Are you SATISFIED with the DIRECTION of your LIFE?

On my personal Facebook Page I took an online poll asking this question: Are you satisfied with the direction of your life? Here are the results of that poll:

Yes - 33

No - 2

Somewhat - 19

40% of the people said that they were not fully satisfied with the direction of their life at this time; (they answered somewhat or no). Throughout the course of one's lifetime there are times when one is prone to not feel satisfied with the direction of their life. Classic life stages of this is when one is single (before marriage), mid-life crisis, empty nest, or at the twilight of one's life.

A lack of satisfaction in one's life stems from unmet expectations. For example, a person is not satisfied with life direction because they had expectations of getting married and having children at a certain time or they thought that they would be further along in their career, etc. Life satisfaction and our personal expectations go hand in hand.

In order to be more satisfied with the direction of your like make sure you have realistic expectations for yourself. The bigger the dream the longer and harder it will take for you to get there. Don't be so hard on yourself.

True satisfaction lies in realizing God's perfect plan for your life and submitting yourself to His desires. The longer and harder we fight God's will for our life the more unsatisfied we will be. Don't believe me; just ask Jonah.

My prayer for you today is that you will reflect on your personal expectations and life desires and submit them to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Then and only then will you be truly satisfied with the direction of your life.  

A Christian's Response to Turbulent Cultural Changes!

Let's face it. Our world is changing. Issues and platforms that were unheard of only a few years ago have come into prominence. Discussion on the church's view on the LGBT movement, female clergy, social and political issues, and abortion continue to make waves.

 

We live in a post-modern society where traditional Christian values are no longer being held as the standard and the norm. This is just the fact of the matter.

 

How should a Christian respond in times like these?

 

1. Stop acting surprised. Seriously, you can't say that you didn't see these issues coming. Christians should be anything but sheltered. It's the emotion of surprise and shock that the unregenerate world sees and translates upon Christians as being sheltered and bigoted. Christians need to do their homework and research by being around people and understanding what the cultural influences are in the world.

 

2. Stop posting your negative thoughts regarding contrary issues on social media. Christians should be known more for what we stand for than what we stand against. Posting and commenting negatively concerning contrary issues on social media only solidifies in people's minds that Christians are narrow minded. Think twice before sharing something.

 

3. Proactively build bridges. The battle to change people is never won in their minds it's won in their hearts. If someone has a different view than take the time to get to know them and why they have that view. If everyone is created in the image of God than that person has significance and value. I hope people see me as a person of deep unwavering conviction who still cares about people, even if we don't agree on every issue.

 

4. Focus on community. People will be attracted to Christianity only if it is modeled in such a way that fosters true camaraderie and depth of relationship. Everyone is looking for community. If people get the sense that Christianity is artificial relationally than our words will ring hollow.

 

5. Pray. Nothing changes unless God moves in a person's and societies heart. Take solace in the fact that He is in control and has a plan. He is faithful when everyone is faithless.

 

What are your thoughts & comments? Agree?

 

What Standards Should A Christian Use In Voting?

This post will most likely surprise you. You have been forwarned.

 

I may be splitting hairs, but I believe that there is a difference concerning how Christians should think when it comes to voting for someone to be their pastor and in voting for someone to be our president. When you juxtapose both offices there are some clear contrasts.

 

 The Bible is clear on the standards we should hold when it comes to people who are pastors/elders.

 

1 Timothy 3:1- 7

"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap."

 

On the contrary, Christians are called to submit and follow the government that is placed upon us. The only time to disobey is if the government is mandating that we do things contrary to God's law. There are no particular standards that are mentioned in electing government officials. Our job is to simply obey and let the gospel shine through us by following a higher calling.

 

Romans 13:1-2

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

 

Rationally there are some people who would make a great pastor but who would be a lousy politician or president and vice a versa. The type of office is different and needs a slightly different standard of evaluation.

 

Here are my THREE criteria for who I vote for:

 

1. Character - Is the candidate a person of trust and values? Are they moral? Remember though, this person is not running for the office of pastor. They may have some variances concerning different thoughts and stances on certain issues than you. That's ok. The main question we should be concerning with is who they are as a person and what they stand for.

 

2. Leadership Ability & Acumen  - Is the candidate a person that can move the country in the right direction? Do they have what it takes to move forward, even when they are opposed or are in the minority? Leaders are hard to find. Courage is rarer still.

 

3. Knowledge -  Does the person have the amount of knowledge to succeed or have they put a good enough advisory team in place to cover for their weaknesses? Information is power. A person's experiences are crucial. Have they shown a good track record of learning from both past mistakes and their successes?

 

What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree?

 

Why Jesus Chose FISHERMEN not GOLFERS!?!

It's a fact, Jesus' disciples were fishermen not golfers. You may argue that golf was not invented during the days of Jesus and you would be correct. Nonetheless, Jesus chose fishermen not farmers, politicians, gladiators, businessmen, or sports heroes'.

 

Here's a list of why Jesus chose fishermen and what we can learn from it

 

1. Fishermen love to fish. In fact, the saying goes that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. As Christians we should love to tell people about the gospel. We should love Jesus and love to tell others about Jesus.

 

2. Fishermen by nature are adventurous. Trust me, I've went all kinds of places and tried all kinds of tactics to catch the "big one." Jesus calls His disciples to a life of faith and trust in Him. When we trust God He will lead us to places we never thought we'd go. Life with Jesus is an adventure.

 

3. Fishing is an art. The more you fish the better you get at it and the more you learn. Sharing our faith with others is an art. The more we share the better intuition we get at knowing where people are at with God.

 

4. Fishermen know where to fish. It won't take long or many fishing trips to know if a lake is full of fish. Fishermen go where the fish are biting and where the fish are. Fishermen know where to find the fish too whether it be on the shore, on the breaks, or in the deep. Every Christian needs a fishing hole where they can make connections with unbelievers.

 

5. Fishermen are simple people. Fishermen don't like drama. That's why they fish so they can get away and enjoy some time on the water. There is no time to get misguided or to get swayed by drama when it comes to reaching lost people. The focus is simple: catch fish and enjoy time with others.

 

6. Fishermen are not afraid to get dirty. You will have to put worms on hooks and will fetch all kinds of unwanted objects on your line. Fish are slimy and wet. If you want to reach people you must not be afraid to get down into the junk and baggage of people's lives.

 

7. Fishing can be unpredictable. Some of my worst casts have landed me the biggest fish. The only time you can guarantee not catching fish is when your line is not in the water. Our job is to share truth with others. You never know exactly when you are going to get a bite or when someone is interested in learning more about God.

 

8. Fishing can be done alone or with others. There are times when fishing alone is desirable as it allows you to refresh and get away. There are times when fishing with someone else is profitable as it gives you time to build relationships. One of the best places to build relationships is on the water as the person can not go anywhere else!

 

9. Fishing connects your heart to the Creator. Being in nature allows people's hearts to be stirred toward reflective thoughts of purpose. You can't be fishing for people and sharing truth without getting closer to God himself.

 

10. Fishermen know how to celebrate. Talk with a fishermen and ask him to share about a big fish that he caught. I can guarantee that his eyes will light up a bit at the minimum. When people receive Jesus it will help us to learn how to celebrate changed lives!

 

Any other reasons why God chose fishermen over any other occupation!?!? There are more I'm sure!



 

Was God SURPRISED at the upsets during March Madness?

The game was over. Texas A&M was going to lose to UNI as they were down by more than 10 points with around 30 seconds left. I kissed my wife goodnight and headed to bed. Shortly afterward, as I was literally crawling into bed I checked my phone one last time and I received a text from her. Game is almost tied, you might want to come back out. Texas A&M did the unthinkable by tying the game in dramatic fashion and winning the game in double overtime. It was beyond improbable. I was shocked, stunned, and surprised by the outcome.

 

Here's the question though: was God shocked or surprised by the ending of the game? Did God see THIS coming?

 

Our God is an omniscient God. Simply put, He knows everything. He even knows when things are going to occur way before they truly happen.

 

Psalm 139:1-4

 

¹ You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.



 

God cannot be surprised as He is not bound by time. He created time. Since time is linear and God sits above time He can see and know the future. In fact, we know that God knows the future through the book of Revelation. Justice will prevail and our God will be triumphant. The forces of Satan and evil will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity!

 

When something that is near impossible happens we can take solace knowing that Jesus knew it would happen. We can use it to build our faith as we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God.

 

Are you surprised by my statements? Agree or disagree?

 

Who I Am Voting For this Fall..........

I am voting for __________________ this Fall.

 

You didn't SERIOUSLY think that I was going to fall into the trap of espousing political endorsements through my blog, did you?

 

While it is good and beneficial to know your political beliefs and views my goal in this blog post is to help you understand that NO candidate will truly provide long lasting hope.

 

Hope only rests in Jesus. My hope is built solely upon Christ. Don't get me wrong I will respect whoever our future President will be, but they can't solve all of our nations problems. Trust me.

 

"The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases."

(Proverbs 21:1).

 

Instead of complaining about who the candidates are why not try and search the mind of God as He continues to set the stage for His Son's return. We know that regardless of the outcome whoever God wants to be in office, will be in office.

 

What I am saying does not give us a license to not vote as we cavalierly say we trust God with the results. That is fool hardy. My point is that we should not get anxious or worry as God will bring all things together for the nation's good! Agree?

 

Can A Person Go To Heaven If They Commit Suicide?

As a pastor I get asked this question fairly frequently. There are differing viewpoints and uncertainty abounds as to exactly what specific religious groups believe.  

 

Before answering this question in it's entirety when someone commits suicide PLEASE:

 

Do not pass judgment. The family members are not looking for a treatise on what you believe theologically. Simply, give them a hug. Be a presence of compassion and mercy. Do this above all else when tragedy happens.

 

The question still remains: can someone go to heaven if they commit suicide?

 

The answer: Yes!

 

On the contrary, some believe that certain sins are so grievous that they cannot be forgiven. Suicide is seen as not only selfish, but the person who commits suicide has the inability to repent because they have taken their own life.  It is argued that even Jesus shares that their is a sin that cannot be forgiven (Matthew 12:30-32).

 

To answer this question one must fully look closer at the context of Matthew 12. Jesus, God incarnate, had come to earth and the religious leaders of that day credited his miracles from coming from Satan. Jesus is stating to them that they can be no further from the truth than in seeing God himself and crediting the works of God to Satan. The unforgivable sin that Jesus is talking about is one of blatant rejection from the religious leaders in seeing Jesus firsthand. The unforgiveable sin is ONLY relegated to the religious leaders of that day and era.

 

Is any sin too grievous to be forgiven today? The answer is NO! God's Word is explicit that those in Jesus have their sins forgiven both in the past, present, and FUTURE! There's nothing we can do once a child of God to lose the forgiveness of sins. Here are some Scriptures that point to this:

 

Psalm 103:12 "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Our sins can never be reattached to us once they are covered in the blood of Jesus!

 

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Once you are in Christ you will never have to worry about condemnation or separation from Christ!

 

John 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."

Once saved we are permanently God's!

 

The issue for people, regardless of committing suicide or not, is did they accept Jesus as Savior before they died? That is the ultimate question.

 

There are many different reasons people commit suicide. Some have physiological and psychological issues that impair their judgment. Others are in severe pain. Still others have unthinkable decisions to make like burning to death or ending their life quickly by jumping from the Twin Towers on 9/11 for example. 

 

My point is that instead of passing judgment on people for the reasons they commit suicide allow God, the perfect Judge, to sort all of that out!

 

Our job is to be ministers of light to hurting people and to preach truth and hope to those who are alive. It always comes back to whether or not people know Jesus before they die. Do you know Jesus?