Burden Bearers

1 Peter 5:8-9 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are."

One of Satan's greatest lies is that we are alone in our struggles and no one will understand what we're going through or our struggle with our sin nature. If he can convince us to believe that lie, we will pull into ourselves and pull away from the very ones he has put in our lives to help us. 

Galatians 6:1-2 "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

This applies to any type of struggle not just sin issues. We are all part of one body. 

1 Corinthians 12:20, 26 "Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

When cancer develops in a person's body, the good cells from all over the body come to fight. The good cells in the leg don't say, "That is the breast's issue.  I'm staying right here where it is safe and cancer free."  In the same way, sometimes bearing each other's burdens can be messy too. We are commanded to bear the burdens of others, yet warned to be careful. 

If we only want to "help" those whose lives are mess free, we will never fulfill the command to "bear each other's burdens."  Life is messy and sometimes we need help with the messy stuff. The most amazing feeling and reward comes when we get down in the pit with a fellow believer and help them dig their way out. 

I know that it sounds more religious to say, "We can lower a ladder down and let them climb out." But in my life I've found that the greatest help comes from those who are not worried about getting dirty. Those who will get in the pit with me. This does not mean they participate in my sin or struggle (heed the warning in Galatians 6:1-2) but that they fight beside me as I fight my way out. 

The Christian walk is a daily battle field, as is evidenced by Paul's statement in Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

Bearing each other's burdens often involves sacrifice on our part. It may involve being available 24/7 for a friend, sacrificial giving to help with a need, or hours of intercession and spiritual warfare on behalf of another.  Whatever the cost to us, we need to remember two things: 

          1. One day we will be the one in need. Will there be someone to help bear our burden?  

          2. Jesus bore all our sin, guilt, and shame on his back when he died on the cross.  How could we refuse to partner with him to help someone in need?  

When we partner with Christ, to bear other's burdens, we become a force to reckon with. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Wether we are the one in need or the burden bearer, we can cling to the promise found in Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."

Let us never hold back from seeking others to help us bear our burdens or from "getting our hands dirty" bearing another's burden with them. This partnership is necessary to growth and freedom in the body of Christ and is crucial to our spiritual health as individuals within that body. 

How's Your Hearing?

Jesus told this parable about four types of hearers (soil).  

Mark 4:3-8 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 

Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

The seed that fell on the footpath are those whose hearts are hard and when they hear the Word it can't penetrate and Satan steals it away quickly. 

The seed that fell on shallow soil are those who are nominal believers. They prayed the prayer but are not living for God. They are hears of the Word only.  James 1:22-24 "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like."

The third seed fell among the thorns. This represents believers who are more concerned with the cares of this life then in their walk with Christ. Their focus is on what they see and they don't grow in their relationship past the infant stage. They hear the Word but don't apply the it to their lives. 

The fourth seed fell on fertile soil. This represents believers who have yielded their lives to Christ and who are walking by faith not by sight. Those who seek the giver rather then the gift. When they hear the Word it takes deep root because they apply it to their life by allowing the Holy Spirit to dig deep and make the necessary changes he desires to make. 

What kind of hearer am I?  We must ask ourselves this question daily. Am I applying the Word I hear and read to my life or am I just going through the motions?  

Life Offering

Romans 12:1 (MSG) "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

When we place our lives on the altar as a sacrifice we need to realize that our life is no longer our own. Our decisions and choices must be based on God's desires and plans. 

Matthew 10:38 (MSG) “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me."

We are living in a day when those who call themselves by the name of Christ (Christian) must stop playing games (thinking more about their own desires and concerns) and get serious about living for Christ (seeking him first). The world we knew even ten years ago is fading fast and the enemy is pulling out all the stops to destroy the church. 

Luke 9:62 (MSG) Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” 

Satan is not playing. He is out to crush anyone who gets in his way. One of his major tactics is to get us to focus on ourselves. To focus on our desires, cares, worries, concerns. To take our focus off Christ. He throws road blocks in our path in an attempt to get us to swerve to the right or the left.  

When we are driving along a mountain highway with the mountain on one side and a cliff on the other side, we stay as close to the middle of the road as possible. To run too far on either side could be deadly. If an obstacle comes along we have to make a tough choice. 

The same is true in our spiritual life. The difference is that, in our spiritual life, Jesus has already made the decision about our next step. He has already laid out the path. He gave us free will and we get to choose which way we will go, however, if we seek him first he will give us what we need to make the best choice. 

Matthew 6:30 (MSG) “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Let us offer our lives daily as a offering to Christ. Yielding our desires and cares to his faithful, loving care. If he cares for flowers, we can trust that he will take care of us. Will it always be the way we want it or the way we think it should be  No!! 

Isaiah 55:8a (MSG) "I don’t think the way you think.The way you work isn’t the way I work.”

God’s Decree.“For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think."

God sees the entire tapestry of our lives. He knew each stitch, each milestone, each failure, each joy, each sorrow before we were even born. If he sees ahead and is working for our good, can't we willingly offer all we are into his capable hands today?  

Isaiah 46:10 (NLT) "Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish."

Romans 8:28 (NLT) "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Storm the Beach

Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMP) "When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath your exasperation, your fury or indignation last until the sun goes down. Leave no such room or foothold for the devil give no opportunity to him."

Footholds are areas of our life where we have opened the door and allowed the enemy admittance. The example here in Ephesians is anger, but it can be any negative emotion: fear, resentment, shame, worry, etc. 

Our emotions are powerful. God created us in his image and he is full of emotion.  Mark 3:5 "He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!"  Here we see anger and sorrow, two very strong emotions. Jesus felt the same emotions we do, yet he did not allow himself to be controlled by them. He didn't sin by allowing them to get out of control. 

When we allow our emotions to run out of control, we open the door for the enemy. When given a foothold, he will inch in and build a stronghold. 

Rick Warren explains it this way. "On D-Day, the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. It was critical that they establish a beachhead, that is, a foothold on the beach that would allow them to set up a staging area to bring more men and equipment in for the battle. From that tiny foothold, the Allied forces were able to push inland in an effort to liberate France."

The enemy isn't out to bring us freedom. Quite the opposite is true; he wants to destroy our lives by bringing us into such deep bondage that we cannot see any hope of freedom. 

Like the soldiers on D-Day, we must storm the beach. We must take on every emotion and keep it in check. We must take every thought captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5b "...and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

For example, when we feel worry starting to creep in, we can't afford to ignore it. We must fight back using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word. Quote Philippians 4:6 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."  Then do just what that verse commands us to do. PRAY!!!!  

If fear rears it's ugly head; 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

Shame is a big one. The enemy likes to remind us of our mistakes. Remember, when we confess our sins and repent, God doesn't remember them any longer. The enemy does, however, and he will bring them up when we least expect it. If we are not careful we will "buy into" those feelings and open the door for him to set up camp.  

Shut him down with these:  Psalm 103:12 "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."   Romans 8:1-2 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death."

Ephesians tells us," Do not to let the sun go down on our anger." This is vital with any negative emotion. We must deal with it quickly. We cannot allow it to fester and grow. If we do it will destroy our lives like a cancer. 

I have watched too many people I love allow themselves to be overtaken by the strongholds of the enemy. It doesn't happen over night. It begins with one out of control emotion that goes unchecked. Over time the stronghold is so large that they cannot see a way out, or in some cases don't feel their sin is wrong anymore. They have allowed themselves to believe the lies of the devil and are now living lives that they would have condemned a few short years ago. 

What emotion do you need to keep in check today?  We must storm the beach and remove the footholds before they become strongholds in our lives!

I AM

In the book of John, Jesus makes  seven statements about himself. Each statement begins with, I AM, and reveals something different about the character of Christ. 

John 6:35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 

John 10:7, 9 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep."

John 11:25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

John 15:1-2 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."

We can see throughout the Word that each of these statements is true about Christ. The phrase "I am" is powerful. It determines our destiny. It reveals how we view ourself. It builds us up or tears us down. 

For example, when we say, I am not good at...", we become "not good" at what we put in the blank. Proverbs tells us why. Proverbs 23:7a (AMP) "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

If, however, we daily claim the promises about our identity found in the Word, they will shape who we become. They will become part of our character because they ARE part of our spiritual DNA. 

I am the righteousness of Christ in God. 1 Corinthians 5:21

I am complete in Christ who is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:10

I am free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2

I am God's workmanship, created for good works in Christ. Ephesians 2:10

I am a joint-heir with Christ. Romans 8:17

I am more than a conqueror through Christ. Romans 8:37

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. I am not my own. 1 Corinthians 6:19 

I am loved by God. Romans 1:7

I am created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27

There are so many more statements about who we are in Christ that can be found in the Word. We need to dig them out and make them part of our daily focus. We need to remind ourselves each and everyday who we are in Christ. In so doing, we will be telling the enemy who we are as well. When we begin to believe that we can do all things through Christ or that we are more than a conqueror through Christ, we will begin to walk that out in our daily lives. We will become who we claim to be, when we are claiming the identity that God has planned for us from before the world began. Our destiny will be molded and shaped by who we believe we are. 

What promise about your identity do you need most today?  Put it in the blank, believe it, make it your own!!!  "I am..."

Easy and Light

Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

How can this be true?  Life is hard. It holds trials and suffering. It holds death and pain.

Matthew 11:28-29 "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'"

It's true because we are never carrying the load alone.  If we allow him to, Jesus bears the load with us. Just like two oxen are yoked together to pull the load, Jesus is yoked with us. The difference is that when you yoke oxen, you choose a pair that are the same size  so neither of them bears a greater load.
With Jesus we are yoked to one much "larger" greater than ourselves. If we come to him and give him our heavy burdens, he will do the greater part of the load bearing.

The issue is not that Jesus fails to carry the load, it is that we fail to leave it to him to carry it. We bring it to him but are not patient enough to leave it there till the answer comes.

We try to "fix" things on our own. This usually ends is more trouble. Let's think about Abraham and Sarah for a minute.

God promised Abraham a son. Genesis 15:4 "Then the Lord said to him, 'No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.'”

Ten years later, when Sarah got tired of waiting for the promise (answer) to be fulfilled, she took matters into her own hands. Genesis 16:1-5 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan. So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

Whose idea was that again?  Our answers might not take ten years to come, but if we are honest, even a ten minute delay in our plans causes some of us to grow anxious.

This is where faith and trust come in. Webster defines faith as: firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust.

If we believe God is who he says he is we can put our faith in him. We can trust him to carry our burdens and to fulfill his promises to us. The Word is full of promises that are ours.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” which means “Yes” ascends to God for his glory.

Will God heal you?  YES!  Will God provide for ALL your needs?  YES!  Will God give you peace?  YES!  Will God sustain you through the trials of life?  YES! 

So we say AMEN!!!  Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”  

Hebrews 11 is the hallway of faith. As we travel down it, we see countless men and women who put their faith in God and saw amazing things happen. Noah (rescued from the flood), Enoch (didn't see death but was taken up to heaven), Moses (leaving Egypt, Red Sea parting, etc.)

These and many others are commended for their faith, however, many of them didn't see the fulfillment of their promise. Many of them faced great adversity. Many struggled under heavy burdens. Many lost everything. And none of then saw all the fulfillment. Yet they all placed their faith in God. Hebrews 11:39 "All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised."

Will we, like the men and women of old, put our faith in God, allow him to carry our burden, and keep trusting even when we can't see the answer?  Will we trust the One who promised?  

Stay Free!

Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

Romans 8:2 (ESV) “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  

Because we live according to the Spirit, we are free from the law.  The law brought condemnation (guilt) because we could never live up to its standards, requirements.  When Jesus came in human form (in the likeness of sinful man), God condemned sin and broke its power in our flesh.  This took place by Jesus perfect life.  In human form he lived a sinless life.  This had never happened before or since.  From the fall of Adam till Jesus birth (and up till today) Christ is the only one who lived a sinless life.  Because he was able to live in flesh and not sin, that broke forever the power of sin in our flesh. (Asbury Bible Commentary)

Romans 8:3-6 (ESV)“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

The Asbury Bible Commentary states, “The righteous requirements of the law, however, are still valid as expressions of God’s will for human conduct.”  “The fruit of the Spirit lives in harmony with the law.”

We must work on developing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  As they grow, we will live according to the Spirit not the flesh.  Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

To remain free, we need to set our minds on things above: put off our old flesh with its sinful deeds.  Colossians 3:2-10 (NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

Let us ask our loving Savior today to reveal any area of the sin nature that needs to be put to death in our life today.  It is a battle we can and will win because the Word tells us the battle is the Lord’s and it is not by might or power, but by God’s Spirit that we overcome.