A Determined Cry Of Faith

Mark 10:46-52 records an encounter that Jesus had with a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus. I believe Bartimaeus, in his hopeless condition, is representative of a lot of people today who are blind spiritually, living hopeless lives, and feeling useless and of no value.  Although none of that is true, that is exactly what the devil wants people to think and it is the lie he has put in many people today!  I want to share with you four lessons about faith that we can learn from Bartimaeus.

1.  OPPORTUNITY

Wherever Jesus went there were large crowds and many opportunities for him to heal and deliver those who had no hope in their lives.  When he came into Jericho "revival" was breaking out over God's Spirit.  Revival always provides for opportunity to be healed and to heal!  If you feel as though you are in the same hopeless condition as Bartimaeus, then grab the opportunity to cry out to Jesus and receive your need met.

the town and there was a great outpouring of

2.  THE CRY OF FAITH

No one prompted Bartimaeus to cry out to Jesus.  I believe he was tired of living in his condition and he knew that Christ was his only hope.  Bartimaeus made a confession of faith when he declared, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"  He knew who Jesus was and what he could do.  If you are in a hopeless situation, cry out to God with your confession of faith.  Recognize who Jesus is and what he can do for you.

3.  DETERMINATION

Even though Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was and what He could do, he met opposition from the crowd.  Many who were there rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but Bartimaeus' response was to "shout all the more."  Bartimaeus had determination.  When we are struggling with life, we must have a spirit of "determination."  Never give up!  Press on!  Ignore your detractors and just cry out to God.  He is the source of delivery for whatever it is that you are going through.  Be determined!

4.  THE ANSWER

Because of Bartimaeus' determination, he received the answer he was seeking.  Although the crowd tried to quiet him, Jesus "called for him" and asked him what he wanted.  Bartimaeus responded with "I want to see" and Jesus told him "Go, your faith has healed you!"  If you want to receive the answer to your situation, just tell Jesus what you want and your faith will heal you!

Are you ready to make your "determined cry of faith" to God for the answer to your situation? If so, then God's ready to speak the words to you: "Go, your faith has healed you!"

-- Pastor Temple

Where Is Your Focus (Part 2)

If we aren't careful, it becomes very easy for us to lose interest in the things of God.  And because of all the distractions the world has to offer, it is evident that we need God more today than ever before.  As I discussed last week a decrease in your interest in the Word of God, prayer life, giving, and worshiping with other believers are all signs that you have lost your focus.  I want to share with you some of the causes and consequences of losing focus and how to prevent it and get back on track.

Causes

There are many reasons people lose their focus from God but I want to share just four of the main causes.

1. The influence of others.  Don't be swayed by poor influences.  It's very important that you
   
   establish good godly friends who will encourage you in your faith rather than discourage you.
2. The lure of the world's ways.  The world will always have it's attractions.  John identified them as "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17). These are all a part of the world and its desire to lure you away from God.  Don't be caught up in the world's attractions.  Keep your focus on God.
3. Doubting that God really cares.  When we begin to doubt God, we begin to lose hope and start operating in unbelief.  Doubt is the opposite of faith.  Your faith is what will see you through the difficult times.
4. Giving in to temptation.  This is the end result of the previous three reasons people lose focus.  After being influenced by others, giving in to the worlds allure, and doubting that God cares, people are in prime position to just give in to the temptations of the flesh.  Be careful that sin isn't causing you to lose focus.

Consequences

Some of the consequences of losing focus are:

1. Your conscience becomes dull.
2. You step out of the will of God.
3. You shrink away from spiritual things.
4. You lose your ability to hear God.
5. You fall into the sin of unbelief (Hebrews 3:12).
6. You miss God's best for you life.
7. It affects every area of your life.
8. You have a negative impact on others when God wants us to be salt and light.
9. You have no peace.

Prevention

The question then becomes "how do I prevent this from happening?"  Well the answer is to:

1. Anchor yourself in the Word of God by reading, studying, and meditating on it (Psalm 119:15-16).
2. Obey what God says in His Word.
3. Submit to Him when He shows you an area that needs correction (James 4:7-8).
4. Surrender your life to Him each morning.
5. Stay on guard (1 Peter 5:8-9; 2 Peter 3:17-18).

How To Get Back On Track

If you find yourself "out of focus" when it comes to the things of God, the first thing you need to do, is recognize what has happened in your life.  Once you do that then simply confess it and repent and trust the Holy Spirit to enable you to follow Christ.

God has a real interest in your success.  He will give you clear warnings about any spiritual decline in your life, so pay close attention to it.  Be wise enough to recognize the warning signs and allow God to help you get back on track.

What are you doing to prevent losing your focus when it comes to the Lord?  Leave me a comment.

Pastor Temple

Where Is Your Focus (Part 1)

What is it in your life that has most of your attention and focus?  Our interest in the things of God should be increasing and should permeate every area of our lives. Unfortunately, there are many distractions but we must be careful to not allow them to draw us away from our relationship with God.  This happens when we "compartmentalize" our relationship with God from all the other areas of our life.  God should be the focus in all aspects of our being, our family, career, schooling, etc.  In this day and time we are living, we can't afford to take our eyes and our focus off God.  He must be the "all in all" of our life.  I want to share with you "why" it is important for God to be first and foremost in your life and what some of the "danger signs" are that you may be losing your focus on God.

Why?

Without God you can't survive in this present world and because of that, you need God more today
than ever before.  With all the problems we face in this world and sin more rampant than ever, we can't afford to lose interest in our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ.  And now more than ever, is not the time to give up, but rather to press forward.  We can't afford to take our eyes off of Jesus and lose interest and give up.  We have to stay focused on God, no matter how hard that may be.

Danger Signs

I want to make you aware of six danger signs that you may be losing your focus on God.

1. Your interest in the Word decreases.  Psalm 119:9-11 tells us "How can a young man keep his way pure?  Buy living according to your word.  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."  It's God's Word that will help keep us focused on Him.  If you find yourself reading and studying the Word of God less and less, it is a clear sign you are losing focus on what is really important.
2. Your prayer life begins to diminish.  Whether you realize it or not your prayer life is extremely important to you and your success in following God. 
3. You no longer have a desire to gather with other believers to worship God.  It is important that you make time to be with other believers.  You will find that when you take time to pray and attend church, God will multiply your time!  The purpose of joining with other believers is found in Hebrews 10:24-25 -- "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
4. You aren't giving faithfully.  God has blessed us so much, we should be giving  back to others who have need.  Luke 6:38 -- "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall me give unto your bosom.  For with the same measure you use, it shall be measured back to you."  
5. You no longer have a desire to share your faith with others.  Sharing your faith with others is an important part of following Jesus.  This should be done humbly and with much love for people.  Don't worry about being politically correct, just be concerned about following God's Word and being "biblically" correct.
6. You no longer feel close to God.  This feeling generally comes about as a result of the first five.  When you lose interest in the things of God, you will begin to feel that God is distant and doesn't care about you.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  God never moves away from us, but we move away from Him.  

Be aware of the danger signs of losing interest and focus on God.  When you see them creeping in, reject them and submit yourself to the Lord.  He will deliver you from any of the dangers of falling away from God if you will only let Him.  What changes will you make this week to stay focused on the One who is of utmost importance?  In my next post I will cover some of the consequences of losing focus on God and how to get back on track.

Pastor Temple

Facing The Battles of Life

No one likes facing battles, yet life can at times be very challenging and it is a fact of life, that we will all face various battles whether they be financial, physical, or spiritual.  The big question we must answer is "how will we deal with the battle?"  In today's post, I want to share with you an Old Testament story of how King Jehoshaphat faced a serious battle but won it only through the help and strength of God (2 Chronicles 20:4-12).

What Jehoshaphat Did

As Israel faced the armies of the Moabites and the Ammonites, Jehoshaphat took six very important actions to ensure that Israel would win the battle.

• He set himself to seek the Lord, and he fasted.  In 2 Chronicles 20:3 once Jehoshaphat realized what was about to happen, he immediately "resolved to inquire of the Lord and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah."  Jehoshaphat knew that his army was no match for the armies coming against him, so he turned to the One what was a match...the Almighty God. You can't handle many of the battle in your own ability.  Turn to God, seek His counsel and fast if necessary.
• He asked God's help (v. 4).  People from all over Judah came to seek help from the Lord.
  
  No battle is "too small" for God.  Never be ashamed to seek God's help in every situation. In Matthew 7:11 Jesus told his disciples that if a earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask.
• He acknowledged God's ability, and rehearsed past victories (v. 6-8).  You have to remember that God is bigger than any problem or battle you have faced, are facing  now, or will face!  Thank Him for past victories knowing with full confidence that future victories are in store!
• He identified the problem so it could be solved (v. 12).  Don't ignore the problem. Speak about it to God in prayer.  Even though God knows what it is, it's important for you to tell Him in prayer.  This is the beginning to seeing the problem solved.
• He identified the enemy so he could defeat him (v. 12).  Jehoshaphat knew the enemy was to vast an army for them to handle.  He acknowledged he didn't know what to do, but he knew God did!  Know who your enemy is.  Acknowledged them to God and allow God to fight for you.
• He put his eyes on the Lord (v.12).  We have to get our eyes off the problem and on to God! The Psalmist David declared "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1).  Look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith!  He will deliver you!

How To Win The Battle

I want to close with nine guidelines for helping you win the battle.

• Don't be afraid.  Fear paralyzes, shuts down creativity and locks up wisdom of God (v. 15).
• Don't be dismayed or discouraged (v. 15).
• Know that the battle is God's not yours (v. 15).
• Your part is to put your faith in God not yourself.
• Your job is to believe the Word and act on what you believe.
• Know that God will give you a plan (v. 16).  This comes through prayer and meditation.
• Stand still; position yourself; don't give up (v. 17).
• Worship the Lord (v. 18).
• Be confident that the Lord will give you the victory (v. 19-23).

What are the battles you are facing today?  Will there be different ones tomorrow?  Be ready for them.  Don't be taken by surprise and when the battle comes follow the steps of Jehoshaphat to ensure you have a winning battle!

Pastor Temple