THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

It is not always the easiest thing in the world to live the faith life.  There is a fight to it...the Bible plainly said "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12)  I think some people read the first word, "Fight" and stop right there, and start fighting.  We need to know what we need to fight against.  Some people think it said fight other churches and other Christians.  This word fight doesn't mean to fight against the devil.  The Lord Jesus has already fought and defeated the devil.

We don't need to fight against the devil, we are to enforce our authority over him.  He is a defeated foe, not an up and coming adversary that we need to fear.  It doesn't mean to fight against sin, because Jesus has already cured the sin problem.  When we get the sinner to Jesus ... the sin problem is cured.

Many years past there were signs and advertisements saying "Help Fight Polio".  Then, they found a vaccine, so we don't see any effort or campaigns anymore.  We are not fighting Polio anymore, there is a cure for that, and so there is no need to fight.  It is defeated! We don't need to preach sin ... we need to proclaim the cure.

Notice it says fight the good fight.  Not the bad fight and not the evil fight.  When Israel came out of Egypt into Canaan, Moses sent out 12 spies to spy out the land.  When they returned the Bible said 10 spies brought back an evil report.  Their report was evil because they didn't believe God was with them.  Only 2 spies had a good report.  They said, "God is well able to deliver them into our hands! Let us go at once and possess the land"!  This fight is a fight to maintain a GOOD REPORT.  To always see that God is well able to help you and deliver you out of any situation that comes your way.  So many believers wake up with an evil report on their lips.  The glass is half empty... the glass is empty or the glass is broken.  We must believe that God will reward us when we bring Him pleasure with our faith. (Heb. 11:6)

Our report is an indication on whether we will be victorious or defeated.  We all have giants and mountains in our life and if we concentrate on them, we will feel like grasshoppers.  If we concentrate on the fact that God is with us, not only is the glass half full...it's totally full, running over and now we need a pitcher.  Keep your good report.  FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH.

                                                                                                               
                                                                                                           Pastor Dave

THE JOURNEY ALL NEED TO TAKE ...

I believe that the Lord allows things to happen to help us develop certain attributes, or to position us in life for something better or greater, and to help us learn something important and necessary. I also believe that we often get in the Lord’s way with our decision-making and cause outcomes that He never wanted for us; but because of His gift of free will, He lets us make those choices. When I began talking with the Lord about my life, who I was, who I was supposed to be, I realized that I had to be ready to hear things I did not want to hear, as well as the things I wanted to hear. I realized that if I was going to pursue truth, if I was going to take that journey, then I had to be prepared for an unknown percentage of fault to come and rest on my shoulders. I had an abusive stepdad, my parents were divorced and remarried three times each, we were shuffled around from town to town, my mom abandoned us kids for years (my relationship with her is fully restored because the Lord helped me to truly forgive her, and because she made the necessary changes in her life), and I could go on with other difficulties I faced.

There was plenty of legitimate blame to go around to others; however, I realized that I had to be truly, sincerely, "gloves-off", eyes-open, brutally honest with myself and braced to except whatever revelations of my own guilt and responsibility for my life and personality/character that the Lord would help me understand. I set out on that journey, with the Lord’s help, and after many tears, and admissions, and realizing how much hurt was buried in the hidden, locked-door caverns of my heart, and after realizing that I needed to forgive more people than I even remembered hurting me … I found peace, freedom, and a new me. I did not have to try to “act” like a new me – it was the natural change that happens to us when we reach inside and scrape out the hurts, fears, and unforgiveness towards others and ourselves.

I had to admit in many situations, that even if I was only 30%, or 20%, or even 1% at fault in a situation - I still had fault. I started seeing self-induced patterns in my life that were harmful to me, and I began to see situations and outcomes that could have been avoided altogether, or at the least mitigated, if I had acted and reacted differently. It also became much easier to see how the baggage inside of me due to all I had been through indirectly, and often enough directly, influenced my actions and reactions. If only I had taken that journey sooner, I would not have wasted so much time being a hurt version of my truly “at peace” self. 

What did I do? How did I start the journey? I basically asked the Lord to be my therapist and help me psycho-analyze myself; and He did, and I’m grateful. The journey was not easy. Facing the dark parts of oneself, the parts that we often keep busy to avoid admitting are there, the parts that seem too painful to relive, rehash, or rehearse can be terrifying. I promise you though, once your journey is under way, you will immediately begin to see the benefit and feel the incremental liberation. 

I love you and want you all to know the emotional and mental freedom that is in Christ. My hope is that this testimony awakens, stirs, and provokes all of you who have not already taken this journey, to muster the courage to do so. Discover truth, discover who you truly are, take the Lord's hand and take the journey. 
                                              Baaron (LifeGroup Director)

               

LISTENING & SPEAKING

"CHRISTIANS SPEND TOO MUCH TIME LISTENING TO THEMSELVES 

& NOT ENOUGH TIME SPEAKING TO THEMSELVES"

We all have thoughts that seem to float through our minds every day.  Sometimes they stick around for a while and start to take root. These stray thoughts usually come from what we are exposed to during the day. (Radio, TV, the "trash" magazines at the check out line in the supermarket, co-workers, friends or family.) Most of the things we are exposed to in a typical day are not particularly "Christian" in nature. 

In Ephesians 6:12 it talks about Satan and his little minions as "the world rulers of this darkness". Any kingdom is directly influenced by it's ruler. As a result all the things in the world around us are produced in an atmosphere of deceit, envy, and selfishness. The input that is programmed into our minds all day by the world that we live in is contrary to the way God does things. This passive "listening " is usually from the background noise of the world.

So what do we do about it? We can't all go live in a monastery. We have to reprogram our minds with the Word of God. Romans 12:2 says that we can "be transformed by the renewing of our minds." Transformed means to change from one thing to another. To change from a mind full of junk that is contrary to God's way, to a mind full of His Word and praise. The Gospel of John says that The Word is Jesus and Jesus is God. We can know God's mind, His will, and His character by reading the Word. 

Stray thoughts are sometimes just that, and sometimes they are little seeds of death planted by the enemy. The battle is not in our mind but, at the threshold of the mind. You can't help the thoughts that are presented to you, but you can choose to stop them before they take root.  2 Corinthians 10:4 & 5 talks about spiritual weapons casting down strongholds, and then immediately talks about casting down vain imaginations, and taking thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Everything good or bad is presented to us through our mind. So we need to be in a position to recognize the bad and take it into captivity, and cast it down before it can take root. If a thought does not glorify God, edify you, or the Church -- cast that sucker down! 

Time to speak to yourself.

Ephesians 5:19 says to "Speak to yourself in psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs". Philippians 4:8 says "think on things that are honorable, good, pure, and of good report". In other words we renew and transform our minds by filling them with the Word of God and with His praise. Notice this stuff is active not passive. Find some time every day to "decontaminate" yourself by washing out your mind with God's Word.

Like the new song we just learned in church "This is not where we belong" give yourself a package from home. Get some worship music and listen to it on the way to or from work to get some of the "grime of the day off" you. When those thoughts come to you, (and they will) start speaking to yourself. Choose to be transformed!

                                                                                                        Pastor Ron                                                                                                

Do you know God has the POWER to change you and your situation?

The magnitude of this POWER is hard to comprehend.  The Apostle Paul prayed for our understanding.  In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul says, "I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His POWER for us who believe in Him."  This is the same mighty POWER that raised Christ from the dead.

If God can raise Jesus Christ from the dead, He can certainly:

•  Raise a dead relationship
•  Set us free from addictions
•  Take away our guilt and shame
•  Heal the pain and close the doors on the past so those memories stop haunting us 

God has the POWER to change us and our situations!

The key is PLUGGING into HIS POWER, just like a toaster, vacuum cleaner & coffee maker -- they have to be plugged in to a power source before they will work.  Well, it's the same for us in order to get rid of the pain, hurts, addictions & habits.  We must CHOOSE TO PLUG IN TO GOD'S POWER that's where our help lies!

So get PLUGGED in!!

                                                                                                    Pastor Kim