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Feb
8
Below is an answer to a last minute question which was submitted by text at
our Sunday Service on Feb. 7, 2010. Not all of the text came through, but I think I understand the gist of the question.
The question was about loving our children for who they are, not who we wish they were.
Feb
5
The life of faith has been made to be a bit confusing at times. The Church, Christians, and the general public sometime assign strange parameters and guidelines about what having “faith” looks like. 
I think that the idea of “never quitting” is one of those strange guidelines and benchmarks. We begin something in faith, and believe that in order to stay faithful to God, we must never quit said endeavor.
Another unbiblical sentiment is that of us wanting to know that we were right about the whatever venture of faith we took. We set out to do something in faith, and if we quit, we feel like we have failed, and that others will believe that we failed, and that we “didn’t hear God” to begin with.
Certainly there are times when quitting is not the best option. We can indeed initiate steps of faith towards a project, and then meet with difficulties, and want to quit. There is opposition, loneliness, or things don’t turn out the way we had hoped. Sometimes we ought not quit, but push forward in faith regarding what we believe God wants us to do.
However, I do believe that at other times, we ought to quit in faith. We attempt something in faith, that effort brings mixed results, but after a time, through prayer and the inner witness of the Spirit, we feel released from that effort.
We start in faith, and we quit in faith. I don’t believe that to be a sign of weakness or immaturity. To the contrary, I believe that “quitting in faith” is sometimes a great sign of maturity.
Consider the story of Abraham, who was called upon by God to offer his son.
Jan
28
This is an excerpt from The Bible Exposition Commentary. It is from the comments on 1 Peter 3:16, 17.
Our word “conscience” comes from two Latin words: con, meaning “with,” and scio, meaning “to know.” The conscience is that internal judge that witnesses to us, that enables us to “know with,” either approving our actions or accusing (see Rom. 2:14–15). Conscience may be compared to a window that lets in the light of God’s truth. If we persist in disobeying, the window gets dirtier and dirtier, until the light cannot enter. This leads to a “defiled conscience” (Titus 1:15). A “seared conscience” is one that has been so sinned against that it no longer is sensitive to what is right and wrong (1 Tim. 4:2). It is even possible for the conscience to be so poisoned that it approves things that are bad and accuses when the person does good! This the Bible calls “an evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22). A criminal feels guilty if he “squeals” on his friends, but happy if he succeeds in his crime!
Conscience depends on knowledge, the “light” coming through the window. As a believer studies the Word, he better understands the will of God, and his conscience becomes more sensitive to right and wrong. A “good conscience” is one that accuses when we think or do wrong and approves when we do right. It takes “exercise” to keep the conscience strong and pure (Acts 24:16). If we do not grow in spiritual knowledge and obedience, we have a “weak conscience” that is upset very easily by trifles (1 Cor. 8).
How does a good conscience help a believer in times of trial and opposition? For one thing, it fortifies him with courage because he knows he is right with God and men, so that he need not be afraid. Inscribed on Martin Luther’s monument at Worms, Germany are his courageous words spoken before the church council on April 18, 1521: “Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” His conscience, bound to God’s Word, gave him the courage to defy the whole established church!
A good conscience also gives us peace in our hearts; and when we have peace within, we can face battles without. The restlessness of an uneasy conscience divides the heart and drains the strength of a person, so that he is unable to function at his best. How can we boldly witness for Christ if conscience is witnessing against us?
A good conscience removes from us the fear of what other people may know about us, say against us, or do to us. When Christ is Lord and we fear only God, we need not fear the threats, opinions, or actions of our enemies. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Ps. 118:6) It was in this matter that Peter failed when he feared the enemy and denied the Lord.
Peter made it clear that conscience alone is not the test of what is right or wrong. A person can be involved in either “welldoing” or “evildoing.” For a person to disobey God’s Word and claim it is right simply because his conscience does not convict him, is to admit that something is radically wrong with his conscience. Conscience is a safe guide only when the Word of God is the teacher.
Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. 1 Pe 3:16
Jan
9
I have been a Christian who has allowed my heart to become hard against God. I have known the results. They were not good, I was not blessed, and life was much harder.
I have known the joys of having a surrendered heart. Life was not perfect, but it was better. There was joy in sorrow, hope in trials, and a deep sense of purpose and direction, even when I was unsure of where I was going. That might sound contradictory, but many know that it is not.
The people of God who lived during Jeremiah’s time were “doing the Christian thing”. Of course, it wasn’t Christianity yet, for Christ had not yet been born, but that would be our current day metaphor. They were doing their “religious worship thing” with God, but it wasn’t rewarding, because their hearts were not sincere.
God spoke to them through Jeremiah in terms they understood: farming.
Jeremiah 4:3 Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.
Dec
24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiVNASlIFOQ&feature=youtube_gdata
Dec
14
God is good, all the time. Part of His goodness is His willingness to disrupt our plans to sin, block the paths of our efforts towards unholiness, and cause us to have a wake up call and to realize that we are foolish to turn to anyone but Him.
God spoke through Hosea and said about His people:
Hosea 2:6, 7 “ Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way
with thorns, And wall her in, So that she cannot find her paths. 7 She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘ I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’
Pastor David Guzik comments…
I will hedge up your way with thorns: To bring Israel to repentance, God promised to set a hedge of thorns on the sides of her path, so that it would hurt whenever Israel went off the correct path, and so the wrong paths would be hard to find.
When God hedges our way with thorns, we usually don’t like it. We sometimes think God is against us when the thorns hurt and we can’t find the wrong paths. But it is really one of the sweetest expressions of God’s love to hedge up your way with thorns and to wall us in.
I will go and return to my first husband: When God allows the passing pleasures of sin to pass, we often then see how good it was to follow the LORD. In a marriage sometimes the grass can seem greener even with the best spouse; in our walk with the LORD our idols seem attractive until God exposes them. Then we are ready to return to our first husband, the LORD.
NOTE- Pastor David’s commentaries can be found at http://enduringword.com/
Dec
3
I am going to put on my over sized language shoes, and I hope not to step on any toes as I try to make a point. By the way, I’m not wearing steel tipped boots, just over sized Ugg Boots.
Speaking of Ugg boots, don’t you think they are awesome? Oh, and our new family pet pit bull, April, she is awesome too. And April and I have been taking hikes in the hills lately, and they are awesome. And then after our walks, we come home and I have coffee flavored ice cream, which tastes awesome. And then I thank God for all my blessings, because He is, uh…awesome.
It’s not life or death. It’s not a salvation issue. I may be the only one that I know of who notices it, but…aren’t we dumbing down the English language a bit? Are there any words left in the church that can be reserved for God alone?
Dec
1
Prayer is soul work. For me, more-so than studying, teaching, preaching, serving, or counseling. It competes with my flesh like nothing else, and yet, when I pray, there is a special blessing that comes which is experienced in no other realm of life.
Christians need to be motivated to pray. Let me share an idea with you.
There is reward in prayer.
In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus taught about fasting and praying.
16“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Nov
20
From what I have seen, a great need among us humans is the need to be accepted. Translate that loved, valued, understood, noticed, heard, appreciated, etc. For now, let’s use the word accepted.
For many years of my life, I struggled desperately with wanting to be accepted. I wanted to be able to accept myself, and I wanted others to accept me. I was extremely unhappy with myself, and quite self condemning. It was crippling, it held me back, and at times, it felt consuming. I suppose that I am still predisposed to this sentiment, though God has done an incredible work in me.
I have noticed from my life, and from the lives of others, that the person who is desperate to be accepted will do “whatever it takes” to be accepted. They will commit crimes, they will give themselves away to others in damaging relationships, they will demean others in order to gain approval, they will anesthetize themselves; the list goes on. Some will even demand that you accept them no matter what they do, and will continue to push the boundaries to make you prove that you accept them. Read more »
Nov
8
I’ll be attending a conference in Oaxaca, Mexico. I’ll be leading Children’s worship, doing some teaching, some worship leading for American teams, and perhaps some devotional teaching. I appreciate your prayers.
Check this web site thoroughly. These people seem to be doing a great work. I’ll post photoes this week, Lord willing.http://www.growersfirst.org/news-and-resources/communications/9th-annual-leadership-conference/
I’ll be back in the office on Tuesday, November 17.
Love and blessings…Bill