Keeping God First

The Christian life consists of many decisions we have to make every day that concerns our spiritual
growth.  Making these decisions is best coupled with prayer, reading the Word, sharing your faith, and believing God's promises.  As believers we have to be aware of the potential for us to "lose interest" in the things of God.  God's Word gives us clear warning about the dangers of drifting away from Him.  God will not stop you from drifting away, but He will do continually prompt you through your spirit to get back on course.  In this day and time we can't afford to drift away from God because without Him we can't survive spiritually.


How To Identify If You Are Drifting Away From God

There are several signs that you may be drifting away from the Lord and allowing yourself to just move along with the flow of the world.  Here are six signs you may be moving away from the Lord.

1. Your interest in God and the things of God begins to wane or decrease.  No longer are you excited to talk about the spiritual things of God such as the working of the Spirit in your life or the Bible.
2. You start losing interest in your prayer life.  Where you once may have prayed every day now you find yourself going days or even weeks without seeking God.
3. You no longer have a desire to join with other believers in fellowship and worship.  Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  It is important to be with other believers.
4. You stop giving faithfully, either to the church you attend or to other charitable organizations or to people who God puts on your heart to give to.  Becoming a "stingy" person with money is a definite sign of drifting away from God.
5. You no longer have a desire to share your faith with others and are insensitive to their need for salvation.
6. You no longer feel close to God.  We don't live by feelings, but if we are near to God, we will know it.

What Causes Us To Drift

There are many reasons a person may drift away from God, but I just want to list four.

1. The influence of others.  As you are around people and get close to people who aren't men and women of faith, you can't help but be influenced by them.  This doesn't mean we ignore non-believers, but we must be aware that they can have a negative influence on us in regards to our faith.
2. The lure of the world's ways.  The world is a very alluring place.  Everything that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life will all draw us away from God if we aren't careful.
3. Doubting that God really cares.  Everyone has had times of doubt in their lives.  But when you continue to think on whether or not God cares or even exists you put yourself in greater danger of drifting away from God.
4.  Giving in to temptation.  No one sets out to be an alcoholic, or to have an affair, but they make small choices along the way that let them slide into sin which draws them away from God.

Six Consequences Of Drifting Away From God

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

How You Can Prevent Drifting

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

If you have found yourself drifting away from God just confess and repent. God is ready for you to come right back.  Then trust the Holy Spirit to enable you to continue to follow Christ daily because without God we can't spiritually survive this world.

Have you drifted away from God?  God is always ready for you to once again draw close to Him!

-- Pastor Temple

Does God Still Speak Today? (Part 5)

In this post I am going to cover the last two ways that God speaks to us today.  They are through a "still small voice" and through dreams and visions.

Still Small Voice

The phrase "still small voice" is taken from 1 Kings 19:11-12 where the prophet Elijah was running for his life and was hiding out in a cave on mount Horeb, "the mountain of God," because he feared he would be killed.  In verse 11 the Lord tells Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain "in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."  As Elijah stands in the presence of God, a "great and powerful wind" tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks, "but the Lord was not in the wind."  After that an earthquake occurred "but the Lord was not in the earthquake."  After the earthquake there came a fire "but the Lord was not in the fire."  After the fire came a "still small voice" or as some translations put it, "a gentle whisper."  It was only then that Elijah heard it and God spoke to him.

Too often we are looking for God to speak in some spectacular and awesome way or event.  When all the while God is wanting us to listen carefully to His gentle whisper or still small voice.  God will say more in a whisper than in the great events.

Dreams and Visions

Take note: not every dream you have is a "dream that God gives you."  Most times you are just dreaming and that's it.  However there are other times that God will prompt your spirit and give you a dream that is significant and He is trying to speak to you through the dream.  Acts 2:17 tells us that "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  There are many instances in scripture of dreams and visions (Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:12-13; Acts 10:9-22; 2 Corinthians 12:1-9).  God does speak to us in varying ways.  Job 33:14-16 tells us "For God does speak now one way, now another, though man may not perceive it.  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings." What is important, is for you to be sensitive to God's Holy Spirit to discern if the dream or vision really is from God.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking every thought and dream you have is a direct Word from God.  Sometimes they are just thoughts and dreams.

-- Pastor Temple

Does God Still Speak Today? (Part 4)

I have been covering the different ways that God speaks to us.  In the first three posts I talked about how God speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and inward witness.  If you haven't read them be sure to check them out as well.  It is important to know that of the six ways God speaks to us the first two, His Word and the Holy Spirit are the most prevalent. Remember, as Christians our relationship with God has a lot to do with how well we hear Him.  In this post I will cover the fourth way God speaks to us and that is through peace in your heart.  This post will contain several passages of scripture and I will let the scripture speak for itself.

Peace In Your Heart

• Philippians 4:7 -- "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  God speaks to us through a peace in our hearts and minds.  If you are struggling with a certain decision, be assured if God is directing you a certain way, there will be great peace in your heart.
• Colossians 3:15 -- "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."  When God is speaking peace will rule your heart.
• Psalm 34:14 -- "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."  God's peace is something that we should look for and desire.
• Isaiah 26:3 -- "Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee."  God offers us perfect peace when we trust in Him and keep our hearts and mind focused on Him.
• John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  There is much in the world today that will trouble the hearts of men.  But Jesus assured us that we can have His peace in our hearts.

Next week I will cover the final two ways God speaks.

-- Pastor Temple

Does God Still Speak Today? (Part 3)

We have established from the Word of God that God does still speak to us today and the two most important ways are through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.  Other ways God speaks to us are through an inward witness, peace in your heart, a still small voice and through dreams and visions.  In this post I want to cover how God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and through the inward witness.

The Holy Spirit

God speaking to us through the Holy Spirit is best understood by looking at several verses from the Bible.  These verses establish very clearly how God's Spirit speaks to and directs us.

• Romans 8:14, 16 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ... The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"  God's Spirit will speak to our spirit and heart that we are His children.
• John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
• 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
• Revelation 2 --  The Word tells us repeatedly that "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.
• Acts 8:29 "Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot."  The Spirit spoke to Philip and he obeyed.
• Acts 10:19 "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee."
• Matthew 4:1 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

All these verses indicate that the Holy Spirit speaks to us and guides us in our daily walk with God.

Inward Witness

1 John 2:20 reads "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things."  This verse lets us know that the Holy Spirit's anointing is in the believer and He will bear witness with our spirit and give us direction.

-- Pastor Temple

Does God Still Speak Today? (Part 2)

In my first post on this topic I shared with you six different ways that God uses to speak to people today.  Because of the interest on this subject and the many questions I have received, I am going to continue to elaborate on some of the ways God speaks to us.  As Christians our relationship with God has a lot to do with how well we hear Him.  Unfortunately, many Christians often want some "out of this world" spiritual experience when it comes to hearing from God when all the time God is speaking to them through His Word every time they open and read it.  So in this post I want to expand further on how God speaks to us through His Word.

Those who absent themselves from the Word of God and are always seeking for a "voice" will miss many of the encounters with God that He has prepared for them.  If a "voice" excites you more than the Word of God, then something is wrong. The greatest revelation we can get is from the Word of God.  Every time we read God's Word it is Him speaking to us.  If you can grasp that then God will open up many new and exciting ways to personally speak to you.

If you would like for God to speak to you everyday, then you must read the Word of God everyday.  Through His Word He tells us what is right and what is wrong.  It is through His Word He tells us how we are to live, act, talk, believe, love and the list goes on.  Whatever it might be that you need, if it has been promised to you in His Word, then the Word will tell you everything you need to know.

God's Word is God telling you what you need to know and what you need to do.  You don't have to ask God what sin is or isn't, because it is identified in His Word.  God's Word is full of God's promises, principles and truths that are to lead and guide our lives every day. (Read 2 Timothy 2:15).

Yes, God is still speaking to His people today and it is primarily through His Word.  Are you reading and listening to God's Word, because that's where it begins?

Does God Still Speak Today?

I am often asked by people whether or not God still speaks today and if He does, how does He speak.  There are many facets in the answer to this question and I will try to deal with them in this post.  Although there are those who say God doesn't speak to His people and in fact He never has, this is hard for me to accept because I believe the Bible is abundantly clear that God did and still does speak to humanity.  He does this in a number of ways which I will outline in this post.

God Still Speaks Today

In both the Old and New Testament there are numerous occasions where God spoke in an "audible" voice.  In the Old Testament He spoke audibly to Adam, Cain, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses and many others.  In the New Testament He spoke audibly at Jesus' baptism, on the mount of transfiguration, to Saul (later to become the Apostle Paul), Peter and others.  Although I have never heard God's audible voice, I believe it is completely possible for God to speak aloud so that people could hear Him if that was what was necessary.  There are two main reasons God doesn't speak more audibly today:

1. We have the full revelation of His Word and those in the Old and New Testament didn't. Because we have His Word we have what He would say to us.
2. We also have God's "Holy Spirit" dwelling in us to lead and guide us.

To Whom Does He Speak

The simple answer to this question is, that God speaks to all of us.  He speaks to the sinner and to the believer.  In speaking to the sinner He speaks through the method of "conviction" and to the believer through the Holy Spirit.  In John 10:27 Jesus informs us that "My sheep hear my voice." If we are a child of God, we will hear the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Ways He Speaks To Us Today

I want to share with you six ways in which God speaks to us today.

1. Through His Word.  This is probably the most obvious and most frequent.  "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Through the Holy Spirit.  God's Holy Spirit speaks to us by revealing things to us that are only spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:8-16); through bearing witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16); Quickening us (John 6:63).
3. Through an inward witness.  1 John 2:20 -- "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."
4. Through peace of mind.  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7).
5. Through the still small voice.  Sometimes it is just a faint nudging and prompting by the Holy Spirit that God speaks.  We have to train ourselves to listen to the still small voice.  (1 Kings 19:11-12).
6. Through dreams and visions.  We must be careful with this, because not every dream is God speaking.  Although if we are sensitive to God's Spirit, we will be aware of the times God is speaking to us through a dream or a vision.

Yes, God is still speaking to His people today.  The question is, are you listening?

-- Pastor Temple

What Is Your Passion?

Nothing of any importance is ever accomplished without someone's passion behind it.  It is passion that makes the impossible possible and motivates individuals to pursue what others may say are "outrageous" dreams.  But it is the passion behind those dreams that gives you the stamina, persistence and endurance to keep on going when everyone else says quit.  Passion is the essential element that brings fulfillment, satisfaction, and purpose to one's life.  If we aren't careful, as time goes by we have a tendency to lose our momentum, our vision, and our passion for God.  I want to share with you "seven passion killers" so that you will be aware of the things that will rob you of your joy, passion, energy, vision and purpose in life.

1. An Unbalanced Life.  Living an unbalanced life simply means that your priorities aren't in order.  When your priorities aren't in order you never take the time to recharge concerning the things that should be most important to you.  The way we keep our life balanced is to worship God daily, associate with people who have a passion for God, daily read God's Word, be involved in ministry, and share our faith.  If you don't keep your life balanced, you will inevitably lose your passion for the things of God.
   
2. Unused Talent.  Everyone has some talent that God has given them.  Yet when we don't use it, we begin to lose our passion for life and for God.  The gifts and talents that God has blessed you with are not for your own benefit, but they are for the benefit of the Kingdom of God and for others in the Body of Christ as well as the world.  God doesn't want you to waste your life and talent.  He gave you a gift you should use it for Him.
3. Un-confessed Sin.  Un-confessed sin will rob us of our passion and turn us from a purposeful life to a purposeless life.  Un-confessed sin will rob you of love, joy, confidence, and passion.  When David had un-confessed sin, his life was miserable.  Yet when he "acknowledged" his sin to God, God forgave the "guilt" of his sin (Psalm 32:5) and his life was totally changed.
4. Unresolved Conflict.  Conflict drains the passion out of you.  One thing is for certain, you cannot control the behavior of others, nor your circumstances, but you can control how you respond to those things.  You have to learn how to guard your soul and your heart and not allow these emotions to continue to manipulate, control or affect your passion, your destiny, your purpose, or your motivation in life.
5. Lack of Spiritual Support.  It is very important that you learn to choose wisely who you are around.  The people you associate with will have a definite influence on your life.  You will naturally lose passion for God when you spend time with people who have no passion for God.
6. Unclear Purpose.  When you forget your purpose for your life it is a sure way to kill your passion for life and for God.  When our purpose is unclear we labor in vain.  Passion and purpose go together.
7. Undernourished Spirit.  You must intentionally nourish your spirit.  If you don't do it nobody else is going to do it for you.  If you don't take the time to do it, you are going to be effected greatly.

Be watchful of those things that will kill the passion God wants you to have.  Make sure you keep your passion so you can fulfill what God desires you to do.

-- Pastor Temple