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Archive for April, 2009
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Greetings! I hope this finds you walking in the strength of His joy.
“A good name is to be more desired than great wealth.” (Proverbs 22:1)
Integrity means completeness, no duality in what you say and what you do. The opposite of integrity then is hypocrisy. It’s been said that integrity is not only the way one thinks but the way one acts. Integrity is not wearing a cross around your neck, then coming to church, acting like a Christian, and then going home and being a mean (verbally cutting, hateful) or abusive husband, a disrespectful wife, or an uninterested parent. That’s duality, that’s hypocrisy, but not integrity. Integrity means that you don’t hold or profess you’re a Christian, but in your job you do a bad product, you’re rebellious against your boss, you gossip, you act unethically, and you lie…that’s hypocrisy. Integrity is what you are, reputation is what people think you are. You cannot be truly successful in life when you are disrespected by the living here because you lack integrity.
Integrity was so important to Jesus that He made sure He paid the temple tax and Peter’s portion as well even though He didn’t have to (Matt. 17:24-27). Integrity was so important to Paul that he made sure he had two other people with him when he was collecting money from the churches for the poor Christians back in Jerusalem. He wanted to make sure that no one could discredit him so it says he ‘took precaution’ (2 Cor. 8:16-20). Paul protected his integrity because it is that important. Samuel stood before the people he led for decades, and now at the end of his life, he asked that if he had taken anything from anybody, or cheated anybody, oppressed anybody, or taken a bribe from anybody, for them to let him know and he would make it right. It says that no one stood to say anything. In other words, no one had an ought against him because honesty, and integrity had permeated every area of his life. He held himself accountable to the people he led, and opened himself up to the scrutiny of everyone with whom he had ever had dealings, and no one had anything against him. Wow, that’s a life of integrity! We need leaders in the church like that today.
If you don’t have integrity it will affect you and your ability to lead and minister.
If you don’t have integrity it will affect those closest to you. It is awfully difficult for a woman to respect a man who will profess to be a Christian on Sunday, but live abusively the other 6 days. It is hard for a child to live in a home where there is duality.
If you don’t have integrity you’re also going to affect what you can do for God. God cannot truly use a man or woman who lacks integrity (see also Samson).
What do you do ?
You get your life straight.
You reconcile if you need to with those you hurt do to your duality.
You look at yourself in the mirror, and don’t leave unchanged.
You start crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s.
You start ‘taking precaution’ so no one can discredit you.
You’ll never be perfect but you work on never letting your life have holes poked in it due to a lack of integrity.
Always remember that having lived a life of integrity is one of the greatest statements that can be made about you at the end of your life. It’s also one of greatest evangelistic tools you have in your arsenal because people will be open to receiving the Gospel from a man or woman who livs a tre life of integrity.
I hope this has challenged and helped you in your walk with Christ.
In His Service,
Pastor Brad Tuttle
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Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
I hope this finds you walking in the strength of His joy!
A car has shocks to help the frame of the car survive the constant pounding of the road. They protect the frame from potholes and uneven places on the road and enable the car to deliver a smooth ride. In the same way, if you have the ability to flex and give a little when the potholes and uneven places come, you’ll be able to ride a little more smoothly through life.
Let me be very clear: You can’t be successful in life the biblical way if you cannot flex, give, and bend during the tumult, turmoil, and uproar of life.
If you feel mastered by your circumstances or victimized by things you can’t control, you will not enjoy life, be successful in life, or enjoy God as much as you should. And you will probably make everyone around you unhappy as well. We’ve all known people who become fearful, angry, depressed, bitter, and withdrawn when life doesn’t meet their expectations. I’ve watched people leave a church or withdraw from a relationship because they were hurt in some way. Life doesn’t behave like we want it to most of the time. Sometimes it just won’t cooperate.
Someday we will finally live in a perfect world where there is no pain, no suffering, and no crying (Revelation 21:4). But until then how do we survive? We have to put on new “shocks.”
Here are four biblical “shocks” that will enable you to flex and give in the midst of an uneven world.
SHOCK #1: Believe in the Sovereignty of God.
“The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)
We need to believe-rationally, emotionally, and spiritually-that He is our Chief Ruler, our Father in Heaven, and our King of Kings. He will be with us always. In the words of the psalmist, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)
What does sovereignty mean? It means that you can be a Joseph who receives a promise early in life but whose brothers sell you into slavery. Then you’re falsely accused and thrown into jail where you stay for at least two years. In all, for thirteen years that promise seems to mock you. But God always keeps His promises, exalting you to the highest position in the land and giving you the opportunity to reunite with your family. God is sovereign.
Sovereignty means that you can be a little shepherd boy when a priest named Samuel anoints you, saying that you’re going to be the king of Israel. But years later you find yourself in a cave hiding from the current King who wants to kill you. And yet, God is always in control, finally raising you up to become King of all Israel. Sovereignty means you can be a Christian, know that you’re living in Christ with no condemnation, believing that all things work out together for good, and still you can be hurt and suffer. But believing in God’s sovereignty means that you choose to keep trusting Him. He will provide. He is in control. And He will care for you.
God is always working out His purpose and will for our lives. Sometimes He works through hardship, teaching us things that we need to learn. So the first shock that will help you survive the difficulties of life is belief in the sovereignty of God and trust that He is purposeful in what He does.
SHOCK #2: Hope in God’s glory.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
The end of our Christian lives will be the ultimate glory! Paul said in Philippians 1:23, “But I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” (NASB). That is true glory! The world we live in is not the best of all worlds, because beyond the veil of this life is the glory of God.
Revelation 7:16-17 tells us that in heaven, in the light of God’s glory, there will be no more hunger or thirst, the sun will not beat down on us, and we will no longer suffer, because the Lamb of God will guide us to springs of the water of life and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. His glory is one of the greatest promises we can look forward to-we will experience all that life was originally meant to be.
SHOCK #3: Enjoy God’s gifts.
“That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all toil-this is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13)
Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! Don’t let the elusiveness of what might be take you away from the happiness of what you’ve been given now. You have to enjoy the blessings God has given to you. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us seven times to enjoy the wife of our youth and the works of our hands, for God has approved of them. So enjoy every moment. I have talked with many older folks and asked them, “What would you do over in your life?” Almost all the time I hear, “I wish I hadn’t worried about things I couldn’t control. I wish I would have enjoyed the things I did have.”
Enjoy your wife, your kids, sunshine, flowers, food, family, friends, and so on. Get a double dip of ice cream every once in a while!
SHOCK #4: Trust in God’s presence.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)
Trust in God is the belief that He is closer and stronger than my dilemma and my problems. He is our Helper. He promised that He’ll take care of us and that He’ll be with us. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).
In our storm-tossed boat, He knows where we are and He’ll come to us. He calls us, “Just step out here with Me and I’ll take you through it. And when I say so, the storm will go away and I’ll get you to the other side. He will not be roused by the winds and waves, but He instantly responds when I cry “Master!” Then He is up on His feet! Even in my flawed faith, He will rise to take care of me. We need to have a strong belief in the presence of God!
Sit with your Father and love Him, trust Him, enjoy Him, walk with Him. And if anything happens that you can’t figure out, just grab onto Him and hang on. Let Him take you through it.
You cannot be happy or successful in life the biblical way when you let life’s circumstances determine how you respond. You’ve got to have “shocks” to last!
In His Service,
Pastor Brad Tuttle
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
It’s A New Season
Hello everyone! I hope this finds you excited about the direction of your life in regards to your relationship with Christ.
Well, it’s over, a new season is starting, the trees in my yard are with leaves again, and the squirrels are digging holes in my newly laid mulch trying to find the nuts they buried during winter.
Spring is here and the gym is more crowded with people trying to get their abs to show out from the newly laid layers of winter feasting. Spring is here and everything around us is springing with new life! My question to all of us this week is, “Is our spiritual life staying in hibernation or are we choosing to challenge ourselves to spring to new life in the way we live and serve our awesome Savior and Lord?”
What’s your answer to that question and I mean what’s your true honest answer to that? We just left the holiday where we as believers in Christ celebrate and remember the day our Savior rose Himself up from the grave, the Victor over sin and death. Is there any better reason we can think of to jump start our hearts into a new vigorous beat for Christ? Is there any reason at all that we can think of not to make this a new season in our own lives concerning our passion for loving, serving, and selling out for Christ? Is there any problem or trial that should keep us from not making this a new season of giving all of ourselves to Him and His kingdom work? Really think about it, is there anything that should keep us from making this the season in which we abandon our own selfish pursuits and desires and replace them with godly and kingdom pursuits and desires?
I love Spring! As far as our church is concerned it begins the season of outdoor outreach opportunities. But as far as we are concerned personally let’s let it represent the beginning of a new season of passion for Christ. Some who are reading this right now have been saved for years and yet the enthusiasm for the Lord has never really grown. It’s just Christianity as usual; church on Sunday, no real daily prayer, no Bible study, up and down in daily with life, then come to church again on Sunday, sing some, smile and look the part, leave church and go eat and do it all over again. Man, there is so much more than that available to all of us in our relationship with Christ.
There are opportunities galore to make a difference in people’s lives with the Gospel message. There is so much opportunity to live a life with such joy and zeal as we wake up each and every day with the goal to let our lives be used mightily for God! And remember, we have only one chance on this earth to do all we can with what we’ve been given by the Lord within our relationship with Him. So let’s make our decision concrete this week to start a new season of living all-out for Christ! No more mundane Christian existence. No more passionless Christian existence. It’s a new season for us; for our life with Christ!
Is there any reason at all that we can think of not to make this a new season in our own lives concerning our passion for loving, serving, and selling out for Christ? I can’t think of one.
God bless and have a terrific week as you start your new spiritual season!
Pastor Brad Tuttle
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Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
“After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:31)
Hello everyone! I hope you are all ready for this incredible weekend where we remember Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection! Personally, I can’t wait until church so I can preach on the power of His resurrection, and of course watching all the little ones hunt for Easter eggs after service.
My wife and I were reading the above passage of Scripture in the context of the crucifixion account in Matthew as we pondered on the soon approaching Good Friday. When we read it out loud it hit me regarding the mocking of Christ that that is what the world does so much today–mocking Jesus Christ. As usual there will be many TV programs this week dedicated to trying to put doubt in people’s minds that Jesus was really the Messiah and that He really rose from the dead. It’s amazing how they get by with that, but if it had to do with another religion’s belief system things would not go so well. Yet, the name Christ is used as a cuss word, ungodly comedy sketches are written about Him, TV skeptics laugh at Him, TV shows and movies ridicule Him and misrepresent Him, and people are even trying to take Him out of Christmas and Easter. Amazing! The most influential, powerful, history changing, life altering person that ever walked on the face of the earth and they still mock. If I didn’t realize that Bible says it would be this way it may bug me more. People’s unbelief is perfectly consistent with the Scripture: “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
We on the other hand, those who know Him personally as Savior and Lord, our mocking days are over, and now we worship! We worship Him because of who He is–the God-Man, the only Savior of the world, the Messiah, the King of Kings, the resurrected (factually proven) Christ, God in the flesh, and the Lord of our lives. We worship Him because He truly has changed our lives! Jesus, who is not just a prophet, but divinity, the only way to heaven, and the One who strengthens, guides, heals, and comforts, has become our utmost object of worship! Let the world mock, but as for me and my house, we are going to worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
I want to challenge you today in this short Weekly Word to worship Him louder, harder, and more effectively than the world mocks Him. Don’t ever be afraid to mention His name. Don’t ever be ashamed to be named as one of His followers. Don’t ever let the world around you mock Him louder than you worship Him. It’s time we turned the tables. Our worship is not just to be done inside the walls of our churches on Sunday mornings! We need to take it outside the walls and into the world we live in–to the workplace, to school, and so on. We need to worship him by the way we talk, act, react, and think. We need to let those who mock Him see that we are proud to call Him Lord. We need to step up and be counted as those who consider Him worthy of all of our praise! And in the long run this may be the very thing that those who mock Jesus need to see. Maybe they just need to see some believers who are truly willing to stand in the face of opposition and not cower, but who shout from the depth of their hearts, “I love you Jesus, you are are worthy of all my praise and worship!” The world shouts for their gods, let’s lift our voices and be heard when it comes to worshipping our true and living God!
God Bless you this week and remember Friday, the Power of the Cross, and Sunday, the Power of His Resurrectiuon!
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