live in gratitude because of what Jesus has done for us.

In chapter 3, Paul says that God’s plan all along has been to offer salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. When we believe we come together as the church, then Paul says God’s intention is to show His power through the church, not only to the world, but to those rulers in the unseen, heavenly realms.

So God is going to use me and you to show all creation, seen and unseen, how amazing He truly is. But in order to be a part of His plan, you and I must make Jesus the priority in our lives. Jesus has to be the first thing in our lives. See, our identity is IN JESUS. The world would have us make our identity in our sexuality or gender; our money and things; our diplomas and titles; our relationships and family. But Paul reminds us if we are going to show the world how amazing our God truly is, we are going to have to make Jesus the #1 thing in our life.

So how do we do that? What’s the formula? What are the steps I can do that would make it obvious to those around me, Jesus is my priority? Paul gives us three things, found in his prayer in Ephesians 3, to do in order to grow in faith and clearly have a life seated in Jesus.

The first one is so very hard. As humans, it’s hard to submit…to acknowledge someone is more important than we are. But Paul says the first thing to do in Ephesians 3:14-15. He says, “I fall on my knees and pray…” In other words, he humbles himself before the Father, acknowledging someone greater than he is in control. We hate to give up control.

There is something to be said about body posture. We really don’t worry too much about this in our American culture but I challenge you to try it. There is something about praying on your knees that creates a submissive attitude. And we humble ourselves more than just before the Father but also with others.

Paul says in Philippians 2, our attitude MUST be like Jesus Christ who humbled himself. So if you follow Jesus, it’s not an option to humble yourself. It’s a requirement to forget your life then find your life in Jesus. So our attitude of humility not only includes Jesus but those we work with, those in our family, those in the neighborhood. Our spirit must take on the spirit of Jesus.

Secondly, Paul says we need to allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in verses 16-17. When we get in step with the Spirit, it’s then that we discover a better way of life. Paul gives us the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we exhibit these traits in our lives, we’ll recognize we are in step with Spirit who is transforming us to look more like Jesus. Start with just choosing one of those and work on it in your life. Once you feel you have the hang of it, try adding another one to work on.

Finally, Paul encourages us to experience the love of Christ. His love is all encompassing. It’s everywhere if we just look. The Apostle John tells us what love looks like in 1 John 4:19. We know how to love because He first loved us. We see Jesus’ unselfish act, giving his life on a cross so that each of us could have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus gave up his life even when I was sinner.

Paul finishes up this prayer by telling us how we can be complete and feel complete. He says to humble ourselves, allow the Holy Spirit to transform us and experience the all encompassing love of Jesus Christ. When we do all three, we will be complete with all the fullness of God and power God can give us. That’s exciting and encouraging.

So remember, when we make Jesus the priority, we gain adoption into the family of God and are strengthened with power to live this life for Jesus. Embrace Jesus today. Make Him the center. Choose Jesus as your identity and see if that doesn’t change everything in your life! Blessings on the journey.

Mission Where You Live

I have had the privilege to travel all over the world doing mission work. I’ve lived in Africa and the South Pacific. I been to Croatia, Jamaica, France, Scotland, Honduras, and Mexico. It has been my honor to get to know the folks that live in these areas and bring Jesus with me. But, living missionally is not only about how far you go with the message of Jesus; it’s also right where you live.

Jesus told us to “Go and tell” in Matthew 28 but in Acts 1, Jesus says, “You’ll be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.” He told his disciples to start right where they were and that means for most of us in our home, with our extended family and our next door neighbor.

So we ask the question, who lives with you? Some of the people who live with you are not believers. When you read John 1, we discover Andrew went to get his brother, Peter, to introduce him to Jesus. Some of us have prodigal children. Some of us have prodigal spouses. You live in your home with these folks that you dearly love. Yet, we believe it might be ineffective to share Jesus with them. I’ve had conversations with people who respond, “But Tim, you don’t know my grandpa or my spouse or my neighbor. They are stubborn and don’t think they need anyone.”

I’d say continue to pray for the right opportunity to share Jesus. Pray for softer hearts. Pray for patience. Pray for boldness as you interact with family and friends. Andrew Murray, a South African pastor and writer in the 1800s says, “Beware of your prayers, above everything of limiting God.” We know, we serve the God of the impossible.

The second question is, who lives near you? I’m reminded research tells me we are more connected than at any other time in human history yet as so lonely. I have 1000s of friends on social media but not many of them are close friends. Our current culture has our porch now in the back yard, surrounded by a fence and the only way to get there is through a garage that I can open and shut with a remote control. In other words, my house is arranged so I don’t have to interact with any of my neighbors.

So, you must be intentional. Get outside. Get to know your neighbors. Bring them home-baked goodies. Help them after a storm to clean up their yard. Know their names. Smile and wave when you see them. As a follower of Jesus, you want them to know, they are welcomed in your space. Be purposeful and create space this year to invite them into your life by doing a cook out for your street in your driveway or a pool party for all the kids in the neighborhood or create the first ever 4th of July parade for all the neighbors to join in.

Now, how will you do either of these things? By asking, who lives in you? If you are a baptized believer then God’s Holy Spirit lives in you and it’s through the power of that Spirit you’ll be bold. That’s what Paul tells us in Romans 8:11. Check it out. Look, Jesus said, “The world will know you are my disciples by the way you love…” So make this year different. Show the love of Jesus starting with your family and your neighbors. You can do it with God’s help. Blessings on your journey.

Understanding Discernment.

True discernment is impossible without divine power. We need the true Discerner—the Holy Spirit—to lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

We cannot fully understand what God is saying to us in His Word without the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. “The thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11,

We have received . . . the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

1 Corinthians 2:12-15

Discernment ultimately depends on the Holy Spirit. As we are filled with and controlled by the Spirit of God, He makes us discerning. He leads us into all truth by granting us hunger for God’s Word and the ability to discern its true meaning—something the “natural human” is incapable of doing. 

The illumination of Scripture through the indwelling Holy Spirit is the fundamental necessity of all discernment. And true discernment requires diligent study of God’s Word and prayer. Every other tool of discernment is contingent on this reality. No one can be truly discerning apart from mastery of the Word of God and prayer. All the desire in the world cannot make you discerning if you don’t study Scripture and pray for discernment. Obedience alone will not suffice. Good role models won’t do it either. If you really want to be discerning, you must diligently study the Word of God and have a consistent prayer life.

And God’s Word is where you will learn the principles for discernment. It is there you will learn the truth. Only there can you follow the path of spiritual maturity.

How? “Be diligent.” Being diligent pictures a worker giving maximum effort in his or her work. It describes someone driven by a commitment to excellence—“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God.” The Greek phrase literally speaks of standing alongside God as a co-laborer worthy of identifying with Him.

So the encouragement today is that we will be people of the Word and people who pray. We want the indwelling of the Spirit of God to guide our daily steps. May you discover a daily habit of being in God’s Word and creating space to pray. Start today so that you will effect tomorrow and the days that lie ahead. Blessings on your journey.

Spiritual Jedi Armor.

When I was in the Air Force between 1989-1996, I was issued things I’d need when I went into battle. So, because of my position as an mobile aerial port specialist and rigger, I was issued an M-16, a helmet, a flack jacket, a gas mask and other pieces that would aid my success to the mission. Paul talks about the things we need to put on in order to be successful in our spiritual battle against the enemy. Those items are found in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Paul tells us to put on the belt of truth. Look, Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) so in order to remind ourselves, we need the truth that God gives us. Truth is what we use to combat the number one means the enemy uses to mess up your life and that is deception. Satan will use our culture, family of origin, our past mistakes to tell you lies about who you are. But Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:10 that we are “God’s masterpiece, created new in Christ Jesus to do good things.”

Paul tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness. This is not talking about our saved condition since God has brought us from darkness to light through Jesus but more of a call to holy living…set-apartness from the world. As we follow Jesus every day, we try to look more and more like him. And in doing so, we look less like the world. James 4:17 tells us if you know what to do but fail to do it, it is sin. Live in a way that helps the world know you serve Jesus Christ.

He also calls us to put on the shoes of peace which is referring to sharing the Gospel with other people. We want everyone to know the hope they can have in Jesus so we don’t shy away from talking about how Jesus can change your life for the better. We offer a peace-filled life in Christ to all who would accept.

Pick up the shield of faith. We have an undeniable faith in Jesus to save us. Satan will come at you with lies, accusations, doubt, struggles and temptation. The shield of faith is taking the promises of God, the character of God and the power of God and holding those up against everything Satan throws at you. We have faith in what God says about us and how he will save us.

Put on the helmet of salvation is Paul’s charge. We live in such a way that our faith in that salvation makes every decision for us. Look, 90% of all spiritual battle occurs in the mind. So we transform the way we think by allowing the Holy Spirit to rule our thoughts and way of life. Jesus says in John 15, abide in me. He’s calling us to live with the kind of faith that helps us stay connected to him.

Pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. It’s how Jesus battled Satan in the wilderness in Matthew 4. After every temptation, Jesus said, “It is written…” Jesus knew the Bible and used its power against the Devil. So, my challenge is for you to memorize at least 10 verses this summer. Commit to memory those verses that will help you battle Satan. Some of those might be Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 2:20, John 3:16, and Philippians 4:13.

Finally, pray all the time. Prayer is powerful and should be a part of your daily life. If you aren’t talking to God every day, you are simply inviting the enemy to attack. Prayer is simply talking to God about your hopes, dreams, your marriage, your kids, your church, ministry opportunities and the list goes on.

So our challenge is to put on the whole armor of God in order to combat the enemy. Be in God’s Word every single day. Pray all the time. Make sure you’re asking God to give you wisdom and vision in the day to day battle the goes on. Blessings on the journey.

Pray for Change.

When have you prayed like there’s no tomorrow? I mean one of those prayers that leave your heart pounding and a glisten on your forehead. We have all said those “generic” prayers but how many of us have really prayed for change in our lives and a different self?

David does that in Psalms 139 but before he gets to the meat of his prayer, he acknowledges God is supreme. He knows God is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful. We serve an awesome God who has never been and will never be beaten in any regard. Like David’s prayer in Psalms 139:23-24, we too should be praying for transformation. There are four different parts of the prayer we need to imitate that David prays.

First, we pray for God to search our heart and show us the places we do not look like Jesus. Without Jesus, we don’t have good hearts. Jeremiah knew this as he states in Jeremiah 17:9, ““The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

If we prayed this honestly, what would God show us? Are we prideful, self-centered, or prejudiced? Are we compassion, loving, and forgiving? When you openly pray this, God will show you where your heart truly is and what you might need to work on in order to look more like his son Jesus.

Secondly, we pray for God to show us the things that make us anxious or worried. For each of us, it’s something different. Maybe you are worried about your marriage or your kids. Maybe you are anxious about the career path or being able to pay your bills. What I do know is what we fear the most shows us where we trust God the least. But we cannot be driven by fear if we follow Jesus. God has given us a spirit of boldness, love, and power, not a spirit of timidity.

The third thing David prays for and we should as well is that our sins be uncovered. The things in our life that distance us from Jesus should be revealed so that they no longer hinder our walk. It’s easy to see other people’s sin but much more difficult to see mine. I can point out all the deficiencies in your life but never see how I need to change.

So to help with that, we should ask ourselves three questions: What are others trying to tell me? There are always a handful of people who are jealous and trying to give you false info about yourself. I’m not talking about those folks. But your have 10-12 people in your life you trust and if they are all saying the same thing, maybe it’s time to be aware of what they are revealing to you.

You might ask yourself, what have I rationalized for a time? or where am I most defensive? Those two honest answers will reveal areas of your life you should examine to be more in line with how Jesus would want us to live as his disciple. Ultimately, when sin is revealed, it reminds us as imperfect people there is only one person who can make us right again and his Name is Jesus.

Finally, like David, we ask God to lead us. Once I said “yes” to Jesus, I threw away the script the world gave me and now I live like Jesus would live. So, if someone takes advantage of me, we don’t return with worse action. If someone hits me, I simply walk away. If someone talks poorly about me, I bless them. I follow another way of life…the one Jesus has called me live.

When we pray for God to search us and then lead us, it will totally change and rearrange your life for the better. Jesus can and will change your life for the better. Blessings on the journey.

Listen and Pray.

I have found lately that I’m stressed and tired and weak and distracted. It comes from a current scenario in my life that I’ve been walking through for about a year. And we all have those difficult moments in life when we tell ourselves we just need to grab the bootstraps and get on with it.

You and I have had moments when there seems no end to the pressure…no solving the problem…your thorn in the flesh is so imbedded, you’re not sure if you will ever be able to remove yourself from it. You wake up thinking about the issue and it’s the last thing you think about before you finally drift away at night. You and I have had questions about endings and new beginnings.

In those moments, I tend to pray a lot. I tend to have detailed conversations with God. I ask questions about the longevity of the situation and horizons of brighter sunlight. I know you have as well. Those moments create some vulnerability in your life. You depend on family and your inner circle of friends like you never have before.

One place I go repeated to gain strength is God’s Word. He reminds me that I’m his child and he has not forgotten me. I’m reminded he is my strength and my advocate. I’m reminded when I’m weak, he’s strong. He reminds me that he is in control.

I love Psalms 86. It is an open, vulnerable prayer. I read it and feel the connection to my Heavenly Father. It reads like this:

“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.”

“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me. No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God.” (New Living Translation)

So, where ever you are in your journey, know you have a Father that will listen. He’s a whisper away. Talk to him today and enjoy the refreshing conversation. He’s waiting for you. Blessings on the journey.

What to Do When Life is Chaotic.

The Psalms are beautiful outreaches to God about where we are in our journey. Sometimes it’s celebratory and rejoicing. Sometimes it’s full of angst and anxiety. Sometimes it’s moments of outright anger and frustration. When you read through the Psalms, you see the spectrum of human emotions.

I know I’ve had moments when life seemed chaotic. There have been moments when you are asking, “Why God?” There have been moments of sudden loss when a family member is here one day, gone the next. There have been moments of financial ruin. There have been moments when a relationship fell apart and seemed irreparable. There have been moments when we’ve all had health scares.

In Psalms 16, David reminds us that when our life is overwhelming, keep a proper perspective with God and take it to God in prayer. See, prayer is not about getting what you want but getting closer to the one you need.

David reminds us in Psalms 16 to take our complaints to God and a small accountability group. Keep silent in front of non-believers because you don’t want to distort their view of an almighty God. See, others can tell how authentic your faith is when troubles come your way. We should not broadcast to the world what needs to be laid before God.

David also reminds us to keep everything in the right perspective. Life is short…too short to be consumed with trivial issues. I mean, we worry about dumb things: price of gas, price of eggs, things not organized in the workplace like we want them to be, the songs we sing on Sunday, etc. But David reminds us that life is short so lean into the important things.

David has an incredible hope in God. David says that he doesn’t trust anything of this world but his hope is only in God. He trusts God for his life and any plans he makes. He knows that whatever the situation, God’s plan is better than anything he could have discovered. We do get distracted at times trying to find out if God is doing this thing to me, or is it Satan trying to distract me or is it the natural consequence of my actions. I don’t know what it might be in your story but I do know as people who follow Jesus, we are called to be faithful.

David closes this Psalm with a prayer. He recognizes he’s just a traveler passing through this earth. His home is in heaven. I think David is saying, “God, remove this issue from me because I know my time is short here on earth and I want to spend the rest of my days living for your glory.”

So, what could you pray for God to do in your life right now that has eternal implications? Know that God loves you and he knows you…you wants the very best for you. Live like life is short and give God the glory in the process. Blessings on your journey.

Never Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Tired and feeling like the fight is not worth it? Have you convinced yourself that giving up and calling it quits is the best option for you? Guess what? Giving up is not an option for you becaue you have come too far to turn around now! The race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to those who endure to the end!

When in doubt and feeling like giving up, pray! We will never know what one prayer will do until we trust God through prayer. See what James says about prayer in James 5:16-18.

I will admit that sometimes life’s strong winds, heavy rain and stormy seas can seem so fierce and unbearable to the point that they make us want to give up and quit, but we can’t! I was talking to a young woman yesterday who lost her husband last December. She expressed she felt God had abandoned her story. I reminded her he has not forgotten her in her pain.

Yes, life circumstances has a way to make us doubt that things will ever change for us and that God Himself has forgotten about us, but, I want to remind you on today that God is still on the throne and in control of ALL the world’s affairs. It does not matter how long we have had a problem, the power of God is still able to turn things around for us.

As God ask Jeremiah, I am asking you all on today “iS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?” Today is the day to trust God through the pain, knowing that one day when you least expect, it will end and you will find yourself on the other side of through in that situation.

Faith will be tested! 1 Peter 1:7: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

In the midst of your struggle, you must tell yourself that you will press your way because there is a reward on the other side of weariness. God promises it in His Word!

As a way of encouraging you on today, the Lord your God wants you to know that in due season, you “WILL” reap a harvest if you do not give up and quit! When tested, turn to God!

Believe it or not, the moment you are ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle. Your storm is temporary but the blessings of God last forever! NEVER GIVE UP! Trust in God and lean on his power and might. Blessings on the journey.

Knocking on Open Gates.

The first century church was up against it in Acts 11-12. There was a major famine going on in the Roman Empire and King Herod of Israel had begun a vicious persecution of the church, starting in Jerusalem. So what do we do when difficult times hit?

In Acts 12:5, we find the church gathered and praying fervently for the release of Peter, who has been imprisoned. The other piece is that we lean in to discern the voice of God in our lives. If we put these two things together in tandem, we will find we have opportunity to see God in action and follow his leading. However, when opportunity knocks, opposition is always at the door with it.

So we can learn some things about our spiritual journey by digging into the church’s and Peter’s decisions while he’s in prison in Acts 12. Peter is hours away from a very public trial and if it ends like James’, he will have his head cut off. But what is Peter doing the night before his trial? Acts 12:6 says that he’s sleeping. How in the world do you sleep on what could be the last night of your life?

Remember the story about Jesus, the disciples and a storm? It’s night time and all 13 are in a boat in the middle of Sea of Galilee. A massive storm pops up. The disciples are scared. They are bailing water from inside the boat. They are battening down the sails. They are rowing against the current, wind and rain. And while they are straining against the storm, Jesus is sleeping in the boat. Peter had seen what Jesus does when there’s a storm in your life. So Peter sleeps while Herod knocks on the door of his life.

We also see that obedience always comes before freedom. Freedom from knowing the outcome before you take the next step. Peter is asked by an angel while he’s in prison to get up and then the chains fall off. Most of us would still be sitting there because we want details before we even moved. But Peter, gets up and the chains fall off. He puts his clothes on. You see, that’s faith. Putting your clothes on before you know where you are going.

And then Peter and the angel get to the iron gate of the prison. God opens the gate miraculously and Peter and the angel walk through the gate. You know, God will do for you what you can’t do for yourself. But he won’t do for you what you should do for yourself. Notice the angel didn’t say “get on my back”, I’ll carry you. No. They both walked through the gate. Sometimes, you just have to walk through it…the storm in your life.

So what do we discover in Acts 12 about our spiritual journey. One: there is real power in prayer. The church collectively gathered to pray Peter out of prison. Two: there is freedom in obedience. When we obey God’s calling, even when we can’t see the next step, we find freedom from the prison we are in. And finally: you have the peace the passes all understanding from deep faith in our incredible God.

Power, freedom, and peace are all available but only if you say “yes” to Jesus. Make him Lord of your life. It’s time to get up and leave the prison that’s been your home. Walk through the gate and find everything you’ve been looking for. Blessings on your journey.

We are on Mission.

I spent several years abroad on the mission field. I was a kid but actively involved in enrolling people in Bible correspondence courses at the ripe old age of 7 while I was living in Cameroon, West Africa. I was also living on some islands called Vanuatu in the South Pacific when they gained their independence from Britain and France in 1980. I’ve lived in the culture of many countries on short-term mission trips to places like Croatia and Jamaica. Every single opportunity has been a blessing and a rich back story for my faith walk. But you don’t have to be living on foreign soil to be on mission.

Acts 1 describes Jesus final moments on earth before he ascends into heaven. Jesus literally tells us that we will be his witnesses throughout the earth in a city, in an area, in a larger geographical area and to the ends of the earth. So what can be learn about being on mission today in our culture and right where you live?

First, be present. We can dream and plan for tomorrow and we should but you have today right in front of you and God is going to be there, opening doors for you to witness to those around you. I firmly believe God gives us multiple opportunities every day to share Jesus with those around us. It’s then our job to look for those moments when you can BE Jesus.

Secondly, be prayerful. Acts 1:14 tells us the believers where constantly united in prayer. Pray that God will open your eyes to the needs of those around you. Pray that you’ll discover your talent and giftedness so that you can start serving in the Kingdom. Pray that God will send appointments to you to interact with on his behalf. Pray that you’ll be the best parent and spouse possible in this dark, negative world. Pray for the community of faith of which you are a part, that it might grow and be a light on the hill in your community.

Be perceptive. God is putting people in your life every day to interact with. The crossing guard your kids use to go to school. Your kid’s teachers. The cashier at the grocery store. Your next door neighbor who just had surgery. Your coworker who is having trouble in her marriage. In 2008, a song came out called “Give Me your Eyes” by Brandon Heath. Every word of it rings truth.

We want to the eyes of Jesus to see the world how he does. We want his ears to be ready to hear those in need. We need to have his hands and his feet to serve those in need. We want the mouth of Jesus to speak words of compassion and peace to those around us. We want the heart of Jesus for a world in pain and darkness.

As disciples of Jesus, our mission is never over. We are always looking for the opportunities to go into world and proclaim who Jesus is so the world can know they have a God who loves them. Blessings on your journey.