Executed Blog Header

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Who Do You Trust?

If you are anything like me, you find yourself being caught up in some of the anxiety over the economy and the future. Reading the paper or listening to the evening news is like exposing yourself to a highly infectious flu called “worry”. You may not catch the flu the first time around, but eventually if you keep exposing yourself, it’s going to move into your body and run its ugly course.

But it’s not just the news. Our own hearts conspire to make us worry about the future. We start worrying about losing our job or our house. We get nervous and start hoarding things thinking that we might not have enough.

But it’s a downward spiral. Once you start putting your trust in your bank account or your job or your inheritance, you are putting your faith in something that will always let you down and will also make you a smaller person. When you are worried about the future and put your trust in what you have, you become stingy and closed-fisted. You hold on to what you have because you believe your source of supply is small and undependable.

What is fascinating is that it doesn’t matter if you have a little or if you have a lot. We all find this infection creeping into our hearts. We are like the millionaire workaholic who was asked, “How much more money do you need?” His response: “Just a little bit more.”

Wouldn’t it nice to be free from this “little bit more” trap? The answer is simple, but it takes a lifetime to live it out. The Bible says in Romans chapter eleven,

Everything comes from God; everything exists by His power; and everything is intended for His glory.

And here is the secret -- we must put our trust in God as our source and supply. Nothing else is truly stable and trustworthy. And when we trust Him, we don’t have to worry about the future because He takes care of His children.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. — Matthew 6:33

Putting God first is something we do everyday and in everything we do. It is also something that is easy to forget to do! Before we know it, there we are putting our self first yet again. The pastors in Kings County would love to encourage and remind you that putting God first is the only way to live worry free. Why don’t you give them a chance this weekend?

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Prepared

Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, the global financial crisis, the Aztec end of days in 2012, oil at over $100 a barrel, the Middle East melting down—are we getting close to the end of the world? There is so much anxious talk going on that you would think that we humans like obsessing over things that cause us fear and anxiety.

It happens without fail. Something major happens in the Middle East—a war, an attack on Israel, a dictator makes threats—and someone writes a book about how it fits into the end times plan as laid out in the Book of Revelation. People get worked up and spend time anxiously fretting about what they should do when the next shoe drops and they start stamping “666” on people’s foreheads.

I’m not making light of the Book of Revelation. Not at all. But I do think it is humorous how we have this unfailing tendency to towards alarmism and fear-mongering. We spend so much time on “what ifs” when this rarely results in anything positive.

I am not advocating sticking your head in the sand and ignoring major natural and economic disasters. And I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t ever talk about them. But I do believe that instead of focusing on forecasting the future and panicking in the present, we do the thing that God has told us.

Be prepared.

Jesus told His disciples that no one knows when the end of the world is except for Father God. He did say that there are some signs that we are getting closer to the end (see Matthew chapter 24) and in that list are earthquakes and famines and wars. Well, as far as I can tell there to seem to be plenty of earthquakes and famines and wars, and maybe they are even getting more frequent.

Jesus’s advice -- get ready! Wise people can read the signs and they make decisions before the panic hits. People that have a plan are always at an advantage in the moment of calamity. What are you going to do if you lose your job? What are you going to do if your house burns down? What are you going to do if an earthquake hits?

Panic won’t help you. Ignoring it won’t help you. And worrying without end that the worst might happen won’t help you. Instead, save some money. Buy some fire insurance. Stock up with some extra bottled water. Don’t panic, prepare yourself.

The pastors of Kings County would love to help you be prepared spiritually for whatever might come your way. Perhaps you should reconnect with God this weekend.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Extra-Ordinary

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is smaller than what we think. We look at the most successful people and business organizations and believe that they have either been extremely lucky or possess some special talent that puts them ahead of the crowd. And while it is true that some do posses great talent and have experienced good fortune, these are not the people of whom I’m thinking.

Forget all the famous people and the multi-billion dollar organizations. Consider the extraordinary people you know. They are our friends and neighbors whose lives are making a meaningful and significant difference in our community. They look just like us on the outside. They don’t have big salaries and they are not particularly talented. Very often, these people don’t leave a big estate behind them when they die, but they do leave a legacy of changed lives.

What makes these people different? What makes them extraordinary? Well, I believe their secret is that they have simply added something a little “extra” to their ordinary lives. They have decided that they are going to put a little “extra” effort into things. They have dedicated a little “extra” time to things that matter. And they have chosen to have a little “extra” atttitude (the positive kind).

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is nothing more then this little “extra.” A little extra decision to invest in those things that are worthwhile. A little extra choice to focus on that which is positive and life inspiring. A little extra encouragement given to those all around.

We all would do well to take a lesson from the extraordinary people around us. They remind me of the verse in the Bible in Galatians that says, “So let’s not get tired of doing good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Imagine what would happen if more of us decided that we were going to just invest a little more time and energy into the things that matter—our families, our communities, our marriages. My guess is that we would see a lot more extraordinary things happen.

This weekend, why don’t you consider investing a little “extra” into your relationship with Father God? The pastors in Kings County would love the opportunity to encourage you to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Friday, March 4, 2011

How Committed Are You?

Vince Lombardi said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

Altogether too often, we have a commitment problem. Sometimes we don’t commit to something because we want to keep our options open. We are concerned that a better opportunity might come walking by and we might miss it if we are otherwise engaged. Sometimes we don’t commit because we don’t want to feel boxed in. The idea of being restricted is uncomfortable and therefore undesirable. And sometimes, we don’t commit because commitment can be difficult and we are afraid that we might fail.

Our commitments (or lack of them) define us. People that are unshakably committed to the right things make a significant difference in our world. It is easy to list off famous people whose impact still echoes today because of the positive commitments they made. Political and social figures Winston Churchill (“we will never surrender”) and Martin Luther King Jr. (“I have a dream”) refused to compromise. Thomas Edison (“I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”) wouldn’t give up. And Babe Ruth decided he was going to keep swinging the bat even when it meant he held the strikeout record for decades (“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run”).

Commitment doesn’t only make a difference in famous people’s lives, it transforms everyday lives as well. The dad that makes a commitment to spend time with his kids. The husband that commits wholeheartedly to pursue the heart of his wife. The teacher that decides that no child is unteachable. The friend that chooses to believe the best and always has your back. The employee that decides they don’t just work for their boss, they work for their Father in heaven (Colossians 3:23 “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord”).

Of course, you can be committed to anything, and it is possible to be committed to things that are just a waste of time or are even destructive. But when you commit to those things that are truly meaningful—your family, building healthy relationships, Father God, work that makes a difference, giving rather then hoarding—you sow the seeds that will result in a harvest of blessing in your life.

I will never forget the story someone told me about the day their dad made the commitment to get their family in church. Church and spirituality was not a part of the family’s life up to that point, but one Sunday, dad made the decision that it was important. He gathered his family together and they headed off. More than thirty years later, the decision that father made continues to bless that family, and there is no doubt it will for generations to come.

The best commitment you can make is to chase after our Father with all of your heart. Joshua said, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That quality decision resulted in great blessing. Yours will too.

This weekend, the pastors in Kings County would love to have the opportunity to encourage you in your quality commitments. All over this community, pastors are invested in helping people build their marriage, their families and their relationships. Isn’t it time you made that quality commitment to get you and your family into church?