Life

July 2007 | Posted in • Life | (0) Comments |

Recently my son Brandon and I were discussing our upcoming summer vacation to Disney.  It was exciting to talk about our time of family fun, relaxation, and fellowship.  We talked about all the activities that would be available at the resort, the adventures that Mickey Mouse had to offer, and what we would do while we were there. We decided that the whole family was ready to go and have some fun together.

A few days later, I realized the impact of our conversation. Out of the blue, Brandon asked me how many days we had left. “Until what?“ I asked. He responded, “You know, Disney.“  I told him that we had a number of weeks to go until vacation, and to emphasize my point, I said that it would be after the end of the school year. 

Well, obviously the school year wasn’t my best choice for a time reference, because suddenly he no longer wanted to go to school.  I attempted to point out all the good things about school, and the need for him to go, but it no longer mattered to him. He hated school. School had become the enemy keeping him from getting to his “Promised Land.“

I explained to him that he still had things to learn from his teacher before the year ended, that his friends would miss him if he left before the end of the year, and that the vacation would come in due time.  In response to all of my adult explanations and tactics, he stood his ground.  He decided that his teacher couldn’t teach him anything else, that he didn’t need his school friends anymore, and that the end of the year couldn’t come fast enough.  In his mind – what’s the big deal?  Why can’t we just skip ahead to the fun, the play, and enjoy the sweet life, at Disney?

I found it amazing that not only could I understand his point of view, but I could also relate.  As adults, we can act the same way about our promised lands. But, we justify our actions, because my “Promised Land” holds a greater life purpose than just a Disney vacation.  It is the promotion, the new job, the new house, the new plan, the new phase, etc.  We look at the blessings and promises of God as if they were instant potatoes. Just add water and poof!!! Let’s eat the good of the land!  How many times have we tried to skip the wilderness, go around the giants, or bypass the desert’s hard places in order to bask in the land of milk and honey sooner? 

I am not attempting to say that any of these is a great place to hang out and visit for a long period of time, but they each provide plenty of opportunities to see not only who we are, but also how much of Christ is really shining through us. In Proverbs 16:9, it says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.“

There are times when we will go through challenges in life, both in the natural and in the spiritual. This is when we really learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.“ (Gal 5:22,23) As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges, renewing our minds with the Word of God, the junk of our souls is decreased, and we gain our strength and endurance through Christ living in us. It is in the tough places that we are forced to grow.

God will, at times, give us a visionary glimpse of the future, or a word of knowledge about a shift that is to come into our lives. But we must not act like it is some magic wand that will change our lives in an instant.  Most of our blessings come when we do as the Word of God instructs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.“ (Prov. 3:5,6)  Often it is on the path to the “Promised Land” that we learn to press into God.  We must allow the Lord to direct us in each step, making sure not to get ahead of Him, and to do the homework that is divinely assigned, even when it doesn’t make sense to us or seems too hard.

As for Brandon, after a lengthy conversation about priorities and the fruit of the spirit, he decided that it really was in his best interest to finish out the school year, with a good attitude. Then he would be able to enjoy his summer vacation at Disney, knowing he had accomplished the task laid before him. He would also know that his attitude and actions were pleasing to his Heavenly Father, and to his parents.

April 2007 | Posted in • Life | (0) Comments |

It is no secret that America is in tremendous debt.  The national debt is quickly approaching 9 trillion dollars, and the debt is growing at an average rate of 1.71 billion dollars per day.  If every one of American’s 300 million plus citizens were to pay this debt off, each one’s share would come to over $29,000!  Not only is the American government in such debt, but most of its citizens are as well.  In fact, the average American household has $9,300 of credit card debt alone. Last year 1.8 million people declared bankruptcy. And the national savings rate is below zero. The bottom line, people are spending more than they earn.

Since I have been in the ministry, it has become apparent to me that many Christians are in the same “debt boat” as the rest of the world.  We have God’s Word to guide us and keep us from trouble, but so many of God’s people find themselves just like the world, succumbing to selfishness and greed.  And are we reacting to the consequences of debt in the same way as the world, living for today, trying to ignore the looming debt while continuing to spend more on credit and avoiding the creditor’s calls for overdue bills?  Psalm 37:21 says “the wicked borrow and do not repay.“  And in Ecclesiastes 5:4 it says “it is wrong to vow something and not pay it.“

To fall into debt is a trap from Satan which can destroy relationships and marriages, cause vulnerability to depression, or drown us in destruction and perditions as it says in 1 Timothy 6:9 .  People get into debt for one of four reasons, ignorance (lack of knowledge), indulgence (you see it and you have to have it, lack of restraint), poor planning (no budget or financial direction), or unexpected problems (medical bills, car breaks down, losing a job, etc.).  But thanks be to God, He has made provision for us.  His Word is full of wisdom and direction in the area of finance. 

God has called us to be a separate people.  His best is for us to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.  3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.“  God is for us, not against us, but we need to do it His way.  He tells us to first honor Him with the tithe, and He will bless us.  How can God honor us and rescue us from our debt when we will not honor Him with our first fruits?  God’s word says in Psalm 50:14-15, “Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.  Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.“

Then we need a plan or a budget for our money.  Begin to record how your money is currently being spent, so that you can make adjustments in your spending. A budget will also help provide limits in those times when the temptation comes to spend money on unnecessary things. 
Finally, we must sow if we want to reap.  Don’t spend everything you make; rather, have part of your income go toward saving and investing.  It’s no secret that the problems in life will come and that they will cost us money, more than we may make in a pay day!

So just like Joseph did when he governed in Egypt, make provision for them in the good times, so that there will be enough in the hard times. 

Be the best steward of what you do have.  If you don’t know what to do, educate yourself, or find financial counseling so that you will not only get free from the grips of debt, but you will begin to prosper and you will become the lender, not the borrower. 

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“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.“
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As believers, we regularly tend to our spiritual health - daily devotions, study and prayer, weekly church services, and prayer meetings.  But, do we do as much to tend to our physical health?  Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Do we tend to the temple as we should? 

Here is an analogy and parallel that I hope encourages you. 

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.“ John 7:38

Many of you have probably heard a message where the Sea of Galilee was used as an analogy for a healthy spiritual life.  The sea’s waters are alive, vibrant and teaming with life, for the waters are stirred.  Fresh water flows continuously into the sea from streams and rivers.  And water also flows out of the Sea of Galilee, forming the Jordan River.  In contrast, the Dead Sea is used as an example of stagnation.  The Dead Sea’s waters support nothing more than microscopic organisms - bacteria, viruses, and the like.  The Jordan River and other rivers and streams flow into the Dead Sea, but no water flows out.

Our goal as a believer is to maintain a spiritual life that is healthy, alive and vibrant.  We do this through an inflow of teaching, meditation, study, AND an outflow of prayer, service and good works.  If one part is missing, there is no flow.  No flow = stagnation.

It is commonly understood that overall our bodies are composed of 70% water.  However, did you know our muscles are about 75% water?  Our brain cells are about 85% water.  And our blood is approximately 82% water.  To maintain a healthy body, we must daily take in pure, fresh water. 
To remain healthy and vibrant, we must keep these waters within us stirred through aerobic activity.  This causes the systems of our bodies to function as they were created, transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout, keeping our mental faculties sharp, and capturing, neutralizing, and purging wastes and toxins. 

There is a system within our body that does not seem to get much attention until something goes wrong, the lymphatic system.  This system is our body’s cellular garbage collector.  It captures toxins, waste, bacteria, and viruses and transports them to lymph nodes where they are killed or neutralized by white blood cells.  Lymphatic fluid is so important that your body contains about three times more lymph than blood.  The lymphatic system runs parallel to your circulatory system.  However, unlike our circulatory systems through which blood flows by the beating of our hearts, the lymphatic system circulates by muscle contractions.  No movement leads to no flow.  No flow = stagnation. 

Like water, when our bodies are stagnant, they become a breeding ground for disease.  It’s time to stir the waters and begin exercising.  Exercise refreshes our body, renews our energy, and gives us strength.  Take care of your temple of the Holy Spirit.  Feed it living, healthy food.

Drink pure, fresh water.  AND exercise - STIR THE WATERS - by walking, gardening, cycling, hiking, etc!
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1 Don Colbert, MD, The Seven Pillars of Health (Siloam, 2007), 116-126

A sampling of other biblical heath resources to be found in the Victory Shoppe:

• What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, Rex Russell, MD
• Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting, Don Colbert, MD
• The Genesis Diet, Gordon S. Tessler, PhD

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On Monday, March 12th at 7:00pm we will begin two Small Groups at Victory Fellowship.  Search For Significance will meet every Monday evening for eight weeks. Even if you’ve been walking with the Lord for a short time or long time, if you get your worth from what you do or don’t do, if you say “YES” when you really want to say “NO” because you need approval from other people, or if you want to see yourself changing for the better, but just can’t seem to change, then Search For Significance group can help you. This is the first class in the series and must be completed before Breaking the Cycle class. The cost is $13 for the workbook.

Breaking the Cycle of Hurtful Family Experiences will meet every Monday evening for 10 weeks. Hurtful struggles in your closest relationships, repetitive conflicts, and the inability to resolve issues peacefully are telling symptoms that reveal past hurtful family experiences that cause you to function in cycles of pain. Get to the root of the matter. Breaking the Cycle group can help set you free to experience relationships healthily. The workbook for this class is $15.50. Adults age 19 and up may sign up for these classes by calling Frann Sarpolus at 779-5180 ext. 102 by March 8th.

What are Small Groups?

Small Groups have been a part of the discipleship ministry at Victory Fellowship since the early part of 1997. Pastor Mitch continues to make these groups an integral part of the ministry here because they have helped many individuals grow, make life changes, and become more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

In some ways, the small group setting is like attending a specialized conference workshop because the participant has a workbook to read and lessons to complete. In some ways, it’s like a support system because the setting initiates personal involvement and participants can become a close knit group sharing life’s happenings.  The group experience itself can help a person reach out to others while at the same time develop such interpersonal skills as listening to others and sharing from the heart. However, no participant is ever forced to talk or share. The group is typically ten or fewer participants, usually mixed gender, led by a facilitator who is experienced in helping the members comfortably share their honest feelings with one another in a non-threatening environment. Great care is taken that all members are assured of the group’s confidentiality commitment.

Why Search?

Many times our thoughts about ourselves are based on what others have said to us or about us all of our lives. Thoughts or insecurity, a sense of not measuring up, feelings of rejection, a sense of failure, guilt, shame, just not good enough, wishing you could be more like “so & so” because they seem to have everything “together” in life; all of these reveal that your self worth is based on something other than God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance of you.  Yes, we all have not-so-grand moments in life, but if your overall opinion of yourself is based on feelings of inadequacy, feelings of isolation, being misunderstood, anger, loneliness, sadness, or just a gnawing sense of longing to be but just can’t be, all of these can render your Christian walk ineffective and zap your zeal for life.

A Search for Significance group can help you change the way you view yourself and others because it is designed to help you know that the source of your self worth is God.  And because of His measure of your worth, not the world’s standards, you can know you are accepted, loved, and forgiven.  I’ve known many people who learned who they really are in Search for Significance, and they could actually say in a healthy way that they like themselves.

Why Break the Cycle?

I’ve come to realize that nearly all of us have some level of dysfunction in our families.  This only proves that we all need Jesus. If we had perfect families, we wouldn’t need Him, would we?  Because our family experiences have left us with hurts, either real or perceived, we all can greatly benefit from taking the Breaking the Cycle of Hurtful Family Experiences class. The purpose of this work is to help us realize that we view life through the levels of deception and pain that have built thick walls around our lives, holding us captive to continued hurt and to hurting others. When the truth is known (light is shown) about our broken families and how we can be changed by God’s Word, many experience freedom from chains of behaviors that have plagued them for years.

Because our lives (who we are, how we respond, what we believe) touch so many other people in the world, it is crucial that we all know the truth about ourselves as God sees us, so that we can lead others into the truth of His love, forgiveness, and acceptance. Let’s get started. Be a part of a group March 12th.

John 8:32, “You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.“