The Power of the Mind

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45 NIV).

I think we are all pretty much aware of the importance of good mental health and the power of positive thinking. However, the importance of our thoughts also has a profound effect on our spiritual health. This point is made clear in Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” God is clearly encouraging us to focus our thoughts on things that are good and decent.

This is important because the mind is a battlefield of positive and negative thoughts. God is introducing positive thoughts and the enemy is sneaking in lies and negative thoughts. Both God and satan know the power of our thoughts and hence the battle for control. Also, both know the Holy Scriptures, although satan will misinterpret and misapply scripture as he did to Jesus after He fasted for forty days in the desert. The importance of our thoughts is evident in Luke 6:45. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” This point is further amplified in Proverbs 18:21. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In summary, what goes into the brain is what comes out of the mouth. Have you ever noticed that over time you begin to take on the accent and other mannerisms of your close friends? For example, if you visit Boston for an extended period you will likely return with a different accent, particularly if you are actively engaged with the local population. Feed yourself “spiritual milk” and walk with confidence as the children of God. Speak words of life to all that you meet, especially those that belong to the body of Christ.

Action step: Take each thought captive and examine its origin. Godly thoughts will inspire, encourage, and strengthen you. Godly thoughts will give you confidence and an inner peace that transcends all understanding. Thoughts from the enemy will cause discouragement, self-doubt, resentment, worry, and embarrassment over past decisions. These thoughts are meant to divide and destroy.

Next steps: Who do you surround yourself with? What do you read, watch on television and the internet, and listen to on the radio? What books, newspapers, and magazines are you reading?

Give praise for Godly thoughts and rebuke in the name of Jesus those from the enemy. Be in the Word and the Word will be in you and you will have the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. Be actively involved in authentic, confidential, Christian small groups. Pray for God’s protection of your heart, mind, and soul from the enemy. Moreover, do the same for those you love and those that seek to harm you.

Prayer: Dear God, Please help us to take each thought captive. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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What is Truth?

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

In today’s society there is a constant battle over the truth. I wonder how can something so simple as the truth be so difficult to understand and agree upon. Facts are disputed, alternative facts are presented, and various groups all claim to have the truth regarding any issue: social, financial, medical, and even spiritual.

You will never grow closer to Christ unless you understand the truth. Growth requires truth. We might disagree on how to best grow a flower. Some will argue for fertilizer, others for water, and others for more or less sunlight. I look at today’s problems and then ponder on Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Pontius Pilate was not a Christian and this was clearly evident when he said to Jesus “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

One of the more well-known statements of Jesus was, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The truth brings with it freedom. We all seek freedom but struggle with the truth when it is so plainly evident. Jesus told Thomas about truth. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We can argue about truth in many aspects of life, but when it comes to Christianity it is clear that Jesus is the truth.

I think one of the hardest things for any of us to do is an honest self-assessment. We frequently lie to ourselves or try to justify our actions and thoughts, but we know they are not really true. As a disciple our goal is to grow closer to Christ. The truth is that our earthly bodies are inherently sinful and to know Christ is to know the truth and to live in His word. You can trust his Word. His Word is the Bible, and it contains the truth to prepare us to live as disciples. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

There is one God, one Son, and one Holy Spirit. The truth is that Jesus died for your sins and mine. “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). This is the truth. This is the promise of God. This is Holy Scripture.

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to always seek refuge in Your truth. Amen.

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A Lesson On Patience From A Rock Song

A Lesson On Patience From A Rock Song?

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV).

I loved the rock singer Tom Petty. One of my favorite songs by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers was called “The Waiting.” The chorus is: “The waiting is the hardest part. Every day you see one more card. You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. The waiting is the hardest part.” I totally agree that waiting is the hardest part. We spend much of lives waiting. We all wait in line at the grocery store, doctor’s office, and on the phone for customer service. These are annoying but we all do it. It is much more difficult when we wait for God to move in our lives.

God is faithful and He most certainly loves us, but He also moves at His own pace. I think part of the waiting and slow pace is deliberate, but not out of spite – but rather love. He desires for us to trust and love Him completely – in good times and bad. He wants us to turn over all aspects of our lives, public and private, to Him. He wants your obedience even when you don’t understand.

In Genesis 22 God clearly tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. As Tom Petty said, “you take it on faith.” In all seriousness, I doubt if I would have the courage or faith that Abraham displayed. Would you? When we wait, we suffer. We endure mental pain which is just as significant as physical pain. A body cannot be healthy unless it is in good condition physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I have often wondered about 1 Peter 5:10: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” This is a beautiful promise from God that He will eventually rescue us from our suffering. However, the troubling part is “a little while.” I would prefer that to be better quantified. Does this mean weeks, months or years? This issue of time is addressed in 2 Peter 3:8: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

At first glance, this appears to be a riddle. But with deeper thinking, we can see that God is telling us that the concept of human time is irrelevant to Him. The bottom line is your suffering and waiting will last until He decides it is time for it to end. Your job during the interim is to remain in Him and He will remain in you. He will wait with you and comfort you. If the waiting does not end today, it is certainly not because He does not love you but because today is not the right day – but be assured that the right day is coming.

I take comfort in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” During periods of waiting, we are tempted. We are tempted by the enemy to turn from God and put our faith in ourselves. The enemy is a liar and must always be rebuked in the name of Jesus.

I love the beautiful scripture of Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Forbearance includes the concept of patience during periods of long-suffering. We cannot develop forbearance alone. We must remain in Him and Him in us. Alone we can accomplish nothing of significance.

Prayer: Dear God, Forgive us for our lack of patience and failure to use our time waiting as a time of spiritual growth and introspection. Continue to develop in us the Fruit of forbearance. Amen.

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Healing A Broken Relationship

“If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God” (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV).

One thing that is as certain as death and taxes is that others will let us down. This can take many forms such as someone not living up to their end of an agreement, spreading gossip or taking advantage of our friendship. It is natural to be offended in these situations. In contrast, the Bible says: “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).

God considers our relationships with others to be of vital importance. In fact, we are told to restore our broken relationships before worship. God desires our hearts more than anything and He knows that if we are in conflict with another person then our heart is not receptive to the Word. We are instructed in Matthew 5:23-24, “If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.”

God clearly wants us to take the initiative to heal a broken relationship. This desire is regardless if you are the offender or the offended. Procrastination or waiting for the other person to make the first move will not work. This will only serve to deepen the resentment. Time heals many things — but not a broken relationship.

It is also important to act quickly to reduce the spiritual damage to yourself. The Bible tells us that unresolved conflict blocks our fellowship with God and keeps our prayers from being answered. This is why Jesus commands us to restore our broken relationships before we worship. Job’s friends reminded him, “To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do,” (Job 5:2) and, “You are only hurting yourself with your anger,” (Job 18:4). It has often been said that when you forgive someone, the prisoner you set free is yourself.

So, how do I resolve my conflict? First, pray for God’s guidance and His words and His ears as you enter into the meeting with the other. Pray for the other person. The best meetings that yield the best fruit happen when all parties are at their best. So, avoid a meeting time in which either of you are rushed, tired, sick, distracted, or likely to be interrupted. If your one-on-one meeting is unsuccessful then bring in a third party to help you resolve the conflict. Matthew 18:16 teaches, “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that “every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Jesus felt so strongly about resolving the conflict that he even offered another more extreme option if the meeting with the third party was unsuccessful. “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17).

As for myself, there’s no question that the bottom line is summed up in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Sometimes we have done all we can do, and we move on and pray God’s blessing be on the other person.

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. Amen.

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The Battle Within Yourself

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an ” (Luke 6:45 NIV).

Perhaps there is no part of the human body that is more necessary to life – but as poorly understood – as the human brain. My son has autism and as a child had several CT scans of his brain that all appeared “normal.” However, there is clearly something unique that is occurring in his brain that serves to limit his speech and overall development.

Both of my children are blessings from God, and I treasure them. His diagnosis of autism some years ago has set me on a path of intense interest in the human brain. As part of my studies, I have learned that the brain is not only a key component of our mental and physical health but, from a biological perspective, is critically responsible for our spiritual health along with our heart. Therefore, I am a proud member of organizations that serve to equip men to become better Christian leaders at home, work and church.

Equipping is essential because without the right equipment, you can’t do the job. You can’t drive a nail without a hammer, and you can’t catch a fish without a pole. I am intentionally leaving out catfish noodling! There is no bigger battle that we face than the battle in our mind – and it is a daily fight. According to Rev. Rick Warren, “the reason why most people are ineffective in life is that they’ve never learned how to fight the battle of the mind.”

In order to fight the battle in your mind, you need to recognize your enemy and remove it from your mind. This is much easier said than done. But we know that “all things are possible with God” (Matthew 19:26). The job of satan is to prevent you from doing the good works that God has prepared you to do. Your job is to call upon The Spirit to help you to fulfill your ministry (yes, YOU are a minister and a member of the Priesthood of all believers) and be a blessing to others and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Below are three steps to equip you in your fight:

1. The first enemy is your flesh. Paul says in Romans 7:23, “There is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” Paul is referring to his own flesh “mind.” God speaks through Paul in Galatians 2:20 to elaborate this point: “I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.” Paul wrote in the book of Romans that he would find himself doing things that he really did not want to do. THIS is the battle of the mind.

2. The second enemy is satan. He is often referred to as the enemy and should be treated as such. We as Christians have only one enemy and his name is satan. Paul makes this point much more clearly than myself in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan is the tempter. He tempted Adam and Eve and continues to this day. He is constantly planting negative thoughts in your mind of self-doubt, anxiety and fear. He will use other people to help plant these seeds of doubt. Therefore, when others speak to us we must discern if this is Godly advice: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1.)

3. The third enemy is the fallen world. Most advertising campaigns are not appealing to our Christian nature but rather appeal to the flesh. This is done through sexual suggestive imagery, overindulgence and a desire to feed ourselves and not others. The Bible says in 1 John 2:16: “For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world.” It is obvious we cannot fight this alone. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says: “Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Each thought that enters your mind should be examined to determine its source – from God or the enemy. If from the enemy, rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Jesus knew that the enemy was speaking through Peter in Matthew 16:23 when He said, “get behind me satan!” We have freedom in the laws of God and we have freewill for joyful obedience or not. The Psalmist writes in Psalms 119:112 “I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what.” The victory awaits you. We have victory in Jesus. Be blessed.

Prayer: Dear God, We confess that not all of our thoughts honor You. Please help us to take each thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. Amen.

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Christian Leadership at Home

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25 NIV).

Men have been appointed by God as the head of the home. I understand that many women find this troubling and the Bible is full of stories of courageous women that have served the body of Christ. The truth is that many men have done a terrible job of leading their house in any capacity, particularly spiritually. Many men are not even physically present in the home or if so, they do not recognize Jesus as their Lord and savior and will not even attend church on Sunday.

A real man should be a provider. He provides identify to his family. It is his responsibility to let children know that they belong. As men, we love projects. We love to build something and to be a part of something greater than ourselves. Most men enjoy working with their hands and tend not be comfortable speaking to a group of strangers, especially about their faith. We have many large tasks that we want to accomplish in life – pay off the mortgage, raise our children to love God and their neighbor, get promoted at work to get the coveted corner office, etc.

He teaches life skills to his children on how to endure hardship and builds up their confidence. A real man will teach his son how to respect and love women. A man is the priest of his house. He is called to be the spiritual leader in the family. The grandfather should always be the priest at a family fathering. This means leading the family in prayer, scripture and blessing his children and grandchildren.

A man who is also head of household gives direction and also serves as the spiritual head of the family. A man should also be a protector. This is not simply physically protecting the family from harm, but also setting boundaries to safeguard the family from evil. The man is the professor of the family. He professes over the family and professes his faith. He teaches life skills to children on how to endure hardship and builds up their confidence. A real man will teach his son how to respect and love women. A man is the priest of his house. He is called to be the spiritual leader in the family. The grandfather should always be the priest at a family fathering. This means leading the family in prayer, scripture and blessing his children and grandchildren.

St. Paul detailed his instructions for Christian households in Ephesians 5:21-33.

²¹“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²²Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body.³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[^c^] ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

I feel that this scripture has often been taken out of context and has been used to make wives feel subordinate to women. God has indeed appointed men as the head of the house but that does not make women subservient. God and Jesus are equal but Jesus was subservient to the Father. Recall when Jesus said, “yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

God wants husbands to “love your wives as Christ loved the church.” I had a woman tell me recently, “if my husband were to love me as Christ loved the church, then I could submit to that all day long.” What I heard from this woman is that her husband is not honoring her. Honor is critical for a marriage and it must be freely given by both. Husbands must love their wives “as they love their own bodies.” A husband who is not loving his wife is not loving himself because upon marriage, “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” So, if your wife has a problem, you have a problem. If she needs love, you need love.

Marriage is a Holy Sacrament from God and every Christian marriage contains a husband, wife, and God. The husband must respect his wife but he must show her and his family that his primary responsibility is to God. When anything or anyone else becomes our primary focus, we are worshipping a false god and not adhering to the first Commandment in Exodus 20.

Husbands, you have been given much responsibility. Recall the words of Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much will be required.” You will be held accountable for your leadership of your house. In order to lead like Jesus, you must be a servant like Jesus. A wife is to be honored, respected, and loved. I want every husband when he joins the cloud of witnesses to be greeted by “well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).

Prayer: Dear God, May we always love our wives as Christ loves His church. Amen.

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Use Your Words to Build Up the Body of Christ

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21 KJV).

We all say things that we regret and wish we could take back. Our words will invariably hurt somebody’s feelings and cause pain. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” The tongue is a symbol of life or death “Our words can be used to share the Good News with others or tear down the Body of Christ.

The Bible explains that what comes out of your mouth is simply what is in your mind, (Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 26:28). James 3:5-6 explains the importance of the tongue: “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

The above passage spurred me to look inward. I sometimes do a poor job of reflecting on Matthew 12:36 before I speak, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

A better use of our words is described in Romans 4:17. It says that God “speaks of future events with as much certainty as though they were already past.” That’s called speaking in faith — you announce it in order to experience it. Your words reflect your faith, which is critical to a strong prayer life. Matthew 21:22 reads, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

I admire people who have the spiritual gift of faith. I certainly have faith in God and love Him with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind (Matthew 22:37). I want to tell it like it could be, like it ought to be and like I think God wants it to be. I get too easily frustrated and begin to lean on my own understanding and then wonder why my path is not straight. I do not particularly enjoy a ministry that ONLY “tells it like it is” about the world. There are a lot of things in the world that are bad. Clergy and laity that only focus on the problems and not the opportunities are negative and depressing. They are in the “tell-it-like-it-is” business. This does nothing to build up The Body of Christ. A better option is to tell it like it could be! This brings life and hope to people.

For example, you could say to someone, “You’re a lousy husband and you don’t spend enough time with your family.” However, any label — positive or negative — will reinforce the behavior. I think a better option might be, “I see enormous potential in you. I urge you to let Jesus Christ into your heart and become the godly man that I know you can be.” That’s the kind of talk that builds up others and motivates change! Speak it in advance and speak it in faith!

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to use words that build up the Body of Christ and bring honor and glory to You. Amen.

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A Perversion of a Gift from God

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18 NIV).

I recently heard an interview with Rev. Levi Lusco. He was discussing his new book “Swipe Right.” The dating app Tinder provides pictures and basic information that people “looking to date” have uploaded of themselves. If the user swipes to the left of a particular image, then that means he or she is not interested. However, if you swipe to the right, that means you are interested and if the other person does the same thing to your picture, you are very likely going to have sex with them very soon.

You may ask what does that have to do with pornography? They both are feeding a desire for sex in an immoral manner. Sex is a gift from God and its value decreases when it is approached with such a nonchalant attitude.

Pornography can be as addicting as any drug. Studies have shown that it releases endorphins in the brain which make it “feel good” when in fact it is actually harmful to the body and soul. In reality, it is the fruit of the enemy. Every relationship comes with a moral commitment; this commitment is absent in the relationships of the flesh.

Mark 7:15 tells us: “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” If you “feed” yourself with immorality, then what do you expect to come out of you? Christians are certainly not immune to pornography addition. The same can be said for the clergy. Many of the millennial generations are products of divorced parents. They see no benefits of marriage and feed their desires through illicit relationships and pornography. Rev. Lusco stated that 1 out of 3 boys who are 13 years of age have a pornography problem. As men of the church, we must be the defenders of these young boys. We must explain to them why this behavior is harmful. The pleasure that they are feeling is not Godly and if they do get married later in life, they often report a less satisfying sex life, according to Rev. Lesko.

Do you recall the story in Genesis of Jacob and Esau? These were twin sons of Issac. Esau was the oldest by seconds and by right he held a higher position in the family. One day Esau returned to his brother, Jacob, and was famished from working in the fields. He begged his twin brother to give him some “red pottage” (stew). Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright (the right to be recognized as firstborn) and Esau agreed.

This is huge because the birthright has to do with the inheritance of both goods and positions. Esau acted impulsively, as he did not value his birthright over a bowl of lentil stew. The lesson here is that your standards are low when your stomach is empty. Esau gave into the desires of the flesh without thinking of the consequences.

Rev. Lusco advises that we do not overreact if we find our son or daughter looking at pornography. Do not shame them. Instead, calmly explain to them why this is wrong and why it is important to live in the Spirit rather than living in the flesh. My advice: Keep your stomach full of Godly things and you will not have an appetite for impure things. Develop an accountability group of friends that form a barrier around you to keep the enemy out.

Prayer: Dear God, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 KJV).

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‘Stealing’ Credit From God

Stealing’ Credit From God

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

As a young man I was proud of ‘my’ accomplishments. I worked hard, graduated, and got a job. I bought a nice house and we had a nice summer vacation. I was proud of “my” accomplishments for the first 40 years of my life. “It was at this age that I was a pilgrim on the Walk to Emmaus and my eyes were opened to who I was and to Whom I belong. I still enjoyed my work, but I began to engage in a much more fulfilling work – helping to build God’s kingdom on earth.

The number 40 has special significance in the Bible. In the Old Testament, when God destroyed the Earth with water, He caused it to rain 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12). After Moses killed the Egyptian, he fled to Midian where he spent 40 years in the desert tending flocks (Acts 7:30). Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18). Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days and 40 nights (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25). The Israelites wandered for 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:2-5). In the New Testament, Jesus was tempted after fasting for 40 days (Matthew 4:2). There were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3). There are other examples, but I don’t think God wants us to dwell on the number 40 or any other subliminal messages that some believe to be in the Bible.

I realize that all of us have been given fruits of the Spirit. I was blessed by the opportunities I was presented with, and blessed with the ability to be successful in those opportunities; I now realize that all my blessings are from God. St. Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 1:4-5: “I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way — with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.” I now realize that anything good I have accomplished has been because of His grace, and anything bad that I have done has been because I have lived in the flesh and not in the Spirit. The greatest blessing you can receive is to be a blessing to others. Apart from Christ, we are nothing. But through Him, all things are possible. So give credit where credit is due. Your accomplishments and mine are from the generous blessings of God. Be thankful and be blessed.

Prayer: Dear God, Forgive us when we claim credit for ourselves. Help us realize that every good and perfect gift is from Your hand. Amen.

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Five Challenges Facing the Church Universal

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV).

Every church is the Holy House of God. However, the real church is the people and not the building. Therefore, each church has challenges that it must overcome to be successful. The church universal is a blessing from God. The Holy covenant of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers is known as the church. The church is comprised of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25–27). This union is the same union as expressed in Mark 10:8: “… and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”

Christ lives in all of us. This is what is mean by ‘living in The Spirit’ rather than ‘living in the flesh. Consequently, we approach church with a desire to give as a joyful response to all that we have received from His hand.

Below are five challenges of each church. All can be summarized to one root cause: Failure to live in The Spirit.

1. Discipleship: It is great to attend church on Sunday. We attend to worship, pray, sing, and fellowship. However, it is important that we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and follow him. Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” A disciple has the love of God in his heart and a desire to fish for men. He generously shares his prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness to build up the church.

2. Leadership: All leaders of all organizations, Christian or secular, need to develop plans to replace themselves, transfer knowledge to the new person and then support the new leader. Jesus modeled this by teaching His disciples and preparing them for leadership. He supported their works though the Holy Spirit. Also, St. Paul took Timothy and Titus under his wing and prepared them for leadership.

3. Gossip: We are called to build one another up and not tear each other down with gossip and slander. James 4:11 tells us, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” Ephesians 4:29 instructs us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

4. Forgiveness: If we are going to work together for the glory of God, we must be able to forgive each other. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:15).

5. Fear: A church must not be afraid of trying new ministries after prayerful consideration. Joshua 1 is a great chapter for those seeking courage. Multiple times, God instructs Joshua to be bold and courageous. In Joshua 1:9 we read, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Don’t be afraid of new things. God instructs us in Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to love one another as You have loved us. Through Your grace, together we can solve any problem that faces Your church. Amen.

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