Meet Jesus: Straight

November 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 33″Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

In our networking, political worlds, we often find shaded communications the norm. Jesus is a straight shooter. His admonition to us is to avoid dependence on excuses and other items like, “I swear by the heavens”, over which we have no control. Simply say yes or no He tells us. Connecting with Jesus means connecting with a simple, clear answer. Connecting with Jesus strengthens us to give a simple, clear answer and commitment when other’s depend on us.

ACT! Get straight on a miscommunication. Think of a commitment you have made that really was neither a yes or no. Make a decision and connect with the other person. Tell them yes or no.

PRAY! Father, help me to be like Jesus. Give me clarity when I call to you. Build clarity in me when I am called upon by others. Show me direction. Give me sound discretion in all decisions that I might be reliable and relied upon. Bolster my confidence in You and in Your ability to follow through in me. Let me not speak in shades of gray when people need clear and simple lines.

Engaging War

October 12, 2013 by Phil Larson

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching concerning this with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The world needs more true praying to save it from the reign and ruin of Satan. — E.M. Bounds

The saints are those covenanted in Christ for salvation and kingdom. Paul had just described a torrid battle of wills and wonders with the power of the enemy. Now, he calls on us engage our weapons and armor of salvation, faith, righteousness, truth, the gospel of peace, and the word of God with intense prayer.

Stand your ground. Advance on the enemy. Cover with prayer.

This Christian walk is not meant to be a cake walk. It is war. It is intense. There are victories and there are losses. Our approach and our walk of character and obedience have great influence on the outcome coupled with God’s intervention.

Success is not financial. Success is not things. Success is love, hope, and faith. Success is permanence of blessing in another life. Success is the progress of the saints.

Prayer: Father, there is tremendous blessing in our walk with You. There is also tremendous resistance from the enemy to right advancement of the kingdom. Teach us to pursue the right advancement and not just advancement. Teach us to work on behalf of others. Guide us to guide others into the kingdom, help them grow in the kingdom, and assist them to stay in the kingdom. This is our charter, our charge, our commission in Christ.

Take Time to Battle

August 16, 2013 by Phil Larson

The Lord of Hosts is on Your Side. I would have lost heart had I not believed, The Lord of Hosts is on my side.

In Psalm 24, David declares the Lord of Hosts is Strong and Mighty in Battle. In Psalm 84, the sons of Korah declare the Lord of Hosts has a lovely dwelling place, answers prayer, and is worth our trust for blessing. In Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite declares the Lord of Hosts is mighty and His faithfulness surrounds Him. No other mentions are made of this name of God in the Psalms. It is the most used name for God in all of the Old Testament.

Jehovah Tse-Bah-Wah – The Lord of Hosts, The Lord of the Armies Encamped for War, The Lord Almighty.
Many versions translate this name as the Lord Almighty. Literally, it means the Lord of the Armies Encamped for War. I have seen Him in the watchfires of an hundred circling camps. I have seen Him at Tulakes Elementary where over 97% are fatherless. I have seen Him at Epperly Heights Elementary in Del City where over 97% are fatherless. I have seen Him in West OKC around Eagles’ Crest where the fatherless are 65%. I have seen Him in Matamoros and Moquetito and Gualaneno and Praederas de Rioje in Mexico where anger and strife and drugs and alcohol strangle the citizenry. I have seen Him in East OKC at Tabitha and other congregations, where fatherless homes are 70-80% of the norm. I have seen Him at Life Church in Edmond with the Mentoring Project reaching out into the highways and byways. I have seen Him on the phone as I talk with man after man with fractured backgrounds wanting to help someone else. I have seen Him in Gainesville stirring souls to Christ and freedom. I have seen Him. I have seen Him.

He is the father to the fatherless and the supporter of the unmanned home and the liberator of the captive mind and heart and the One who sets the solitary into families. He is active. He is purposed. He has decided it is time. Enough is enough.

How long, Oh Lord of Hosts, will we turn to legislation and the noise of man to save us? Have we not trusted in the spear of economy and investments? Have they not failed us? Have we not trusted in political process and community action and been skewered in our dependence? Do we not resemble Israel of old-looking to Egypt and Syria and other nations, when You stand above all? Are you not the Lord of Heaven and Earth? Is not all of this subject to Your hand and Your action and Your influence? Has our gospel become so weak in our hearts and mouths that we have forgotten our Maker, our KIng, our Lord, our Warrior, our Salvation, our Banner, our Healer, our Righteousness, our Every Present, our Shepherd, our Provider, our Peace, and The LORD of HOSTS?

Save our hearts, Lord. Battle for our souls. We have become complacent and accepting that our nation and community is subject to statistic. Lord, my house is subject to Your LORDship. Lord over my home. Lord over our homes. Lord over us. Bring us to holiness and separation from statistic. Bury divorce. Bury abortion. Ban it from Your people. Bury fatherlessness. Bury drug and alcohol dependencies. Bury violence and anger. Bury our ills of dependency on anything or anyone else but YOUR UNFAILING LOVE AND POWERFUL PRESENCE.
Cleanse LORD of Hosts and prepare us for battle for Your Kingdom. Your will be done in Heaven and on Earth. Shake us. Stir us. Pull out from underneath us all of our strange gods we have set before You.

Meet Jesus : Heaven Focused Matthew 5:29

August 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 29: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30: And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Jesus is focused. His determination to see us succeed in reaching our eternal destiny on good terms is infectious. When you meet Jesus, you meet determination to get to Heaven, His Father’s throne room. His determination affects everything He says and does. He is focused that we would be there with Him. He is focused that whatever would get in our way would be eliminated. Though it may sound warped when you read these verses, remember He is focused to see you succeed.

ACT! Think of one thing you could eliminate from your week that would help you grow.

PRAY! Father, You are unfathomable. You are so focused to see me grow and live a healthy, productive life that leads me into Your presence. In Your presence is joy, Father. Help me to eliminate in my life whatever leads me away from You and Your presence. Help me to make hard decisions that lead to You.

Meet Jesus: Clear Thoughts Matthew 5:27

July 25, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

One of the greatest thought battles of the male is with lust. Jesus is fully aware of that thought battle. He is conscious of the struggle men face. He doesn’t excuse it away. Connecting with Jesus is connecting with a commitment to clear, controlled thought-life.

With what appears to be such a strict edict, is there hope for men and women? Yes, the thought is not just directed to men, it is directed to all. Is there hope?

Like any struggle, Jesus is giving us tips to stopping damage before it goes to full fruit. The key is to stop thoughts before they develop into action. He isn’t telling us that a quick temptation is like full blown sexual contact. He is telling us, “Don’t go there. Get control of your thoughts before they develop further than a fleeting idea.”

ACT! Thoughts wandering? Try speaking blessing over a person instead of contemplating their sexual attraction. Change the focus of your mind. Give your mind something else to think about. See the person as a person not an objective.

PRAY! Father, our hearts can be so distracted. So many times we find ourselves struggling to stay faithful and content with the lives in which we are blessed. You call us to not covet other’s goods and spouses and conditions. Keep envy far from us. Keep jealousy away from our door. Keep coveting out of our mind. Clear our hearts, God. We need Your help. You give us clear and clean thoughts to guide us. Help us to focus on the good and gentle and kind in life and be content with our condition.

Meet Jesus: Conciliation Matthew 5:23

July 20, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 23: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

To Jesus the issue of treating our brothers with respect was powerful. It wasn’t just a matter of not killing each other and not calling each other names. His outlook was one of resolving differences. Jesus is tough on those issues that divide unnecessarily. Surely, 99% of what divides us today can be resolved with humility and the right approach.

In the verses before and behind this the issue is laid out. Don’t attack or be angry with your brother unless it is super serious. Settle a matter quickly, even if the person has set themselves as an enemy against you. Deal with it.

Workday Conflict: The conflict at work was intense. These two just could not get along. Every meeting was full of asides and stares. What could break the personality impasse? Work was not getting done because decisions could never be trusted.
One of the parties stayed after a meeting. Their demeanor was serious. Slowly, they admitted the problem was real and asked me, their manager, how to address it. Fortunately, they were Christian. The concept of grace was easily appealed to with them. We agreed they would begin to list out frustrations with the individual after every meeting and cross off all the ones that had no substance. Then they would follow up outside the meeting with the person to come to a compromise on ones that did have substance.

Everything did not get better immediately. But it sure made the rest of the week more productive. Maybe the other person would eventually respond to the extension of grace.

Community Clashes: A friend was frustrated as we ate lunch. As he worked with pastors, he noted many of them hated each other. They would make vile comments about other pastors and churches working in the same community and culture. How could this be?

We prayed for pastors and leaders. We agreed we would continue to offer love and acceptance to each one of them. Maybe our extension of acceptance to them could help break the bottleneck of competitive spirit we were finding.

ACT! Call someone who is testy with you. Offer them peace and acceptance.

PRAY! Wow, Father, You are really serious about Your family getting along. Surely, You created us to live together with peace as much as possible. Help me today to be a peaceful person and a peacemaker. Help me to move first toward peace with others. I love You, Father. I am glad You are always on my side for me to grow.

Meet Jesus: Dignity Matthew 5:21

July 10, 2013 by Phil Larson

www,examiner.com

Matthew 5: 21″You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Dignity is a key concept in Christ. Jesus did not assault the dignity of any human. There were times He directly challenged people to righteousness. He had no problem calling people to account for hidden agendas and false fronts. He did not attack the person as a person. He never called anyone a fool or an idiot or stupid or any such attack. That standard stands for us.

Interesting is the way Jesus looks at one of the ‘ten commandments’. There is a level beyond the surface to which He takes us. It is the heart intent that is most important. It is the beginning of the action in the depth of the heart that Jesus looks to identify. Lusting leads to adultery. Anger and contempt leads to murder. Stop the action at the point of the seed in the heart. That’s His message.

ACT! Look for any bad seeds in your heart. Take a few moments to sift through your thoughts over the last few days. If you have a mate, is there another besides your mate that has taken time in your thoughts in the wrong direction? Have you been unduly angered and contemptuous with someone? Are you miffed at God over something You think He should have done for you? Have you railed at a government official? Now is the time to uproot the seed before it germinates.

PRAY! Father, I’ve got to admit. There are times I am really upset with people acting out of my pattern. Yes, Father, I have my ways. Help me to not be so quick to call them right and others wrong. Help me to see the person separately from the action. Help me to protect the dignity of each human as precious. Help me to look at others as Your creation with an intention for good. Though they may be demonstrating wrongly, help me to look beyond at potential and design. Let me call out goodness for the lives of others in the midst of pain and problems. Help me to be like You.

Meet Jesus: Integral

July 8, 2013 by Phil Larson

How in this world can our righteousness exceed that of the most religious?

Matthew 5: 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus calls us to a higher place than religion. It is not the place of pious righteousness born of obeisance to which He calls us. Did that make sense? It is not surface righteousness He wants. It is not doing great motions that He wants. He wants righteousness born of the spirit of the heart. He wants our desires for living like God. This goes beyond the righteousness of religion.

A story: Sharon was looking. So often she had seen religion in the lives of others. That did not appeal to her. She wanted something more. She wanted relationship and meaning in her life. How could she find it? This group that met on Tuesday nights seemed to have something more. Her coworker had convinced her to go the first time. There was something in them more than just their bible-book and talk. She wondered what it was.

ACT! Is there a hunger for right living in you? Is it bigger than just what you do, but how you think?

PRAY! Father, where is the place of peace I seek. In my life there are many mistakes. So many times, I’ve lost sight of the goodness You want for me. So many times, I have tried and failed to live up to Your ways and laws. But, I want to follow You. I want to live for You. I want to connect with Your love every day and every hour. Peace me, Father. Flow the presence of Your Holy Spirit into me in new ways. Break the old mold of my life and breathe something new in me. Make my love for You fresh and vibrant. Break me.

Meet Jesus: Legal Matthew 5:19

July 4, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So many times we hear of the Jesus of grace and mercy. Surely, He is that. He is also just and correct. He requires us to live up to a higher standard. That standard is easily achievable in Him, but only in Him. On our own, we will never make it.

Jesus is legal, correct, right, and focused on helping us move every day closer to the same place as Him.

Final Legality: Arguing with the team had become too common for Jack. Over and over, he had covered key points needed to progress. Over and over they had resisted and only complied with the smallest amount. Now it was time to move forward. Now it was time to break the stalemate.

Jack called the group into his office. Looking intently at each one, he challenged them to step up to the new procedures. He declared it a “now” item not a tomorrow item. It was time to do the work correctly.

ACT! Are you out of line somewhere with the simple instructions of life? Ask forgiveness, get a new set of directions, and set out to make it different.

PRAY! Father, I can get so caught up in doing in my way and doing what I think is right. Help me see Your way. Surely in Jesus, I can do what You ask me to do. Don’t let me get caught in the legalisms of others, but only follow as You ask me in Jesus.

If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know. Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Meet Jesus: Committed Matthew 5:17

June 24, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 5: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”.

Jesus is committed to the full plan of God. Part of that plan is the law. Part of that plan is for the law to show us our inabilities and ways to live a better life. This law is detailed and damning and defining. There is no avoiding it. Even when we have not been taught the law, it will convict us of the need for a better life.

On a plane headed home, the woman next to me convicted me. The memory scripture on which I was working talked about being wise with those who do not believe. Here she was, unbelieving. Here she was, looking for answers.

Really, airplane chatter is tough for me. The noise and head stuffiness makes it hard to hear. What if the person is a bad conversationalist? The flight is 3.5 hours. Every excuse presented itself. The voice of the verse taunted my conscience.

The entire flight, we talked. She asked about picking a good man, who would be a good father for children. She asked about finding her passion in life and living faithfully to it. She asked about relationships based on codependency. She was looking for some counsel. She was looking for a friend with the gospel. She was looking with a friend with knowledge of the law that builds a better life.

ACT! Who is it that needs some light of the gospel? Yes, the law will convict you to find the gospel. Then it becomes a joy lived by the power of the gospel and the freedom of grace.

PRAY! Father, Your law convicts me of the need for grace. Every day, I need grace. Every day, I need mercy. Any You provide it every day in every way. Grace to endure. Grace to rejoice. Grace to be alive. All of this is mine in Christ. Mercy to be free. Mercy to live with no condemnation. Mercy to enter Your presence as a child and ask for love and life. These are all mine in Christ. Keep me moving forward in understanding and obedience. Keep me open to live the Gospel so others might see and hear.

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