NTM

Satan wants nothing more that to take you out!  If he can get you to give up then He has won the battle of your life. We are the targets of Satan’s attacks.  Follow Ephesians 6:10-18 and stand for Him!

“Life isn’t about surviving the storm, it’s about learning to dance in the rain”

“A true friend is one that walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
~ Walter Winchell

While reading through the bible I’ve read verses like “Hope deferred makes the heart sick… (Proverbs 13:12)” and “now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13)”.

I used to think that hope was just wishing for something to happen, but now I don’t think this all there is to it. I’ve often thought things like “I hope I get the window seat on the plane,” or “I sure hope that the guy sitting next to me doesn’t snore on this 10 hour flight.” But this is only wishful thinking. Hope has a much richer and deeper meaning!

Hebrews 11 starts off by saying that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Our faith hinges on hope! If we don’t have hope, then we can not have faith. But, what exactly is hope?

Hope is an eager waiting for something that is a done deal! We have hope because of Christ’s finished work on the cross (Romans 5:24-25, 1 Peter 1:3). We hope in Christ’s return (Titus 2:13). We hope for righteousness (Galations 5:5). All of these things are sure things! It is because of Christ that we have hope.

We can also hope for other things in this life. During school, I hoped for the end of the semester. I knew that the semester was going to end and I was eagerly waiting for it to end. I have set goals and have eagerly worked toward those goals, knowing that at the end there was a reward for working hard.

Now when I read Proverbs 13:12, I can understand what it means by “hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Let’s take the example of a college semester. If during the last week of class the teacher was to say, “We’re going to continue school for two more weeks,” I would be very disappointed. I would have had my heart set on not being in school and here I have to stay in school for another two weeks. Those next two weeks would be very difficult to say the least. Hope deferred does indeed make the heart sick, but the great news is that we–as Christians–have our hope set in Christ, who does not change!

Hebrews 10:23 sums it up nicely. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Is your heart good or evil?

Most Christians will say that their heart is evil and base their conclusion on Jeremiah 17:9. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

But, is this a good assessment of the condition of your heart? A good test to see the condition of your heart is by what comes out of your mouth!

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Mat 12:34-35)

We know that the heart of man-kind is evil. Genesis 6:5 says, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” But, does this evil heart of man-kind transfer over to the individual man? Yes it does! See, we are all sinners separated from God. But God in His incredible goodness took our punishment and placed it on His son Jesus! If we accept Jesus as our payment for our sins, we are made a completely new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God tells us through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20) This is a promise from God that He will give us a new heart–one that is not evil!

Now, here is where things get a little sticky. Even though we have been given a new heart, this does not mean that our hearts will always follow after the things of God. In order to keep our hearts in tune with God, we must be filled with His Spirit and allow Him to guide us. It is through our new heart that the Holy Spirit is able to guide us. “He who believes in Me {Christ}, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38-39)

So, is the heart evil? That all depends on what we value. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Our heart ultimately follows what we value. If we value the things of heaven, then our heart is in the right place. But, if we value the things of this world, then our heart is indeed evil.

Now, how does this affect the way that we should live? First off we should take a hint from David:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psa 139:23-24)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10)

If our heart truly is evil, then we need to get it into a right relationship with God. We need to start thinking, valuing, and pursuing heavenly things. But, if our heart is indeed pure before God, then we need to start following it because by following our God-molded heart we are really following God Himself.

Matthew 5:8 really finishes it off. “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

So, is your heart good or evil?

The Pharisees demanded a sign from Jesus, but He did not give into their demands (Mark 8:11-12).  He just sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”  But, if they would have been paying attention to what Jesus had just done (Mark 8:1-10), they would have their “sign.”

If you’re looking for a sign, God just sighs.  Don’t demand a sign from God, just look around at what He is doing.

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I wont look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past has been redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).

-Dr. Bob Moorehead-
Woodlands Camp Tee 2005

Safety is not a lack of danger, but rather the presence of the Lord.

What are your passions? It’s easy to talk about your passions. Make Christ your passion and talk about him with enthusiasm.

We all have areas of insecurity. When those areas are touched, we get defensive and we don’t want to grow. Oh, how we need to get over our insecurities and let God mold us through others!

Is God being glorified through our life or is it just Christian work with the stamp of Jesus on it?

How you live is based on what you believe.

If you live in fear it is because you believe in fear. But, perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)
If you live in condemnation it is because you believe condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
If you live in stress and hardship it is because you believe it is the only way. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
but,
If you live in faith it is because you believe God’s word. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11:13)
If you live in hope it is because you believe in the promises of God. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
If you live in love it is because you believe in God’s love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

When it comes to making decisions we have three choices

1. Yes – we affirm our decision and start progressing toward the goal
2. No – we decide to not press on
3. No decision – we chose to not decide

The funny thing about choice number 3 is that it will default to either a “Yes” or “No”. What’s even more interesting is that most of the time not making a decision will default to the wrong decision!

Here’s the situation for me. I have been feeling that in the future God may lead me into an interesting area of ministry. So, I have a decision to make. Do I start preparing now and be ready for this new ministry when it comes, or do I wait for the new ministry to happen in the future? After talking about it with a friend, I have come to the conclusion that by doing nothing right now would be wrong! Even if this new ministry never happens.

Not deciding at this point so that I can wait and see if this new ministry happens is the same as a “No” decision.

How many other times have I intentionally “not made a decision” because I didn’t know everything that I thought I would need to know. So, here I go. I will start preparing myself for a ministry that may never happen, only because God has asked me to trust Him and to start something without knowing the outcome!