Which Plan Are You Following? (Part 2)
John 10 is filled with the words of Jesus as He describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. He says that His sheep know Him and can recognize His voice. The sheep follow Him and they will never perish. It is a beautiful depiction of the kind of relationship we have with Jesus as His followers. After describing Himself as the gate for the sheep where He only allows the sheep to enter, He strategically puts in verse 10. We started to look at this verse last week. I want to continue to saturate on the meaning of this verse.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.
According to Jesus, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy everything good in our life. He wants to destroy our family, our job, our joy, our health, our finances, our marriage, our kids, and so on. He just wants to ruin anything he can.
The word “thief” comes from the Greek word klepto, which means to steal. It describes someone who is so good at what he does that you don’t realize that he has done it. It depicts a pickpocket who can slip their hand in your pocket, take what they want, and be long gone before you discover they were even there.
Jesus uses this word to let us know how cunning the devil really is. He knows that if he does it in plain sight that he will be recognized for who he is. His plans are always deceptive and his goal is always evil. He injects thoughts into a person’s mind to steal his peace, his joy, and even his beliefs. He steals everything he is not capable of receiving or giving himself. His name is where we get the word kleptomaniac. It describes a person with a persistent, neurotic impulse to steal. It is the very nature of the devil and he is only living up to his nature.
Not only does the thief come to steal but he comes to kill. At first glance, you would think that it means to physically take someone’s life. The Greek word for kill is thuo which means sacrifice. To take it further, it could mean to sacrifice, to surrender, or even to give something up that is dear to your heart. Jesus is saying that if the thief hasn’t already walked away with everything we hold close to our heart, he will try to convince us that we need to sacrifice or give up everything he wasn’t able to take from us.
The devil can’t stand the fact that you possess something he can never have. So if he can’t steal it from you, he will try to convince you to give it up on your own. He may even try to create stressful situations that cause you to conclude that your only solution is to sacrifice some things that are for you.
Finally, the devil wants to destroy, which carries the idea of something that is ruined, wasted, or trashed. So, if the thief is unsuccessful in his attempts to steal from you or convince you to sacrifice what you hold dear, he will then try to ruin it!
So the enemy is trying to totally obliterate you and he will not stop until he does. But don’t lose hope, Jesus has won the war. Commit the battles you face to Him and He will put the devil in his place. Don’t lose heart. Trust in God and spend time saturating in His Word so you can be more alert in the spiritual realm. God is more than able to defeat the devil’s schemes in your life.
This Sunday we will be finishing up our series in Daniel by answering the question, “Are we in the last days?” Come and worship the Lord and bring someone with you the Lord lays on your heart.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
Which Plan Are You Following?
John 10 is filled with the words of Jesus as He describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. He says that His sheep know Him and can recognize His voice. The sheep follow Him and they will never perish. It is a beautiful depiction of the kind of relationship we have with Jesus as His followers. After describing Himself as the gate for the sheep where He only allows the sheep to enter, He strategically puts in verse 10. That is what I want to focus on for the next few weeks.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.
This is a familiar verse that is quoted by many. But does everyone completely understand it? What I see is that God has a plan for each of us to be completely in sync with His purpose for our lives. The enemy of our souls, referred to as a thief, has another plan he wants to unfold to us. The thief does not reveal the price that is paid when we choose his plan. Jesus exposes the true nature of the thief. When following the plans of the world we experience fatigue, hopelessness, fruitlessness, depression, and the list goes on and on. The price we have to pay for temporary fulfillment has lingering results that last a lifetime.
Some translations say, “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” How do you gauge an “abundant life”? Do you measure abundance in terms of spirituality, finances, health, relationships, or your place of employment? How many of these areas do you think Jesus was referring to when He spoke of living life “more abundantly”?
I would have to say that God will never invest in things that can be destroyed by moth or rust. If your list of abundance includes material things, then I think you have the wrong list. As a matter of fact, the thief has done a work in your life if those things have made it on your list. We will look at that aspect next week.
The phrase, “that they may have” are from the Greek tense that means, “To have and to continually possess.” The word for “life” is the Greek word, “zoe.” It suggests a life that is filled with vitality. The word “abundantly” is from the Greek word, “periossos,” and it means to be above, beyond what is regular, to be exceeding. So it literally means super-abundance. Jesus is saying that He wants to give you life as we have never known it.
Here is what Jesus is saying when He says that He wants to give you life more abundantly. “I have come that they might have, keep, and constantly retain a vitality, gusto, vigor, and zest for living that springs up from deep down inside. I came that they might embrace this matchless, incomparable, overflowing life to the greatest extent possible.” Can you feel the energy for living? It’s available for each one of us. Are you experience life more abundantly? If not, maybe the enemy of our soul has stolen that away from you without being detected. Our mundane life may be a direct result of being deceived. By exposing the three ways in which the enemy gets us to follow his plan, we will be able to take back lost ground and live the abundant life God plans for us. More to come next week.
Tonight is the last night of revival with Stephen Manley. Come for supper at 5:45 p.m.and plan to stay for the service at 6:30. Amy Ambrose will be here to minister to our children in the Power Plant. She is an energetic children’s pastor with many years of successful ministry. Preschool age children will also enjoy a special time during our revival service in their room next to the stage in the FLC. Bring the whole family and let God pour this abundance in each one as we seek Him with all our heart.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
Unwritten Rules
Everyone knows that in golf there are some unwritten rules that people abide by. They may not be legal, but it is all done in fun none the less. Now, if you play by these rules and brag about how low your score is, then it is not so fun.
One of those unwritten rules is called a mulligan. A mulligan is when you miss-hit your first ball on the first tee and you get to do it over. Now there are some who take a mulligan randomly throughout the golf course. It is not a proper golf rule to begin with so how can we be so critical? My question is, “Where and when did the Mulligan begin in golf?” Well, that depends.
The USGA, with supportive research by GriffGolf.com, found the Mulligan became rooted in the game’s lexicon sometime between the late 1920s and mid-1930s. During that period, Canadian-born amateur David Bernard Mulligan had established himself as a prominent member of clubs that included Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
In the late 1920s, Mulligan had a regular club foursome, and once on the first tee, the story goes, his partners allowed him to hit a second ball after miss-hitting his drive. Mulligan complained that his hands were still numb after driving rough roads and a bumpy bridge.
Mulligan joined Winged Foot Golf Club sometime between 1932 and 1933. A generation later, in July 1985, journalist Don Mackintosh interviewed Mulligan for a column, “Around the Sport Circuit.” Mulligan said: “I was so provoked with myself that, on impulse, I stooped over and put down another ball. The other three looked at me with considerable puzzlement, and one of them asked, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘I’m taking a correction shot,’ I replied.”
His playing partner asked what he called that. “Thinking fast, I told him that I called it a ‘Mulligan.’ They laughed and let me play a second ball. After the match, which Mulligan and Spindler won by one point, there was considerable discussion in the clubhouse about that free shot.
“It all worked out amicably enough, but after that it became an unwritten rule in our foursome that you could take an extra shot on the first tee if you weren’t satisfied with your original. Naturally, this was always referred to as ‘taking a Mulligan.’ From that beginning, I guess the practice spread, and the name with it.”
We won’t mention the several other things you can do to get a better score. I personally know of several people who have lots of tricks up their sleeve. I learned from the best and you know who you are… It’s all in fun though. We all know we are not professional golfers in my circle of friends.
The problem comes in when we transfer that to our walk with Jesus. How do you deal with mulligan Christianity? Our God is the God of second chances. That is called grace. But to play a mulligan with everything we do is another story.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” Matthew 5:13.
Putting in play a new set of rules to govern your walk with Christ is not the way to hunger and thirst after the Lord. Lowering the bar doesn’t do anyone any good. Let me encourage you to do whatever it takes to draw closer to God. You can be as full as you want to be. Some of you just need to get your “want to” in line with our Heavenly Father. To have a preferred future, you have to put some good habits in place in the present.
Beginning this Sunday, we will be hosting Stephen Manley as our revival speaker. Revival services run through Wednesday. Supper is being planned at 5:45 Monday through Wednesday to make it easier for you to come. Children’s ministry will be available on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.Monday and Tuesday, ages four-year-old through sixth grade are in the “big service.” I have many childhood memories of being in the “big service.” Children hear more than you think they do.
Make a choice today to be a part of the revival together. The specifics will be in the bulletin on Sunday. You and your whole family will benefit from this opportunity to grow together.
Now, go to Matthew 13:1-23, read the Parable of the Sower and make that your prayer as we lead up to revival this Sunday. Let’s pray for fertile ground so we can understand the Word of God, apply it, and put it into practice. I am looking forward to growing with you.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
God is Great, God is Good
I have been pondering lately about the season changes. The leaves will soon begin to turn, the days are already getting shorter, the leaves will fall only to be picked up and disposed of. What a beautiful time of the year. There is another season upon us – the political season. That is not so nice. “He said, she said,” is flying from the left and right. The national debates are mudslinging, political jargon that makes a lot of people just turn it off. After the vice presidential debate last night, they talked with undecided, Ohio voters. They asked if the debate changed their mind. The majority of them were still indecisive. I thought it was revealing of our culture when one said, “I was with a certain candidate until they started talking about their faith. Then that made me mad.” What? It’s only when we bring our faith or God into the mix that we are able to see the issues for what they are.
I like what the Reverend Sammy Rodriguez says, “Our hope is not in the donkey or in the elephant, but in the Lamb.” We need to look at our candidate choices through the lens of biblical authority. In order to Make America Great Again, we need to recognize that God is the only one who can do that. Jim Garlow, pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church, says, “I frequently hear people object, ‘But I don’t want to vote for the lesser of two evils.’ Well, until Jesus runs for office, all candidates are flawed, sin impacted, less-than-perfect human beings. The fact is in every political race, you are, in effect, choosing from the lesser of two evils.” So the fact remains, our hope does not abide in political parties. My hope is in God and His truths. We need to ask the God of wisdom to give us the mind of Christ and give us the ability to influence governmental integrity in our nation.
We have been looking at Daniel on Sunday. This past Sunday Daniel interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 4. He said, “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven (in other words, go insane). Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue” Daniel 4:25-27.
There you have it, when you recognize the Lord and live according to His Word, then prosperity, the peace of the soul and of a nation, will return. That is my desire and it is the desire of all those who seek the Name of the Lord.
So, based on sound biblical wisdom, what candidate will reflect God more? Because you see, only God is Great and God is Good. We learned that at an early age before we ate of the food that His hand provided. If you have to, turn off the TV channel and turn on the channel of blessing by consulting the only One who sees all and knows all – the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
I am looking forward to a few things in the days ahead. I am excited to go with several people from our church to Columbus for a prayer rally with Franklin Graham. I am excited for Sunday as we continue in our series on the Book of Daniel. Now for more political commercials and advertisements – not so much!
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
