Leaving Laodicea

Jesus chastised the religious elite of His day for their confidence in predicting things like the weather, but not being able to discern the signs of the times. In fact, He called them hypocrites. Remember? “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” – Matthew 16:2-3. I wonder if He would say the same about His church today? After all, it appears we all seem to know everything about everything. Just ask us.

It seems we resemble those that Isaiah was called to address.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight – Isaiah 5:20-21.

But there is one prophetic statement of Jesus regarding the times before us that is hard for many, including me, to understand. That is until today. Jesus said “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). Got that. He also promised that “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matt. 10:36). How is that possible? How can our love for our spouse or children grow so cold we will treat them as enemies to the extent of hatred and betrayal? (Matt. 24:10). How can that be true? What sort of perverted human would turn on his own family for the sake of himself? What kind of depraved mind or personality disorder would produce sociopaths with a love this cold?

In a word, it’s called narcissism. And it is the ultimate end-time personality disorder.

In general, narcissism or narcissistic traits can be described as follows:

•  They have an exaggerated sense of self-importance.

•  They have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration.

•  They expect and demand to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it.

•  They exaggerate their achievements and talents.

•  They are preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.

•  They believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people.

•  They monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior (which is just about everyone).

•  They expect and demand special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations.

•  They habitually take advantage of others to get what they want.

•  They have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others.

•  They are envious of others and believe others envy them.

•  They behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious.

•  They Insist on having the best of everything because they are entitled.

And they are everywhere! They multiply like kudzu.

Narcissism may very well be the ultimate personality disorder of the end-times. And it certainly fits the Laodicean church model. In fact, psychologists believe that in the last 15 years, over 30% of our population now registers on the narcissism spectrum. And that number grows daily.

So what are we to do? Great question. Keep listening to find out more.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

447: The Two Invitations Offered by Christ

446: Experiencing the Fullness of the Holy Spirit

445: What it Means to Follow Jesus

444: It All Comes Down to Self-Denial and Surrender

443: Ultimately, it All Comes Down to Desire

One of the vital truths regarding our desire to follow Christ is to fully understand our union with Him. After all, we are invited to become one with Him and are described in Scripture as being “in Christ.” In Romans 8 we are called “children of God” that are “adopted” into His family and are now “joint heirs with Christ.” Romans 6 tells us our old man has died and Christ now lives in us in the Presence of the Holy Spirit. But do we really understand the implication of what this means?

Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology, states “Union with Christ is a phrase that summarizes several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that (1) we are in Christ, (2) Christ is in us, (3) we are like Christ, and (4) we are with Christ.”  Ok, I’ve got that. But is there more to this union with Christ than dry theology? Can I really experience union with Him? And, if so, how is that done? What do I have to do to experience the fullness of my union, my relationship, with Christ?

Great questions.  And the simple answer is, “Yes, you can know the wonder of our union with Him.” And the wonder of it comes with the invitation of Christ to be joined with Him.

Consider the following invitation found in Matthew 11:28. It is a familiar passage:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Now, let’s see what it means by defining a few terms.

“Come to Me, all you who labor (to be worn out, fatigued, faint, weary) and are heavy laden (to overload, heavily burdened, like with the freight of a ship), and I will give you rest (to cease from labor, to refresh, relax, loosen, to be at peace or rest).”

Do you see the trust relationship implied in this invitation? Do you see Christ’s invitation to let Him carry your troubles and you rest in Him? To be united in Him?

Many of us struggle with this and ask how is that accomplished? How can I truly experience rest in Him? Is it just a mental thing? Or is it some sort of resolution I make and then fail at when things get uncertain or tough? Is it a mantra I go over and over again in my mind, like “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”? Or is it something else?

Oh, it is definitely something else. Let’s look at the second invitation.

The second invitation reveals to us the “how” of our union and complete trust in Him. This invitation is found in John 15:4, and elsewhere in that chapter.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

Note the two-fold relationship. One, I abide in Christ. And two, He abides in me. This is vital. And “abide” means, “to remain, dwell, live, to make one’s home, to be united with one heart, mind, and will.” So I “remain” and “make my home” in Christ, “to be united with one heart, mind, and will” with Him. And He will “remain” and “make His home” in me, “to be united with one heart, mind, and will” with Me. This is what it means to abide.

As you listen to this podcast in order to understand more of this marvelous relationship we have with the Lord, remember the following:

•  The branch (you and I) does not produce the fruit. That comes from the Vine (Christ).

•  The branch does not secure the nutrients necessary to produce the fruit. That again comes from the Vine (Christ).

•  The branch does not position the buds to get the most sunlight. The Vinedresser (Father) does that.

•  The branch does not prune dead wood. Again, that is the Father’s job.

•  The branch does not provide water nor sunlight.

•  The branch does not participate in harvesting.

•  The branch (you and I) only bears the work of the Vine (Jesus) for the glory of the Vinedresser (the Father).

The key to all Christ has provided for us is found in a dependent, branch to vine, relationship with Him. He would not require from us what He has not equipped us to give. This kind of life is possible and provided for you and is the default position as a believer in Christ. But to experience the fullness of this relationship, we must surrender our petty desires to Him.

So, once again, the choice is ours. We can continue to live in lukewarm Laodicea satisfied with less than the abundant life Christ promised. Or we can jump into the deep end of the pool and surrender all to Him. It’s not complicated. It’s just hard. What do you want to do? The ball is in your court.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

446: Experiencing the Fullness of the Holy Spirit

445: What it Means to Follow Jesus

444: It All Comes Down to Self-Denial and Surrender

443: Ultimately, It All Comes Down to Desire

442: How to Surrender Your Life to Him

How does one receive the Holy Spirit?  Simple. As Peter said in Acts 2:38-39, you “repent” and “believe.” Which just happens to be the same requirements for salvation. After all, the guarantee of our inheritance in Him is the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). This is a truth most Christians know and understand. No Holy Spirit, no salvation. It’s as simple as that.

But how does one experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit? How do we find our joy in Him? Or, how do we experience the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8) as a daily, living reality? How is that possible?

Consider the following:

Every believer has received the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is only received by repentance and faith in Jesus at salvation.

There is a fullness of the Holy Spirit that is usually greater than what is experienced at conversion. Your own experience confirms this truth.

As there are certain conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit, there are also certain conditions for experiencing the fullness of the Spirit.

They are primarily found in Romans 6 and 12.

Let’s dig a bit deeper, shall we?

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is found in the same way, and under the same conditions, as following Jesus. Do you remember the requirements Jesus placed on those who desired to follow Him? They are self-denial and surrender and are found in Matthew 16:24-25, among other places.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Denial and surrender. Or, by letting the Lord be Lord over our lives. The same principle is required to experience the fullness of the Spirit. To experience the fullness of the Spirit requires the absolute, unqualified surrender of your life to God, to do His will and not your own. But this shouldn’t surprise you. You had to do this to receive salvation by declaring someone other than yourself as Lord.

Remember, when we surrender our sins and believe, we receive the Holy Spirit with salvation. And when we surrender our lives and believe, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Why?  Because the receiving of the Spirit is God’s answer to repentance and faith and the guarantee of our salvation. And, in a like manner, experiencing the fullness of the Spirit is God’s answer to a life surrendered to Him. When we are saved the Spirit enters into our life. But at surrender, the Spirit takes full possession of our lives and brings us the blessings that come from a life that is fully surrendered to God.

So the choice is ours. We can continue to live in lukewarm Laodicea satisfied with less than the abundant life Christ promised. Or we can jump into the deep end of the pool and surrender all to Him. It’s not complicated. It’s just hard. What do you want to do? The ball is in your court.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

445: What it Means to Follow Jesus

444: It All Comes Down to Self-Denial and Surrender

443: Ultimately, It All Comes Down to Desire

442: How to Surrender Your Life to Him

441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not by Mere Words

When Jesus began His earthly ministry, His initial message was the same as John the Baptist. He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). And throughout the next three years, one underlying theme in His teaching was about life in His Kingdom. When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach His message, He said, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’ ” (Matt. 8:11). Jesus even told those close to Him why He spoke to the crowds in parables. And His answer had to do with concealing from some the knowledge of the kingdom of heaven. He said, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:11). Which begs the question, what does it mean to follow Jesus? And what is life like in His kingdom?

Finally, He shared parables specifically pointed to revealing what the kingdom of heaven, His Kingdom, was like. He said it was like a “man who sowed good seed in his field” (Matt. 13:24). Or, it was like a “mustard seed” which, being small, grew into a tree “so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matt. 13:31). Jesus likened His Kingdom to “leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened” (Matt. 13:33). And to express how wonderful His Kingdom is for those who possess it, He said it was like a “treasure hidden in a field” (Matt. 13:44) or a “pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:46) that was worth all one had on earth.

Jesus then asked His disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord” (Matt. 13:51).

I wonder what our answer would be today? Do we understand His Kingdom? Do we fully know what it means to follow Him? Can we honestly say we are proficient in following Jesus?

I’m not so sure. And maybe you aren’t either.

Let’s just take a flyover view of the first few chapters in Matthew and see if we can determine some principles and instructions for what it means to live in the kingdom of heaven. And then compare them to what we teach in church today, and I think you’ll be as shocked as I was.

•   Blessed… or Not So Blessed – Matthew 5:3-12

•   Self Identity – Matthew 5:13-16

•   His Standard of Righteousness – Matthew 5:20

•   Anger – Matthew 5:21-26

•   Lust and/or Sexual Sin – Matthew 5:27-30

•   Marital Relationships – Matthew 5:31-32

•   Oaths and Dishonesty – Matthew 5:33-37

•   How to Respond to Evil – Matthew 5:38-42

•   How to Respond to Haters – Matthew 5:43-47

•   Be Perfect – Matthew 5:48

•   Self-Promotion – Matthew 6:1-4

•   How to Pray – Matthew 6:5-13

•   How Much Forgiveness? – Matthew 6:14-15

•   Fasting and Other Disciplines – Matthew 6:16-17

•   Our Life Focus – Matthew 6:19-21

•   Everyone Serves Somebody or Something – Matthew 6:24

•   Worry, Doubt, and Fear – Matthew 6:25-34

•   I’m Right and You’re Wrong – Matthew 7:1-2

•   I’m Good and You’re Bad – Matthew 7:3-6

•   What is a Life of Faith – Matthew 7:7-11

•   Treat Others Like You Treat Yourself – Matthew 7:12

•   Turnstile or Interstate – Matthew 7:13-14

•   Fruit Inspector – Matthew 7:15-20

•   Doing and Not Just Talking – Matthew 7:21-23

•   Don’t Be Stupid! – Matthew 7:24-27

•   Minister Within Your Reach – Matthew 8:1-17

•   Everything Costs Something – Matthew 8:18-22

And so much more!

Remember, following Christ means to forget everything we think we know about everything but Him, and simply trust in child-like faith. Our entire reality now changes, as citizens in His Kingdom, to something incredible and supernatural.

Do you want to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus? If so, then keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

444: It All Comes Down to Self-Denial and Surrender

443: Ultimately, It All Comes Down to Desire

442: How to Surrender Your Life to Him

441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not by Mere Words

440: Having Faith to Take God at His Word

When Jesus instructed His disciples, and the others, about what it meant to follow Him in Matthew 16:24-25, He spoke of “desire to come after me” and then “let him deny himself.” We looked at desire in our last message, and now we will turn our focus to what He meant by “deny himself.” Note the requirement and sequence in the verse below. First, there must be desire (“if anyone desires to come after Me”). Then, a denial and the corresponding action showing the commitment to deny himself (“take up his cross”). And finally, the invitation to “follow Me.” Jesus shows surrendering to Him must follow in this order. In essence, first meet the conditions, and then come “follow Me.”

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” – Matthew 16:24-25.

The word deny (aparnéomai) when followed by the pronoun heautón (oneself, himself) means “to deny oneself, or to disown and renounce self and to subjugate all works, interests, benefits, and enjoyments to another.” The word is also translated “to speak against, contradict, to avoid, reject, nullify, to stand firm against, resist, oppose.”

When Jesus said we must “deny” ourselves, the impact of our denial affects all areas of our life.

In Matthew 10, Jesus speaks of confessing Him before men or risk having Him deny us before His Father. It is an extremely troubling warning from Christ that left no room for doubt or excuses. He said,

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” – Matthew 10:27-28.

Who is the One we are to fear? Exactly, the Lord. If so, do you have the fear of the Lord in you? How has that fear changed your life so far?

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore (the consequences of speaking what the Lord tells you to say); you are of more value than many sparrows” – Matthew 10:29-31.

But then it gets quite serious for those who do not heed the Lord’s warning.

“Therefore whoever confesses Me (where) before men, him I will also confess (where) before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies (refuse, avoid, reject, resist, oppose) Me (where) before men, him I will also deny (refuse, avoid, reject, resist, oppose) before My Father who is in heaven” – Matthew 10:32-33.

Can you imagine being denied by Christ before the Father?

But if I confess Jesus, my friends will not include me. Or my spouse will reject me even to the point of separation or divorce. Or I’ll lose my job and source of income. Or I’ll be persecuted, even to the point of possible imprisonment. Or… you choose the excuse. They are all the same, lame. But Jesus anticipated these excuses. He continued:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law ’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is (what) not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is (what) not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is (what) not worthy of Me. (Therefore) He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life (why) for My sake will find it” – Matthew 10:34-39.

Or are you a follower of Jesus according to what works best for you? Have you truly counted the cost of being one with Him? Is He the center of your life? Is He your very life? Do you want Him to be? If so, everything begins at the beginning. And it all begins with desire.

Do you want to follow Jesus? No matter what? Come what may?  If so, then keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

443: Ultimately, It All Comes Down to Desire

442: How to Surrender Your Life to Him

441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not by Mere Words

440: Having Faith to Take God at His Word

439: Praying for Things Pertaining to the Kingdom

On any given Sunday, if a pastor asks by a show of hands how many in the congregation consider themselves followers of Christ, most would raise their hands. But if he followed up that question with: “And how many of you know what it means to be a follower of Jesus today?” – the number of raised hands would drop considerably. Maybe even to none. Why? Because our view today of following Jesus is a far cry from what it meant in the time of Jesus. Think about it for a moment. Today, following Jesus means agreeing to a set of doctrinal facts, going to church regularly, tithing, volunteering for some service ministry, adhering to a moral code, and reading and praying as often as we can. But in the New Testament, following Jesus meant something quite different.

Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Note the components of His invitation. First, it begins with a conditional clause, if, like a classic if / then statement. “If you desire to come after Me, then these are the conditions.” Next, we have self-denial or self-subjugation to God. “If you desire to come after Me, the first condition is to deny yourself.” And finally, we are now privy to the degree to which self-denial must take place. “If you desire to come after Me, the first condition is to deny yourself even to the point of death, and a horrific death at that.” And only then does Jesus say, “and follow Me.” First, meet the conditions, and then “follow Me.”

Exactly. The entire invitation of Jesus hinges on the word, desire. If you desire, then do the following. If you don’t desire, then this message must not be for you. Which begs the questions, what is your desire regarding following Jesus? And is your desire great enough to pay the price necessary to meet His conditions? Ouch. This is where it often gets personal.

In order to fully understand all of what Jesus said when He revealed His conditions of following Him, let’s look at this invitation from all three Gospel accounts. Only then can we fully understand all the implications and the Cost of Discipleship (to quote Bonhoeffer). The following is from Matthew 16:24-25, Mark 8:34-35, and Luke 9:23-24:

Then Jesus (MK) called the people to Himself (LK) and said to them all, (MK) with His disciples also, (MT) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross (LK) daily, (MT) and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake (MK) and the gospel’s (MT) will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul (LK) and is himself destroyed or lost? (MT) Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (MK) For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes (LK) in His own glory, and (MT) in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Today, we will primarily focus on the issue of desire.

•  What is your desire regarding Christ?

•   Have you counted the costs of a deeper relationship with Him?

•   Are you ready to pay the price? No matter what that price might be?

•   Are you paying any price right now for your commitment to the Lord?

•   Do you know if it will be much different in the future?

Are you tired of taking two steps forward and then losing ground once again because you desire something less than all of His fullness manifested in your life? If so, then keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

442: How to Surrender Your Life to Him

441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not by Mere Words

440: Having Faith to Take God at His Word

439: Praying for Things Pertaining to the Kingdom

438: How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s Word

We have looked at what it takes to become a Faith Prepper over the last few weeks. We did this by learning to pray at all times by letting the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, direct your prayers.  And we also spent some time learning how to trust at all times by allowing your faith to grow by having it exercised in often unpleasant situations. But even with all of this, we still are plagued with a few questions.

•  How do we go from talking about faith to living by faith?

•  How do we learn to trust the Lord in all things?

•  How do we know and understand His will?

•  What are the practical steps we need to take to surrender our all to Him?

•  And how can we go about doing just that?

The answer, according to Scripture, is found in the single word, surrender. It means “to yield, give up or over, submit, abandon, relinquish, cede, waive, or capitulate. From the Christian perspective, it means to relinquish ownership of what we consider ours: our property, rights, time, decisions, future, independence, basically our life.

Surrender, like most things, is a choice.

The classic passage on total surrender is found in Galatians 2:20. It reads: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

But there is so much more.

In order to surrender our life to the Lord, we must first recognize we are created as a triune being. We consist of three parts: mind, body, and will. Total surrender comes when we purposely and with intention surrender all parts of ourselves to Him.

First, we must surrender our mind.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every (what)  thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Next, we must surrender our body to the Lord. And then finally, we must surrender our will to the Lord.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” – Luke 9:23-24. Note both “desire” and “deny himself, and take up his cross daily”. This speaks of both the surrender of the will and the body or flesh.

Remember, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit because you desire to be filled nor because you confess your sins or present your body a living sacrifice— you are filled by faith. So it is with a surrender to the Lord. If we are willing but find your flesh weak, God is strong and will complete what you are unable to do. What God is initially looking for is your willingness to be all His. It all begins with desire.

One final note, if you believe God is good and He is sovereign, can you give me one reason not to fully submit and surrender yourself to Him?

Me neither. Other than pride. And that’s not a good thing.

So where are you in your journey to surrender your life to the Lord? Have you surrendered yourself and left your life in His hands? Or have you, like many today, surrendered one moment and then snatched it out of His hands the next? Are you tired of the endless struggle and sense of failure? If so, then keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

441: Faith is Justified by Actions, Not by Mere Words

440: Having Faith to Take God at His Word

439: Praying for Things Pertaining to the Kingdom

438: How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s Word

437: Our Position in Christ and Our Union with Him

We have previously looked at how to pray at all times and in all circumstances by letting the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, direct our prayers. But next on the Faith Prepper list of required spiritual skills is learning how to trust Him at all times by allowing our faith to grow by having it exercised in often unpleasant circumstances. After all, faith grows when it is tested. And testing is usually unpleasant during the process but wonderful at the end.

The Greek word translated “faith” in the New Testament is pístis and means: “to win over, to persuade. Subjectively it means firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth” This definition is used over 250 times in the New Testament alone. Everything in the Spirit is based on faith and everything of faith is designed by God to bypass the senses. Everything.

In addition to this, all faith is not justified by merely having it. But all faith is justified by the action it produces. In other words, faith by itself is worth little. But faith, accompanied by actions or works based on that faith is alive and real. This is exactly what James was trying to tell us in James 2:14-26. Read it for yourself.

If you look at the people included in Hebrews 11, what we affectionately call the roll-call of faith, they are all listed there not because of their faith, but what they did based on their faith. Or what actions they took empowered by their faith. To believe God told you to do something but then not have the faith to actually do it, will not land you on this list. Faith is justified by the actions empowered by our faith. Let’s look at Hebrews 11.

By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb. 11:4). Or, “by faith Able did something…”

By faith Noah prepared an ark (Heb. 11:7). Noah did something by faith. He built a boat in a desert when it had never rained.

By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was told to leave his home and travel to a land promised to him by God (Heb. 11:8-10). His faith was justified, not by the fact he believed God had a land for him, but by the fact he actually left his home to travel to a foreign country. He did something.

By faith, Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Heb. 11:17-19). And he did just that. If God hadn’t intervened, Abraham would have obeyed God explicitly and his son would have died. Why? Because faith is justified by actions. And Abraham’s actions proved his faith.

By faith, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph did something on their death bed (Heb. 11:20-22). They did something. And what they did, by faith, is what qualified them to be listed with the others in this chapter.

Next, we have Moses (Heb. 11:23-29). Then the story of the fall of Jericho (Heb. 11:30). We are presented with the faith and actions of Rahab (Heb. 11:31) and so many more, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets (Heb. 11:32-34). And they are all listed in the chapter because of the actions they took based on their faith. Not the other way around.

So where are you in your journey of faith? Do you have the faith needed to be a faith prepper? Can your faith survive the coming darkness? What are you doing today to place yourself in situations where you must rely on your faith and not on your own wit or resources? Where do you want to go from here?

To find out more about becoming a Faith Prepper, keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

440: Having Faith to Take God at His Word

439: Praying for Things Pertaining to the Kingdom

438: How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s Word

437: Our Position in Christ and Our Union with Him

436: Exercising Faith: No Pain, No Gain

One of the attributes of becoming a Faith Prepper is learning how to trust God as His Word. I know many of us will say that we do. When pressed, almost all believers will state the mantra, “I believe everything God says, start to finish, from Genesis to Revelation.” After all, that’s the expected answer. To say anything less would make us seem like a lukewarm believer.

But the truth is, most believers, maybe ever you, don’t truly take God’s Word as the final authority in your life. How can I say that? Because God’s Word speaks to just about every issue we face today yet the church seems to be divided up into various opinions that differ greatly from one another. If God’s Word doesn’t change and is always true, how can that be? If God’s Word says something is wrong, for example, how can any believer who claims God’s Word as the final authority in their life, have a different opinion than what the Word says? It seems inconsistent, doesn’t it? Hypocritical.

As the adage goes, the Scriptures are true about everything it teaches. And it teaches about everything.

To test whether God’s Word molds your opinions or whether your opinions are determined independent of God’s Word, I have listed a number of controversial issues below. What is your opinion on these? And whatever your opinion is, does it line up with the Word of God? If it doesn’t, who is wrong, and what are you prepared to do about it?

Let’s see how you would answer the following:

•  Abortion – Does a woman have the right to end the life of her unborn child under any circumstances?

•  Homosexuality – Is it a sin? Or did God create people both heterosexual and homosexual?

•  Sex – Is premarital sex always a sin? Always?

•  Divorce – Is it proper to divorce a spouse?

•   Education – Whose responsibility is it to educate our children? Or, is it proper to send our children to government (public) schools?

•  Tolerance – Is it true that Jesus never judged any one and neither should we as His followers?

•  Children – How many children should a family have? Is birth control or family planning ever in God’s will?

•  Church – Should women be pastors? Should women have leadership roles that involve men?

•  Friends – Should a believer have friends that are non-believers? How close should they be?

•  Home – Should a man be a stay at home dad? Or should a woman go to work outside the home and put the kids in daycare or public school?

•  Spiritual Leadership – Whose responsibility is the spiritual leadership in a family? Father? Mother? Church? Someone else?

•  Environment – How concerned should a Christian be about the environment? And what should they do about it?

•  Politics – Should a believer ever vote for a Democrat? Should a believer ever vote for a Republican? Should a believer vote at all?

•  Dating and Marriage – Should a believer ever marry an unbeliever? Should they date an unbeliever?

•  Dating vs Courtship – Should a believer date at all?

•  Islam – How is a believer to view the god of Islam?

•  Drinking – Should a believer drink alcohol?

•  Entertainment – Should a believer watch or listen to media that includes profanity, nudity, or sex? Should a believer watch or listen to media that promotes anything contrary to sound Biblical teaching?

•  Money – How much money should a believer accumulate? And how much of their income should they give away?

How many of your opinions were just that, opinions? How many of your views or convictions were based on Scripture? And those that weren’t based on Scripture, does that bother you at all? Are you willing to change? Right now? Today? No matter the costs?

To find out more about becoming a Faith Prepper, keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

439: Praying for Things Pertaining to the Kingdom

438: How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s Word

437: Our Position in Christ and Our Union with Him

436: Exercising Faith: No Pain, No Gain

435: How to Become a Faith Prepper

When we look at the content of the prayers of the early church we are amazed they didn’t pray like much of the church does today— for the little answerable “fix”. Instead, they prayed for Kingdom matters, what we call Kingdom Prayers. Let me explain.

A “little answerable” is a prayer for a little “fix” that is often related to our sense of entitlement from God. These can be called horizontal prayers. We lose our job so we pray for a new one. A loved one is sick, so we pray for their healing. We don’t have enough money to make it through the end of the month, so we pray to win the lottery. And on the surface, these seem like proper, loving, spiritual prayers. But that’s not how the early church prayed.

A Kingdom prayer, on the other hand, is praying for something that has lasting value and importance in the Kingdom of God. For example, look at the following prayers and note what they are asking for (and what they are not): Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-19, Romans 15:5-6, 13, Philippians 1:9-11, Philemon 1:4-6.

Do you see the difference? Instead of praying for the current situation to be remedied, the early church prayed for a lasting effect in the believer no matter how the situation turned out. Their prayers were long-term, character-focused, and not merely looking for an immediate “fix” to make life better.

So what can we learn from this? Assuming you looked up the verses listed above, the following are a few truths we can glean from the content of the Kingdom prayers.

One, don’t immediately just jump to the obvious when you pray for a need. Instead, begin by asking God what He wants to do in that situation? Or, what is His will regarding what you pray? Or finally, what would give Him the most glory in this situation? Then, begin to pray accordingly.

Two, don’t be so quick to pray for the results or the “fix”. Instead, pray for spiritual growth, insight, and development in the life of the one in need. Again, ask God what He wants to do to bring glory to Himself in this situation or how He wants to transform the person into the image of His Son in this?

Three, when you don’t know what to pray, then pray Scripture. The Holy Spirit will guide you in your prayer and even pray for you when you don’t know how to pray. Remember the promise in Romans 8:26-27.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God – Romans 8:26-27.

Having the content of your prayers changed to focus more on the eternal rather than the temporal is one major step to becoming a faith prepper. To find out more about how this is done and how to become a faith prepper, keep listening.

To download the slides to this message, click – HERE

438: How to Have the Confidence to Pray God’s Word

437: Our Position in Christ and Our Union with Him

436: Exercising Faith: No Pain, No Gain

435: How to Become a Faith Prepper

434: Preparing for the Invite to the Lord’s Table