What goes around…

WHAT GOES AROUND...

REVIVAL BEGINS WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE QUIT JUDGING EVERYONE ELSE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN SHORTCOMINGS.

Mat 7:1-6; Luk 6:37-42: What goes around comes around (WGACA). If you judge, you will be judged. If you condemn, you will be condemned. If you forgive, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive back. You get back what you dish out and it comes back full measure, pressed down, shaken together and pressed again until it is running over in your lap. So what is it you want to come back at you, judgment and condemnation or forgiveness and grace? [WGACA]

Do not be blind to what you do. Others are watching and following. They will go where you go - even into a pit. You're teaching others how to live by how you live. Those who are taught will not rise above their teacher. Texas wisdom says, "If you teach a critter meanness don't be surprised if it learned it's lesson. [WGACA]

And how can you lead a brother to correct some minor thing in his life if you have not corrected the major things in your life? Don't be a hypocrite (a phony; two-faced). First correct what is wrong in your life, then you will be able to help someone else with their problem. This too will come back to you as well." [WGACA]

Who is Jesus to me in all of this? He is my center. He is first of all my standard for my life. Before I even think about making a judgment on someone else or leading someone else or correcting someone else, I must be certain I am consistently pursuing the standard Jesus has set for me. Second, he is my discernment. It is only by his wisdom that I am able to judge anything, lead anything or correct anything. His wisdom comes through much PRAYER [more on this to follow], time in his Word and walking in the Spirit - being filled with the Spirit (knowing God's will; giving praise to God and others; being totally surrendered to him).

"Lord, I pray that my love may abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that I may approve the things that are excellent, that I may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Phi 1:9).

Regarding those with no spiritual sensibilities, those indifferent to the things of God, perhaps even hostile, I should not be distracted by dishonorable men. They may blow off my words and efforts to speak life into them. They may perhaps even turn against me. When it comes to knowing someone's heart about the things of God the Holy Spirit is my discernment. He will nudge me when it is time to move away. I should not ignore those who are indifferent or hostile to God. At the same time I should expect the possibility that they may turn on me. If they do, they turn on Jesus, on his message of love and acceptance. But notice now that Jesus leaves this topic an goes immediately into a discussion of persistent PRAYER. Jesus said himself in Mat 17:21 that the really tough ones will only come "by PRAYER and FASTING."

Mat 7:7-12: It is a good thing to persist in PRAYER. Jesus invites his followers to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. Those who continue to ask will receive, those who continue to seek will find. And those who continue to knock will find doors open to them.

Will an earthly father give a stone to a child asking for bread, or a snake to a child asking for fish? If an earthly minded sinful man knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more would our heavenly Father delight to give good gifts to those who ask of him? [Especially since his Son, Jesus, has given us the direction to PARY and to ask of the Father]

Jesus in me is my invitation to continually, persistently, consistently be asking, seeking and knocking about anything, anyone and everything. He is my assurance that our Father in heaven is willing to give his followers good gifts based on our persistence. "His Word will not return void." If I expect my heavenly Father to treat me so then certainly I should, in turn, treat my children as such. In fact, I should treat all men in this manner. If I can expect good gifts from my heavenly Father then others should expect me to treat them the same way.

And about this persistent asking, seeking, and knocking: James 4:3 explains that our ask needs not to be selfishly motivated but motivated by love. This kind of asking will find an answer (also note Phi 2:3-7; 4:6,7,19).

The whole matter of judging, correcting, facing down adversaries of the Gospel comes down to PRAYER and being motivated by love. When the Church of Jesus Christ gets this right she'll have a much greater impact on the culture around her.

Thoughts On Fasting

THOUGHTS ON FASTING

From Brokeness by Mickey Bonner

(Compiled by Roger Hollar)

Fasting is a process that God uses to bring the believer into being set free from bondage. It is not a thing used by the believer to manipulate or change the will of God; to force God to do something. Fasting is for the believer to be brought into brokeness. In the process the “flesh” is broken and consumed by the Holy Spirit that it might be presented back to God as a living sacrifice, ready for His will to be done.

Isaiah says fasting is not to be instigated by convenience but through brokeness over one’s own sin. It is promised that through this process God will bring change to the life of the believer. We are not to fast for strife and debate (ISA 58:4,5) or to make our voice heard on high. Fasting is not God’s doorbell. It is an inward desire to bring our bodies into subjection, that we might present them as living sacrifices back to the Lord.

Fasting brings through you the ministry of the Spirit of God to others. As your spiritual vision clears you begin to see what God sees through the eyes of the Spirit (EPH 1:8). From there you begin to live by the Holy Spirit regarding others. Biblical fasting brings the light of God exploding in your heart. Isaiah says, “It comes like the morning.” While in that transformed position, your own flesh or personal life is no longer thebroken, contrite spirit of denial of the body’s fleshly desires your will begins craving the will of God, having been able, in a state of self-denial, to hear from God in your spirit man. Your prayer, under those conditions, becomes the will of God as you, in essence “seek first the kingdom of God” and say, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

consuming desire of your being. From that

God promises, as a result of fasting, His life in you and His ministry through you, in agreement with His will and purpose for your birth upon this earth (EPH 2:10). He further promises to be your guide, and in the midst of all tribulation He pledges to make the way of escape. In His daily presence you will be like “ a spring of water whose waters fail not, as springing up within you is the fountain of life that has its source in eternity (JHN 4:14). Then, through your life, God shall bring restoration and will raise up the foundations of many generations. His ministry through you will be “the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” This is the promise to you in Isaiah 58 if you will involve yourself in the fast that God has chosen. Fasting will break the body’s (flesh’s) control over the soul, resulting in a union between your human spirit and the Holy Spirit.

So to be used of God we must first see what God sees in our lives. This is the reason for fasting. Denying food is not for the purpose of getting God involved in what we are doing, but to get us involved in what God is doing…His will, that we may be broken before the Lord. Fasting in its right perspective breaks the soul from submitting to the wiles of the flesh and submits it instead to the Spirit of God within (pg77). Brokeness…is the means by which God conveys maturity and develops character. His discipline in the lives of believers brings each into abandonment of self to God in prayer (pg29).“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (PSM 51:17).

FAST FACTS

Fasting expresses dependence upon God in times of trouble

(2SA 12:16-22; 2CH 20:2-4)

Fasting expresses depth of feeling in times of grief and mourning

(1SA 31:11-13; NEH 1:4)

Fasting expresses repentance

(JON 3:5-10; JOE 2:12)

Fasting expresses the desire to know God's will

(ACT 13:2; 14:23)

Fasting in the Bible usually lasted one day, from sunrise to sunset

(JUD 20:26; 2SA 3:35), sometimes longer (EXO 34:28; MAT 4:2)

Fasting in the Bible usually involved abstaining from all food (2SA 3:35; LUK 4:2),

sometimes refraining from just certain kinds of food (DAN 10:2,3)

Achan's Sin & The Hidden Sin of Lust

I want to talk about the hidden sin of lust in relation to the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. If you are a man (or woman) living in a fantasy world of sexual conquest you are headed for disaster. 

Achan's sin was taking things that were dedicated to God. He took what did not belong to him. He stole that which God had dedicated, set apart for the temple. He desecrated that which was sacred. 

When a men and women lust after each other (carry out any sexual fantasies) they are essentially taking what does not belong to them. Sex outside of marriage (real or imagined; any perversion) is a desecration of God's intended plan. Men have selfishly taken, for their own selfish pleasure, what does not rightfully belong to them. They may get away with it for a season but sexual sin and perversion will eventually bring the wrath and anger of God. 

One cannot take what belongs to God, what God has set apart as sacred, expect that it be hidden and get away with it. God will bring judgment on the individual who ignores, defies, and disrespects His natural order of things. 

When a men carry out sexual fantasies and think they are hiding something from God they are not, though they may be hiding it from others. Eventually they will be exposed. They will suffer disgrace, shame, and defeat. Hear these vexing words from Scripture to Joshua, "...Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT YOUR ENEMIES UNTIL YOU REMOVE THESE THINGS FROM YOU." Josh 7:13

This sin of Achan cost him his family's lives, his children's lives, and his own life. It also cost the children of Israel, those around him, their lives. The battle was lost. It caused Joshua to doubt whether God cared for Israel. It created havoc among the children of Israel. 

God destroyed ALL of Achan's family, his cattle, his dwelling, and even the stolen spoils. All vestiges of his existence were erased. Except, of course, a heap of stones (Josh 7:26) and the bad memory of his "troubling" disregard of things sacred (things set apart for God's use). Devastating consequences. 

ASK YOURSELF, "IS IT WORTH IT?"

So to what extreme limits would you go to protect your moral/sexual perimeters? What extreme strategy would you put in place to protect your life, your family, your church, and your community? What are the non-negotiable bedrock issues of your life? 

Here is where I come down:

1. The absolute commitment of my life to the call of God to influence men for Christ;
2. The absolute integrity of my relationship to my wife, my children, and to their families (moral/sexual);
3. The relentless pursuit of work and ministry.

I have a working strategy. I'm not perfect but I will fight to keep my good name, my family, and the integrity of all my associations.

A Strategy For Securing My Moral Perimeter

The spiritual security and legacy of a man depends upon how well he disciplines his body to do the right things.

Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” 1Co 9:27

To ignore the moral perimeter (includes the imagination – how close to sin can I get without actually committing an act of sin?) is to lose the privilege of telling others about Christ; to see ministry opportunities disappear before your very eyes. It is easy to tell others how to live and then not to take our own advice. We must practice what we preach so as not to lose not only our credibility but also our opportunity. (1Ki 11:1-13)

Sexual sin is probably the greatest threat to any man. Guarding the moral perimeter is critical. A man must maintain discipline and vigilance 24/7. The most vulnerable places for a man is in the work place and on the road.

My Rules Of Engagement

Concerning You:

  1. Do not trust the flesh
  2. Get and keep your focus on God
  3. Get and keep your focus on your wife
  4. Praise your wife; Pray with her regularly; Date her; Honor her publicly

Concerning Other Women:

  5. Keep your door open when meeting them
  6. Respect them as you would a daughter or sister
  7. Do not linger in their cube or office
  8. Eliminate personal/private/leading conversations and places
  9. Eliminate inappropriate touching or hugging
10. Keep conversation limited to business/ministry matters

Nothing less than 100% commitment will keep the moral perimeter secure

“…Consecrate Yourselves…”

- Joshua 3:5  

May Mighty Winds Of Revival Blow Today As In The Shanxi China Revival (circa 1930s)

What Revival Looks Like When It Comes:

James O. Fraser, missionary to China (early 20th century); from the biography, Mountain Rain by Eileen Crossman. Fraser describes an early 1930s revival in Shanxi (Shansi) Province which changed the hearts of missionaries.

Frazier writes that although many people in the revival had been missionaries for years, everything in their Christian experience changed when God came in power. He writes in a letter about the revival:

"From the outset the Lord began to pour out His Spirit upon us. The manifestations were according to Scripture.

1) Conviction of sin (John 16:8). Things that normally were winked at appeared exceedingly sinful when the Spirit of holiness threw His searchlight on our hearts, and there was confessing and putting away of sin.

2) Revelation of Jesus (John 16:14). What glimpses were given us of the grace and glory of the Lord! His Cross became more precious. His resurrection and mediation more real and His coming again a vital truth in purifying hope.

3) Understanding of truth (John 14:26; 16:13). Our spirits were gripped by truths that hitherto had only reached our minds - what we had preached as theories we experienced as facts. Never have I known the definiteness and directness of the Spirit's teaching as in these days.

4) Outpouring of love (Romans 5:5). We had thought we loved each other, and did up to a point, but when the Spirit of God revealed His standard, 'that they may be one as We are,' we bowed in shame. (There follow accounts of brokenness, confession and new love between colleagues).

5) Anointing of power (Acts 1:8). That the Lord has fulfilled His promise in the lives of some of His children is not now a matter of fond hope, but an obvious fact."

James Fraser had an increasing heart-hunger for God to send revival among the Christians in China. During the next few years this burden never left him. O, may the Lord mighty in power sweep this great United States of America in revival of the church and spiritual awakening in the land.

Securing Your Moral Perimeter

Achan's Sin & The Hidden Sin of Lust

(Joshua 7)

I want to talk about the hidden sin of lust in relation to the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. If you are a man (or woman) living in a fantasy world of sexual conquest you are headed for disaster.
Achan's sin was taking things that were dedicated to God. He took what did not belong to him. He stole that which God had dedicated, set apart for the temple. He desecrated that which was sacred.

When a man lusts after a woman (carries out any sexual fantasies) he is essentially taking what does not belong to him. Sex outside of marriage (real or imagined; any perversion) is a desecration of God's intended plan. Man has taken for his own selfish pleasures, what does not rightfully belong to him. He may get away with it for a season but sexual sin and perversion will eventually bring the wrath and anger of God.

One cannot take what belongs to God, what God has set apart as sacred, expect that it be hidden and get away with it. God will bring judgment on the individual who blatantly ignores, defies, and disrespects His natural order of things.

When a man is carrying out sexual fantasies and thinks he is hiding something from God he is not, though he may be hiding it from others. Eventually he will be exposed. He will suffer disgrace, shame, and defeat. Hear these vexing words from Scripture to Joshua, "...Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT YOUR ENEMIES UNTIL YOU REMOVE THESE THINGS FROM YOU." Josh 7:13

This sin of Achan cost him his family's lives, his children's lives, and his own life. It also cost the children of Israel, those around him, their lives. The battle was lost. It caused Joshua to doubt whether God cared for Israel. It created havoc among the children of Israel.

God destroyed ALL of Achan's family, his cattle, his dwelling, and even the stolen spoils. All vestiges of his existence were erased. Except, of course, a heap of stones (Josh 7:26) and the bad memory of his "troubling" disregard of things sacred (things set apart for God's use). Devastating consequences.

ASK YOURSELF, "IS IT WORTH IT?"

So to what extreme limits would you go to protect your moral/sexual perimeters? What extreme strategy would you put in place to protect your life, your family, your church, and your community? What are the non-negotiable bedrock issues of your life?

I am not perfect but here is where I come down. These are my life moral and ethical non-negotiables:

1. The absolute commitment of my life to the call of God to influence men for Christ;

2. The absolute integrity of my relationship to my wife, my children, and to their families (moral/sexual);

3. The relentless pursuit of ministry to families of inmates and ex-offenders.

I have a working strategy. I will fight to keep my good name, my family, and the integrity of all my associations.

A Strategy For Securing My Moral Perimeter

The spiritual security and legacy of a man depends upon how well he disciplines his body to do the right things.

Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (1Co 9:27)

To ignore the moral perimeter (which includes the imagination – asking, "How close to sin can I get without actually committing an act of sin?) is to lose the privilege of telling others about Christ; to see ministry and/or life opportunities disappear before your very eyes. It is easy to tell others how to live and then not to take our own advice. We must practice what we preach so as not to lose not only our credibility but also our opportunity. (1Ki 11:1-13)

Sexual sin is probably the greatest threat to any man. Guarding the moral perimeter is critical. A man must maintain discipline and vigilance 24/7. The most vulnerable places for a man is in the work place and on the road. Lord help us, every man (me included) to operate bye these...

Rules Of Engagement

Concerning You:

  1. Do not trust the flesh
  2. Get and keep your focus on God
  3. Get and keep your focus on your wife
  4. Praise your wife; Pray with her regularly; Date her; Honor her publicly

Concerning Other Women:
  5. Keep your door open when meeting them
  6. Respect them as you would a daughter or sister
  7. Do not linger in their cube or office
  8. Eliminate personal/private/leading conversations and places
  9. Eliminate inappropriate touching or hugging
10. Keep conversation limited to business/ministry matters

No man is perfect, including me. But nothing less than a 100% commitment to keeping the moral perimeter secure will work. We can never let down our guard. I you fail, seek God's forgiveness and dedicate yourself afresh to moral integrity. May the Lord enable every man of us to...

“…Consecrate Yourselves…”

- Joshua 3:5