GillKeith, Author at Your Personalized Bible

Abundant Life

November 3, 2013 by GillKeith

I was walking through a local park by the Columbia River recently when I heard a voice, “Hey, over here.” I looked around but didn’t see anyone. I was about to walk on when I heard the voice again. “Down here.” I looked down and there was a frog. She said to me, “Kiss me and I’ll turn into your own personal super-model.” Well I picked that frog up and put her in my pocket. She complained, “Aren’t you going to kiss me so I’ll turn into a super-model?” I responded, “Nope, at my age I’d rather have a talking frog.” (I suspect my wife would prefer that too.) My vision of abundant life and that frog’s vision were different.

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I came that _____ may have life, and he/she may have it abundantly.” What does abundant life mean? Is it a big house, fancy clothes, or maybe the latest LeBron James basketball shoes? Is it driving a BMW? Of course not, abundant life is driving a Mercedes (just kidding). Remember what the Bible says in James 1:11: “For the sun rises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass, and the flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So also will the rich man/woman fade away in his/her pursuits.”

Psalm 35:27 says that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His people. So God’s going to make me rich! No, God has another view of prosperity. He keeps an eternal perspective. Luke 16:15 warns, “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

One question is in the heart of every human being: what must I do to be at peace with God and myself? To answer that we need God’s perspective. As I write this, we are approaching the Christmas season. A TV show that comes on every year is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We have all seen it. A young man has dreams and plans but then life happens. A depression, a war and soon George is making adjustments and his dreams fade. But in the end his brother says, “George is the richest man in town.” Why? Because he had a big house or a lot of money in the bank. No, because of relationships, because of love.

Abundant life does not depend on luck, your bank account or your health. It is not about wealth, power, status or pleasure. Luke 12:15 say that life does not consist in the abundance of things. It’s not about the stuff! Rather it’s joy, peace, love, kindness. That is the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Gal 5:22-23. That is the fruit that comes from right choices.

This past weekend I went Christmas shopping, the Black Friday thing and all. I went to Wal-Mart but they were out of patience. I stopped at Target to look for joy but there was none. Costco had a special on hope but when I got there the shelves were empty. Stores don’t sell patience, joy, wisdom or hope. The Holy Spirit is the only source.

We get caught by what I call “life-suckers”: selfishness, anger, hatred, lust, unforgiveness, fear, greed or despair. Let them in and they will suck the life out of you. “Oh, that is just who I am.” No! That is who you were. 2Corinthians 5:17 tells us we are new creations; the old nature has passed away. The bondage of life-suckers is broken.

James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor shifting shadow.” Receive the life of God and it has a positive impact.

Let’s read Psalm 23:

The Lord is _____’s shepherd:

_____ shall lack nothing.

He makes _____ lie down in green pastures.

He leads him/her beside the still waters.

He restores _____’s soul.

He guides _____ in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Even though _____ walks through the valley of the shadow of death,

_____ will fear no evil, for You are with him/her.

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort him/her.

You prepare a table before _____ in the presence of his/her enemies.

You anoint _____’s head with oil.

_____’s cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow _____ all the days of his/her life,

And _____ shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Green pastures and still waters represent the peace of God that overwhelms my soul when I place my trust in Him. His guidance leads me away from evil and toward righteousness. When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil because I am the meanest son of a gun in the valley? That only lasts until a meaner son of a gun shows up. I would rather depend on His rod and staff. His rod denotes protection and His staff denotes guidance.

Have you ever lived where you were looking over your shoulder to see who was sneaking up on you? Now when I look over my shoulder I see goodness and mercy. They are following me. The ultimate abundant life is eternal life when I dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

If I think like the world, I will get what the world gets. My decisions open my life to God or to the devil. Is my focus on:

Pleasure? Chasing after what feels good? It is empty. Eccl. 1:8 “The eye never has enough of seeing, not the ear its fill of hearing.”
Possessions? How much is enough? How much money, how much stuff? It will always be a little bit more. Eccl. 5:10 “Whoever loves money never has enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”
Performance? Recognition at work or even church? Eccl. 4:8 “Man is always working, never satisfied.” Why do you think they call it the “rat race”? Actor Jim Carrey is not someone who I would categorize as a great Christian role model but he made a very wise statement: “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of, so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

The world’s trinity is me, myself and I. One of the tools of the thief is the temptation to be selfish and self-centered. We have raised four children. Think about a child’s first words. After “mommy”, “daddy” and “no” it’s probably “mine”. Put two 2 year olds together with some toys and it won’t be long before one is clutching a toy and yelling “mine.” We expect that behavior in a 2 year old; in a 22 year old there is a problem.

“I” is in the middle of sin. “I” will kill you. The anecdote is to recognize that everything belongs to God. Galatians 6:7-8 in The Message says, “Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.”

We all want life more abundantly. So what is the answer? It begins with Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Until I surrender to Him, I will not experience abundant life. After that every day is an opportunity to grow.

Deuteronomy 30:19 say, “I call heaven and earth to witness against _____ this day, that I have set before him/her life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore _____ should choose life, that he/she may live, he/she and his/her descendants.” Choose death or choose life? Which way will I go? The thing that impresses me in this Scripture is that my choices are not only important to me and they impact my children and my grandchildren. If I won’t choose righteousness for myself then I should consider the impact that choice will have on those after me.

One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 4:18: “But _____’s path is that of the righteous, like the first light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day.” Beginning this walk with God may not be easy, the path may not always be clear, but as I continue to walk in righteousness, the path becomes brighter, the way smoother. I just need to stick with it.

What is abundant life mean to me? Someday I will stand before my heavenly Father and hear him say as in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That is truly abundant life.

Now where did I put that frog?

Filed Under: In Christ Tagged With: Deuteronomy 30:19, Galatians 6:7-8, It's a wonderful life, John 10:10, Luke 12:15, Matthew 25:21, peace with God, Proverbs 4:18, Psalm 23, Psalm 35:27, righteousness, vision, well done good and faithful servant

If I Change

October 12, 2013 by GillKeith

racoon If someone gave me $100, would that change my life? One night out to dinner and a movie and that is gone. What if I had a new job? Give it a month and I’ll probably find something to grumble about. On the other hand, one thought can change my life. For me one of those thoughts was Romans 8:1: “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Those words began my journey to understand who I am in Christ.

My confession can say “I’m in trouble” or “I’m in Christ.” If it’s “I’m in trouble”, who am I blaming? My wife, my boss, my parents? Colossians 3:10 (NIV) tells us, “(We) have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” It’s time to put on the new man. That means to put on new thinking. Here is the Key: If I change, everything changes.

We have all heard of the witness protection program on police dramas: a witness whose life is threatened is given a new identity. They have a new name, a new home, new ID, but are they a different person? Without a change on the inside, they will go back to the same habits resulting in the same outcome wherever they go: stealing cars, doing dope, whatever. We recently traveled to Florida. I got off the plane, proceeded to baggage claim and guess who was there? Me! Wherever I go, there I am. I can’t get away from me.

What words define my life? Stress, financial pressure, anger, frustration, rejection. We need a new vocabulary. Ephesians 1:4-5 describes the new man, “Even as He chose _____ in Him before the foundation of the world, that _____ would be holy and without blemish before Him in love; having predestined _____ for adoption as a son/daughter through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His desire.” Here we are described as chosen, holy and adopted. Verse 7 tells us we are redeemed and forgiven. Often our attitude is, “I’ve always been this way.” “I’ve always thought this way.” “It’s so hard to change.” Who ever said it would be easy? But the reward is worth it. If I change, everything changes.

Have you ever see fun house mirrors? One makes your stomach balloon out, the next gives you a watermelon sized head. We grow up never seeing a true image of who we are. Words from friends or teachers, abusive or neglectful parents, a home broken by divorce, a dysfunctional family have left an imprint on our soul. I remember my parents saying, “You never follow through on anything.” That has always made it hard for me to push through to the end of a task. “I can’t…” “I’ll never…” It is time to get a new image of who you are. The Word of God is the only accurate mirror that can tell you who you are.

What is our excuse for not trying? ADHD, I can’t read, I failed in school. A tattoo artist had just completed a tattoo on a man’s arm saying, “Loser.” He was asked why anyone would want that tattoo. His response was, “It first must be on their heart.”

Let’s get our focus on a new self-image. The world is trying to pull us off course, distract us from God’s purpose for our lives. James 1:8 warns that the double minded man is “unstable in all they do.” Here is a key to recognizing double minded: “but”. If I say, “I am in Christ BUT…” I am double minded. “But” is a U-turn. I am headed toward the in Christ reality, then the “but” jumps in and turns me the other way. The “but” cancels out everything before it.

Acts 17:28 (NIV) tells us, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” In Christ is our connection to life. I have rights as a citizen of the United States. When I travel overseas, I can expect help and protection from the local authorities as a US citizen. As a citizen of heaven my rights are exponentially higher: child of God, destined for heaven, protection from the evil one. In the natural, our identity may be from family history: divorce, addiction, abuse. 2Corinthians 5:16 says we are no longer identified according to the flesh. Paul goes on to say in verse 17 we are a new creation. We have a new identity, a new passport.

Ephesians 4:22-24 commands, “that _____ put away, as concerning his/her former way of life, the old man/woman, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that _____ be renewed in the spirit of his/her mind, and put on the new man/woman, that like God has been created in true righteousness and holiness.” Success depends on change. Bottom line, I can’t change anything but me. My past is my fault, but so is my future. I may want to blame others or blame the past, but the truth is it is up to me to change my future. Philippians 3:13-14 encourages us to step forward and don’t look back. If I change, everything changes.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” If I am expecting my life to be the same (or go down hill) it probably will. Why not expect a miracle. In Psalm 23:6 David said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Have you ever lived looking over your shoulder for a bully or a bill collector or maybe the police? Why not look over your shoulder expecting goodness and mercy? In Mark 2:3-5 four men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. They came expecting, so much so that when they couldn’t get in because of the crowd they tore a hole in the roof to get their friend to Jesus. Expectation is a magnet for the blessings and miracles of God.

Proverbs 4:23 warns us to guard our heart. Good News Bible puts it this way, “Be careful how you think, your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Are those thoughts in line with new creation reality? If I don’t believe it, I will never live it. Winning the battle in my mind will lead to winning in life. If I change, everything changes.

Surfers watch for waves. We have seen them in Hawaii, sitting on their boards for hours waiting for “the” wave. Demons watch for words and they will ride those words right into my soul. I can’t afford to say what my feelings tell me, what my family says, what friends think of me. Philippians 4:8 tells us to keep our thoughts on “whatsoever is true, noble, just…” We are to think on these things, speak these things. Next time you find yourself in a lousy mood ask, “What have I been thinking about?” There will be thoughts that led to that mood.

“My Mama taught me…” “Uncle Joe always said…” “My friend James told me…” What does God’s Word say? Deuteronomy 30:19-20 points out the choice: “I call heaven and earth to witness against _____ this day, that I have set before him/her life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore _____ should choose life, that he/she may live, he/she and his/her seed.” Choose life! Right thinking attracts the blessings of God. It doesn’t matter how many sermons I hear if I don’t change my mind. My life may change because of a miraculous touch of God but that isn’t the norm. However, if I have changed my mind, I’m ready for a miracle. If I change, everything changes.

What is the most important thing we can do as Christians? Pray? Witness? Serve the poor? Those are all good but I submit the most important thing is to change. All those other things are good but they will follow naturally as we change to be more like Him. We want life to be easy; God wants to grow us up. We want God to do something for us; God wants to do something in us and through us. If I change, everything changes.

One of my favorite things about the Bible is how honest it is about the shortcomings of the men therein. I think that is so we can realize that we can overcome our shortcomings too.

Jacob – In Genesis 27, he used deceit to get Esau’s birthright as firstborn. Blessing will not override a lack of integrity. Jacob continued to pay for that character flaw because character is the steering mechanism for our lives.
Moses – He suffered from low self-esteem. He spent 40 years in the desert as a murderer, rejected and isolated. In Exodus 3:11, Moses whines, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Yet he went on to be a great leader.
Gideon – Judges 6 describes how Gideon is hiding in the wine press when an angel shows up and calls him “a mighty man of valor.” When Gideon gets the understanding that he is God’s mighty man, he becomes the leader God needs.
Peter – When Jesus first met him, Peter’s reaction was “Depart from me for I am a sinful man.” Later he denies even knowing Jesus. Yet he is the one who walks on water in Luke 5. At Pentecost he speaks as the leader of the church and thousands were brought in.
Paul, David, Elijah, Noah, Samson, Jonah… They all had their faults but they didn’t stay there. Can you live as an overcomer? Luke 1:37 promises, “With God, nothing is impossible.”

What is required for mind renewal? Joshua 1:8 commands, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Meditate on the Word. Like a cow chewing her cud, get everything out of the Word that you can. Part of Biblical meditation is speaking the Word. As our pastor calls it, “Mutter-tate.” As we declare the Word with our mouths, it takes stronger root in our heart.

I want to conclude this study with Psalm 1:1-3:

“_____ is blessed because he/she doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor does he/she stand in the way of sinners,

Nor does he/she sit in the seat of scoffers;

But _____’s delight is in the LORD’s law;

On His law _____ meditates day and night.

_____ will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,

That brings forth fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also does not wither.

Whatever _____ does shall prosper.”

What was the key? If I change, everything changes.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Acts 17:28, change, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Ephesians 14-5, Ephesians 4:22, Gideon, in Christ, jacob, James 1:8, Joshua 1:8, loser, Moses, Psalm 1:1-3, romans 8:1

Too Close to the Edge

October 7, 2013 by GillKeith

Did you realize that all advertising is temptation? In our Bible publishing business, our focus is to tempt our customers to buy our products. Car companies don’t want you to see a block of steel, plastic and glass; they focus on prestige and power and peer acceptance. Beer commercials don’t sell beer, they sell sex. The goal is to stir up fleshly desires, to stir up passion. Have you ever gone fishing? Every lure hides a hook.

James 1:12-15 tells us, “Blessed is _____ if he/she endures temptation, for when he/she has been approved, _____ will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. _____ should not say when he/she is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God can’t be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But _____ is tempted, when he/she is drawn away by his/her own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.” Notice that it says we are drawn away by our own desires. Sorry, we can’t even blame it on the devil. Temptation comes from what I have allowed in my life; the decisions and choices that have shaped who I am. Satan has no legal right or authority to mess with my life unless I open a door for him.

1Peter 5:8 (NKJV) warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” This implies that he can’t devour just anybody. He is out there roaring trying to impress and scare us but he is also looking for an open door. Ever had the situation where you comment, “Why do we have all these flies in here?” as you swat at the little pests. “Oh, the kids left the door open.” If we leave a door open for the devil, you can be sure he will come in. In Luke 4 Jesus is tempted by Satan. In the end, vs. 13 in The Message says, “The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.” Still today he is lying in wait.

There is the temptation to be complacent. “Hey, I’m a good Christian.” Watch out. 1Cor 10:12 (NKJV) warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” We all have those times where we think we can do it on our own, times we don’t want God’s help. “I’m going to do life my way.” When that happens, God says, “Go ahead, I’ll be here when you’re ready.” That is really what the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) is all about. The younger son thinks he knows better than his father, but the father is there to welcome him back when, as NIV puts it, “he came to his senses.”

When we hear a pastor talk about “the flesh” is he just referring to sexual sin? No, it is any area not submitted to God. Anywhere that we allow an un-renewed mind or still live in the old man we are open to temptation. Galatians 5:16 promises that if we walk in the Spirit, we won’t fulfill the desires of the flesh. What am I feeding myself? If I feed the flesh, it gets stronger and stronger. Galatians 5:24-25 tells us to crucify the flesh. A dead person cannot be tempted.

Sin is a counterfeit that is never lasting. Sin is trying to meet my needs outside of God’s will. It can only lead to bondage and destruction. James 1:15 says, “Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” I liken it to a mousetrap. To the mouse, the color of the cheese is so attractive, the smell so inviting. Just a little taste will be so good… WHAP!

In over six years of jail ministry, the most frequent questions I get regard overcoming temptation. Let’s look at some keys to fighting temptation:

Submit to God before resisting. James 4:7 (NIV) tells us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If I am not first in submission I am trying to go against the devil on my own. Good luck! The good news is we can ask for God’s help. Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) commands, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Our loving Father is not the judge ready to jump on us. He won’t be shocked. Wherever we see “grace” we can read “empowerment” and it gives a richer meaning to the verse. “Come boldly before the throne of empowerment”. That is the empowerment to overcome temptation and live in God’s power. James 1:17 (NIV) promises, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Find the source, the root, the trigger. I call it the pothole, that thing or situation that trips you up. What might be the opportune time for the devil? Failures, rejection, frustration, pride, stress, finances, loneliness? A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak with Darryl Strawberry. He was an 8-time MLB All Star, 4-time World Series champion yet he ended up $3 million in debt and in prison. Here is what he said to me, “I went from hero to zero. I had all the money, all the stuff but I was still asking, ‘Who am I?’ Despite all the success that the world saw, there was no happiness, no freedom. I was hurting inside, but covering it up with drugs. Here is my message: Drugs are not the problem; they are used to mask the problem. Find the root. What triggers you to run to the drugs or alcohol? Don’t be focused on the drugs but be focused on changing behavior, changing environment, changing the pattern and focus of your life, establishing accountability.” That naturally leads us to…
Establish accountability. If I am really serious about making a change, I must establish accountability. If not, I am just playing a game. When I find myself stuck in a repeating cycle of good intention-failure-guilt, I will not get better on my own! I need someone who will pray for me, encourage me, and hold me accountable. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his/her fellow; but woe to _____ if he/she is alone when he/she falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him/her up.”
Consider the consequences. Imagine your spouse or teenage son coming in and announcing “Good news! The airbag worked perfectly.” “Oh, that’s good…What?” As the late Paul Harvey would say “And now for the rest of the story.” The devil never tells us “the rest of the story.” When have you seen a beer commercial showing a guy puking in the gutter? Or a smoking commercial of a woman in the last stages of emphysema? Or a credit card commercial showing a family struggling to pay their bills at the end of the month? Maybe you can think of other examples. Galatians 6:7 warns, “Don’t be deceived, _____. God is not mocked, for whatever ____ sows, that he/she will also reap.”
Change focus. Change the channel. The goal of commercials is to capture our focus. The battle against sin is won or lost in the mind. Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. Rick Warren says, “Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, don’t argue with it, just hang up!” If my focus is, “Don’t give in. Don’t give in.” what’s going to happen? Most likely I’ll give in. If my focus instead is, “I am righteous in Christ. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. God is on my side. Nothing can separate me from God’s love” then I can live in victory. Colossians 3:2-3 “_____ is to set his/her mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For _____ died, and his/her life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Don’t go too close to the edge. I don’t know how many times I have spoken to people who say they were doing so well and suddenly they fell. Further conversation reveals they were actually trying to see just how close they could get to the edge without falling over. The Bible tells us repeatedly to flee from sinful temptation (1Corinthians 6:18; 1Corinthians 10:14; 1Timothy 6:11; 2Timothy 2:22). Don’t flirt with it, don’t play with it, run! Ephesians 4:27 tells us to give no place to the devil. If drunkenness is a problem, stay out of the bar. If plagued with sexual fantasies, stay out of R rated movies and pornographic internet sites. If the struggle is anger and bitterness, consider what music and TV you are allowing in. Psalms 119:3 (NLT) is a good verse to meditate on: “They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths.” And also Proverbs 14:16 (NLT): “The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.” That reckless confidence causes them to plunge right over the edge.
Finally, resist the Tempter with the Word. That’s how Jesus did it in Luke 4. “It is written.” Bottom line, I must know who I am in Christ. I am loved. I am forgiven. I am victorious. I am chosen. What verses are in your arsenal?

Filed Under: In Christ Tagged With: 1Corinthians 10:12, 1Peter 5:8, complacent, Darryl Strawberry, Ecclesiastes 4:9, James 1:12, James 1:5, James 4:7, Prodigal Son, Proverbs 14:16, Psalm 119:3, temptation

The Lazy River

September 12, 2013 by GillKeith

Recently I was at a hotel whose grounds included a lazy river. This is one of the water features where you sit on a tube and float along an artificial river. It’s soothing and relaxing. I actually had some pretty good prayer time drifting along in the afternoon sun, but ultimately I ended up right back where I started. For all the motion and distance there was no progress.

Driving through a national park, it’s OK to pull over to the side and take in the view, but we can’t live there. There is a time to put it in gear and move on. If I am living in a ho-hum zone, I need to get ahold of God’s vision. While the lazy river was a nice break, I don’t want to live there. Too often we drift through life going nowhere. Ephesians 5:14 promises, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Without passion life becomes routine, monotonous, boring. Why bother? Why get out of bed? We drift toward apathy and lethargy. God doesn’t want me to love Him half-heartedly. In Revelations 3:15-17, Jesus warns that if we are luke-warm, he will spit us out. I need to put some muscle into it.

Passion is not automatic. It’s a choice. Everything in life tries to keep me from being passionate about God. We get distracted by work and play, shopping and sports. Conflicts and disappointments drain away our passion.

In the world it’s OK to be passionate about anything except God. I can shout and scream for a rock band and the world says, “Yea, rock on, baby!” I can paint myself blue and sit bare-chested in sub-zero temperatures to yell myself hoarse for a football team and the world says, “You da man! Yea, that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” I say grace over my meal in a restaurant and the world says, “What a fool! He’s just a fanatic, he’ll get over it.” I can be passionate about movies or politics or food or partying and the world is right there with me. I’m passionate about God and the world calls me weird. Matthew 6:24 warns, “No man can serve two masters.” Where does God fit in?

I have gone to church pretty much all my life. I even remember a period in around 4th grade when my mother regularly took me to services in two different denominations. But it wasn’t until age 32 that I discovered passion. Before then I was going to church just because that is what people do. My level of passion has taken a step up at various times: attending Bible school, starting our Bible publishing business, preaching in our county jail, preparing for publication of what you read now. There have also been those periods when the passion waned, when I lost sight of my purpose. Have you noticed how passion jumps quickly but then fades slowly sometimes so slowly that you don’t even notice that it’s leaving?

I’m sure you’ve seen the helium filled latex balloon that is tugging against the string when you first get it but tomorrow it’s lying limply on the floor. Our passion is like that unless we decide to keep the fire. In 2Timothy 1:6, Paul admonished Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in you.” Timothy didn’t need a new gift; he needed to reignite the gift he had.

Or maybe you relate better to a hot air balloon. Without the flame it’s just a lifeless sack lying on the ground, but turn on the burner and it takes on a new life, able to soar to great heights. Luke 3:16 says Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It’s the fire of the Holy Spirit that ignites our passion, that empowers us to reach new heights.

I see three reasons why we lose passion:

Hurt repeatedly. Dr. James Dobson on Focus on the Family describes an experiment that was conducted where a fish tank was built with a clear glass panel in the middle. A large fish was placed on one side and his favorite food, several smaller fish, on the other. Unable to see the glass panel, he went for the other fish. Bam! He backed up and tried again. Same result. Again and again, but finally he quit trying. At that point, the experimenters removed the glass separator and the smaller fish swam around the bigger fish, but he didn’t try to eat them. In his mind they just weren’t available. He could die of starvation surrounded by his favorite dinner because past failures told him no. Sometimes obstacles seem just too big. We have failed too many times. But God says don’t give up.
Lulled by success. Sometimes we will reach a goal and don’t look beyond it. We find ourselves living off old victories and old successes with no current purpose for our lives. “Oh, for the good ol’ days.” Let me tell you something, the “good ol’ days” weren’t that great. I know, I was there. When the Israelites came up to the Red Sea, Moses said, “Stand and see the salvation of your God. (Exodus 14:13)” Stand, don’t sit down, don’t get comfortable. This is not the time for the La-Z-Boy. God is about to act and I must be ready to follow Him. Get a new vision that will stretch you, challenge you, excite you.
Lack of self-discipline and focus. Another word for this is lazy. We have a traffic circle near our home. Turn right and it takes us to the main shopping area. Go straight through and we are on the highway to church. So often when I am going shopping I find myself on “auto pilot” going straight because I’m not focused. Our late pastor would say, “Any dead thing can float downstream.” 2Corinthians 1:10 Paul says that it is on God he has set his hope. When we are discouraged or defeated, where are our eyes? Downcast. Psalm 121:1 tells us to lift up our eyes. Remember where to set your hope.

Passion requires:

Vision. Why does someone find themselves on the lazy river? Because they have lost vision and in losing vision they lose hope. In Acts 20:24 Paul, in the face of persecution and suffering, declared, “None of these things move me.” He had a vision that sustained him.
Commitment. In Luke 10:27a (Msg) Jesus commands, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion.” Exodus 34:14 says God is passionate about His relationship with us. Let’s have the same attitude in response.
Endurance. We become stronger because of struggles. When we lean on Him, God will sustain us through the struggles. I can complain about those around me or I can take responsibility. What happened to me may not be my responsibility but what I do about it is.
Testing. There are times when we make the right choices and from those choices we learn and grow. There are times when we make the wrong choices and from those choices we learn and grow.

God knows my name, He knows my past and He has still called me. Paul, in the name of God, went around persecuting and killing Christians. Yet God redeemed his past. I read a quote recently, “People may write you off because of your past, trying to limit your future. Jesus wrote off your past with His blood to create an unlimited future!” Can there be anything in your past that is too big for God to redeem? Let me give you a hint: NO!

I’ve never been good at foreign languages. I took German in school. I failed the first test. I failed the second test. At that point I had the choice to quit or to dig deeper. So I quit. No, no, I dug down, focused on what needed to be done. I squeaked by with a D but I made it through. It is time to dig deeper. Like a football team down by 2 in the fourth quarter, dig deeper. Get vision. Get hope. Get passion.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

What Time Is It?

August 14, 2013 by GillKeith

Thump.Thump. Thump.Thump. Do you recognize what that is? It’s my heartbeat. I think there may be an angel somewhere counting my heartbeats. (He must be pretty low on the celestial pecking order to get that assignment.) The thing is, he’s not counting them up, he is counting down. Thump.Thump. Thum.Thump. When he gets to zero, it’s over. The fat lady has sung, turn out the lights, it’s over. There is no appeal, no 11^th hour reprieve, it’s over. Each beat brings me closer to the Judgment Seat. I’ll never get that heartbeat back. Have I put that thump.thump to good use?

Several years ago I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with chest pains. As I lay in that hospital bed dealing with a possible heart attack and realizing I might not see my loved ones again, that heart beat took on a new meaning where before I had taken it for granted. Today I often evaluate am I just being busy or am I truly effective and fruitful?

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,” We talk about dinner time, bed time and nap time. We spend time with friends and have a good time or a miserable time. Our job provides break time, sick time, vacation time. We take time for prayer. We allow time for chores. We lose time waiting in traffic. We do time in jail. We waste time with computer games. We save time taking a shortcut. We kill time waiting for someone who is late. I read in a leadership book several years ago, “Be careful of your time because your time is your life.” Am I living wisely? Am I using time as God wants me to?

I saw a poster once that said, “God has given me a certain number of things to do before I die. At the rate I’m going I’ll live forever.” Romans 13:11 (NIV) warns, “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Time is running out like sand through an hourglass. We imagine we have a full lifetime to define and redefine who we are. We have room to better ourselves, to change direction, to recover from mistakes. But what if my story ends mid-sentence? Our 22 year old son had dreams of graduation, dreams of marriage, dreams of career. He did not have dreams of a drunk driver on the wrong side of the freeway. Romans 13:14 (NIV) tells us what God expects of us, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Luke 21:34 (NLT) warns, “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware.”

The fertilized human egg is no bigger than the width of a hair, yet think about what it contains. Your sex, the color of your hair, how tall you will be. “Yea, yea. (ho hum)” But wait, if we stop there we have missed the power and majesty of God’s creation. The human body is made up of over 90 trillion cells, that’s 9 with 13 zeros. Inside that single, tiny egg are the instructions for every one of those 90 trillion cells with regards to location, function, interaction, healing and life cycle.

When a heart surgeon goes in, he doesn’t have to rummage around: “It must be in here somewhere!” No, he is going to find the heart right where it is supposed to be because it was programmed by that single cell. The devil wants you to believe that you are an accident, a mistake, worthless, without meaning or purpose. That life comes forth only by the sovereign hand of God as one cell becomes 90 trillion.

In Matthew 22:11-14 the king, symbolizing God the Father, comes into the wedding feast he is hosting and finds one attendee has refused to put on the wedding garment he has been provided. This man came in appearance but not in heart. He was seeking the blessings but was not willing to be obedient. Jesus’s death provided for each of us a robe of righteousness. Whether my clothes are from Gucci or from Goodwill, I have been given the robe of righteousness.

Nothing can separate me from the love of God, but I want to be pleasing to Him. To please Him I must live life on purpose. But how do I know my purpose? Why am I here? That is a question as old as mankind. Paul knew his purpose: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 NLT)

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV) says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” “Hey, I went to church every Sunday (well almost).” “I never knew you.” “I had a cross tattooed on my arm.” “I never knew you.” “I preached in the jail.” “I never knew you.”

I can know about someone but not know them. LeBron James plays professional basketball for the Miami Heat. He is 6’ 8”, 250 pounds, He was born on Dec. 30, 1984. He has averaged 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.73 steals and 39.9 minutes playing time per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor, 33.1 percent from three-point range and 74.6 percent from the foul line. And on and on. I may know a lot about LeBron, but do I know him? I may be able to quote a lot a Bible verses, I may bring powerful teachings before thousands but that doesn’t show I have an intimate relationship with God. That takes time and a willingness to listen.

I propose that knowing God takes four things:

Salvation: Our starting point must be accepting by faith the grace of God that brings us right standing. I don’t deserve it. I can’t earn it. I can only receive the gift by faith. I am transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 1:13)
Mind renewal: After our spirit is born again, we still have the same old way of thinking. The process of mind renewal, allowing the Word of God to change us from the inside, changes our perspective from worldly thinking into kingdom thinking. (Romans 12:2)
Seek God: What is my priority? Am I seeking the things of the world or am I focused on God? What I value I will pursue. (Colossians 3:2)
Obedience: John 15:14 says, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” The inevitable product of authentic salvation, mind renewal and seeking God will be obedience. Rebellion or apathy are signs of a defect somewhere in that process.

Someday I will step through the curtain into eternity. I expect to spend the first two million years with my jaw hanging open going, “Wow.” Then God is going to nudge me and say, “Come over here. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” 1Corinthians 2:9 promises, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Every generation since the Ascension has said, “Surely this is the time of Jesus’s return.” Will He come back today, tomorrow, next week, next year, 100 years from now? It doesn’t matter. I am called to live today the very best I can. Ephesians 5:15 (NASV) warns, “Making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” The great equalizers are death and time. That goes for you or me, Barack Obama or the guy at the mission, Donald Trump or someone flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Each one of us has 24 hours today, no more, no less. Am I going to live in a way that I hope to squeeze into heaven before the pearly gates swing shut or am I going to live in victory as a light of His grace, His peace, His love in a dark world? Think about it while there is still time.

Thump.Thump. Thump.Thump. Thump.Thump. Thump.Thump. beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Upside Down

August 6, 2013 by GillKeith

Lots of things can be upside down. There is the Kamikaze carnival ride, a kid on the monkey bars, a pineapple upside-down cake (one of my favorites) or a home mortgage. How about the world? In Acts 17:6 (NKJV), Paul and those with him were described as those “who have turned the world upside down.” That was really quite a compliment that a small band of men bringing the truth of God’s Good News was in fact impacting the whole world.

We live in an upside down world. Drugs and violence are celebrated. Purity and honesty are ridiculed. In truth, the Gospel turns the world’s thinking upside down. Jesus taught “The last shall be first and the first shall be last” (Matthew 20:16), “Whoever wants to be great must be the servant of all” (Mark 10:43), “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Jesus loved to rattle the religious cage of the leaders of His day. His teachings such as the Good Samaritan or the widow’s mite were contrary to accepted thought. He healed on the Sabbath. He was the king who comes riding humbly on a donkey instead as triumphant on a horse. And the biggest upside down of all: the cross. It was “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (1Corinthians 1:23)

1Corinthians 1:27-29 (WEB) says, “God chose the foolish things of the world that He might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that He might put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that He might bring to nothing the things that are: that no flesh should boast before God.” We are living examples of that. When God called us to start Your Personalized Bible, our reaction was “What do we know about publishing? What do we know about binding? What do we know about marketing?” I guess we kind of sounded like Moses arguing with God at the burning bush (Exodus 3). Am I willing to align my thinking with God’s Word even when it seems upside down, that is, contrary to the world’s way?

The beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-9 (NKJV) are a good example of how Jesus turned the religious thinking of His day upside down. He changes the very framework of how we look at life. Before we look at each beatitude, let’s see how the Amplified Bible defines “blessed”: happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions.” In other words, a joy that is not shaken by circumstances, that goes beyond surface emotions. With that as a background, we will look at the beatitudes:

–“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”–

The world looks for happiness in the next new thing: a shiny car, a new romance. Those things bring momentary bits of happiness but they lose their shine and we have to look for the next fix of some kind. Jesus teaches that happiness comes from humility. We must recognize our absolute need for Him. Our culture teaches self-reliance; God demands a poverty of spirit.

–“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”–

Blessed and mourn: isn’t that an oxymoron? We mourn the separation from God caused by sin. We mourn the direct connection to Daddy God that was lost through disobedience. Nothing can fill that void except a loving God and the eternal Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

–“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”–

The world views meekness as synonymous with weakness. The Biblical meaning is quite different. Meekness brings the picture of a powerful horse trained to a bridle, in other words, power under control. In Numbers 12:3, Moses was called the meekest man on earth, yet he stood up to Pharaoh demanding his people be released and then he dealt with the rebellious nation during 40 years of leadership. Jesus faced the cross without lashing out at His tormentors. That was power under control. A.W. Tozer said, “The rest Christ offers is the rest of meekness, the blessed relief which comes when we accept ourselves for what we are and cease to pretend.”

–“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”–

The Pharisees taught that righteousness was a matter of externals: ritual washings, following a set of legalistic rules, fasting, etc. Jesus brought righteousness to a question of relationship with the Father and accepting the gift of right standing by faith. 2Corinthians 5:21 brings the truth home: “For Him (Jesus) who knew no sin He (the Father) made to be sin on Gill’s behalf; so that in Him Gill might become the righteousness of God.”

–“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”–

From Genesis to Revelations, God reveals His mercy culminating in the greatest act of mercy in human history – the cross. We are called to show that same mercy to others. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Gill is to be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others, just as God also in Christ forgave Gill.”

–“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”–

The Pharisees were all about the externals. God is interested in right motives. Acceptance of Jesus as Lord means I became a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17). The stains of the past were wiped away. To maintain that purity I need single minded devotion. A pure heart begins with Jesus.

–“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”–

The world celebrates the warrior: Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Patton. As Christians we celebrate the Prince of Peace. Man has no ability to achieve peace of himself. There can be no peace until we are at peace with the One who created us. Philippians 4:7 promises, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard Gill’s heart and thoughts in Christ Jesus.” With that peace in our being we can become ambassadors of peace, thereby peacemakers.

A Boy Scout is taught to find the North Star to navigate at night. It is the only one that is not going to move. Orion may be easy to spot with its bright stars and distinctive pattern, but it will be in the east at one time, in the west later. We need the solid rock of God’s Word to navigate this life. The world wants heroes. They look to sports stars, movie stars, even politicians. Jesus says, “Follow Me.”

Jesus was willing to reach out and touch the leper (Matthew 8:3). As ministers of the Gospel (that’s every Christian) we are challenged to see the person, not a label. Today’s leper, the outcast of today’s society, is the sex offender. A few years ago, I was invited to minister in a group home that was transitional housing for men coming out of jail. As a jail chaplain that seemed an easy transition until I was told many of them were sex offenders. I wanted to pull back but I felt God calling me to meet that need. In the ensuing years that I have worked with that home I have come to know those men not as a label but as good-willed men searching for God.

Take something that is upside down and turn it upside down what do you get? Right side up! That I think is the key of the Gospel. To the one who has lived upside down long enough the one who is right side up looks upside down. Several years ago the U.S. military conducted an experiment. They gave each participant special glasses that inverted what they saw. At first they were disoriented and nauseous, but remarkably quickly their brains adjusted and they were able to function normally with the ground up and the sky down. It became the norm for them.

We face a choice: to live like the world upside down or to stand on the rock of the Word and live upright before God. Do you have the courage to go against the world’s way? James 4:4 warns to be friends with the world is to be an enemy of God. To paraphrase Romans 12:2, “Don’t be conformed to the upside down world but be turned right side up by the renewal of your mind.”

Filed Under: Character, In Christ Tagged With: 1Corinthians 1:23, 1Corinthians 1:27-29, 2Corinthians 5:21, Acts 17:6, Acts 20:35, Beatitudes, Ephesians 4:32, Mark 10:43, Matthew 20:16, Matthew 5:3-9, meek, numbers 12:3, peacemaker, Philippians 4:7, poor in sipirt, Romans 12:2

Get Ahold of Hope

May 23, 2013 by GillKeith

There really is something worse than being poor, sick or in jail. It is living without hope. We need to get ahold of hope. The Israelite nation was delivered out of slavery in Egypt. They saw God perform great miracles, even parting the Red Sea. Yet, when they came up to the border of the Promised Land, they faltered. They had not grasped the vision of their possessing the land.

I am not going to spend my life talking about the Promised Land; I am going to go in and possess it. I have decided that I am going to have everything Jesus died for me to have. Sure, that is a big goal but Ephesians 3:20 says that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that Gill can ask or think, ACCORDING to the power that works in Gill (emphasis added).” What is the source of energy in my life? I had better not be looking for energy from Starbucks or Red Bull or meth. My energy does not come from what I smoke, snort or shoot. I seek to be plugged into the power of Holy Spirit.

Our Christian walk cannot be just a Sunday morning ritual, fulfilling our “obligation” for an hour once a week. If we want constant victory, we need to take God out of our “emergency only” box and invite Him into our everyday lives on a minute by minute basis.

If we believe the right thing, we can live the way. God transferred all of my sin onto Jesus’s record. It was put on the MasterCard of heaven. Romans 4:8 promises, “Blessed is Gill because the Lord will by no means charge him with sin.” The more I focus on past sin the more I am drawn back to that behavior. Does a butterfly consider himself a recovering caterpillar? If I stay focused on my righteousness in Christ, victory is inevitable. The devil can’t stop me.

Have you ever had your cell phone battery go dead? When that happened to me, my wife complained, “I’ve been calling and calling but you didn’t answer.” Well, God is calling but if I am not plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m not getting the call. Is your battery down to 10% in the red and dropping? Better get to the power source. God is working in me energizing me.

I remember an incident when my wife and I were dating. I was driving a 1961 VW Bug. It had no gas gauge but it had a reserve tank so that when the main tank went dry, you flipped a lever by the accelerator to reserve and you had another 30 miles you could drive before empty. We were driving across the Bay Bridge in San Francisco when the car started to cough and stop. I told her, “We’re out of gas. I need you to flip to reserve.” Well, all she heard was “Out of gas” and she pictured traffic jams, tow trucks and huge fines. I flipped to reserve myself and on we went, but it is a reminder that we need power to keep going. Without it, the fun of serving God becomes labor.

It is not something out there that will make life better but it is what is going on inside. When I need to recharge, where am I going to go? Red Bull? Philippians 2:13 in the Message says, “Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you.” 1Cor 13:8 reminds us, “Love never fails.”

Guilt is tiring. Trying to live with religious guilt and condemnation instead of grace will wear you out. There is not enough power in guilt to get me to live right. But grace brings energy and drive. The world is trying to find the right drink, the right pill to energize. The reality is that power, energy and grace come only from God. Acts 1:8 promises God’s dunamus, His dynamite power to the believer. Embrace the Word of God and receive it.

On a recent trip we were on a number of airplanes. An airplane flies only when it has enough energy (speed) and the right attitude (flaps, wing position, etc.). God’s Word will lift you above the circumstances. Allow His Word to energize you and correct your attitude so you won’t crash and burn.

Isaiah 43:18-19 declares, “Gill must not remember the former things, and he must not consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Doesn’t Gill know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Get your mind off the past. Think about God’s blessing. He is doing a new thing. Thinking about the past pulls us right back there. The Israelites had a bad attitude when they faced the Promised Land. It wasn’t the Cananites or the Hivites or the Jebusites. It wasn’t something “out there”. Their attitude stunk. You will never live in the Promised Land with a bad attitude. Nelson Mandella said, “If I am thinking small, I cannot do big things.”

Who do I blame for where I am today? An abusive father? Over stressed mother? Corrupt politicians? As long as I blame others I have no power to fix it. According to Bishop TD Jakes, “If you are disciplined in your perspective you will be victorious in your outcome.”

I cannot erase failures from my past. There is no rewind button. So how do I start over? It begins by admitting my mistake and experiencing God’s forgiveness. “If only…” Yea, I know. We all have regrets. Romans 3:23 tells us we have all sinned. Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world. We were all born prone to mess up. And sometimes it seems like I will pay the consequences for messing up for the rest of my life. We need to remember we are justified children of God. Psalm 103:12 promises, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed Gill’s transgressions from him.” Think of sin like a stain that keeps coming back, but Jesus’s blood is the eternal stain cleaner.

I love Psalm 118:6: “God is on my side.” When I get discouraged or frustrated I go back to that verse. The Israelites let their future be determined by their past. They had a slave mentality, a poor self-image, a grasshopper mentality. They wanted to go back to Egypt, because they had no positive vision for their life. They knew where they had been and they knew where they were and they didn’t like either one. But they had no vision of where they were going.

We talk about our problems way too much. We need to glance at our circumstances but stare at God. How can I overcome any bondage, addiction, or broken past? Get ahold of hope; get ahold of vision. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith gives substance to things hoped for. Faith is important, but it first must have hope to work with. Without hope, faith is aimless. With hope, faith can produce our future. In Romans 4:18 we are told the story of Abraham and how he continued to hope for the fulfillment of God’s promise even when his situation looked hopeless. Hebrews 12:2 tells us how Jesus faced crucifixion: for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.

If you have no reason to hope, still hope. If you don’t have a positive vision for your future, go to the book of hope, the Bible. Look at the Word and say, “That can happen to me.” And if you get ahold of hope it can.

Filed Under: In Christ Tagged With: 1Corinthians 13:8, blame, Ephesians 3:20, guilt, hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 12:2, hope, Isaiah 43:18, Isaiah 43:19, Philippians 2:13, promised land, Psalm 103:12, Psalm 118:6, Romans 4:18, Romans 4:8, vision

Bloodline of a Champion

May 17, 2013 by GillKeith

Did you have a pet growing up? I remember Butch, half German shepherd, half whatever climbed over the fence one night, but he was a great dog for a boy growing up. He would wrestle, swim and fetch. Our daughter’s family has Edgar, a pug. He is unbelievably ugly, still he is a purebred, and therefore expensive.

I was speaking with a friend recently and he related an experience he had as a young man. He had worked at a ranch one summer and as the summer was drawing to a close, the owners told him they might not have the cash to pay him but instead were considering giving him a colt that had recently been born. He thought, “What am I going to do with a horse?” He was relieved when they were able to come up with the cash instead, but he came back to the ranch a couple of years later and learned the colt they were going to give him was now was worth over $1 million. Why? He was in the bloodline of a champion.

In Numbers 13, the Israelites sent twelve spies into the Promised Land. Ten of the spies forgot God’s covenant; they forgot their bloodline. Joshua and Caleb kept focus. They were ready to follow God to victory. Christ died once for all. In doing so He established a new covenant. Hebrews 10:4 explains that all other sacrifices fall short, only the blood of Jesus can take away sin. Colossians 1:13 promises the God “delivered Gill out of the power of darkness, and translated him into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” My life is different because of what Jesus did. 1Peter 2:9 says, “Gill is a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that Gill may show forth the excellencies of Him who called him out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Does that sound like we are second class citizens?

We give the devil far too much credit. Our biggest battle is not outside but rather on the inside; it is the battle for our mind. Remember, the devil was defeated 2,000 years ago. It is not the devil’s goal to get me to sin. I will just repent and get back on track. Rather he wants to change the way I think. If he can control my thoughts, he can control my destiny. You see thoughts produce actions. Actions form habits. Habits establish character. Character determines destiny.

Phil 4:6-7 tells us, “Gill is not to be anxious in anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, Gill is to let his requests be made known to God. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard Gill’s heart and thoughts in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace comes as I allow His Word to direct my thoughts. 2Corinthians 5:17 promises that the old has passed away. I can live in the victory of a life made new. I am in the line of a champion.
1Peter 1:18-19 tells us we were redeemed by the blood. Today that has become little more than a religious cliché but to Paul’s readers it meant much more. Redeemed was a term from the slave market. They knew it meant rescued from a life of misery and certain death and set free to live the life God meant for them.

According to Revelations 12:10, the devil is the accuser. What about God? We are told in Romans 8:33-34, “Who could bring a charge against Gill, because he is one of God’s elect? It is God who justifies Gill. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and more than that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God and makes intercession for Gill.” Because of Jesus’s blood, we are free from condemnation. Colossians 1:19-20 tells us we have peace through the blood. When I need peace, I need to remember the blood. Rev. 12:1 says, “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” We need both parts: what Jesus did on the cross and what we do by our words.

Being in the bloodline does not guarantee a champion. We must grow into a champion.
Whether it be in sports, apprentice for a trade or any skill, we must be trained and practice. It is the process of Tell/Show/ Do. We recently hired a new employee and had to take her through an extensive training process to learn all of the details of our business.
1. Tell – Training starts by telling the person what is expected, what must be done. In our spiritual walk, the Bible is our training manual. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “The word of God is living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” God provides the direction and wisdom that we need.
2. Show – After telling what is needed, we need to demonstrate the actions. We need pastors, leaders and godly friends in our lives to live out the Christian walk for us to follow. In 1Corinthians 13:1 Paul makes a remarkable declaration, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” He understood the need for not just preaching the Gospel, but also living it out in front of those he taught.
3. Do – Before a new skill is really ours, we must practice, we must “do it”. That means incorporating it into daily living. Daily living Philippians 4:9 says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
4. Coach – The final step is we need correction and accountability. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus instructs us to ‘make disciples’. He isn’t just looking for numbers; He wants dedicated followers who are learning and growing. We must be teachable as well as accountable not only to God but to whomever He establishes over us.

To reach a goal takes focus. I recently read “No Easy Day” about Seal Team 6 and the killing of Osama ben Laden. That operation took planning, training, and focus. What I focus on becomes magnified in my life. If I focus on the negative, it will get bigger. If I focus on God’s blessings, they will be also be magnified.

Did you know that I can foretell the future? There is nothing magical about it. If you don’t change, if you don’t focus, your future will look a lot like your past. The important question is does that give you a warm, contented feeling or does it strike terror?

Where should I have my focus?
1. Focus on Christ: Heb 12:2 commands us to “look unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. If I focus on sin, it gets bigger, if I focus on Jesus, He gets bigger.
2. Focus on others: Luke 19:10 tells us Jesus came to seek and save the lost. If my focus is on me, “I want, I need, I feel”, how can I be a positive influence in the world?
3. Focus on the power of God: When David faced Goliath, he needed that focus. In the natural, he would have said, “Who am I kidding? This rock isn’t big enough!” (1Sam 17) But he knew it wasn’t about his slingshot but the power of God working in and through him.

Let me leave you today with one last Scripture. The doormat in front of our house proclaims Joshua 24:15: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When you were born again, you were born into a new bloodline, that of a champion. Are you going to live like the world and become a plow horse or will you choose to serve the Lord, live by His leading and experience His victory?

Filed Under: Character, Focus, In Christ Tagged With: 1Corinthians 13:1, 1Peter, 1Peter 1:18-19, Colossians 1:13, Colossians 1:19-20, Heb 12:2, Hebrews 10:4, Hebrews 4:12, Luke 19:10, Matthew 28:19, Numbers 13, Philippians 4:9, Rev. 12:1, Revelations 12:10

Bouncing Back

May 13, 2013 by GillKeith

2 Corinthians 3:17 declares, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” I want to live in that freedom, but to do that I must be willing to let the Holy Spirit flow through me. I can’t afford to be satisfied. Just this morning I read 1Thessalonians 4 in my devotional. Paul recognized what the church in Thessalonica had done but he said, “I urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to do even more.” (vs. 1, NLT)

Will I allow past failures to take me out, to get me off purpose? In 2Corinthians 4:1, Paul says, “We do not lose heart.” I like the way the New Living puts it: “We never give up.”

When our children were small they loved to play with Weebles. These are little plastic characters with rounded bottoms. No matter how many times you knocked them down, they pop right back up. Their motto; “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” I think we can take a lesson from the Weeble: when we fail, get back up. Bounce back.

There are many examples in the world of those who bounced back:
• Bill Gates failed in his first business venture, Traf-O-Data, but he went on to create Microsoft.
• Walt Disney was forced to declare bankruptcy early in his career.
• Albert Einstein was labeled slow learner in school.
• Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade.
• Elvis Presley was told to go back to driving a truck.
• The Beatles were told forget it, guitar music is on its way out.

Look at those in the Bible:
• Peter denied knowing Jesus but came back to be the leader of the early church.
• David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband killed, but he repented and went on to be a great king.
• Moses fled into the desert after murdering an Egyptian. At 80 years old, it looked life his life was wasted, but he came back.
• Paul the apostle described his life in 2Corinthians 11:24-27 (NIV): “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” That would certainly be enough for most of us to give up. However, Paul’s reaction was recorded in 2Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” No matter what the devil threw at him, he bounced back.

In my own life, I have had to make the choice to not let defeat stop me from becoming who God wanted me to be:
• Our senior pastor died of cancer in his mid-50’s.
• At age 54, I was laid off from a company I had worked at for 22 years.
• Our son Paul and his fiancé Amy were killed by a drunk driver.

No matter how many times I am knocked down, I will get back up. Proverbs 24:16 says, the righteous may fall 7 times but rise again. I will fall; it’s going to happen. It is a reality of life. We must decide if we will hit bottom like an egg and lie there broken and defeated, will we bounce back to the same level only to repeat the same cycle or will we use that failure to launch into new heights, new challenges, new dreams? Character means I get back up. Proverbs 24:10 warns that to fail in time of adversity means my strength is small. If I am to stand, I must prepare beforehand.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Let’s learn how to bounce back:
1. Recognize failure is not my destiny. Colossians 3:10 tells us we are created in the image of God. Is God a failure? I need to discover who I am in Christ. 2Timothy 1:7 promises God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 1John 5:4 tells me I am born of God and therefore I can overcome whatever the devil puts in my path. My destiny is to overcome, to bounce back.
2. Keep a right perspective. Faith sees opportunity where the world sees problems. In the Old Testament, Joseph went through years of slavery and prison, but ultimately God lifted him up to a place of leadership. In Genesis 50:20, he tells his brothers, “What you meant for evil, God intended for good.” Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only this, but Gill also rejoices in his sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint Gill, because God’s love has been poured out into his heart through the Holy Spirit who was given to Gill.” What is the right perspective with regards to trials? James 1:2 gives the answer, “Count it all joy”.
3. 100% committed. “I’ll try.” means you will take the first exit that comes along. “Guess it doesn’t work for me.” You weren’t committed. Luke 9:62 warns, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” When I was installing an underground sprinkler system in our home, I encountered one very large boulder. Could I let stop me? Could I afford to say, “Aw, I’ll just let that part of the lawn die.” Of course not. I dug around it. I must have the attitude toward God’s call that nothing will stop me. I don’t have a price. We have been married for 43 years. That only happened because we were 100% committed, no plan B. Divorce is not an option (murder perhaps?). “If she squeezes the toothpaste from the top one more time, I’m out of here.” “If he leaves his socks on the floor again, I’m done.” How silly. Commitment will rise above resistance. I have read that when a storm approaches, all other animals may hide, but the eagle heads into the storm. He uses the air currents to lift himself to higher levels. Commitment will cause us to soar.
4. Persistence. Have you heard, “By persistence the snail reached the ark.”? Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) encourages us, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Romans 8:37-39 promises, “No, in all these things, Gill is more than a conqueror through Him who loved him. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate Gill from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, Gill’s Lord.”
5. Be aware of the timing. My wife and I work weekly with a personal trainer. As I get more and more tired, I can look at the clock and encourage myself: “Less than 15 minutes to go, 4th quarter.” Let’s recognize that as Christians we are in the 4th quarter. It is time to sprint to the finish line. Ephesians 5:16 warns that we need to make the most of our time because the days are evil. How many drop out close to the finish? You might be right on the edge of your breakthrough. Edison tried over 1,000 filaments before he found one that worked. He said, “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Let’s get a sense of urgency and finish strong.

Mat 24:13 promises that if we endure to the end, we will be saved. We don’t know when life’s defining moments will come, but if we establish a pattern of obedience, those moments will not catch us unprepared. Psalm 19:11 reminds us, “In obedience there is great reward.”

In my devotional recently I read 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT): “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Focusing on what will last forever gives us the lift to bounce back.

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time, was cut from his high school team. Michael Jordan spoke of his career: “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.

Filed Under: Discipline, Freedom, perseverance Tagged With: 1John 5:4, 1Thessalonians 4, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, 2Corinthians 11:24-27, 2Corinthians 4:1, 2Corinthians 4:8-9, 2Timothy 1:7, Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 5:16, Genesis 50:20, Hebrews 12:1, Luke 9:62, Mat 24:13, Proverbs 24:10, Proverbs 24:16, Psalm 19:11, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:37-39

What Voice Are You Listening To?

May 9, 2013 by GillKeith

I had a ring tone on my phone, whenever my wife called I would hear, “Corinne’s calling. Better answer the phone. It’s Corinne!” I knew what voice was important for me to respond to. What voices are important in your life?

I read an anonymous quote, “Your future is determined by the voice you trust.” How true. We must choose what voice we will listen to or the world will choose for us.

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Gill is blessed because he doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor does he stand in the way of sinners, nor does he sit in the seat of scoffers; but Gill’s delight is in the Lord’s law. On His law Gill meditates day and night. Gill will be like a tree planted by the streams of water that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever Gill does shall prosper.” The wicked, the sinner, the scoffer: those are all influences of the world trying to direct our thoughts and actions. But thoughts directed by the Word of God lead to stability, prosperity and freedom.

Galatians 6:7 warns us whatever we sow, we will reap. The law of cause and effect, action and reaction cannot be altered or bypassed. To change my harvest I must change the seed. My world is being created by what I plant. I must recognize that every thought is a seed. What are TV commercials but a voice trying to influence my thoughts? Buy this beer and you will be popular. Buy this perfume and you will be attractive.

If I want to change my life, I first must change my thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” 1Peter 1:13 tells us to gird up our minds. That is roll up our sleeves and get to work. John Wooden, legendary basketball coach at UCLA said: “The choices you make, make you.”

Romans 12:2 commands us to renew our mind. I can direct my destiny by controlling my thoughts. Most people just let their thoughts go wherever they want. Where is that? Generally to negativity, self-pity, condemnation. God has a different plan.

Matthew 1 lists the genealogy of Jesus. In it are listed 42 generations from Abraham, 42 fathers. How many mothers? Five. In addition to Mary, there is Tamar (She gave birth to Perez after incest with Judah in Genesis 38.), Rahab (She was a Philistine prostitute from Jericho in Joshua 6), Ruth (She was from Moab, a foreigner in Ruth 1) and Bathsheba (She was also a foreigner, a Hittite in 2Samuel 11-12). All outsiders, rejected, second class, bottom of the food chain. Why are they specifically listed? I think it is so we can realize that God can take our mess and make greatness, regardless of the rejection by man.

2Corinthians 10:5 commands us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I must take responsibility for my thoughts. Will I control my thoughts or let my thoughts control me? By controlling my thoughts, I control my emotions, my attitudes, my actions and my destiny. What I continually think about will eventually manifest in my life.

We must choose between victor or victim. When our son was killed by a drunk driver, we were encouraged to join MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. That organization does some great work but we could not stay in an atmosphere that taught us we are victims. Deuteronomy 28:13 tells me I am the head and not the tail, above only not beneath.

Joshua 1:8 commands “This book of the law shall not depart out of Gill’s mouth, but he shall meditate on it day and night, that Gill may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then Gill shall make his way prosperous, and then Gill shall have good success.” The way I will change core values and thoughts is by repetition. When I first learned to drive, it was difficult to coordinate all the actions necessary plus stay aware of everything going on around me. Today it is second nature. When I learned to type, I had to be extremely focused. After years of practice, my fingers go automatically to the right keys. Repetition. Meditating on God’s Word, repetition will change our thoughts.

Circumstances have no control over my happiness. It is the attitude I assign to the circumstance that does. Several months ago, my wife came into the house crying and agitated. I asked, “What’s wrong?” She replied, “I wrecked my car.” “You seem to be all right. Just tell me what happened.” “I ran into your car!” Well, let me tell you, that changed my perspective. We cannot allow problems to dictate our mood. I think of the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16. Here they were, beaten and bloody, in the darkest, smelliest depth of the prison. At midnight, what are they doing? Moaning and feeling sorry for themselves? No! They are singing and praising God. Sure an earthquake came and broke their bonds but that was after they had been singing. They didn’t know that was coming. They praised because they knew God and circumstances weren’t going to change that.

Casey Treat, pastor of Christian Faith Center in the Seattle area, said, “Your life will move in the direction of your dominant thoughts.” How I see myself determines the life I will experience. My life will never go too far beyond the picture of myself I hold inside. If I want a better life, I have to start with ME.

What has been tapping on the keyboard to my hard drive? Poor self image is like a virus in the operating system that leads to failure. I would never have started Bible publishing, I would never have gone into jail ministry, I would never have started writing, if I had let self-image rule.

What voice are you listening to?

“I’m so discouraged and hopeless.”	or	Jeremiah 29:11 “God has given me a future full of hope.”
“I’m such a failure.”	or	Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ.”
“I’m broke busted and disgusted. I guess God wants me poor.”	or	Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
“I’m an addict; I’ll always be an addict.”	or	John 8:36 “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”
“My family has left me. I feel so alone.”	or	Hebrews 13:5 “God will never leave me nor forsake me.”
“I’ll come to God when I get my act together.”	or	2Cor. 5:21 “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.”
“With my past, I’ll never be anything.”	or	Phil 3:13-14 “Forgetting what is behind, I press toward the goal.”
“Everyone’s against me.”	or	Romans 8:31 “If God be for me who can be against me.”
“I’m such a loser”	or	Romans 8:37 “I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me.”

Events happen in our lives. It might be physical, emotional or sexual abuse. It might be abandonment or betrayal. It might be ridicule by peers or rejection. And we create a story to explain those events, usually a destructive story placing blame on ourselves. It is time to rewrite the story. It is time to get God’s perspective, God’s thoughts.

Ephesians 4:24 commands us to put on the new man, that like God has been created in true righteousness and holiness. In Christ, I am new on the inside. 2Corinthians 5:17 promises we are new creations in Christ.

To succeed takes two things: discipline and perseverance:

Discipline: 2Timothy 2:3 tells us to be a good soldier of Christ. We must be willing to do the hard thing.
Perseverance: Hebrews 6:12 says that through faith and perseverance we will inherit the promise. Change doesn’t come easy but the end result is worth it.

Goliath mocked David in a battle of thoughts. What giant is calling out to you? What voice will you listen to?

Filed Under: Discipline, In Christ, perseverance Tagged With: 1Peter 1:13, 2Cor. 5:21, 2Corinthians 10:5, 2Samuel 11-12, 2Timothy 2:3, Acts 16, Deuteronomy 28:13, Ephesians 4:24, Galatians 6:7, Genesis 38, Hebrews 13:5, Hebrews 6:12, Jeremiah 29:11, John 8:36, Joshua 1:8, Joshua 6, Matthew 1, Phil 3:13-14, Phil 4:13, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 23:1, Romans 12:2, Romans 8:31, Romans 8:37, Ruth 1