This World Is Filled With Self-Absorbed, Frightened, Weak-Mind Politician

                                        When The Door Slams

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.                         (1 peter 2:9-10 NIV)  

            Western society has been obsessed with the search for self. We have turned the age-old philosophical question about the meaning and purpose of life into a modern growth industry. Each fab with an intense following until something new comes along. 

            Popular literature ride the wave with best-selling titles that guarantee success with everything from making money to firming flabby thighs. This not-so-magnificent obsession to "find ourselves" has spawned a whole set of counterfeit values; we worship fame, success, materialism, and celebrity. We want to "live for success" as we "look out for number one," and we don't mind "winning through intimidation." 

            However, this "self" conscious world is wretched; beyond hope. Each new promise leads only to a frustrating paradox... A few decades of seemingly limitless wealthy people have succeeded only in sucking our culture dry, leaving it spiritually empty and economically weakened. Our world is filled with self-absorbed, frightened and hollow people.

            In the middle of these debilitating paradoxes of modern life, men and women search for some shred of meaning, some understanding of self. But the obsessive search leads only to the narcissistic destruction of what is so aggressively sought.

            Think about this: Whom do we blame? Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin (James 1:14-15). Is Satan always to blame when things go wrong in our lives? or are we sometimes responsible? On the one hand, the Bible makes it clear that Satan is real, and that he is ultimately behind all the evil that goes on in the world. Before he rebelled against God (long before the human race was created), the world was perfect; sin and evil didn't exist. But now we live in a fallen, twisted, sin-infested world--and Satan is the reason.

            But on the other hand, Satan is not all-powerful, nor does he directly cause every bad thing that happens to us. Sometimes we don't know the cause--but often we alone are responsible, because we have turned our backs on God and deliberately followed our own sinful desires instead of His will. When we do, we pay the consequences; as the Bible warn, "God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7).  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                                 

This Is An Incredible Temptation To Be Like God

                                                 When The Door Slams

But The Lord said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.                                                                                         (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)       

            When we read the New Testament we see spiritual power. Never one time does Jesus promise it will be easy for His followers. As He called men to follow Him, Jesus did not talk about the golden streets and gates of pearl in the next life. Instead, Jesus talked about self-denial, about taking up a cross--not a pretty little gold cross that might be worn as an ornament, but a rough, blood-stained, death-dealing cross.    

            Though Christ did not promise protection from the hardships of life, He did promise His presence. Jesus said to His disciples, "Go and make followers of all people in the world"; also Jesus said, "I will be with you always." Instead of protection, He promises the power to face up to life and take it.

            Power is clearly expressed in everything our culture take seriously. Whether the power is technological, social, political, military, financial, administrative, religious, or personal, it is assumed to be the key, one way or another, to achievement, fulfillment, human destiny. Even when power's has the ability to corrupt and destroy is acknowledged, the acceptable remedy is power that can control power--which only compounds and complicates the condition.

            This is no new phenomenon peculiar to the twentieth century. Throughout history, the ways of change have been the ways of power, violent or nonviolent. Kingdom have risen and fallen, national boundaries have been altered or obliterated, races expanded or extinguished, cultures and societies built up or destroyed...by power. It is a fact as old as humanity itself. What an incredible temptation: to be like God, to enjoy God-power--man making himself God. 

            Think about this: The unique Christian insight comes at the point of definition and understanding of power. The world pictures force, brute strength, money, muscle, tanks, bombs, tyranny, and take advantage of--the list goes on and on. The Christian pictures the      cross. In the "foolishness" of the symbol of power the Christian senses a radically different kind of power. It is a new way of being "capable." A picture of this different definition would be Jesus standing in front of Plate. Pilate represents all the power of the great empire of Rome. Jesus appears to be one lonely, solitary, impotent man. It is clear through the eye of faith, however, that the real power is incarnate in This solitary figure.    

            Renewal: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.                                                            (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

                                                     Never Rest Ministries                     

 

                           

                        

Hypocrites Look Good On The Outside But On The Inside Are Full Of Dead Men's Bones

                                                 When The Door Slams

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.    (Matthew 23:27-28 NIV)    

            Evil is real, and at one time or another most of us have wondered why God doesn't just reach down and stop it. Sometimes He does-but not always, and the Bible says evil is a mystery that we won't fully understand until we get to Heaven. In the meantime, God calls us to trust Him and have confidence in His love, no matter the circumstances. 

            Maybe someone you love has cancer, or just lost a job, or is dealing with a prodigal child, or....the list of the ways that evil intersects our daily life goes on and on. Bitterness and anger can result, but don't let those emotions drive a wedge between you and the Lord God. That gains you nothing, and in the long run will only destroy you. Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind 1 Peter 2:1.

            Unfortunately, sometimes those of us who call themselves Christians are the worst public notice for our faith. We keep sinning even after we name Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we often appear to others as insincere and hypocritical. And all too often we are.     

            Some of Jesus' strongest words were reserved for hypocrites-for people who claimed to believe in God, yet were insincere and only used their religion to try to impress others. Jesus called those people "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones. But you are a chosen people ...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light 1 Peter2:9. 

            Think about this: I have found that people who say, "You can't trust what the Bible says" often have never actually read it for themselves. Instead, they are only using this as an excuse to avoid the LORD. 

            The real issue for them isn't the trustworthiness of the Bible but their determination to keep God away. Deep down inside, they sense that if they took God seriously and gave their life to Christ Jesus, they would have to change their way of living-and they don't want to do that. Just pray for them. You can't change their heart and mind-but God can. Ask Him to awaken their need for Christ Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                                

There Is Usually A "Trail Of Bodies" In The Wake Of The Driven Person

                                        When The Door Slams

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? but he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."             (James 4:4-6 NIV) 

            Driven people often possess limited or undeveloped people skills. They are not noted for getting along well with others. They were not born without the capacity to get along with others, but projects are more important to them than people. Because their eyes are upon goals and objectives, they rarely take note of the people about them, unless they can be used for the fulfillment of one of the goals. And if others are not found to be useful, then they may be seen as obstacles or competitors when it comes to getting something done.  

            There is usually a "trail of bodies" in the wake of the driven person. Where once others praised him for his seemingly great leadership, there soon appears a steady increase in frustration and hostility, as they see that the driven person cares little about the health and growth of human beings. 

            It becomes apparent that there is a non-negotiable agenda, and it is supreme above all other things. Colleagues and subordinates in the orbit of the driven person slowly drop away, one after another, exhausted, exploited, and disillusioned. Of this person we are most likely to say, "He is miserable to work with. 

            Think about this: Therein lies the unexpected.... In almost every great organization, religious and secular, people of this sort can be found in key positions. Even through they carry with them the seeds of relational disaster, and to mourn for their sins is a natural outflow of poverty of the power of the Holy Spirit....But that's not always the case. Many deny their weakness. Many know they are wrong, yet pretend they are right. As a result, they never taste the sorrow of repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Affirmation: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for his forgiveness.   

                                                        Never Rest Ministries