Leaving a legacy

My dad shared his faith with me and
I am now sharing my faith with my children
and grandchildren. Thanks be to God!

After God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, he said these words: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

I have been blessed because I was raised in a Christian home. My parents, grandparents and their parents before them were believers in Christ. I have a history, written by my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, John Gordon, and in it he shares his own conversion to Christianity. What a beautiful legacy he left for the generations that would follow him. 

As a child, I often wondered why God placed me within a Christian family, why he chose for me to be born at a specific time and in a particular place. 

When I read Acts 17:26-28, I realized that God is ultimately in control. "From one man he (God) made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring'."

Although my parents were Christians, their faith was not a guarantee that I would become a Christian. I ultimately had to make that decision for myself. I heard a saying once that, "God doesn't have any grandchildren," and it's true. Those who come to faith in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior become the children of God in a very real sense. But since I was raised in a Christian home, I was taught Christian values at an early age and when it was time for me to make a choice, it was an easier decision.

My heart is burdened for those who have not received a legacy of Christian values. I know many people who have become "first generation" Christians. They have endured ridicule and some have been shunned by their families because they chose to follow Christ. But what a blessing it is to begin a legacy for the generations to come.

Here is an account from my grandpa Gordon regarding his conversion.

"In May, 1838 I got under conviction. I found that I could not get to heaven on other people’s faults and imperfections. I had to stand or fall for myself. I saw I was lost and undone forever without religion, but the difficulty was how to get religion. I could not see any consistency in the way that some people said that they got religion."

"Thus, I was confused and bewildered. One day, when I was following my  plow, I began to cry out in the agony of my soul; 'what shall I do? what shall I do?' At last there was a passage of scripture which came vividly to my mind; 'If the wicked man turn from his wickedness and does that which is right, his past sins shall not be mentioned to him.' Well, I thought this is the easiest plan I ever heard of and I immediately  (though I was following my plow) vowed to God that I would do it and I would obey and be governed by the gospel to the best of my ability, God being my helper, let man say or do what he would. As soon as this vow was made, I felt relief but I was so ignorant I hardly knew what to do. I began to read the New Testament and going to meetings of all kinds and conversing with everyone that made a profession of religion, asking all the questions I could, and would compare the results with the scriptures. All the instructions that were in accordance with the scriptures I would receive, no difference from what source it came and all that did not, I refused."

Grandpa Gordon and his wife, Mary, were baptized on Sunday, May 1839 and he said that he felt a peace of mind which he had never felt before.

I am so grateful for his testimony and I want to leave a similar testimony for my descendants. My advice to you today is to find a way to share your love of Christ with your family and friends. 

Don't be deceived!

Our world is in turmoil and needs the peace of Christ more than ever before. Our enemy, the devil, is deceiving many people into believing that evil is good and even Christians are falling for his lies.

I read a survey conducted by George Barna recently and it stated that only 27% of Americans are convinced that Satan is a real force. Only 40% of born again believers believe that Satan is real. 

It is unthinkable that Christian people wouldn't see Satan as a threat. Just listen to these words from scripture:

Mark 4:15 - Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

Matthew 13:36-39 - Then he (Jesus) left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels."

1 Peter 5:8 - Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Not only is Satan a real threat, but he is succeeding in his plans to deceive Christians into believing only part of God's Word. Today there are men and women in pulpits around the world who are leading parishioners astray. They do not teach sound doctrine, they do not preach the whole counsel of God. Either all of God's Word is truth or it isn't. We can't pick and choose which parts of scripture we like and discount scripture that doesn't fit into our way of life. 

The Apostle Peter warned us that this would happen. "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves." 2 Peter 2:1

Jesus warned us about false prophets in Matthew 7:15-16 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them."

He also told his disciples what to expect at the end of the age. He said that many false prophets would appear and deceive many people. He said, because of the increase in wickedness the love of most would grow cold, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved.

My heart is burdened for those who consider themselves Christians, but are being fed lies by their pastors. If more people read the Bible and questioned their pastors about their teachings, maybe those men and women would be forced to leave the pulpit. 

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to shine the light of Christ on those who are teaching false doctrine revealing them for who they are and who they are really serving. 

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he (Jesus) is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1 John 3:7-8 

The Apostle Paul gave this advice to Timothy; "The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends. But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances; endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the Good News, and perform your whole duty as a servant of God." 2 Timothy 4:3-5.

We have a spiritual enemy and his name is Satan. He will lie to and deceive people until he the day is cast into the lake of fire. Jesus defeated Satan when he rose up from the grave and Satan hates all those who believe in Christ because we are inheritors of eternal life. We are victors and he is the big loser. He wants to lure as many folks as possible away from God and will stop at nothing to get the job done. 

The Apostle Peter said, "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:3-9

Be encouraged my friend, and stand firm in your faith because we are the victors!

Sharing our faith with others

(This is a continuation from the past two weeks, we will continue our journey through a prayer labyrinth)

We have just left the holy of holies and spending some precious time with God. We have shared our concerns with him and he has spoken to our hearts through his Word and his Spirit. 

It is time to take our personal, one-on-one experience with God into the world. As we leave the holy of holies, we have a lighted candle to carry with us into the darkness, but we need to make a stop first and reflect on our motivation.

Psalm 139

 1 You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

There is a mirror situated below this Psalm and it is there for you to look at yourself and see yourself as God sees you. He created you, He loves you and He knows that before you can love others, you need to love yourself. As you look into the mirror, notice that there may be flaws, but God doesn't see them. Since you are a new creature in Christ, He sees only a righteous person - a reflection of Christ.

As we move out of the labyrinth and into the world, we go as disciples of Christ. He asked us to go into all the world and make disciples, but how do we begin? Imagine that you are getting ready to plant a seed. You have the soil, which is a good foundation to begin the process and you are equipped with good seed which is God's Holy Word. 

Plant your seed in the soil, remembering that wherever you go, you are to plant seeds for the Lord. He will do the watering and His Spirit will produce the fruit. All He expects us to do is plant seeds. As you plant your seed, pray for someone who doesn't know the Lord. 

Take your candle as you move on to the next station. Notice that there are many unlit candles before you - these represent those who are lost, those who are sick, those who are grieving or lonely. 

Ask God's Spirit to speak someone's name to your heart who needs a prayer. As you light a candle from your own candle, pray for that person.

We have made our way through the Prayer Labyrinth and are ready to leave, but before we do, there is one more stop to make.

Imagine yourself on a sandy beach. The tide has receded and the beach is smooth with no footprints on it, yet. Now, step out onto the sand and notice your footprints. Think about the impression that you leave wherever you travel. Are people seeing Christ in you? What sort of legacy are you leaving behind for future generations? 

Go with God into the world and be a blessing to others.

I hope you have experienced God in a new way through this prayer journey. God wants to meet with you everyday. What we've experienced here can be done anytime, anywhere - to enter God's presence, we only have to prepare our hearts and be ready to respond to His heart.

Casting our Cares Upon God

(This is a continuation from last week with our journey through a prayer labyrinth)

We have entered into a time of contemplation and are making our way into the holy of holies.

Once we have turned off all the noise in our lives, we are ready to let go of the things that hinder our worship of God. What is it that you are worried about? What are the concerns that keep you awake at night? Jesus knows that it is in our nature to worry. We worry about our finances, our jobs, our families, our health. We are often consumed with fear about the future, but Jesus asks us to cast all our cares upon Him. 

As a visual exercise, imagine that you have a handful of rocks. Each rock represents one of the concerns in your life. Now, picture yourself standing next to a lake. Take each one of those concerns and toss them one by one into the lake. You can't get them back, they are out of your control. God has received them and He will be responsible for the outcome. 

Next, we are going to move closer to God by taking a piece of paper and writing down some of the hurtful things in your life. What hurtful things have been said to you? What hurtful things have you said to others? Write a word or draw a symbol to represent these hurts then decide if you want to continue carrying these with you. If not, then tear that paper into small pieces and throw them in the trash can. Just put them in God's hands.

Jesus said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15.

There are a number of things that distract us from focusing on God. What distractions are you faced with? Busyness, work concerns, financial woes, health problems and family needs can keep us from spending time alone with God. Write down the distractions in your life keeping in mind this scripture:

“Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:1-2a

After you write your distractions then visualize yourself nailing those distractions on a cross. Jesus died to give us abundant life, we can't let anything get in the way of the life he offers.

It is now time to move into the Holy Place. This is a safe haven, a place where you can be yourself with God. He will meet with you here. Converse with him and use your Bible to let Him speak to you. Spend a few minutes in His presence, listening for His voice. Share your heart with Him and don't rush your time alone with Him. When our minds are clear of all distractions and our hearts are in tune with Him, He often reveals some work for us to do or He may just hold you closely - He desires this precious time alone with you.

When you are ready to begin the outward journey, light a candle and carry it with you. You are now ready to take your encounter with God into the world.

Next week we'll carry our candle into the world and discover ways to share our encounter with God.