Sunday, November 18, 2007

Pumping Up the Mattress

Have you ever tried to pump up a deflated, limp mattress? Having done a lot of camping with my family, I have had to do this many times. It takes a strong effort and the will to persevere even when some air escapes as you are pumping it into the mattress. Putting air into the mattress gives strength and firmness to it so that you can sleep comfortably on it.

The idea of putting STRENGTH INTO the mattress is like one important part of biblical ENCOURAGEMENT. One crucial meaning of encouragement is to “STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART.” Many of us experience times of weakness OR lack of courage to face someone or something. It is then that God uses His word and usually someone else to put strength into your heart – to inflate you or empower you with the courage to live, succeed, and to instill strength into another person for the good of the church and for the glory of God.

In 1 Samuel 23:16, the Bible says that “…Jonathan traveled to Horesh to help David find STRENGTH in God.” David felt very low as King Saul, who sought to kill him, continuously pursued him. David felt weary, weak, and losing some of his will to live. But Jonathan risked his own life, paying the price to encourage or put strength into David’s heart at a most crucial time. It was God who worked in a powerful way through Jonathan and it God who want to work in the same way IN and THROUGH you to encourage another – TO PUT “AIR” INTO THE HEART OF A PERSON.

Be a “Jonathan” to someone near you today!

Discovering Lasting Peace


Discovering Peace is like searching for the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Many people never find it. To change metaphors, Peace – real peace – is like a promising mirage that looks so good but dissipates into nothing as we get closer. One popular means of searching for personal peace and satisfaction is to grab the latest gadget. Usually, it claims to be the greatest tool for better, clearer communication and entertainment. Now, the iphone is about to compete with the ipod, blackberry, and the cell phone. I see people plugged into an ipod or cell phone while they shop with 2 kids in the cart or while working out at the gym plus rushing through a magazine at the same time. Yet, they seem as lonely, stressed or worried as ever. As I said in my last “ENCOURAGER”, worry is distracting, devouring (eats at you from within), and doubting (ultimately, doubting God’s ability or desire to help you).

What, then, is the answer to unrelenting stress and worry?

The answer is PEACE. Jesus promised that the peace that He offers is not popular easy come-easy go peace of the world but a real life changing peace that come from God (my paraphrase, John 14:27) The peace of Jesus can replace your every fear. One dictionary defines peace as “tranquility of mind, mental calmness, and absence of war.” But, the Bible defines peace in two important ways. Peace is actually harmony in relationship with God. This peace WITH God then empowers you to relate in peace and harmony with others. This comes from a transformation of your heart when you trust by faith in Jesus who gave His life for you on a cross. (Romans 5:1)

If you will invite Jesus, who is peace, into your heart, He’ll transform your heart and –if you let Him, He’ll become the new director (Lord) of your life (Ephesians 2:14). Instead of trying to find peace and fulfillment on your own, invite God to be your peace. The Bible also defines peace as Shalom—a Hebrew word meaning completeness or wholeness. It is the opposite of feeling torn in all directions. In the midst of trying, turbulent circumstances, God will cause peace, wholeness, and joy to well up within you when your mind is FIXED on Him(Isaiah 26:3) This is the peace OF God which you’ll experience after you have chosen peace WITH God .

Now that you know about the Peace WITH God and the peace OF God, you can defeat worry and stress in your life by these 5 steps:

CHOOSE NOT TO WORRY. Ask God to help you in EVERY circumstance.
But, ask God in complete trust and faith with gratitude. Let God resolve the problem HIS way, not yours. (Philippians 4:6-7)

PUT GOD FIRST IN ALL YOU DO. Jesus said that God will meet ALL your real needs IF you let God have first place in your life and seek to please Him in everything (Matthew 6:21,32).

PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. In Philippians 4:6-7, God calls us to live in a continuous attitude of prayer. Invite God into your job, your marriage, your family and your leisure activity. Then, see the incredible difference when you invite Jesus into your life wherever you go. George McCauslin experienced an awesome breakthrough over his anxiety and stress. He realized that he was trying to run his own life with the world on his shoulders. Finally, one day, George wrote a prayer in writing and said: “Dear God, I hereby resign as general manager of the universe, love George.” He laughed: “God accepted my resignation. Identify your specific worries. List them on paper and give them over to God and let Him work for you (I Peter 5:7). He cares for you more than you know.

PRACTISE A GRATITUDE ATTITUDE (I Thessalonians 5:18) A grateful mind is much lighter and refreshing than the (heavy load) negative, complaining mind! Let Jesus be your peace!

(Invite your friends and your pastor/church leaders to read this, too and the entire web site!) Contact me at revstewart@hotmail.com

Expression or Explosion


Have you ever left a can full of pop in extreme heat for too long? If you have, you know the outcome. An explosion of its contents probably scattered over a wide area!

Since we recently observed “Fathers Day”, it is appropriate to remember the words of Paul in the first century A.D. when he, under the inspiration of God, cautioned and encouraged Dads:

“… do not exasperate (Provoke) your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, NIV). The word “exasperate” essentially means: ‘DON’T AROUSE THE MIND OR EMOTIONS TO AN EXTREME’. It is like pressure building up in a pop can or like pressing a substance between two solid ends. The greater the pressure without an outlet, the more likely a big explosion! Addressing conflict between fathers and their sons and daughters, Paul calls dads not to push their children over the edge or to an extreme. Sometimes, we can say something or do something that adds to the pressure inside our children because we have not been sensitive to their emotions and struggles. What then, is the solution?

Trust God to help you to raise spiritually healthy children --rooted or firmly planted in Jesus. Ephesians 6:4 says …”Bring them up in the TRAINING and INSTRUCTION of the Lord”. “Training” comes from a word meaning “discipline” or correction. This is a boundary, a fence, or a channel in which your children can grow. It is the opposite of letting your children do as they want. That would teach many children to be wild, selfish, and irresponsible. “Instruction” comes from a word meaning “to put in the mind”. The full meaning is to put or teach God’s word to your children. Fill their minds with the truth of God when they are young. When you model, practice, and teach God’s word to your children, His word will act as a boundary, a healthy boundary to protect your children from the wild extremes so obvious in the streets, televisions, and internet of our communities.

Whenever you are guilty of provoking your child “over the edge”, remind yourself of Paul’s word’s in Ephesians 6:4. Then ask God to help you create an encouraging atmosphere in your family so that your children will choose expression over explosion!

Winning The War: Replacing Impatience with Patience

  • KNOWING OUR ENEMY: Impatience robs us of Joy. It prevents us from experiencing the fullness of God’s joy and from growing intimately with Jesus. In common with worry and anger, Impatience grabs control over us when we lose our focus on Christ and look only at ourselves and circumstances. Impatience steals joy from our church when it prevents us from encouraging and deeply caring for one another To quote Dallas Willard:

“ Many well meaning (persons)…cannot succeed in being kind because they are too rushed to get things done. Haste has worry, fear, and anger as close associates; it is a deadly enemy of kindness, and hence of love.”

  • DISCOVERING OUR DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD: The only way to win over impatience is to cultivate the two side of PATIENCE . Like a sharp double-edged sword, Patience will prove to be our all powerful weapon which can help us win over the damaging effects of our rushed and impatient life styles.

SIDE 1: Makrathumia –the ACTIVE edge of the patience “sword” It means to be [LARGE] in self-restraint or control.

  • It is used of God….”THE Lord is PATIENT with you, not wanting anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9)
  • It is used of people…” Be patient…until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7)

SIDE 2: Hupomeno— the PASSIVE edge of the patience “sword’

  • It means to [abide under] or a willingness to bear [hardship or criticism] for Christ.
  • “all men will hate you because of me but he who stands firm (patiently endures) to the end will be saved. (Matt. 10:22)
  • “Be PATIENT in affliction (Rom.12:12) /”love always PERSEVERES (I Cor 13:7)
  • “ A patient (person) has great [understanding] … Prov. 14:29


C. DETERMINING THE STEPS TO REPLACING IMPATIENCE WITH PATIENCE

  • [YIELD MYSELF] DAILY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Ephesians 5:18)

---more literally, be full of what the Holy Spirit produces—spiritual fruit such as PATIENCE or long-suffering. (Galatians 5:22)

* WAIT ON [GOD’S TIMING] (I Samuel 13:13)
Refusal to wait is to act foolishly—the word Foolish means to lack [moral and spiritual sense]

* REFLECT ON GOD’S NATURE ( James 5:7)
-“The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (Ja 5:7)
- Focus on God’s character (Psalm 103:8-13) increases my [faith and patience]

  • REMEMBER [THE RESULTS] OF MY PATIENCE ( James 5:7, 11)
  • “See how the farmer waits… /”you have heard of Job’s perseverance and what the Lord finally brought about (James 5:7b, 11b)

--REWARDS of the farmer’s patience—[great harvest]
--REWARDS of Job’s patience---- [life of blessings]

  • FAN THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL AND KEEP THE [EMBERS OF PATIENCE] ALIVE (Romans 15: 5-6, 13)
    • “…I pray that God ,who gives you hope, will keep you (joyful) and full of peace as you believe in Him.” (Romans 15:13a, NLT )
    • keep reviewing God’s word (Romans 15:4)

  • DEVELOP THE DISCIPLINE OF [STILLNESS] (Psalm 37:7)

--“Be STILL and wait patiently for the Lord”

  • BUILD [STRUCTURAL FORMS ] FOR PATIENCE AND ALLOW GOD TO

FILL THEM.
--develop habits that will assist you in becoming more patient

Winning over Worry


Another Christmas season has arrived. What is your response to this statement? My guess is that you feel hurried, stressed out, and weary because you are probably thinking of the “demands” of Christmas. Is that what Christmas is all about? No, it has nothing to do with the REAL Christmas.

For many, Christmas is about gifts. If I were to ask you about the best gift that you would desire, what would it be? My guess is that such a gift could not be wrapped in brightly colored paper. The gift that you desire is JOY. If that is true for you, then I have Great news for you! The central fact of Christmas is that God loves you so much that He sent his Son, Jesus, into this world to offer you everlasting joy. Jesus was born into this world at exactly the right time so that through faith in Him, you might experience Joy that triumphs over all circumstances. (Luke 2:10-11)

However, there are robbers lurking around you that threaten to rob you of this great gift called JOY. One of these robbers is called “Worry”. Are you a worry-wart? Do you worry all the time or some of the time? Bishop Taylor Smith once wrote a poem with these words:

“The worried cow would have lived till now
If she had saved her breath;
But she feared her hay wouldn’t last all day,
And she mooed herself to death.”


The above words illustrate the difference between genuine concern leading to proper action and worry over a possible future event about which we have no control. Worry is a robber that arises out of our sinful fallen human nature and can cause heart problems, ulcers, pre-mature aging, illness, and even a shorter life. Jesus was warning about the dangers of worry when He said: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not!” (Matthew 6:27 NLT) Instead, Jesus encourages you to let Him guide you daily and to trust Him for EVERY need that you have. (Matt6:33)

To defeat Worry, you need to identify it. In this way, you can turn that worry quickly over to God BEFORE it can control and cripple you . Look for 3 marks of identification:

  • 1) WORRY IS DISTRACTION. In Matthew 6:25, the word Jesus uses for worry means ---to be drawn in different directions at once. Does that describe the way you feel so often at Christmas time? You are distracted from worshipping God. You are distracted from serving others and meeting their needs. You need to focus you life by first focusing your mind on God. God will give you the experience of spiritual, mental, and emotional peace IF your mind (thoughts) are focused or fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3,NLT)
  • 2) WORRY IS DEVOURING. Our English word “worry’ comes from an old anglo-saxon word “WOLF” which means to devour. If you worry, it devours you or eats at you from within. If you feel that churning in the pit of your stomach, remember that if God provides for little birds (they don’t worry), you can be sure that He will provide for you. (Matthew 6:26) Talk to Jesus about whatever bothers you, then live by faith and TRUST Him.
  • 3) WORRY IS DOUBTING: When you doubt, you are not believing that God will (or is able to) supply your needs and that of others. God does not expect you to sit around and do nothing. Even the birds look for food. But, as you work and act in faithful dependence on Him daily, your needs will be supplied (Matthew 6:33)
  • This Christmas, receive God’s gift of joy through faith in Jesus. Fix your mind on Jesus and He will give you peace---peace of God, the basis of JOY! Next month, I will share some awesome truth about personal peace. For now, trust God to enable you to experience His JOY and win over worry.

(Invite your friends and your pastor/church leaders to read this, too and the entire web site!) Contact me at revstewart@hotmail.com

Turn Pain into Gain


For many people , Life is a pain . Believe it or not, that can be a very good thing. Before I explain that statement, let’s note some kinds of pain and how people deal with it. You may have physical, mental, emotional, or psychological pain /hurt in your life. Your pain may ebb and flow like tides on a beach. Someone wrote to me saying: “Pastor Brown: I am a member of the sandwich generation. Sometimes, it feels like a submarine sandwich—so full of stuff that I feel like I am sinking—straight to the bottom……I am overwhelmed in my life.” Can you identify with this person? How are you responding to pain in your life?

In response, Many people try to kill the pain or cover it up. Some will fill up on legal drugs and medicines. Others will try illegal drugs and go the escape route. Excessive drinking, partying, sports, and all kinds of entertainment are used by others. Pervasive use of a wide variety of communication devices permit an epidemic of pornography use in one attempt that some use to cover or ignore pain of all kinds. The result is greater damage to the user and his /her negative influence on others. In an interview quoted in The GLOBE AND MAIL newspaper, May22, 2004, Hugh Hefner admitted that his Playboy entertainment empire evolved from the pain of “rejection and repression”…in his childhood.

But, what can you do in response to your “pain”? Let me encourage you so that you can encourage others. Pain or trial provides us with a great opportunity. In the Bible, God addresses early disciples of Jesus: “Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything!” (James 1:2-4,NLT) Joy is a rock solid trust and dependence on God as you depend on Him for all things so that He might make you more Christ-like in your character. As you experience pain, release it continually back to God so that He can turn your pain into gain! Prior to becoming king of Israel, David wrote: “In my [pain] I cried out to my God(Psalm 18:6)”. When you focus on God instead of the pain, it becomes an opportunity for you to grow into a spiritual champion for God. Joseph was a man who grew and accomplished enormous things through much pain because He focused on God .He also deeply believed that God was constantly at work accomplishing a greater work not only in him but in a whole nation.(Genesis 50:20)

Clarence suffered the pain of a heart attack. He could have been angry with God or become depressed. But, Clarence survived that attack by the mercy of God. In response, He determined to give others a “second chance. He took leave from his work, raised a great deal of money in various Newfoundland communities so that two orphanages, schools, and a home for married students in a Bible college could be built in Zambia, Africa. The school was called the “Newfoundland Agape School”. Of course, “Agape” refers to God’s supreme love for us as expressed the death and resurrection of Jesus. Clarence’s pain was turned into enormous gain for hundreds of poor people and students . What can God do with your pain? If you release your pain by faith over to the Lord Jesus Christ, He can use you to comfort, encourage, and minister to others in ways beyond your imagination! (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) What an awesome prospect!

The Cookie Principle


A five year old girl named Lori begins to explain life to her new born brother , Alex. In an article entitled, “The Cookie principle”, Psychologist Robert Currie presents the picture of a young girl who sees her mom and dad as grown-ups who don’t know what they want and can’t make decisions. She sees her mom as someone who doesn’t know what to make for dinner nor what to wear in the morning. Lori sees her dad as a grown –up who sits in his chair with “his ‘mote control and changes channels all the time. He doesn’t know what he wants. Little Lori says:

“Daddy listened to a tape . The man on the tape said people who are ‘cessful figure out what they want and go after it. In that case, I’m going to be real ‘cessful ‘cause I REALLY WANT a cookie.”

In this story, Currie defines the “Cookie Principle” as this: you are most likely to get your cookie if you really want it. The stronger your desire and the sharper your focus, the more likely you’ll achieve success.

Israel’s greatest king, David, applied the truth of the cookie principle in how he lived life. The Bible tells us that even though David’s sins were obvious, so was his passion for wanting, seeking and loving God. His passion was deep and his focus was sharp— He thirsted after God (Psalm 42:1). He wrote: “ONE thing I ask of the Lord , THIS is what I seek…(Psalm 27:4a). How deep is your desire for God? How much do you want intimacy with God? If you thirst, hunger and seek after God, you will not only “find” Him but discover awesome delights of walking in oneness with him. That is why David could speak of the “overflowing cup” in his life (Psalm 23:5) Directed by the Holy Spirit of God, a man named Paul wrote: “Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead , I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3;13-14).

Do you know what you want? Focus your desire on deepening your relationship with God and desire nothing less than God’s purpose and God’s best for you. What is God’s best for you? It is: to influence others and encourage them into a faith relationship with Jesus. God’s cookie principle – taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)

Healthy Relationships


Jesus, by His teaching and example, revealed a threefold plan for transforming sincere inquirers into His authentic followers and passionate church members. Life is all about relationships. Healthy ones are required to live life with passion and conviction. Jesus illustrated the necessity for healthy relationships in the church by telling a story recorded in Matthew 18:21-35. It began with the disciple Peter, perhaps thinking that he was really compassionate, asking: “Lord, how often should I forgive my brother – seven times?” This was considerably more than the traditional teaching of the rabbis to forgive three times. Jesus must have shocked Peter by replying: “No, not seven times but seventy times seven.” In other words, “Peter, you keep on forgiving!” Why? Because god your heavenly Father keeps on forgiving you. Jesus reinforces this truth by telling about a man hopelessly in debt. In our currency today, it would be millions of dollars. Knowing and admitting his desperate need, the man seeks the mercy of his master, promising to repay the debt. Knowing that the man can never repay, the master was moved with compassion (27). This is the same word found in Matthew 9:36 where Jesus says the people are like sheep without a shepherd. Forgiveness is a central theme here – central to our relationship with Christ and with one another. Forgiveness in this Mathew passage has three shades of meaning:

1. Forgiveness means to cancel the debt of another and then pay the cost yourself. This is what the master did and, of course, what god the Father has done for us in Christ his Son.

2. Forgiveness can mean to lift up and carry away. If we are abiding in Jesus, He will enable us to lift one another’s burdens and carry them away.

3. Forgiveness can also refer to release from bondage. Many Christians are living in various forms of bondage – to resentment, jealousy, lust, alcohol, fears and insecurities. Open your life to receive the full forgiveness of god. Fully released and forgiven Christians like you will radically change your church to attract newcomers who will become passionate participants touching the world! All three meanings ought to be lived out of our lives in relation to others. In this story, the indebted man did not allow God’s forgiveness to transform his own life. Therefore, he had no forgiveness to offer others. He could not welcome and embrace others as true friends. John and Mary Smith (not their real names, although this is a true story.) lost their only son when he was killed by a drunk driver. They became angry and bitter toward the drunk driver. John and Mary were professing believers in Jesus and members of a local church. Yet, they pursued Ken at every court appearance. Ken was sentenced to prison but was released after a short time. After he was released, John and Mary realized that their bitterness toward Ken and their lack of forgiveness was not helping Ken and was destroying them. After restoring their relationship with God, they decided to forgive the man who killed their only son. First, they invited him to their church. Then, they began inviting him to meals at their home. Eventually, Ken became a regular in their home. This act of love and forgiveness transformed Ken until he himself made a commitment to God and regularly worshipped with them. It takes such costly forgiveness to restore and cultivate healthy relationships in your family, in your church and, ultimately, in your community. You must see the other person as God sees him. You need to experience the heart of God for the person whom you find difficult to love.

The above is an excerpt from Stewart's new book, Feeling at Home in God's Family, pp. 7-9. If you wish the book, ask your local bookstore to order it in.