Posts Tagged ‘what’s the word article’

Foundation

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

What is truth? That is a very relevant question in today’s world. You will hear many different responses depending on who you talk to. Some will say there is no way to know if there is ultimate truth. Others will say that what is true for one may not be true for another. In this case, truth is individualistic. We each decide upon truth for ourselves.

We certainly each have the right to decide our individual belief system. No one can choose that for us, nor should they. The question still remains though: is there a way that we can really know what is true? Is there an objective standard? How can we truly know if there is a divine design for human life?

Over the last couple of weeks, I have written about the power of the Bible. The Bible is a very unique book that many believe is the inspired revelation of God. Scripture itself speaks about its own inspiration. In Psalm 19, the writer speaks of God’s Word as a life giving word that can revive dead hearts, and as a light that can bring guidance to our lives.

The Psalmist also speaks of the enduring nature of God’s Word: “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous”( Psalm 19:9).

God’s Word endures forever. This means his word will take its stand forever. God has always been right in the past, and He will remain so in the future. God’s Word is not the latest fad. You will not find it on the shelf at your bookstore in the newest list of self-help books. It is certainly not the latest cultural trend, as so many people become more humanistic instead of Christ centered. Scripture will not be the most popular book for those who say we need to be more enlightened because we are now living in the 21st century.

According to God, all of those things are just fads that will one day pass away. So many of society’s values are built upon sinking sand, because they are not built upon the eternal wisdom of Almighty God. God’s ordinances are “sure.” This means that his word is firm, faithful, and reliable. God’s Word is not only sure, but altogether righteous. This communicates the idea of a straight path, or straight way. It is not crooked. God’s Word will not lead you astray.

The point is clear – God’s Word is the ultimate foundation for your life. The holy book of scripture is calling to you, seeking to offer a firm foundation for you to build your life upon.

What are you building your life upon? Where do you draw your truth from? In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of a man who built his house upon the sand, and another who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against both houses. The house on the rock did not fail because it had a firm foundation. The house on the sand fell with a great crash because its foundation was weak.

Jesus is very clear in his message. The man who built on the sand is like the person who hears his word but does not put it into practice. This is a life that is not built upon truth, therefore the foundation is weak. This lifestyle will ultimately collapse and fail. The man who built on the rock is like the person who hears God’s Word and lives it out. The storms will come, and the winds will blow, but this person’s life will stand the test of time. According to Jesus, there is no foundation to build your life upon other than word of God. So how is your foundation? Is it sure? Is it enduring? Is it built upon the rock? And that’s the Word.

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Grace

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Do you want to change? Do you think you can change? I think deep down, all of us know that we have a need to change and to grow. Well, how do we grow as Christians? Some people have an idea for growth that goes like this: Sin is bad. So just stop it. Don’t you wish it were just that easy? Some just want the “holy zap.” They pray and ask others to pray for them and just think God is going to give them one good zap to take away all of their problems. There are certainly times where God can do an instantaneous work, but I think that God most often changes us over time through a process of spiritual growth and maturity. As we think about true spiritual growth and change, we must also remember that God is the source of our growth and change. The apostle Paul said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)

It is only God who makes things grow. I remember when I first began to understand that God was truly the source of spiritual life. It wasn’t based on how good I was. It wasn’t based on my performance. True growth and change were only possible as God was at work in my life. The Holy Spirit was the true change agent, and the more I was open to Him, the more my life would be transformed from the inside out.

One of the greatest obstacles to growth and change in our lives is a wrong view of God. If you do not understand God’s character and nature, growth will be very hard for you. If God is the true source of change, but you do not really understand His nature or you are unsure about where you stand in your relationship with him, then you will not expect much change to happen. If I do not believe this God can change me and wants to, then how I can cooperate with his work in my life.

We must shift our view from a God of law to a God of grace. This means we need to move our understanding from a God who is out to get us, to a God who is out to help us. As a Christian, is God for you? Or is He against you? The way you answer reveals your understanding of God. As Christian, God is not against you – even if you are in sin. He will convict you, or maybe even break you, but it is always for your good. He loves you.

If you view God as nothing more than a God of law, then you mainly think of God as a God of rules. You probably think his favorite word is NO! And you most likely think God is ticked off at you if you fail and make mistakes.

Scripture tells us that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions… the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.” (Isaiah 53:5) Does that sound like a God who it ticked off with you? No, Jesus took God’s wrath against our sin upon Himself so we could be forgiven. When we turn our lives over to Jesus, we meet a God of grace. God’s grace doesn’t just mean that we are forgiven. God’s grace includes God’s power that enables us to grow and change. It is God’s grace that allows God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Grace means we have been given God’s favor in our lives. Grace means we have God’s power available to us. Grace means that our God is for us. Grace means that we can grow and change with God’s help. Only God can make things grow. And our God wants to help us grow, as we love Him, seek Him, and trust Him. Thank God for grace. And that’s the Word.

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Love and Respect

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

All of our marriages could use a little more love and respect. These are two key ingredients in a healthy marriage. Scripture says, “Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (Ephesians 5:33). This verse speaks to the basic needs and desires that a man and woman have in their marriage.

According to scripture, God calls the man to be the head of his wife. This means that he is called to be a servant leader in his home. Some women may struggle with the idea of the man being called the head of the women, but deep down I believe most women want a strong man they can trust their life with. I believe most women don’t feel as secure when they are the ones having to lead the family morally, spiritually, financially, and in the area of discipline with the kids. A woman doesn’t want Conan pushing her around the house, but she doesn’t want a piece of milk toast either. There are a lot of men who are very passive when it comes to responsibility around their home. They can build a business, develop business networks, lower a golf score, kill an 8-point buck with a bow, but they may check out at home. They don’t lead. They don’t initiate. Most women want a man who will value them, and that they can trust enough to follow. A man is also called to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Christ’s love was active. It was much more than an emotion. He demonstrated his love by giving his life. The love we have for our wives should be active.

Men, do you know what your wife’s love language is? In other words, what is that you can do that really lets her know you love her? If you don’t know, ask her. She can tell you what makes her feel loved. She can tell you what it is that you can do to communicate your love. My wife likes quality time and acts of service. That means the best way I can tell her I love her is to wash the dishes and plan a date to spend time with just her. The bottom line is that your wife wants to know that she is loved and valued. So guys, how are you doing? Not sure? Go ask your wife.

Women, do you know what a man wants in a wife? He wants a wife who will show him honor and respect. This makes a man feel that he is good, that he has what it takes. If you look at the major marriage passages in the New Testament, God never tells a woman to love her husband. Instead God focuses on the word respect. It has been said that every woman wants to be loved, and that every man wants to be admired. This must be why God calls a woman to respect her husband.

According to some research, most women can distinguish between love and respect. This means they can love their husband, but not respect him. For a man, this does not compute. If he doesn’t feel his wife respects him, then he doesn’t feel loved. Men can’t separate the two. A wife is actually loving her husband as Christ calls her to when she shows him honor and respect.

Our God is a God who calls husbands to love their wives when they are unlovable; and wives are called to respect their husbands even when they are un-respectable. So God’s plan for a solid marriage is “Love and Respect.” When a couple can give these to one another, they begin to meet the deepest needs of each other’s heart. Sound good to you? Well go try it. And that’s the Word.

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Get a Life

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Do you know what you need to get before you get a date?  Over the next few weeks, I want to talk about dating, marriage and romance.  As we start off, I want to address those that are still in the dating game.  So what is it that you need to “get” before you get a date?  The first thing you need to get is a life.

I wonder if any of you have ever had a dating relationship end with a bunch of heartache, tears, and disappointment.  Perhaps you tried to figure out how life was going to go on without the other person.  And then realized something…  You put so much energy and focus into your dating relationship, and so much of your self worth was wrapped up in the other individual. All of sudden you woke and realized how much of your life had been on hold because of that relationship.  Your career, your interests, your friendships and your relationship with God had all taken a backseat to Mr. (or Ms.) Right – and now you have discovered that the person was Mr. (or Ms.) Wrong.

One of the biggest dangers that any single person needs to be aware of as a potential dater is the temptation to make another person the center of our life.  The First commandment of dating is this:  Thou shalt get a life! Your own life.

The most important element you will ever bring into a real relationship is a real life with a sense of purpose, identity, and healthy self-esteem.  You do not want to bring a needy, desperate, clingy life into a dating relationship.  You are not ready to date if that is where you are.

In the book of Genesis, God created man and then put him in the garden to work it and take care of it.  Man had God first in his life.  Then man was given a life purpose.  He wasn’t just sitting around waiting for love to come along.  Eventually the Lord said,  “It is not good for man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).

God is the one who said it is not good for the man to be alone.  God had a plan to bring a relationship into man’s life.  He was preparing a bride for him.  God didn’t give man a helper because he was an emotional basket case and didn’t know what to do with himself on Friday nights.  God was making a suitable helper for man, a complement to what was already good.  A “helper” or partner from God is not meant to fix what is broken or fill what is empty in our lives.

A true potential partner is meant to be a companion to complement and strengthen that which is already good.  God made relationships to be two parts that work harmoniously together.  Please read this next phrase carefully: A relationship with the opposite sex is not meant to be a band-aid for a bleeding heart.  Human relationships were never meant to give us the life we have finally been looking for.  We are supposed to bring our own life into our relationship, and ultimately into our marriage.

God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”  So many have instead turned it into the thought: “I can’t stand to be alone.”  And they buy the lie that they are insignificant if they are not in a dating relationship.  They always have to have a man (or a woman) in order to feel good about themselves.  People with real lives don’t always need to be in a relationship with someone else to feel good about themselves.  I want to warn you from setting all of your hopes for fulfillment in a dating relationship. Finding the right partner is awesome, but you do not want to put so much pressure on a relationship that you are liable to suck the life out of the other person.  So, do you need to get a life?  And that’s the Word.

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