2 Corinthians 10:15-16 (ESV)

But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you

Spiritual influence is given to those whom God can trust.  The level of trust that God places in us is directly related to the sacrifice we are willing to make.  Paul, writing to the Corinthians in this verse mentioned his desire that his area of influence would grow so that he could preach the gospel in lands beyond them.  This was the same Paul who spent a night in prison with Silas singing praises to God because of their predicament.  Because of their sacrifice and commitment to following the call of God, an earthquake shook the jailhouse, and presented an opportunity for Paul and Silas to tell the warden’s family how they could be saved.  They had great influence because of great sacrifice.

Becoming a FITChurch (healthy in the spiritual sense and the physical sense) expands the area of influence.  Because a sacrifice is being made in the area of exercising, eating, praying, study and service, the expansion of influence for the Kingdom of God will come.  However, as we talked about in yesterday’s theme, the motive behind the Message must always be for the glory of God and not the attention of man.  That concept directly relates to your level of influence as well.

People whose lives have remained on this earth long after their death were those who did extraordinary things in the course of their years on earth.  These people were totally committed to the cause of Christ and willing to lay down their lives as a sacrifice so that other people would have the opportunity to know Him.

• William Booth – Founder, Salvation Army
• Jim Elliot – One of five missionaries who lost their lives in Ecuador
• Charles Spurgeon – pastor of one of the largest churches in London
• Chester Osland – my grandfather who was a pastor, builder, father, grandfather and follower of Christ

These people have come and gone on this earth but their legacy lives on.  What will your legacy speak on your behalf?

Questions to consider:

1. Who has influenced you for the good?  The bad?
2. Have you influenced someone else concerning the cause of Christ?

Challenge for Today:

1. Do a short study on someone you admire or someone you heard of that did a great service for the Kingdom of God.  What are some of the characteristics of their life?

Personal Reflections:

Hey

2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV) – if we are faithless, he will remain faithful…

God’s character can be described in many words but the one word describing God that has stood out to me is faithful.  He’s been faithful to provide life to me every morning, faithful to encourage me in my journey with Him, faithful to respond to my distress and faithful to answer the prayers of my heart for loved ones who need to know Him.

For years, prayers from our family went up for an uncle named Willie.  He lived a good life but specifically chose never to accept lordship of Christ into his life.  Health issues begin to take their toll late in his life and yet, our prayers continued to go up in relation to his eternity.  We never gave up…collectively I mean.  Some of us may have lost hope in our hearts but others were there to infuse faith into the prayers for his soul.

One morning the family rushed to the local hospital as Uncle Willie lay dying.  Actually, he died.  Only temporarily though as the doctors resuscitated him back to a functional heart beat and assisted breathing.  Things still looked grim though, the medical experts said that if he ever woke up; his brain would be dead because of the oxygen lost during his temporary death.

Through it all, God was faithful.  After days of lying in the Intensive Care unit of the hospital, he woke up one day, in clarity but confusion as to where he was.  One of his nieces was present in the room when he awoke.  After the realization that he had almost slipped into eternity without Jesus, Willie opened his life and his heart to Christ and God healed him.  In fact, Willie lived for seven more years after that before going Home.

God’s faithfulness is always constant.

Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) – Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted. 

Someone who knows the way through somewhere is an invaluable resource when traveling through unknown terrain.  Of course, there are those among us, driving lost, who fail to look for someone who just might know the way.  “They” say that men are less apt to stop and ask for directions if their journey takes a twist and causes their “compass sense” to get messed up.  Truth be told, lost-ness affects every one of us when we don’t ask for help when being tempted.

A note about evil temptation, it doesn’t originate with God.  God may test people in an effort to strengthen their character and faith but we are promised that we will never be tempted or tested with more than we can handle.  God doesn’t operate with intention to set people up for failure.

No matter what stage of spiritual growth is present in your life currently, be certain that temptation will never cease to exist.  Don’t let that bit of information depress you or discourage you, realize that because Jesus was tempted and tested with ALL manners of evil, and emerged the undisputed champion over sin, we have someone to tell us and show us how to navigate the treacherous roads of temptation.

When being tempted, that is not the time to try to prove something to God about how strong you are.  That sort of conduct usually is a byproduct of pride and we all know where pride leads.  When tempted, the first response should be for us to fix our inward eyes upon Jesus and pray for His help in the time of our temptation.  The second thing and probably most important thing to do is to listen to His response and then obey the directions that are given.  Just like driving, lost-ness can be avoided if directions are followed.

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – Hebrews 2:1-18 

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• How many times have you successfully defended yourself against temptation on your own?  If you’ve overcome a life-controlling issue, did someone help you?  Have you ever thought that you “would never succumb to something like that”?

Apply:

•  Resisting temptation is most successful with a heart of humility.  When you pray, ask God to show you the areas of pride where you may be tricked into falling for temptation.  Don’t think that your past spiritual resume will keep you from falling…and don’t think that because of your past spiritual resume that you’re too far gone for redemption.  With God all things are possible.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

Daniel 6:10 (NIV) – … Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

A harmful (but effective) tactic that Satan uses to discourage Christians is intimidation.  In a court of law, a judgment can be passed but until the enforcement of that judgment is activated, the judgment is only a compilation of words.  Satan knows that when we decide (make a judgment) to do something, until we act upon it, it is merely a cloud bubble of wishful thinking.  It’s in the moments between thought and action that he uses his weapon of intimidation to deter us from enforcing our judgment.

Daniel had already decided to pray to the Lord three times a day as part of his ongoing relationship with God.  Because of jealous colleagues, a judgment was decreed that no one could pray to anyone but the king for thirty days.  Daniel had a choice of action to make at that moment.  He could choose to continue his relationship with God, or make “adjustments” in order to negotiate a settlement with intimidation.  Courage never negotiates with intimidation.  Ever.  Guess what Daniel did?

Whoever said that courage doesn’t have consequences probably has never acted courageously.  Intimidation can be used twice by the enemy in the “you better not do this or else!” phase 1and in the “now you’ve done it, you just wait” phase 2.  Daniel had to overcome fear twice; once by kneeling and praying, the other by trusting God to deliver him from the consequences of his actions.  The consequences of being thrown into a den of lions for a night gave Daniel the opportunity to courageously trust God for deliverance.   Because of Daniel’s decision to pray, just as he had done before, God’s deliverance influenced a king and a nation to serve Him.  What could your courage do?

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – Daniel 6:1-28 

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• Have you ever “negotiated” with intimidation?  Are there areas in your life right now that you buckle to the threat of intimidation?

Apply:

• In Romans 8:15, we’re told that we have not received a spirit of fear that leads us into bondage.  With that promise and knowledge, if you face something that makes you feel “bound” to act in a certain way, you can be certain that it is not the Spirit of God, but of intimidation and control.  In your prayers today, ask God to give you courage and the Spirit that strengthens you.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

Hello

Job 23:10 (NIV)

– But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.  

At times it takes a deep faith to trust that God really knows what He is doing with our lives.  In reading Job’s story, I get the impression that Job knew something about the character of God that his friends failed to realize.  Even though Job had a grasp on who God is, his life was thrown for a complete loop with the devastation that came upon Job.  Just when he thought he knew something about God, something happened that shook the very foundation of his faith in the Lord.

The response that Job had in this verse was a characterization of his faith in God.  Even though he was in excruciating pain physically, emotionally and mentally, he maintained a perspective that God knew what He was doing…even if Job didn’t have clue.  Deep faith can bring light to the darkest of situations, it can bring clarity to the most confusing of issues.

Job wasn’t the only one in the Bible that had a realization of this type of faith.  Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples said in his writings that our faith was even greater than gold.  Just like gold however, faith needs a refining fire to attach value to it.  Peter saw faith refined in the purest sense when Jesus suffered through a crucifixion that Peter could barely watch.  Peter may have run away and denied Jesus but the value that was attached to his faith after coming through that ordeal was precious indeed.

These stories give hope that no matter where we may be in our walk with God, we can be certain that our Lord is fully capable of taking care of us.  If you’re like Job and have lived a good life or like Peter and feel like you’ve missed the boat in some areas, the wonderful thing about God is that He treats both processes of faith purifying the same.  No matter what our background, our future is secure when placed in the hands of Jesus.

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – the entire book of Job 

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses (take a few days)

Challenge:

• Look back at the challenges you have faced in your life.  How have you responded to difficult situations?  Are there some situations in which you could have had a deeper faith in God?

Apply:

• A deep faith comes by a choice to trust God no matter what happens.  This resolution must come before a catastrophe strikes.  In your notes, write a list of the things that God has done for you and realize that if He can do the small things for you, He can accomplish great things within you.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIV) – May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Paul was writing to a group of people who weren’t sure whether or not they had missed something of God.  Maybe they felt like they missed an opportunity, or the Day of the Lord.  The Day of the Lord would be a pretty big thing to miss.  I imagine that these folks in their sincerity wanted to be sure that they were following the Lord’s commands and operating with the fruit of the Spirit growing in their lives.  Why then, would they have fears of missing something from God?  Perhaps the apostle Paul sensed that the people from Thessalonica didn’t have the solid revelation of God’s love in their hearts.

With the exception of being convicted by the Holy Spirit for sin in our lives, if our hearts possess fear, we do not have the fullness of the love of God in us.  Being directed into the love of God will remove all fear of measuring up, meeting the grade, or feeling like we’re missing something that God may be trying to tell us.  Sometimes, (actually many times) our hearts betray us into thinking that we need to continually gain the approval of God which plays into the addiction of gathering approval from people.  Lost is that chaos is the confidence of simply being in the love of God.

Being filled with the love of God will equip us with confidence to enter into His presence, having boldness to go before the throne of grace.  When fear rules our hearts, we don’t enter the throne room because we feel inadequate, we don’t know what to say, we feel like we should be presenting some sacrifice to make our presence acceptable in the Lord’s company.

My friends, the more we allow God’s love to fill our hearts, the less we’re going to strive to gain approval or be worried about measuring up. There is no fear of missing something when made perfect in love.

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – 2Thessaolonians 3: 1-18  

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• What areas in your life do you seek unhealthy approval from others?  Do you ever feel like you just don’t deserve the love that God has for you?  Write down some areas (be honest with yourself) that you desire approval from others and find yourself questioning God’s love for you.

Apply:

• Read 1 John 4:18 and write down what love replaces.  Ask God to help you understand the revelation of His love for you.  Verbally (out loud) remind yourself that God loves you unconditionally.  Put sticky notes that remind you of God’s love in your house if needed!

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

2 Kings 19:19 (NIV) – Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”   

King Hezekiah of Judah was the author of this prayer for deliverance from his enemy.  This was no ordinary enemy; this was the king of Assyria, a nation that was bent on the annihilation of all nations and their belief systems.  After conquest, the king of Assyria would destroy and burn all forms of worship of that country.  Nations fell and were subject to the ruler-ship of this dictator.

Judah’s king, Hezekiah, faced a challenge.  His resources were outmanned, outnumbered and out-financed and the odds were not in his favor. After an exchange of messages with the king of Assyria that accomplished nothing, Hezekiah decided it was time to have a conference with God who could change everything.  Coming to God and believing that He could make a difference was the key to the survival of Judah against the onslaught of evil.   If Hezekiah had come to God with doubt in his mind of God’s ability or willingness to save the people, I think the story may have gone in favor of the Assyrian king.

In our prayers, we need to carefully consider if we believe what we pray for in the same way that King Hezekiah believed for when he prayed.  There was apparently no doubt of God’s ability in the mind of Hezekiah.  Even though he was facing intimidating circumstances, he knew that God was capable and able to change everything and provide a deliverance that was outside of Hezekiah’s power.

Based on Hezekiah’s example, is there any reason for us not to pray in complete, unwavering and undoubting faith?

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – 2 Kings 18-19  

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• Are there areas in your life that you have stopped praying for?  When you pray about these areas, do you ever think “why bother”?

Apply:

•  Before you pray about your personal needs, consider each request and ask yourself, “How could God be glorified if He answered this prayer?”  Take a close look at what you are praying for and assess who would benefit from the answer.  Would it benefit you or God? You can be certain that if your prayers benefit God, He will most certainly benefit you.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

Galatians 5:22-23(NIV) – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control.

 Cultivating character is impossible without the Holy Spirit providing the power behind the process.  Deep works in character are accomplished by a deep work of God in the life of a believer.

Like soil, the human heart harbors many seeds.  In farming, some seeds have been known to remain dormant for years before sprouting and characterizing their type.  Other seeds sprout soon after hitting the soil and need to either cultivated out or nurtured.  Any farmer will tell you that trying to remove weeds from a field is a process that needs attention, hard work and tenacity.  An entire crop that is intentionally planted by a farmer can be severely affected if weeds are allowed to grow alongside the produce.  If weed-like desires are allowed to grow in the heart of a person, the fruit of the Spirit may not be exhibited in the way that Christ intends for it to be.

To be open to the work of the Holy Spirit, one must be willing to relinquish control of their reactions in exchange for keeping step with the Holy Spirit.  Being in stride with the work of the Holy Spirit is directly related to the level of obedience that a person exhibits towards the work of God.  While willpower can change some bad habits, when it comes to the inner nature that a person is born with, only Christ can make the difference between a life driven by sinful desires and a life that produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – Galatians 5:1-26 

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• Do you have bad habits that continually trip you up?  Have you tried to “stop” doing them but keep losing the battle?

Apply:

• Instead of focusing on the fruit of your actions (the result), begin asking God to help you focus on the root (the source). God will show you areas in your life that you need to submit and turn over to Him.  Allow the Holy Spirit to heal, restore and reconstruct areas that have been ineffective.  Write down the changes in your actions as a testimony of God’s power.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

Colossians 3:12 (NIV) –   Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

What am I going to wear today?  Am I dressed for success or for my own comfort?  Good business etiquette requires that you dress for comfort…of your audience.  A business person understands that in order to communicate a message that will be received, they first must eliminate obstacles put up by their listener.  Since we’ve been trained to judge by appearances and by image, there is a built in difficulty to hear a message if the image doesn’t match our expectations.

The same is true where our spiritual image is concerned.  What we dress for, or put on our lives is the outfit that gives our words credibility.  Being clothed with compassion as the apostle Paul states above is the key for the accessories of kindness, humility, gentleness and patience to be noticed.  What’s more, when clothed with compassion, these accessories shine and accommodate the wearer just as much as the receiver of these traits.

Every day upon waking, these articles of clothing must be fastened with care and deliberation.  Facing the mundane, familiar people or troubled acquaintances require that careful thought be placed into the daily wardrobe.  Going on a benevolence mission usually doesn’t require the daily deliberation of putting on compassion.  A mission is something that you do to help people!  It’s easy to put on compassion for something different or something that doesn’t require a lengthy commitment from you.  Daily compassion though, is much more difficult to “get up for”.

The wonderful thing about putting on compassion is that over time, that article of clothing no longer becomes something that you simply put on, it becomes something that is part of you. 

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – Colossians 3:1-25

Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• Do you find yourself short of patience with people that you see often?  How is your compassion level rate towards your boss or certain family members?

Apply:

• Begin to wake up each morning and pray for those people that you spend a lot of time with.  Ask God to bless their lives and direct their steps.  For those people that bug you, pray for them too.  Don’t ask God to “change” them, ask God to bless them and you will find a change that happens in you.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)

Joshua 14: 11(NLT) –  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 

 Caleb was a man who had to live through the consequences of 40 years of other people’s mistakes.  If anyone had an ax to grind and justification to give up because he was old, it was Caleb.

Forty years prior to this moment in time, Caleb stood on the same ground speaking to a different group of people in an attempt to persuade that group of people to enter a land that had been promised to them by Jehovah God.  The same God that brought them out of Egypt, provided food and water, and miraculously sustained the clothing on their backs, was the same God that was giving this people group an opportunity to possess an incredible promise.  Unfortunately, this group of people lacked the one thing needed; courage.

Caleb could have given up long before this verse, in fact, he could have simply allowed the disappointment of his circumstances and his physical age dictate his perspective.  I believe that Caleb held on to his courage because he still believed in the promise that God had given to His people forty years prior.  Caleb’s courage didn’t come from an inner manufacturing within himself only, that courage was fueled by a constant trust in the promise of God that whatever God said, He would do.

Our personal courage can be difficult to sustain if we only have our own personal resources to fuel that courage.  If our courage is fueled on a deeply held trust in the abilities of God, it won’t matter how old, how young, how qualified or how lacking we find ourselves to be.  Believing in the ability of God to overcome our obstacles will give us the strength to walk in courage no matter how old we become before the promises of God take effect.  Believe in what God has told you with the same fervency now as when he told you then.

Reflections

Context of scripture verse – Joshua 14:5-15

­­Consider:

• Read the context of the verses

Challenge:

• Is there something in your life that you’ve been praying and believing for that seems slow in happening?

Apply:

• Begin releasing God of your “time” expectations.  Your prayers may be affected by your unreasonable expectation of when God should do something and how God should do something.  Remember Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:11 about being content. Ask God to help you live in such a way so that you can live your life fully in the present moment.   Watch God begin to exceed your expectations.

Note to Self: (reflections, challenges, reminders)