Sunday, February 28, 2016

Virtual Courage or Cowardice?

When I was a child, I would often hear adults refer to alcohol as "liquid courage." The idea was that a drunk would be brutally honest. Excessive alcohol relaxes an individual and removes inhibition so that they are seemingly bold in their blunt honesty.

The same phenomenon exists with many today in this world of virtual communications. Facebook, Twitter and other social networks seem to give people a false sense of security, a "virtual courage" that enables them to be honest, yet deceptive all at the same time. Like the "liquid courage" this willingness to air the proverbial dirty laundry is not to be applauded, as it exposes in many the hypocrisy that lies in those of us who claim to be a child of God.

In the streets, there is a code of honor which dictates that if a person has something to say, they should say it to the face of the intended recipient. Gossip, back-biters and snitches are not regarded highly. The Kingdom of God is the same way. If we have an issue with another, especially another in the Body of Christ, we have a responsibility to talk directly to that person (Matthew 18), rather than posting innuendos on social media in hopes to build a "virtual gang" to help us fight the ensuing battle.

We must remember that Satan is still the prince of this world (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4). These airways of media and networking, while we can certainly use them to glorify God, were created for the world. Let's not adopt worldly methods to handle Kingdom business. It just doesn't work.

Man up or put on your "big girl panties" and handle your business like a child of God, rather than a hoodlum. Selah.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Before You Choose to Walk Alone...

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 
Two are better than one, in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage: if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up — woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. Again, if two people sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself? Moreover, an attacker may defeat someone who is alone, but two can resist him; and a three-stranded cord is not easily broken.

Remember, you don't get any "brownie" points for doing things alone. There is a dire misconception that rejecting help makes one stronger or somehow more successful. Don't let pride separate you from God's team - the BODY of Christ. We are to lift up and encourage one another. Choosing to walk alone is not admirable, but is in fact rebellious.

Selah.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Seek God.. not His Stuff!

  • The prophetic...
  • The apostolic...
  • Deliverance ministry...
  • Youth ministry...
  • Prayer and fasting...
  • Kingdom applications...
The church has so many segmented "experts." We don't need any more division on methodology. None of these things exist without God. All of these things can become doctrines, and therefore idols, within themselves if we are not careful. There is no gift without the Giver and no assignment without the Boss!
Where are those who specialize simply in pleasing God? Labels are often simply distractions that breed a false sense of pride. God has not changed, so certainly all these business (I mean, ministry) concepts don't necessarily draw us closer to Him.
Idolatry is "extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone." Be very careful. Many of us love, admire and chase the evidence of God more than the Father, Himself.
Seek Him, love Him, obey Him. Then, the other stuff falls into the place. Selah.