Ten Things that you can do to make this coming weekend a Great One!!

Written especially for the those who live in and around Pittsburgh on this grand weekend of November 4 -6 2011 by Christian Watts

1. Make time for a friend or family member who’s not expecting you to do so.  Nothing tells someone that you love them or care for them more than the giving of your time for them.

2. Either just as the sun rises or just as the sun sets read Psalms 19. Afterwards, take a few minutes to thank God for His creation, and commit yourself afresh and anew to trust in Him and to seek to glorify Him with your life.

3. Instead of watching another episode of “whatever”, turn off the TV and do something really old school.  Play a board game with the family, play cards, work on a puzzle, build a model, paint your dog and/or cats nails!   You’ll be a better person for doing so (except maybe the paint the nails part).

4. Give the computer, smartphone, Facebook and email a day off!  It wasn’t that long ago that we lived without these things and we actually did just fine!  Give them a break, and give yourself a break in the process!

5. Take a walk and enjoy the warmth and the sunshine!  You know what’s coming… enjoy the nice weather while it’s here!

6. Get er done!  You know that little project that needs finished?  That thing that needs fixed?  Get it done!  Having stuff like that hanging over your head only creates stress and more headaches for the future.

7. Get up and get out!  Do something different this weekend… go somewhere and have fun!  And guys, I’m not talking about driving your wife out to Cabella’s so you can shop for cameo…  However, if you can work in dinner at Crackerbarrel, you might just have a “win-win”.

8.  Rake your leaves, make a big pile, and then jump in!  In other words, do something that brings that kid in you back to life!

9. Call or write a hand written note to a long lost friend, family member, parent, or loved one.  Email and texting is so impersonal.  Who haven’t you reached out to in a while that would be good for you to connect with?  Come on, do it!

10.  Make it a priority to gather with your church family on Sunday.  I’ve said it time and time before… we need each other!  We need to love on one another, support one another, to hold one another accountable…  Folks, the church is YOU and when YOU are not there WE are missing something!  I hope you will make it a priority to see that you and your family are in church this Sunday!

Jiminy Crickets!!

This morning, w absolutely no warning, & with my 12 year old watching the TV as he gets ready for school, GMA shows graphic video over & over again of Gadhafi being killed. Later while covering the Michael Jackson trial we were warned that a picture of a wound on Michael Jackson's leg would be "extremely graphic". Are you kidding me??!! The leg wound looked no worse then a child's skinned knee! What is wrong with people?? is there even a line anymore between what is & isn't appropriate?? Jiminy Crickets!!

Don't believe it! It's all lies!

You're no good.  You were a mistake.  You've already made too many bad choices in life.  You're a failure.  God can't use you.  God doesn't want you.  God doesn't love you.  No one likes you. There's no use trying because you'll never succeed.  You are a failure!

LIES!  All of the above are lies straight from the master deceiver himself: Satan

Listen, God not only created you, He loves you!  And the scripture tells us that you were wonderfully and marvelously made, and that when God thinks about you He thinks good thoughts!

And here's the thing, you'll never be all that God has for you to be... you'll never climb out of that pit of despair, that trap of sin, or the darkness you are in, as long as you believe the devils lies.

GOD IS TRUTH!  And the truth is that He has a plan for your life!  He has so much more for you! So much more that He wants to do in you and through you...

The truth of who you and I are is recorded throughout the pages of scripture; but none stands out like Psalms 139.  Let me encourage you that as you read this Psalm below to allow God's truth to become your reality.  And the reality is that you were created for more! 

Psalms 139

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night- 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They cannot be numbered! 18 I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Loving God, Loving People - A new day is dawning at Living Bridge!

Do you ever wish you could have a "do-over" when it comes to your life, or at least a certain moment of your life?  Or, if you're a golfer, perhaps you wish life allowed for a mulligan?

The hard-cold reality is that there are no "do-overs", no "mulligans" in life. However, with each new day comes the opportunity for something that I believe is even better... A Fresh Start!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! "

This morning as I prayed over what God might have me share with you He pointed me to the verse above, and to the reality that some of you feel "consumed" by life and all of life's circumstances. Some of you are feeling overwhelmed, tired, ready to quit, like you can't go on... Others of you are stuck in a pit of contentment that is holding you back from being all that God has for you to be.  And then there are those who feel that God has abandoned you, given up on you...and as a result, you have turned your back on God.

One of my favorite verses is Romans 5:8 which says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

You see, God did not send His Son to dies for us because He "thought" we were perfect. And He didn't send His Son to die for us with the expectation of getting something in return...

God sent His Son to die in our place because He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY! God knew we would sin, fail, let Him down, mess up, whatever. And the reason we have such a hard time understanding His love is that it is far greater than anything we can fathom. It is an unmerited, undeserved, gracious love that only the God of the universe could give. And His love and compassion for us is new every morning, which allows today to be a new day, a fresh start, a new beginning in Him.

This Sunday we will embark on a new series titled, "Loving God, Loving People". This series marks a new day, perhaps even a "fresh start" for Living Bridge. You see, this is far more than another series. These words have now become our mission, what will or will not define us. And I am calling on you, the church, to join with me as we set out on this journey together. We have learned much from the past, but now a new day is dawning at Living Bridge. And the time has come to step out in faith in the light of God's mercies for a fresh start, and a new mission. To live out and to show others that we love God; to live out and to show people that we love them. And to ultimately live out our faith by making disciples and fulfilling our ultimate calling which is the Great Commission!

It's time to get off the sideline and get in the game. It's time to stomp out fear and the lies of the enemy. It's time to see the church of Jesus Christ rise from the ashes and become the glorious bride we are called to be!

So... will you join us? Or will you settle for contentment? The ladder is there, just waiting for you to use it to climb out of the pit. So let me encourage you to take that first step!  And together, we'll move forward in the light of God's love, mercy, and grace.

Keep Loving God and Loving People!

  

PCW

Being "real" as a Pastor part 1 - I get frustrated with church people who...

decide that the one thing that they can cut out of their busy schedules is either serving the church; or serving those outside the church.

Now, when I talk about the church I'm talking about those of us who claim the name of Christ. Those of us who say that we want our lives to model Christ in all we say and do. Those of us who look at Christ as a servant, as One who loved others in both word and deed.  Those of us who readily acknowledge that if we are going to be like Christ, we need to serve others and love others just as Christ loved and served others.

Look, I know it's not easy.  And what frustrates me even more is that in this world of technology, that is supposed to make life better, life has become even more complicated!  Every moment of every day is filled with some kind of "have to do".  And when it comes down to it, I can't help but get the sense that if something has to be cut to ease our "busy schedule" it's often times either "serving the church", or for some, "going to church" all together.

One thing I have noticed is that serving is directly connected to a person attending church. And when a person stops serving, they often times stop attending.  And before too long they become disconnected all together.  Look, you don't think I want to be at home some Sunday mornings??!!  Yes, I do!  And there is nothing wrong with taking a Sunday or two off now and then.  However, if we (and I sometimes can't believe I even have to say this) truly desire to be like Christ, live like Christ, serve like Christ, model Christ; then I believe that gathering with other believers and serving both inside and outside the church should be a critical part of who we are!  Do we so quickly forget all that He has done for us? That this world is not our home? Do we quickly forget in our busyness that there are those around us who need to know their is a Savior? Children, youth, and adults who need seasoned Christians to teach classes? Disciple others? Minister to the hurting, sick, wounded, and weary who need a hot meal, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear? Are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we don't have the time to make a difference in someone else's life??

I can hear some of you now... "Well, my family comes first!" OK... Actually, I hope it comes second to your relationship to God, and then after your family would come your relationship to your church family... Look, family does need to be a top priority, but what do we teach our children if we neglect to show them by our example what it means to serve as Christ served, love as Christ loved?  Bottom line is that the priority order should be God, family, then everything else.  And if He is first, and we are following His Word, serving will be at the top of the list.

Now, before I end this blogging rampage, I want to get back to where I began. I believe there are three things that most people assume when they decide to quit serving whether it be a kids leader, a greeter, an usher, a worship team member, whatever...

1. Someone else can and/or will do what I was doing.

2. They really didn't need me because I didn't feel appreciated.

3. Stepping down from serving will give me more free time.

Here's the problem with each...

1. There's a good chance that God called you to do whatever it is you were doing. And there may be someone that can do what you had been doing... BUT eventually the "someone's" will run dry and the ministry will suffer.

2. 9 times out of 10 times this is a lie from Satan himself!  You don't feel appreciated?  Tell whoever it is that oversees you.  I bet you'll find out differently and they will apologize that you felt that way.

3. Nope!  God has a way of giving us more when we give to Him.  I've seen Him give people more money, more food, better health... If you'll put Him first, and give to Him, I believe He'll bless you with more time for being faithful! That's the kind of God we serve!

As I sat here this morning, sulking in my frustration I was reminded of Luke chapter 10:1-11

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

The call today as it was before is to pray.  My prayer is that God would call out the workers. And that those whose hands need to be on the plow will answer His call. 

PCW

Why r u suprised at the difficulty ur going through? The decline in culture, morals, family, trust, respect? U were warned...

Read...

2 Timothy 3:1-9 1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. 7 (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) 8 These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. 9 But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

Christian, you are at war! Take up arms and prepare to fight! But please note...

If you continue going into battle alone, fighting with the weapons of the world, fighting in your strength, you will continue to expereince defeat. No matter what you've done in the past... no matter how many times you've expereinced defeat... put on the full armour of God and you WILL expereince victory! The battle is not yours - the battle belongs to the Lord! Put Him on the front lines and the enemy will be defeated!

Again, the scripture has never been more true...

Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Pray, let go, let God!

My Secret Life - Why Me? Why do I have to be the one going through this?

Why me?

Why do I have to be the guy whose cervical fusion didn't fuse? Why do I have to be the guy who at 39 now has plates, rods, and screws in the front and back of his cervical spine? Why Lord? Why me?

Quite the pity party isn't it? I mean, there are so many people worse off than me. However, I can't help but feel like my life has been one HUGE trial after another. Sure, I have been blessed in so many ways, but when it has rained it has poured!

Now, I readily admit that many of my HUGE trials have come by way of poor choices via my own stupidity. And I don't blame God at all. In fact, I know that He not only brought me through them, He blessed me beyond anything that I ever deserved. But that was then, and this is now. And the fact of the matter is that I am a different person than I was back then, and I am working really hard to honor God with my life. Has God forgotten me? I mean, I've even had people tell me that maybe I am not "believing for healing" enough. That my faith is weak. Maybe it is my fault??!?

So here I sit. The reality of my disability is before me at my favorite time of the year. The time of year that I want to plant my garden, work in the yard, take my son fishing, take my family camping. But here I sit, and here I will sit waiting for healing to occur.

Healing to occur....?

Maybe this "healing" is far more than physical. Maybe, just maybe, my healing is not about the physical at all. Maybe, just maybe, God has allowed this to come into my life so that I learn to trust Him all the more? Maybe God sat me on my bum for the sole purpose of teaching me to "Be still and know that He is God"? I know that God has been faithful through the many trials and storms I have faced over the years. Why should I believe that this one is any different? Why should I believe that He has forsaken me or that what I am going through is not a part of His perfect plan for my life? Why should I believe that He has not allowed this for the purposes of drawing me closer to Him, increasing my faith, and to make me stronger?

This morning God led me to two specific scriptures:

Isaiah 40:27-31 - Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

James 1:2-7 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

This when I realized I was asking the wrong question. Instead of "why" I should be asking "what" or "how".

God, what do you want me to learn from this? God, how do you want me to use this to strengthen my family, my walk with you, your church? God, how can I use this to increase my faith, walk closer to you, and to trust you more? God, how will you use this to draw others to you?

Unlike some pastors these days, I do believe in a literal hell and a literal enemy named Satan. And I believe that He wants nothing more than to see the wounded and weary spiral further and further into the "slough of despond".

However, I will not grow weary, and I will not give in to the devils lies. My hope is in the Lord! And I will trust in Him, I will preserve in spite of my circumstances, and He will lift me up! And I will one day be stronger, better, and I will soar on the wings of eagles because my God has not forgotten me. In fact, I know that my God IS with me. And even now, He is not only bringing healing to my body, He is restoring my soul, and leading me in paths of righteousness for His Names sake.

May God be glorified in my life in all that is therein!

Christian Watts

Is Your Faith Floundering? 5 Keys to trusting in God

Do you struggle with trusting in God?  I mean REALLY trusting in God, in the midst of the toughest storm?  Well, you're not alone!  Even those closest to Jesus struggled with trusting in Him.

I beleive that learning to trust in Christ is the key to knowing true peace, joy, and contentment in our everyday lives.  Unfortunately however, so many people live their lives every day in fear, worry, depression, anxiety, sadness, and dissatisfaction all because, if truth be told, they trust more in "self'" than they do in God.

I encourage you to read the scripture passages (2 Storm Stories from Matthew's gospel) and the information below.  And know that no matter where you are, no matter where you've been, today can be your day to take a step of faith!  The day you begin a journey of trusting more in God than you do yourself.

The Apostle Paul was one that learned that trusting in God was the only way to live.  And in His letter to the Phillipians chapter 4 he shares the secret to his contentment no matter the circumstance or situation:

¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Matthew 8:23-27 - Jesus Calms the Storm
23 Then He (Jesus) got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. (Either He was a sound sleeper, or was totally trusting in God Himself) 25 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Even though they had seen Him, had witnessed His miracles, they still struggled to trust Him) 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”

Matthew 14:22-33 - Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. 23 After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, He was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. (Note that the sea was not exactly calm)
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” He said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

5 Keys to Trusting in God

1. You must believe that God is in control of everything. (Matthew 8:23-24 above) In other words you must believe that The One who created it all, is sustaining it all, and ultimately is in control of it all! Read Psalms 139…

Acts 17:24-28a Paul speaking to the people of Athens
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.

2. Your faith level must be operating at 100% (Matthew 8:25-26 above) Read Hebrews 11…

Matthew 17:14-20
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

3. Expect Jesus to do what He says He will do. (Matthew 14:25-27 above) In other words, don’t be surprised when he shows up or does something miraculous.

Matthew 21:18-22
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

4. Keep your eyes on Jesus, trusting that He will take care of the storm. (Matthew 14:29-31 above)

Goes back to having a faith that’s running on 100%, and that’s not easy… But again, the more you trust Christ, the more you find Him faithful, the easier it will be to trust Him.

5. When Jesus calms the storm, worship Him.  (Matthew 14:32-33 above)

Conclusion
When you and I put our trust in God, and begin to recognize Him as the One who calmed our storm, got us through our difficulty, brought us the healing we needed, supplied our financial need, gave us hope when hope seemed to be nowhere to be found… When we recognize that it was God and not some happenchance, lucky, whatever that just happened… we won’t be able to help, but to give Him the glory, and the praise He deserves.

And when that next storm comes, and it will, we’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that then, as before, He will be faithful!

Problem: Too Busy, Need space in life. Solution: Get rid of God and all that church stuff!

At least that seems to be the solution these days. It just seems that if there's one thing that can be cut out of our busy lives, our busy schedules, placed at the bottom of our priorities list, it's God and "church" stuff. I mean after all, God understands... He'll forgive me... He still loves me...
Well, I can't argue with the last 2 points but I'm afraid that He doesn't understand. I mean, He knows we are sinners, that we will fail, that we will do things that go against His will and His ways... But what He finds so hard to understand is how after giving us all He had to give we would be so unwilling to give even a small portion of what we have to Him. And perhaps the saddest part in all of this is that He promises us the rest, the relief of our heavy burden... He promises to give us the very thing that we are hoping to gain when we cut Him out of our lives... rest for your weary soul. Oh God, please forgive us for we really do not know what we do.

God is not the problem, He is the solution. And He's the one thing you can't afford to take off your plate!

Matthew 11: 28-30 - Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Live In Victory! Romans 8:31-39

Christian, the enemy (satan) will try to make you believe that you are defeated, finished, and that the victory is his. However, do not lay down your weapon! He is a liar as God's Word clearly tells us that the victory has already been won! It was won 2000 years ago when Christ defeated death, hell, and the grave. What each of us must decide is whether we will choose victory or believe the lie of defeat. Choose victory! The battle has already been won! You are more than a conqueror! Claim Romans 8:31-39!

PCW

You are a “Born Loser” However, you weren’t “Born to Lose”

Last night like most Steelers fans I watched my beloved Steelers lose Super Bowl XV. First and foremost, hats off to the Green Bay Packers who played a near flawless game. They were the better team and quite frankly deserved to win. And hats off to my Steelers as well as no one expected them to even be in the Super Bowl this year, much less make it a great game.
I must admit that the loss has not put me down in the dumps as it did in 1995 when we lost to the Cowboys. Maybe it’s because I am content to have 3 Super Bowl appearances and two victories in the past 6 years; or maybe it’s because I am a little more mature and realize there are more important things to be upset about than a Steelers loss. Or maybe it’s because I have come to learn that it is through defeat that some of the most incredible victories have come.

You see, I am a born loser, and I’ve been losing all of my life. I literally can’t win for losing! And I’m not just talking about the many stupid mistakes of made… and no, I’m not referring to losing my hair either! I’m talking about the fact that I was born a sinner, a rebel against the very nature, will, and purposes of God. I was born defeated; but I was created to win.

I don’t know about you, but defeat can get the best of me. I experience a couple of defeats and I begin acting like, and living like a loser. “That’s just the way I am, I can’t help but to do such and such, be so and so.” And before we know it we live our lives in the constant agony of defeat. We literally begin to convince ourselves that we were not only born a loser, we were born to lose! And that’s just not the case at all.

“Ok, here it comes! The religious part of this little note here...” I can hear some of you saying that, and you know what? You’re kinda right. However, there really is no victory in religion in of itself. Victory only comes through a relationship; a relationship with the only one who could have, and did defeat this rebellious spirit that we are all born into called sin; a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When a person comes to realize that it is only through Jesus that they can be free from the penalty of sin, and that He is the only way for their “broken relationship” (because of their sin) with God to be restored, and in-turn they make a decision to depend on Him for their salvation; that person is called a Christian or better yet a “Disciple of Christ”. Now, just because a person is a Disciple of Christ doesn’t mean they don’t or won’t sin; what it does mean is that their sins past, present, and future, have been completely forgiven.

Now, I must add here that although our sins have been forgiven there are still consequences for our sin. When you touch a hot stove, you are going to get burnt and you are going to feel the pain associated with touching that hot stove. And just like with the stove, sin can often times leave us with consequences that are often painful and long lasting. Sometimes the consequences of sin can leave scars, incredible pain, and even have life-long effects. You see, just because we are forgiven doesn’t mean we have a license to sin. In fact, as Disciples of Christ we are called to live lives that honor God and are aligned with His will and purposes. However, this is an extremely hard thing to do because we were born losers meaning that our natural tendency is to sin, to rebel against God. And let me just say that I truly believe that when a Christian sins, or is living in sin, the scars and pain are even more severe.

So, how do we experience victory? Let’s look back at that Steelers game last night, and from that game I want to give you:

5 KEYS TO VICTORY FOR A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

1. Believe and live like the victory is already in hand.

The night before the packers won the Super Bowl, their coach had them fitted for their SB rings! He believed they were going to win, and they did just that!

1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Stick to the game plan.

Even though during the game the Packers lost several players to injury, they kept to their game plan and doing so kept them on the path to victory. Our game plan is found in God’s Word. As Christians, we struggle constantly with the idea that we can do it better, get there faster, and that we’ll be “ok” doing it “our way”… WRONG! God’s way is always best. Get to know the play book (His Word) and stick to the game plan!

Psalms 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

3. Don’t give the enemy a chance to score.

The more you fumble, make poor choices, do stupid (yes stupid) stuff, like hand the enemy the ball, the better the chance you’re going to lose!

Ephesians 4:27 – And do not give the devil a foothold.

4. Don’t give up.

No matter how defeated you feel that you are, don’t give up! I thought for sure we were toast in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore. However, the Steelers didn’t give up and in a year no one gave them a chance they made it to the Super Bowl!

Philippians 3:13&14 - Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

5. Learn from your defeat and use it to be victorious next time.

The Steelers will be back and will compete for a Championship next year, I believe it! They have to believe it and we fans have to believe it, otherwise we might as well just give up, right? If anything the pain and scars of defeat should remind us where we don’t want to be and where we do want to be! Don’t let defeat have the last word. Let defeat encourage you to victory!

Romans 8:31-39 - What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Blessings,

PCW