ClydeStyle

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  • Killing faith

    There are many different faiths of the past being expressed through tradition and culture and sometimes law. The cumulative traditions attempt to ignite present faith, but it’s not working.

    In our society we allow human experience, human merit and human tradition to define our faith instead of allowing the word of God to do such. Faith should be deeper and more personal than mere religion. It then allows for a person or group to respond to the value and power of God as perceived and grasped through the forms of cumulative tradition. These forms serve only as an extension of what we truly believe in our hearts. The stronger the inner faith, the more visible the belief.needforfaith

    This is similar to the faith of the past being used to increase the faith in the present. Typical bible classes use this format to increase the faith of members by teaching the things from the past. The apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Romans that the things which were written aforetime were written for our learning and that in the understanding of these things we would have hope.

    However, we can’t afford to allow faith to be lessened to simple belief. Faith needs to be allowed to breathe and produce a product that relies on the transcendent and fosters trust in another — this defines a resurgence of faith. Many churches stop evolving and reach a point where tradition supersedes God’s word. In many places the members don’t even know the difference. Bible classes are not well attended and teachers and leaders, instead of studying and creating their own lessons for their flock, purchase generic material that does not address the issues of today. Faith has to step out from the exclusive assignment of religious belief to an action that allows us to trust and build hope. faith

    I believe the only way to really accomplish this is by taking the members out of the traditional bible classes and take the teaching to their world. Classes need to be inclusive and outside of the traditional setting. A resurgence of in-home bible studies designed to put faith in motion. This goes beyond small groups which were designed primarily for fellowship. In-home bible studies would be equivalent to “labs” that a college student would have if he was taking biology or chemistry. The only true task of the Lord’s church today is to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ relevant in the 21st Century.

    If we want to be truly transformed by the renewing of our minds, it has to be through our understanding of God’s word. We must study to show ourselves approved of God. If not, we will kill our faith.

  • Faith: A Forward Motion

    There is a key to undeuntitledrstanding faith.  Sometimes when we hear phrases like, “count it all joy when you fall into divers temptation” or “be glorious in tribulation”, they seem to be hard sayings that don’t make a whole lot of sense.  No one wants to celebrate tribulation.  Nobody is throwing a party for temptation, but yet the scriptures teach that these are celebratory conditions.  What we need to understand is how God sees these scenarios, and then it will help us to endure.

    From God’s point of view, everything is connected.  He wants us to remember the things that happened in the past.  And if we were walking with Him, we should have a testimony.  That testimony would say something about Him delivering us from evil…rescuing us from tribulation…and fighting our battles.  We would remember Him making a way out of no way.  We would recall being snatched out of defeat and lifted up to victory.  He would have made impossible scenarios possible.  Then, going forward, we would have confidence and trust that would remind us that God doesn’t forsake His people.  So for example, there was this little kid in the old-testament who tended his father’s sheep.  And he had some experiences in the pasture that would have been difficult for him if he did not have faith.  God proved Himself to that young man and he was able to look forward with faith.  So, when Israel had problems with a certain giant, this young man was able to open up a can of whoop a–.

    You see, everything really is connected.  We cannot run from our past, we cannot run from our present, and we cannot hide from our future.  God doesn’t give the spirit of fear…EVER!  He gives us power, love, and a sound mind.  So dear reader, don’t let faith remain a mystery, but seize this word and be empowered…for your future awaits!

  • My hope is built on nothing less . . .

     

    You ever wonder how a person can respect someone when they constantly treat people bad or hurt people’s feelings? How is it that people who run around with a sense of entitlement get placed in these positions of power only to be self serving and not look out for the best interest of the people that serve them?

    Romans 13:1-2 says, “1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:  the powers that be are ordained of God.  2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (KJV).”

    There is a valuable lesson in authority. Whether the person with the authority acknowledges God or not, the source of his power is God. The person who is in authority has a responsibility to God in using their power, whether they want to acknowledge God or not.p_a-2

    We, the subjects of these authoritarians, have a responsibility to power and authority. I can disagree with a higher power, but I still have the responsibility to respect that power because it is God given.

    Respect and obedience are two different things even though the outcomes may look the same. I can have a boss who perceives me as a threat and mistreats me because of his feelings. Someone looking from the outside might see my submission to my boss despite the way he treats me and ask, “why are you so obedient to him?”

    Obedience is a reaction. Respect is an action. A person can choose respect, but obedience is a reaction — normally to fear. Nowhere in Romans 13:1-2 does it use the word fear. It gives a statement of fact and then behavior that should follow. I want to honor God in everything that I do and I have learned that God places me in positions where I get the honor of showing him how much I want to honor him. That may come in the form of a challenging boss, estranged relationship, dealing with a stranger or challenges within myself. In all cases God has placed me in a situation that I can demonstrate who I belong to and more importantly who I serve.

    As a result, I am not a slave to circumstances because I know he is in control of them. I am not oppressed by authority as someone who has no hope and I bow down to no man.

    God is supreme and still in control. I am now to live free because I believe this to be true. And how about you dear reader? Are you living this truth or are you a enslaved. Is your hope built on the power of the creator of the universe or are you still trying to sit in that seat yourself? Choose this day who you will serve!

  • Who does that?

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    I have seen some strange things this week as I traveled from the south to the north and back.  And these things kept making me ask the question, “Who does that?” Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

    A utility bill collector calls a homeowner wondering where the payment is.  The homeowner gets irate and slams the phone down thinking they’ve won.  Clearly the lights will be shut off…”Who does that?”

    A person volunteers to help with a project.  They get with the committee and their idea isn’t chosen.  They pack up their things and leave in a huff…”Who does that?”

    A woman goes and purchases a luxury car that she can’t afford.  When she gets behind on the payments, she asks the church for help.  The church tells her that’s not what benevolence is for.  She says that she just feels that God wants her to have this car.  The benevolence committee gives her a strange look then she walks off angry threatening to leave the church…”Who does that?”

    A husband and father of four, starts a brand new job (he’s been out of work for two years).  He’s on the job for two weeks then he meets with his boss to start dictating his schedule based on the perks of his last job…longer lunch periods, flex time, etc.  When the boss refuses, he threatens to quit…”Who does that?”

    The person “who does that” is someone who has been over loved or under loved…the results are the same…they have a sense of entitlement. People who over love (ie. Enable) are people who were normally love starved as a child and they’re over compensating for what happened in the past, by over doing it going forward.  There are some cases where this person was over loved as well, but do it now as a learned behavior.  The under-lover follows the same pattern, where in most cases they were over loved to the point of being privileged, which created the stinginess within them.  There are a few cases where and under-lover is imitating an under-loved upbringing.

    Love should be balanced.  It is the responsibility of the sender of love, not the receiver of love to balance it.  By balance, I mean that it is not logical to give someone everything they ask for just because you can.  It is not logical to deprive someone of everything, just because you didn’t have it when you were young.  It is not logical to accept any old response for the under and over loving and call it love.  As we learn to love better, we strive for a balance that allows us send genuine love to the receiver who then sends genuine love back.

    Now that you know “who does that”, can you help somebody stop that?

  • Gratitude vs. Thanks

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    I was unaware of the symbol for gratitude. Of course, Eastern culture exhibits the symbol as much a we see stop signs here.

    Gratefulness and thankfulness each have its purpose, but have you ever viewed these words as levels of maturity? What I mean is a child will mimic what you say to him, but there will be no emotion behind it and that’s because there is not much intellect behind it. Imitation is what children do and it seems that some people never grow past mimicking.

    We are taught by our parents to say thank you when someone does something for us. We say thank you as a sign of respect. We do it because it’s the “right” thing to do.

    We grow up and understand thankfulness in the context that we learned it as a child. Thankful means to be glad or relieved that someone did something for us. That is a great thing to understand — when you are a kid.

    Gratitude seems to be the next level because it means that you understand what has been done for you and you want to express an inward feeling outwardly. You want to do something because you are moved by what someone else has done for you.

    Wow! That is different!

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    So ultimately our faith must do better than rest at thankfulness because faith without works is dead. So if we understand what God has done for us, then our actions should speak for us.

    So if I am grateful for God’s unconditional love then I will give it to someone else. If I am grateful that God has forgiven me, then there is no way I don’t forgive. If I am grateful that God’s grace saves me from a state where I could not save myself, then why would I not be so grateful as to learn of him and shout from the roof top telling others about him?

    Thankful appreciates. Grateful expresses the appreciation. Thankful shines with a smile. Grateful is a call to action.

    Therefore, I need to be grateful instead of thankful. I need to be more of a doer and not just a hearer that my faith and trust in God may be displayed before the world.

    I give God my thanks regularly, but I need to let him and everyone else know that I am grateful.

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  • It’s probably time to move on

    20130703-171510.jpgCommitment is defined as an act of to a charge or trust; the state or instance of being obligated or emotionally. I had to read this definition a few times myself. I wanted to get a grasp of what makes people over-commit. It must happen when the committed person becomes too emotionally connected.

    This is a bad place to be in because normally this person ends up getting hurt. They cannot see how their actions look to others. They give advice to people who don’t want it; they give money (with strings attached); and they over extend themselves and most of the time disguise it as general help. And in their subconscious mind they actually understand that whatever they were over-committing to is over, but at the moment, realizing it’s over is more hurtful than over-committing and looking like a fool.

    If you see this over-indulging creature, be careful with them. They are fragile. They are not in a state where logic resides. They are emotionally lead and you must look out for their well being.

    Unfortunately, some people take advantage of these over- committers and hide behind the fact that they didn’t ask for anything. Shame on you! What should happen is that you take NOTHING. You speak the truth in love to them, and end the relationship. Be consistent because the overindulgent can’t handle mixed messages. Over time they will see that you actually did them a favor.

    The following is five questions to assess if you are dealing with an over- indulger.

    1) If their help comes with hidden expectations
    2) If there was a recent break up and the person is working too hard to be friends
    3) If the person is over emotional especially with regard to helping
    4) If the person has limited friends
    5) If the person is controlling

    Contact me for further information.

  • Becoming truly independent on Independence Day

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    As June comes to a close we are set to focus on a summer which is in full swing.

    The month of July reminds us that as a country, we took measures years ago to insure that we would enjoy freedom. We declared our independence and wrote songs about it. Heroes secured their place in history and it has been taught to future generations.

    Wouldn’t it be cool if we not only remembered our independence as a nation, but we examined our own lives and sought independence for ourselves?

    Over time we develop bad habits, bad relationships and bad dispositions. Maybe instead of complaining about them we decide to do something about them.

    Maybe you have been a dumping ground for other people’s problems or a scapegoat for other people’s troubles.

    Maybe you are in an unhealthy relationship or you are financially strapped because you are living above your means.

    Maybe you are enabling someone in a negative way that keeps them handicapped from dealing with their own problems.

    Whatever your lot, you can decide on Independence Day to free yourself! You should be in control of your life! Who better to make decisions for you, but you?

    This just takes some planning and praying. You can do this. Free your mind and you body will follow. This would make July 4, 2013 the best holiday ever!

    Think about it and make it happen. You deserve it!

  • Acknowledging him has it’s benefits

    We are half way through 2013 and it seems like we were just singing Auld Lang Syne (as much as we can sing that song but you get the picture). Many of us made resolutions and before Valentine’s Day we were done. I would like to offer a word of encouragement for those who have not made the most of this year.

    Despite failed attempts and unmet expectations you are still here. And that’s a good thing. I know it seems like you’ve let yourself down and there may be people in your life constantly reminding you that you’re not good enough, but there is a God my friend. And this GOD loves you.Image

    He loves you enough to watch you make decisions that don’t make much sense. And he doesn’t intervene because he doesn’t want to take away your free will. He loves you enough to make sure things don’t get too out of hand. Imagine how much worse things could have been? If you thought about it, you could think of folks who are doing worse. In fact it seems that no matter how bad you are doing, there is someone doing worse.

    These are the little things that the Lord stays on top of while he is waiting for us to acknowledge him. In fact, he said that if we would acknowledge him here, he would acknowledge us before his father in heaven (Matt. 10:32).

    Why don’t you spend the rest of this year acknowledging him. The bible tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge him and he will direct our paths (Prov. 3:5,6).

    He’s waiting on you. Call him up friend, call him up in prayer.

  • How we are saved

    20130614-230636.jpgHave you ever wondered exactly how the gospel saves? I mean we say it all the time and it is a staple in Christian circles. However, is the “how” ever addressed? We definitely get the “who” the “what” and the “where”, but it seems the “how” is the black sheep of this family.

    Well, please allow me to share the “how” and open your heart to the rightly-divided word. The facts of the gospel are contained in 1 Cor. 15:1-4. Paul writes that Jesus died according to the scriptures and he was buried and he rose on the third day according to the scriptures. So the death, burial and resurrection are the simple facts.

    In Romans 5:10, Paul says that in His death we were reconciled back to God. With Jesus’ death we have a new relationship with God. The bible says that we are but filthy rags before him. The blood of Jesus reconnects us. This is the soul purpose of his death — that those who die with Him get the benefit of being united with God.

    The resurrection is this new life that we, who believe, live in. Rom. 5:10 says that we are “saved” by His life. How? You see, for those who are in Christ, it is His life that we walk in, not our own. His life is the light. And that life is the light of men (John 1:4). And if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). So there is only light and darkness. We walk in the light by faith. We have been called to walk by faith, not live perfect lives. As a child of God who has been reconciled to God and saved by His life, I have eternal security as long as I “walk by faith” (a.k.a. Stay in the light).

    The death and resurrection are tied together by the burial just like our reconciliation and life in Christ are tied together by baptism. Rom. 6:4 says, “we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

    This makes baptism as essential to salvation as the burial is to the gospel. No wonder Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved …”(Mark 16:16).

    I hope that I have brought clarity to this topic and please don’t hesitate to comment on this blog with questions.

    In Christian love,

    Clyde