Being a Light in a Dark World?

I would like to start this article by asking you a question, How does the world view your Christian walk? Before you read on, I would like you to consider what's going on in your mind right now. Are you looking at your faults and areas of your life where you think that you don't measure up? Or else are you basing the value of your Christian walk by how virtuous you are? I find it interesting that most Christians judge their Christianity by whether they think they are good or bad. However, how does the world see you? Does the world really judge us by whether we are good or bad? I think it judges us by whether we have something of value that they are lacking in their life. In reality, the world is looking for what God has freely given us. Hope, joy, peace, and most of all, love.

You can see that by the icons that the world aspires to be like as it imitates their lifestyle. If you have sat in front of the TV for any length of time, you would see very clearly what the world is looking for. Unfortunately, they think that they are going to find it in weight loss, drugs & alcohol, relationships, sports, or in material things. I continually hear people say, "if I could only lose this much weight, I will be happy." Or "if I got this particular job, that would do it for me." Or "If I married her, then my life would be fulfilled." Yet, I see many people that are thin, that have good jobs, and that are married who are still miserable.

In reality, you cannot find happiness in things. So, my question to you is, What is the world really looking for in our Christian walk? Yes, you guessed it. They are looking to see if you're happy. Even so, they are looking for happiness that is real. They have been fooled by celebrities, motivational speakers, doctors, and yes, even Christian leaders that don't measure up. They are so desperate for happiness that they will try anything, and that's where many are led astray.

Let me ask you this question, If the world is being led by worldly icons, who are the role models of your life? Are they leading you in the life of hope, joy, peace and love? Do they have true happiness? Have they found what you're looking for? Or are you being deceived like the world and chasing after an illusion. If you look at whom you pattern your life after, you will see what you are truly seeking after, and if they are godly role models, you will receive the real treasure that Jesus has freely given to you.

My role model is an unassuming man whom I would very much like to pattern my life after. His name is Larry Walkemyer and he pastors a church, "Light and Life Christian Fellowship" in Long Beach. He's not my role model because he's a pastor of a church nor because he does good works. He is my role model or my mentor because of the love that I see that radiates from him. Because he is the same person at home, church, store or mission field as he is in the pulpit. You can see that pastor Larry is 100% in love with Jesus. I would very much like to have my life reflected the traits that are in his life. There are only a few people like pastor Larry that I have met in my life that I would consider pattering my life after. This is not to shine the spotlight on pastor Larry but rather get you to take notice of who your role models are.

My dad shared a story with me about when he was growing up in the church. God spoke something to his heart at an early age when he first got saved. God told him that he loved them exactly as he was, but God loved him too much to leave him that way. He needed to hear that because many Christians and nonbelievers were judging him because he did not measure up to their idea of a Christian. He was living a life of condemnation because he did not feel that he was measuring up to the expectations of other Christians and the world.

God shared with him when he got saved, that he was like a baby, and that he was growing. This gave him liberty. After all, you would not compare a three-year-old with a teenager or a high school student with a college graduate. Yes, he understood that he was in the state of growth, and he accepted that he had some flaws and limitations. Nevertheless, he had hope in the second part of the quote that God gave him, "but I love you too much to leave you that way." This is important if you expect to live a life where you're going to find happiness. Remember, a life of judgment and condemnation is void of happiness.

The main purpose of this article is to help lay a solid foundation for you to grow a healthy Christian relationship with your family, friends and coworkers. To create a lifestyle that the world desires to have.

I had friends that I thought were persecuting me come and tell me years later that they did not believe what I had was real and would do things to test me to see if this Jesus stuff was real. They knew who I was but they could not believe the new life that I was living was real.

I would like you to notice something about Jesus's ministry. The world did not have a problem with Jesus or his ministry. As a matter fact, you will notice him eating with them and sharing about the kingdom of heaven. The ones that Jesus had problems with were the judgmental religious people. Don't allow the opinions of the naysayers in your life to influence your Christian walk. Let your light shine!

Jesus is My Role-model

If you're looking for a role model, I would recommend Jesus.

Is Stinking Thinking Holding You Back?

I would like to ask you a question, do you have thoughts that defeat you in your prayer life or hold you back in areas of your life? My dad shared a story with me that I thought was rather odd when I first heard it but it really started ministering to me when I applied it in areas of my own life. Let me share his story with you.

My dad was at Sam's club the other day looking at a book that he wanted to purchase for me. He put back the book that he was reviewing and reached back to the center of all the books and chose a fresh book that had not been opened. He wanted to get me a fresh copy that was not damaged. When he gave me the book, I noticed that the book was damaged quite severely on the top and some of the pages were actually torn. My dad looked at me with surprise in his eyes because of his effort of trying to get me a good book.

My dad shook his head and said that he wanted to share something with me that has been going on for a good portion of his life. He told me from a young age that he always felt that the choice he made would always be the wrong one and whatever he got would be damaged or defective in some way. If you blindfolded him and gave him a choice between 100 things and only one of them was damaged, he would choose the damaged one. He said that was going on when he purchased my book.

After he shared that story with me I started to think of areas of my life that my thoughts were holding me back. Do you have areas in your life that are holding you back? I was sharing this with a friend and she told me, "that's silly, how can thoughts affect anybody's life?" Shortly after that she made a statement that made me laugh. She was looking at a dessert on the menu and said, " if I ate that, it would go straight to my hips." I smiled, looked at her hips and asked, "so, how many of those desserts are in those childbearing hips?" (Remember when you make a statement like that to duck, because there's a menu coming your way.)We may not want to see it in our own life but many of us have thoughts that are holding us back.

Once we realize the thoughts that are holding us back, we can make conscious choices to break those thoughts and start speaking what God said about the situation instead of what's been programmed in our mind. I would encourage you to find a Scripture for that particular situation and meditate on it like it says in (Philippians 4:8) "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

What You Say Is What You Get!

Many people tell me that they pray but they are not getting what they prayed for. As I listen to them talk, I hear the words that are coming out of their mouth and they are receiving exactly the things that they are speaking.

As I read Mark 11:23, God tells me that I can have what I say whether it is good or bad. To put it in a natural term, words are like seeds, what you plant is what you get. You cannot plant weeds and expect to get a harvest of fruit. God tells us that we can have what we say. Unfortunately, many times we are saying what we have and that is holding us in bondage to our present circumstance.

What would you say if Jesus came to your church and said, "from this day forward after I put my hand on you, that everything that you say will come to pass exactly as you say it". Many people would say, "that would just tickle me to death". Unfortunately, the devil has so perverted our language that many times we come in agreement with what he says about the situation instead of what God says about it.

I shared this with a friend once, and he told me, "if I have to watch what I say every time I speak, that would put me in bondage". My reply to him was, "You are in bondage because you're not watching what you are saying". Remember, when we read in the Bible about what Jesus prayed, he always prayed the answer and not the problem. He never allowed the circumstances to sway his prayers and he always received what he prayed for.

So the question is, what kind of seeds are you going to so in your garden of life? Remember, God said that we can have what we say so let's come an agreement with his word and start seeing the same results as his son Jesus.

The ABCs of Prayer

I have been praying for many people the last few months and found it rather interesting what people thought about prayer. So, I decided to give my thoughts on the fundamental principles of prayer as it was taught to me. What prayer is and what prayer is not.

I remember when I was just a young boy and my dad gave me a little book on faith. I read the book and follow the formula and was disappointed because God the genie did not grant my wishes. I remember my dad laughing as I explain my frustration. My dad told me that God was not a genie in the bottle and it was not about following a formula but rather creating a relationship with him.

I will share some of the nuggets that I have learned as I have developed my relationship with God and why God chooses to answer my prayers today. Hopefully, this will help someone out there that is experiencing the frustrations that I went through when my prayers were not being answered.