PRIDEFUL FEELINGS

Everyone of us struggles from time to time with the issue of pride. It comes in many packages, but we need to keep it in check. Listen to the words written by Fenelon, hundreds of years ago:

“Whenever you see prideful feelings in yourself, or you feel that you know more than anyone else, or care for no one but yourself, then you must let all these attitudes drop like rocks in water.

Seek God and stop everything until you are calm and yielded to God once again. If business matters or your overactive imagination keep you from being quiet before God, then you must still bring yourself before God and want to be still. Wanting to be still and quiet before God is itself a prayer which strips you of self-will, and keeps you flexible in God’s hands.

Don’t congratulate yourself when you take a few steps towards God. The minute you take a few steps toward God. The minute you are converted you think you know everything about God. You give up your major vices and are ready to be canonized as a saint. You are not judging yourself by the standard of the gospel, but by how you lived your past life.

In the long run this attitude will get you into more trouble than committing a blatant sin. A blatant sin would trouble your conscience. But thinking you are well, when you are really not, will stifle your spiritual life. Serving God is not just a matter of avoiding evil, but of learning good. So don’t love God a little bit and think that is all there is to it. You can’t expect to live life as you please, then go to God as a last resort when you need help.

To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid ‘big’ sins – is this passionate, whole-hearted love for God? You don’t belong to yourself – you belong to God! You can’t soften the gospel to adapt it to your weakness. Woe to anyone who tries to widen the narrow way!

The only way to love God is to love Him completely. You have to let everything else rule you – your emotions, the whims of others, your way wayward desires. Plunge into God and give everything that you are to Him.” The Seeking Heart – by Fenelon

Something to think about this morning. Are you struggling with prideful feelings? Surrender them completely to Him.

Great Quote: Those who say they will forgive but can’t forget, simply bury the hatchet but leave the handle out for immediate use. Dwight L Moody

THINK ON THESE THINGS … FINAL THOUGHTS

Finally, brethren, whatever is …

* True

* Honorable

* Right

* Pure

* Lovely

* Good repute

* Excellence

* Worthy of praise

Let your mind dwell on THESE things. (Philippians 4:8)

For several days we have dissected this verse that Paul gives us for controlling the things that we allow our minds to dwell on. The last one in the list is to dwell on things that are worthy of praise. What are things that are worthy of praise? The word means “things to applaud; commendable things.” When I think about this I think about the difference between one who sees the glass half-full vs. seeing the glass half-empty.

There’s a sad story about a man in the hospital whose bed was positioned next to the window. He described in great detail to the man in the next bed the things that he saw: the trees, the birds, the fountain in the park. Children playing. People sitting on the lawn with their picnic lunches. It was a scene of great beauty.

The man in the next bed became very jealous and angry that his roommate had the view all to himself. This was not fair. During the night the man by the window became very ill and had difficulty breathing. Rather than call for help, the man in the bed near the door allowed the man to struggle. Shortly afterwards, the man by the window died.

After the nurses wheeled the dead man out of the room, the other patient begged to be placed by the window. He was so glad that now HE would get the best view. Now in place, he leaned up to look out the window only to discover a brick wall.

The other man had filled his mind with things worthy of praise. Instead of “Stinkin-thinking,” as Zig Ziglar calls it – he allowed his mind to dwell on things that were worthy of praise.

Some of us get stuck in life because we allow our minds to dwell on things that are not even real. We conjure up in our minds what people are thinking about us or we allow our minds to read into situations that are unreal or not based on fact or truth. Rather than enjoying life as God intended it to be – we have a “brick-wall” view of life.

Will you purpose to commit this verse to memory? When you are tempted to think the opposite of the eight things on Paul’s list – take those thoughts captive on dwell on these things!

Great quote: We are locked in a battle. This is not a friendly, gentleman’s discussion. It is a life and death conflict between the spiritual hosts of wickedness and those who claim the name of Christ. Francis A. Schaeffer

Nothing seemed all that different as we entered the auditorium for chapel. It was my first year of Bible College, the first semester. We sang a song, and a thousand Bible college students can sing well. Then our president called on one of the professors to lead an opening prayer.

Dr. Peter Connolly, an elderly man who became a Christian in Ireland when just a young man, stepped to the microphone. I’d heard him pray at the beginning of class, but this seemed different. He was passionate, eloquent but subdued. His prayer continued with a growing sense of awe spreading through the auditorium. No one moved. No one coughed. All of us sensed we were experiencing something special. I don’t know if any of us had ever heard anyone pray like he prayed that morning.

No one remembered whether or not the prayer was long. No one remembered specific things for which Dr. Connolly prayed. When we talked about it later . . . even years later . . . we remembered the passionate nature of the prayer. We remembered that we were almost breathless when he finished praying. It seemed that he brought us directly into the presence of Jesus.

When he finished praying our president came back to the microphone and dismissed chapel. We wouldn’t hear a speaker. The student scheduled to sing wouldn’t sing. Our hearts were stirred, fed and challenged with one prayer from on old man who had walked with Jesus for years. Even more, we clearly had been in the presence of Jesus that morning. One thousand college students and the faculty and staff left that chapel service without saying a word. I didn’t know that many people could be that quiet.

As I think about that morning (It’s been more than forty years ago), I remember a man who talked to God that morning as though they were face to face. He modeled intimacy with God driven by humility and gratitude.
I hope some day to pray like Peter Connolly. I hope some day you’ll pray like Peter Connolly. It will only happen for all of us if we choose to spend time with the triune God.

The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16b). John Strain – First Baptist of Toms River

Great Quote: God hath given to man a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends. Jeremy Taylor

Who I Am In Christ

Some of you are thinking like this:

OLD LIFE (Lies) – Channel 1
What I think or feel about myself.
1. I am unworthy/unacceptable.
2. I feel like a failure/inadequate.
3. I am a fearful/anxious person.
4. I am a weak person.
5. I am in bondage.
6. I am not very smart.
7. I am unloved.
8. I am unwanted or
I don’t belong to anyone.
9. I feel guilty.
10. I am depressed & hopeless.
11. There is nothing special about me.
12. I am not good enough.

Replace those thoughts with these truths:

NEW LIFE (Truth) – Channel 2
What is true about me.
I am accepted and worthy.
Psalm 139:13-24; Romans 15:7
I am adequate.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Philippians 4:13
I am free from fear.
Psalm 34:4; 2 Timothy 1:7;
1 Peter 5:7; 1 John 4:18
I am strong in Christ.
Psalm 37:34; Daniel 11:32; Philippians 4:19
I am free.
Psalm 32:7; John 8:36; 2 Corinthians 3:17
I have God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 2:6-7; 1 Cor. 1:30; James 1:5
I am very loved.
John 15:9; Romans 8:38-29;
Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:2
I have been adopted by God as His child.
Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:5-7;
Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:2
I am totally forgiven.
Psalm 103:12; Ephesians 1:7;
Colossians 1:14, 20; Hebrews 10:17
I have all the hope that I need.
Psalm 16:11; 27:13; 31:24; Romans 15:13
I have been chosen, set apart by God.
Psalm 139:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11;
Hebrews 10:10, 14
I am perfect in Christ.
Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 10:14
13. I am defeated
14. I have no strength.
15. I feel condemned.
16. I am alone.
17. I have no one to take care of me.
18. I can’t reach God.
19. I am afraid of Satan.
20. I have no confidence.
I am victorious.
Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 2:14;
1 John 5:4
I have God’s power; I am indwelt by the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9,11; Eph. 1:19; 3:16
I am blameless.
John 3:18; Romans 8:1
I am never alone.
Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5
I am protected, safe.
Psalm 27:1-6; 32:7-11; 41
I have access to God.
Matthew 7:7-8; Ephesians 2:6; 1 Peter 2:5,9
I have authority over Satan.
Colossians 1:13; 1 John 4:4;
Revelation 12:7-11
I have all the confidence I need.
Proverbs 3:26; 14:26; 28:19;
Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 10:19-22

To print out the complete list: http://www.americaskeswick.org/addiction/documents/WhoIAmInChrist.pdf

“Finally, brethren … whatever is of good repute … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

You’ll know his name … but here is a cool story. He grew up in Philly and attended the same church that I did (thought obviously he is MUCH older!) as well as the same elementary school. He was the church terror. In fact, his grandmother made him sit right up front and was known to whack him on the head with a hymnbook when he misbehaved.

In school, he graduated from grade to grade, not because of his academic abilities, but because each teacher wanted to get rid of him. When he reached sixth grade, his teacher decided to sit him down. She shared with him the folder containing comments from his previous teachers and told him that there were some horrible statements said about him. She looked him in the eye and said, “Young man, I don’t believe these comments.” She took the folder and ripped it up and dumped it in the trash. And Dr. Howard Hendricks said that was the beginning of a new life for him.

Some of you have listened to things that have been said about you and you have allowed the garbage to fill your mind and destroy you. In your early days you were called a failure. Maybe someone told you that you were stupid . You might have grown up in a dysfunctional family with a father that was not what he should be and someone told you that you were going to grow up to be just like your Dad. What we think we believe – what we believe, we become.

It’s time to stop the cycle of thinking negatively and replacing those thoughts with WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! Tomorrow I will share a list with you that you can tuck in your Day-Timer or your Bible. Pull it out often. When you begin to think negatively about who you are … replace those thoughts with what God thinks about you!

Howard Hendricks was told he was a failure and would never amount to anything. But at 83, he has impacted the lives of thousands of men and women for the Kingdom. Let your mind dwell on WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! I’ll give you the list tomorrow!

Great Quote: Who is it that is your Shepherd? The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of heaven and earth, and Almighty Creator of all things, He who holds the universe in His hand as though it were a very little thing. He is your shepherd, and has charged himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep. If your hearts could really take in this thought you would never have a fear or a care again; for with such a Shepherd how could it be possible for you ever to want any good thing?
Hannah Whitall Smith

THINK ON … WHATEVER IS LOVELY

” Finally, brethren … whatever is lovely … think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

We have been looking at Paul’s prescription on the things that we are to fill our minds with. We’ve looked at dwelling on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and today we come to dwelling on things that are lovely.

There are so many things in life that we can think about that are lovely. The word means things that are pleasing or acceptable. I remember when I was having my emergency appendectomy the doctor told me to think about the nice place in the world I had been or wanted to go.
My mind went to Bermuda – one of my favorite places. (I didn’t remember a thing during the surgery …)

One our first trip to Bermuda, I remember riding a moped with my wife Jan and my former boss and his wife. He was showing us parts of the island that the average tourist wouldn’t normally see. We came to a spot where everywhere we turned there was beauty beyond description. Looking towards the ocean we say that beautiful greenish water that was magnificent and the pink sand. Looking up we say beautiful palm and banana trees and these gorgeous hibiscus plants that were in full bloom.
I remember making the statement, “If this is what beauty is after the fall – what must the earth looked like before it took place.” It was almost breath-taking.

When I hear the phrase “dwell on what is lovely” I am reminded of my wife. Solomon in both Proverbs and the Song of Solomon instructs us on the importance of enjoying the “wife of our youth.” In recent days I have heard numerous stories of men who have decided to check out on their marriages because they have lost interest in the wife God has given them. They have allowed their hearts and minds to stray, and the results have been disastrous. Several years ago Jan gave me a picture of her that sits on both of my desks. It is a constant reminder to me of her love for me and my love for her. Throughout the day my eyes see that picture and I am able to captivated by her.

In a world that is trying desperately to capture the minds of men to stray, we need to be reminded to allow our minds to dwell on what is lovely. What are you thinking about today? Are you dwelling on what is lovely? Or have you allowed your mind to wander into places it should not be going? If so – take those thoughts captive.

Great quote: Sin arises when things that are a minor good are pursued as though they were the most important goals in life. If money or affection or power are sought in disproportionate, obsessive ways, then sin occurs. And that sin is magnified when, for these lesser goals, we fail to pursue the highest good and the finest goals. So when we ask ourselves why, in a given situation, we committed a sin, the answer is usually one of two things. Either we wanted to obtain something we didn’t have, or we feared losing something we had. Augustine

THINK ON WHAT IS PURE

“Finally, brethren … think on what is pure …” Philippians 4:18

We continue to dissect this powerful verse that Paul gives us in helping us think on proper things. In the early days of computers, we often heard the phrase GIGO – “Garbage in – garbage out …” That is absolutely true when it comes to our minds. If we feed it garbage, that is what we will dwell on – and then the stench will eventually spill out of our very lives.

Webster has several definitions of pure: free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water; free from foreign or inappropriate elements; free from blemishes; clear and true; clean and spotless, untainted with evil, innocent …”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Paul is trying to teach us in this passage. He wants us to rivet our minds on this that are free from those pollutants that would contaminate our thinking and affect our behavior. The enemy will try his dead level best to take our thoughts and have us dwell on un-pure things. The eye-gate is the entrance into our minds.

One of the dangerous tools in his arsenal is to bombard us with sensual and erotic images that play over and over in our minds. Forget about looking at pornography at the moment – we can be confronted with this was walking down the boardwalk, picking up a newspaper, or just in watching TV. That is why it is so important that we feed our minds with proper things.

In one of the longest chapters of the Bible that focuses on the power of the Word in our lives, the question is asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word … Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:9, 11

David found that meditating on God’s Word was the most effective tool in keeping him from sin. It is indeed effective in helping us guard our minds from thinking un-pure thoughts.

You and I will be bombarded with impure thoughts. We can either fuel them or “take them captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Purpose and make a determination today that you will only dwell on what is PURE! It’s worth it.

Great quote: This quote was powerful this morning: My dear Jesus, my Saviour, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece. – Ignatius Could that be said of you this morning?

Clarence Schrader was retired and seemed quite old when I met him. He and his wife were faithful members of Grace Bible Baptist Church in Flint, MI. He was tall, thin and stately in appearance. His smile warmed everyone who received it, and his clear blue eyes were alive with love for people and Jesus.

Clarence and Jeanette never missed church. If it snowed, they came. If there was ice, they came. If we had tornado warnings, they came. They came Sunday morning. They came Sunday evening. They came Wednesday evening. They came for weekly visitation nights. They never missed.

With that kind of faithfulness to Christ and His church, they always stood out to all of us in the church. I knew more about them since I was on staff at the church, and one other quality made Clarence Schrader stand out even more.

Once in awhile I’d have to fill in as an offering counter on Monday morning. I happened to open the Schrader’s envelope one Monday morning, and I noticed that their offering was in cash (not a check). I also noticed that all the bills were brand new. When I commented on that to the other counter, she told me something I’ll never forget.

Every Friday morning, Clarence Schrader when to his bank. He would write a check for the amount of his offering, cash it at the bank and ask for new bills. Those brand new bills always went in their offering envelope. Our church secretary, the other counter, told me that she asked Mr. Schrader about it one Sunday.

“I want God to have the very best I have to offer Him. He deserves new money, not old, dirty, wrinkled money.” He went on to say that Scripture taught Him that whatever he did, he was to do everything to the glory of God. Giving God the best money he could lay his hands on was just one way to give God glory.

I also remember that I never saw Mr. Schrader in church without a suit and tie. That same mindset about doing everything for the glory of God governed how he dressed for church. “If I’m coming to meet God, then I ought to be dressed my best.” So Mr. Schrader told me one Wednesday evening when he was one of the few men who showed up with a suit and tie.
I don’t give God new money in my offering envelopes. I don’t wear a suit and tie to every church service. Still, I learned the lesson from Mr. Schrader. Everything I do should be the best I can do. God deserves nothing less.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

A FATHER’S LOVE

I loved this story I read this week about a six year old little boy that was trapped in pile of rubble after an earthquake in Turkey. Dr. Gary Smalley writes: ” …[the little boy’s father] knew the location of where his son, Armon’s school class should be, and the man started digging and lifting broken bricks off the spot he thought his child might be. Friends and rescue workers kept trying to persuade Armon’s father to give up the dig. He would always say, “Either join me or leave me alone.” After forty-some hours and bloody hands, the father heard a faint voice. It was Armon, “Daddy is that you?” Then Armon shouted to the other trapped kids, “See, I told you my daddy would find us!”

Sometimes when we feel like we are trapped under the pile of the stuff of life, feeling like there is no hope or way of escape, we need to be reminded that our Daddy in Heaven is right there. He knows where we are every moment of every day. He has a master plan that we might not understand – but we can trust Him completely. Thank Him today for His “Daddy-love” for you!

Great Quote: The only Christianity powerful enough to penetrate and change society is that which is derived from the work of the Spirit of God. – Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones