Bitterness and Unforgiveness

In Luke 17:1-6 God compared bitterness and un-forgiveness, to a sycamine tree, but why? These two things are definitely alive in our culture today. A culture that is all about justice and if someone hurts you to get them back. So how can we as Christians protect ourselves from these things that can, if not taken care of, create spiritual dryness.
If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root,
and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.- Luke 17:6
In verse 6 of Luke 17 Jesus says "this" tree. Which is saying that Jesus was pointing out something very specific to them (bitterness and unforgivness).
  In Luke 17:3, He told the disciples that they needed to forgive those who sinned against them. He then took it to the maximum in Luke 17:4 by saying that even if a brother does something wrong seven times in one day and is each time truly repentant, they were to keep on forgiving that offending brother.
Forgiving someone isnt easy today. Especially forgiving them plus not having any jealousy, bitterness, or anger in your heart. So let's look at how the sycamine tree represents these 2 problems.

1.  The sycamine tree had a very large and deep root structure. 

• Which means it was hard to kill. Bitterness and Un-forgivness can be the same way if it is not taken care of quick. I heard someone say anger and bitterness is like milk, the longer it sits the worse it gets. (and noone likes sour milk!!!) 

1. The tree's wood was preferred to make caskets.

• The sycamine tree grew very fast. So does bitterness and un-forgivness. They can cause us to become spiritually dead also casuing friendships to be ruined. It steals joy, peace, and causes spiritual dryness.

1. The tree produced figs that were very bitter.

• From the outside the figs look luscious and delicious but on the inside they were no good. How many times do we do that? Try to look ok on the outside while inside we are dying. We are made to get along with people and to reconcile things when friendships arent right. But we let Satan deceive us and we hold onto the bitterness and un-forgivness. 

1. The sycamine tree had to be pollinated. 

• Wasp pollinated the tree by stinging the fruit. How many times have you heard someone say "Ive been hurt by them once, but never again!" If we let our selfish hurt get in the way of reconciliation then the bitter memories will linger and we will become furious. We will never trust our respect that person again. When the truth is, we've prolly done the same thing to someone else before. We all sin we all mess up, but there is power in reconciliation. To get rid of bitterness and un-forgivness is to be like Christ which is what we should all strive for. Jesus says "a grain of mustard seed" - meaning a very tiny, miniscule seed. What he was saying was a great amount of faith is not needed to deal with bitterness and un-forgivness. IF it is truly the hearts desire then just a little faith can cast away the bitterness and un-forgivnes! How awesome is that? Start taking friendships and your relationships with others serious! It means alot to Jesus and it should mean alot to us. 

Father today let us deal with things like bitterness and un-forgivness by learning from Your holy word and applying it to our life. So many people hold these things inside and never grow spiritually because of it. Father let us learn to be more like you! Help us have the faith to forgive and to look past bitterness and jealousy and anger and anything that will keep us from glorifying Your name. Give us strength and hope , let us be filled with the joy of our salvation through You! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Living For Jesus In Todays World

          So I want to talk about 2 things in this blog. Football and Work. I was watching ESPN yesterday and Tim Tebow happened to be on the replays. I saw him praying before the game, and i love tebow because of his christian walk. But I noticed after he got sacked one time the defensive player kneeling down and I didnt know what he was doing until the announcer said "he is mocking tebow's prayer." Really? And now it's called "tebowing." John 15:20 - "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." When is the last time  you have been mocked or persecuted for your faith? I can honestly say in the 2 years I've been a christian I've only been persecuted 4 or 5 times, and that number should be way higher. If you havent been getting mocked or persecuted, then why not? I think we as christians want to hold on to God so tight we forget the reason we became christians - to share Christ!
          Now to talk about work. I was listing to Lecrae's song "rebel" and he says if you want to be a rebel then show your faith because smoking, cussing, drinking, having sex is not being "different" now. Being different is being a christian now days. We are called to be holy, which means set apart. If we look like the world how are people going to know about Christ?? So here are 2 ways to share your faith in the days to come. And there are easy, and things we should do anyways.

1. Pray - Why dont we pray before we eat anymore? Especially when we go out to eat at chilli's or applebee's or somewhere like that. People will look at you weird and probably mock you because it's unheard of now. 
2. Take your bible to work!! - I was reading a devotion at lunch the other day when someone walked in and said "oh, you're reading the bible?" like they thought because im 22 im suppose to be this party going, cussing, "cool" guy. People will notice, God will open doors, the problem is we arent giving Him chances to open doors to share what Jesus has done for everyone. 

So 2 simple things, pray before you eat (every time) and read your bible at work. Take persecution and mockery with a joyful heart knowing that Christ went to 1289372 times the persecution that we will ever go through. We are called to live in a way we will get persecuted so what are we waiting for. Share Jesus with someone today, let God open the door for that chance, but dont miss it when He does!!

Where have we gone wrong?

This is my first blog ever. And im diving in deep on the first one. Where have we gone wrong with worship?? And notice I said "we" because I am included! If we are created to bring glory to God's name and one big way to do that is by worship, then why do we not take it serious? This past Sunday night I led worship with the youth band but when Im up on stage and see blank stares looking at words that seem to not mean much; I find myself asking God "why arent they worshipping??" I dont believe every Sunday you will come into the church and over and over have the same blank stare, i just dont. Im sorry. and im guilty of this also. So here are 7 things about worship we get wrong!! 

1. Worship is not about getting anything out of the service. Its not about getting OUR needs met, or OUR feelings. Yet, how many times do you here someone say "I didnt get anything out of that service."
2. Worship is about the Lord. We are at church to give not get. We are to give glory to God not man. Psalms 29:2
3. Self Centeredness destroys true worship. We are naturally self centered as humans and especially with the busy work days, all of our problems and worries; you can see how it would be hard to worship if the focus is on me, me, me.
4. This is a big one that a lot of the time we overlook. Matthew 5:23 says "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you "leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift." We cant truly worship if our relationship with others is broken. We are made to worship God yet He says if something between you and another isnt right then go immediately!! 
5. We are to give Him worship the way scripture tells us to. The Word says there are three ways to worship - vocal, audible, and physical. Vocal - "amen, hallelujah, shouting, proclaiming, singing." Audible - "Clapping, playing drums, guitars, pianos, cymbals" and Physical - "Quietness, Stillness, Dancing, Lifting hands, kneeling" How many times do we go into church and worship how we want and not how God tells us to.
6. You decide whether or not you worship upon entering the house of the Lord. No one else can worship for you! Not the preacher, or a friend, or a worship leader. It starts with a willing heart.
7. Remember: Worship is a verb; an action verb at that! Just look at Acts 16:25 when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God while they were chained up in prison!! Worship requires some kind of action, and i dont believe the action will be the same every Sunday. 

When I got saved I couldnt play guitar or piano or sing but after I was born again the Holy Spirit blessed me with these new abilities. Not only that; God gave me a passion to lead others in worship. And it saddens me knowing not everyone in church is truly worshipping God. Are we ready to do whatever it takes to follow God, even if its uncomfortable? Or will we continue to sit back and act like another Sunday without true worship is ok? Like everything is fine in our hearts when we dont give our all to Christ. Father, open our eyes and hearts to the things unseen. Let us be willing to let go of selfishness and pride so that we may worship You and see the world changed because of it. Let our hearts run to You and only You and if someone is away from You do whatever it takes to bring them back. In Christ' name I pray, Amen. <>< Comment!!!!