Keeping Spiritual Decisions!

by Jonas Harley | July 19, 2010

Summer Bible Camp is such an exciting and needful time! I’m so thankful that my church as the opportunity to take teens and juniors to camp at The Wilds for an entire week where they receive solid Bible preaching, consistent devotions, encouragement and rebuke in their walk with God, and biblical counsel about life decisions.

Summer after summer the teens come home “on fire for God” with the desire to be a pace setter in their realm of influence. However, camp decisions often become just that…camp decisions…and not life decisions. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

The Bible states in 2 Timothy 3:14, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” How can one keep his or her camp decisions? Here are few things to implement.

Inform your Parents – Saved or unsaved let your parents know what God is doing in your heart. Allow them to see how God is working in your life and that you want to do right. This will speak volumes to your parents! Oftentimes, teens will come home and just tell their parents about all the fun they had and friends they made, but don’t overlook the most needful thing (and really the whole point in going) and that is the spiritual lessons you learned. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel in your home!

Focus on the Long Term – Discouragement seems to be Satan’s favorite tool to destroy any zeal Christians have for serving God. When you decide to put God first in every area of your life Satan works to place obstacles in your way to hinder you from godly living. One of those obstacles is to get discouraged with the short term struggles in hopes to derail you from the long term view. Keep your eyes on the prize! When you establish a high level of concentration on the long term view you will maintain daily obedience.  Remember, spiritual growth takes time. It’s not an overnight process. As you remain focus on the long term you will stay encouraged with the present day.      

Accountability – Two are better than one (Eccl. 4:9-12)! Seek out someone who will strive to keep you accountable on your decision. Someone who will ask the hard questions, confronts you when necessary, and encourages you in difficult times. I strongly recommend your parents and/or Pastor or Youth Pastor (or their wives) to be your accountability partner. They have a desire to see you grow and stay faithful in your walk with God. Don’t delay. Accountability will help you stay on the right path!  

Review – Many people roll their eyes, deeply sigh, or cry out in frustration when it comes to reviewing. But reviewing is where it’s at! Lessons that you have learned will not become permanent and productive unless you are constantly reviewing them. Do not get caught up in the trap that you always have to be learning something new every day. It is easier for you to be a forgetful hearer than a doer of the word. Therefore, you must take your time and assure that you are truly learning the current lesson by reviewing, reviewing, and reviewing. Action Tip: Listen to the same sermon more than once, look over your notes, re-read through your devotional book, etc.      

Be Spirit-filled – Lastly, do not depend on your own strength to live the Christian life. God never intended for you to be self-dependent. A God-dependent Christian is a victorious Christian. Take a look at some of these awesome promises in the Bible:

  • Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
  • 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “…My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
  • James 4:6 –“But he giveth more grace. Therefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

I pray this will help guide you on making these camp decisions lifetime decisions! Be reminded what Ecclesiastes 5:4 states, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.”

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Your Spiritual Profile!

by Jonas Harley | July 14, 2010

Social networking is becoming, if not already, a requirement to relate to other people. Having an online profile is commonplace in society today. One neat thing about social networking is that you get to choose who you want to follow (i.e. twitter) and be friends with (i.e. facebook). At the same time, other people are able to follow you and be friends with you! Scary huh?!  Did you know that in Philippians 3:17-21 the Bible gives you guidelines on how to manage your “spiritual profile?”

Follow those who Pursue Christ (v.17) – Paul encouraged his church to imitate him as he followed Christ. Church leadership (Pastors & Deacons) ought to be primary examples on how to pursue Christ and live the Christian life. Paul also recognized that there were other real life examples (patterns) that served as very powerful object lessons on how to live the Christian life. The Bible commands you to take note of, observe, and keep your eye (“…mark them which walk…”) on believers who passionately follow Christ. You must develop a “spiritual profile” of those who passionately pursue Christ because they encourage your spiritual growth. You must (1) identify and then (2) follow them.

For example, my youth pastor, Mike Washer (Director of National Hoops Ministries), is a great example of living by faith. I have personally seen God use him in great and mighty ways through his evangelistic ministry. My faith has grown as a result of “following” him when it comes to living by faith.

Who are you “following” that is an excellent example of living the Christian life? Are you a real life example of passionately pursing Christ? Would someone “mark” you as an example?

Avoid those who Oppose Christ (v.18-19) – On the other hand, there are MANY people in the world today who “profess Christ” or reject Christ and are seeking to distract and deceive you which will result in ruining your Christian testimony. These people are actually enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ and must be avoided. In other words, stop following them. The Bible lays out four descriptions of those who oppose Christ:

  1. Their Destiny - “Whose end is destruction,“ – Their eternal destination is destruction in hell. 
  2. Their Desires - “…whose God is their belly,” – They are occupied with selfish living. Self-esteem is their appetite!
  3. Their Boastings - “…and whose glory is in their shame,” – They boast in the most extreme forms of wickedness. They take pride in perversions (immorality, violence, rebellion).
  4. Their Focus - “…who mind earthly things.)” – They have a temporal focus. They think and live for the here and now.

You must identify and avoid following the enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ because they hinder your spiritual growth. Who are you “following” that is an enemy of Jesus?

Remember your Identity in Christ (v.20-21) – One of the primary reasons people participate in social networking is to create an identity. In these verses Paul reminds you of your identity as a Christian, that your true citizenship is in heaven and that you must be eagerly waiting for the return of Christ!

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”Paul encourages you to keep resting in the promise of glorification where you will be free from the presence of sin and receive your transformed (perfect) body. The core motivation for spiritual growth is the hope of the return of Jesus Christ, because that marks the end of your pursuit for the prize of Christlikeness!  

A gardener for a large estate in northern Italy was conducting a visitor through the castle and the beautiful, well-groomed grounds. As the visitor had lunch with the gardener and his wife, he commended them for the beautiful way they were keeping the gardens. He asked, “By the way, when was the last time the owner was here? “About ten years ago.” The gardener replied. The visitor asked, “Then why do you keep the gardens in such an immaculate, lovely manner?” The gardener replied, “Because I’m expecting him to return.”  “Is he coming next week?” The gardener replied, “I don’t know when he is coming, but I am expecting him today.” Are you excited about the day when your redeemed spirit and glorified body will be able to perfectly manifest the glory of God? 

In summary, you must diligently manage your spiritual profile by looking to godly examples, looking out for enemies, and focusing on the glorious return of Jesus Christ!

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5 Common Characteristics of Pride!

by Jonas Harley | June 30, 2010

 

There are some things God absolutely hates! One of those things is PRIDE (Proverbs 6:16-19)! Pride is at the root of the sins you commit. Pride turns off the faucet of grace (James 4:6). Pride is detected by everyone except the person who has it.

Have you ever wondered how you function when you are proud? What are the elements of pride? Turn to Daniel 3. In this passage you will find 5 common characteristics on how a proud person operates.

You promote self – I know this is really stating the obvious, but let’s not overlook it. In Daniel 3:1 you find King Nebuchadnezzar creating “an image of gold” that was 90 feet tall (the distance between home plate and 1st base on a professional baseball field) and 9 feet wide! It was a common practice to erect images with massive proportions to impress others. The Bible doesn’t specifically state what the statue represented, some say it was himself, and others say it could have been an obelisk. Regardless of what the actual image was you know that King Nebuchadnezzar was using it to promote himself throughout his kingdom. Proud people love to promote themselves! They endorse their own ideas, opinions, philosophies, viewpoints, sides of the story, and so forth. Today’s culture hasn’t help with the emphasis on having a high self-esteem (which is nothing but pride and selfishness). You may not seek to resurrect a gold statue, but do you strive to advance yourself in words, actions, media, etc? Are you trying to be somebody? If so, you are proud.              

You eliminate distractions – King Nebuchadnezzar placed his statue of gold “…in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon” (Daniel 3:1). Why there? Because there was nothing to detract from the magnificence of his image! In other words, there was nothing in a plain to compete with the King’s statue; all attention was focused on him. When proud people have something to say or show they fervently try to reduce any distractions that would take away from their platform. Have you ever tried to quiet everyone around you before you try to speak? (This doesn’t apply to a public speaker who is trying to give announcements or instructions, etc). Have you ever gone to a quiet room or place with your group of followers so you can tell your story with minimal distractions? Have you ever belittled someone else in order to make yourself look better? If so, you are proud.               

You seek attention from authorities and other leaders – When you read Daniel 3:2-3 you find King Nebuchadnezzar gathering together all types of leaders (rulers) throughout his kingdom to attend the dedication ceremony of his gold statue. Proud people are always trying to seek attention from people in authority hoping they will like what they see and/or hear. What’s unique in this case is King Nebuchadnezzar IS the top authority, yet he still sought attention from other leaders. Do you try to “brownnose” with authorities in your life (boss, coach, pastor, teacher, parents, etc) in hopes they will accept you? Have you ever tried to “hob-knob” with your superiors hoping they will endorse you? Have you ever tried to “get in cool” with your boss in hopes for that promotion?  Beware of someone who “cow-tails” with his superiors and overlooks his inferiors. If so, you are proud.            

You expect others to agree with and honor you – After reading Daniel 3:4-7 you find King Nebuchadnezzar commanding all “…people, nations, and languages” to fall down (bow) and worship the golden image. Bowing means you are willing to submit. Although King Nebuchadnezzar had the authority to command people to bow and worship he was still seeking to have the people agree that he was a great king and they must honor him for it. Most proud people don’t have this kind of authority, however they act like it and attempt to get others to agree with and honor them. Have you ever argued with someone till they agreed with your point of view? Do you expect others to recognize you for some kind of service you did or project you accomplished? Do you anticipate others to honor you for your performance academically, athletically, financially, physically, economically, etc?  If so, you are proud.               

You are offended when others don’t respect you – Many are familiar with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow down and worship the golden image. They were more concerned about obeying the God of heaven rather than an earthly King (Daniel 3:16-18). I want you to notice something in v.19. King Nebuchadnezzar was very angry (“…full of fury…”) that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey, he got offended! He was all bent out of shape, especially his face, because three kids would not respect him! So he sought revenge and commanded that the fiery furnace be heated up seven times than normal and had them thrown in (read the rest of the chapter to find out what happened!). What’s the principle here? Proud people are always very offended when people don’t respect them. They start thinking, “How dare you disrespect me! Don’t you know who I am?” Do you get upset when someone doesn’t listen to you? Are you insulted when your idea gets overlooked? Are you hurt when somebody ignores you? Are you slighted when others neglect to thank you for something? Do you take note of who didn’t attend your birthday party? Are you offended when you realize who didn’t send you a gift for a special occasion? If so, you are proud.            

I know this post may have hit the heart strings; as it does for me. Always remember this, God honors and promotes the humble (Phil. 2:5-11; Jam. 4:6-10)!

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Road To Adulthood Even Longer!

by Jonas Harley | June 22, 2010

The New York Times recently published an article entitled, “Long Road to Adulthood Is Growing Even Longer” by Patricia Cohen. The article reveals how research indicates that people between the ages of 20 and 34 are taking longer to finish their educations, establish themselves in careers, marry, have children and become financially independent. Frank Furstenberg, leader of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood, states, “A new period of life is emerging in which young people are no longer adolescents but not yet adults.” The rest of the article continues to give possible reasons and stats for this survey.

I would like to submit to you 4 reasons that build upon each other why this is happening.

1. Refusal to take on Personal Responsibility – According to this article, “More people in their 20s are also living with their parents. About one-fourth of 25-year-old white men lived at home in 2007.”  Right now, there is a failure, more like a refusal, to launch into adulthood responsibilities. These 20-somethings are increasing choosing to stay in the state of limbo longer. We are living in a day where commitment is harder to find because we are afraid of making the wrong decision, missing out on something better, or what others will think. Furthermore, by extending the road to adulthood it will give these 20-somethings more avenues to point the blame if something doesn’t work out. Biblically speaking, I firmly believe that we must encourage young adults to reject this trend of immaturity and irresponsibility. Why is this happening? #2

2. Micro-Managing Parenting – The article states that there is a “…sizable contribution from parents…” that is hindering the next generation. This is due to micro-managing parenting (also known as helicopter parenting) which has been heavily promoted by “parenting psychologists” who stress to parents that the more involved they are in their children’s lives, the better parents they are! This is where parents unknowingly create their children to always depend on them for everything. For example, there have been articles released explaining how parents are showing up at job fairs and interviews with their college educated kids! It is no wonder why 20-somethings don’t want to take on personal responsibility (see #1), because they are so convinced that mom, dad, or government will succeed for them, which only intensifies entitlement and a socialistic mindset (sound familiar?)! The bottom-line is that hovering parents actually cause their children to be helpless, lazy, and dependent. Why is this happening? #3

3. Marriage Roles are Shifting – As the article unfolds you read about how the average age for marriage and parenthood is rising due to academic and career pursuits, the previous generation not making it attractive, and the erosion of traditional values. Looking at this through the lens of a biblical worldview, what really is taking place is a shifting of roles in society, marriage, and the home. To be blunt, women are leading men and men are submitting to women in those three areas. That is not how God designed those areas to be operated according to Genesis 2:21-25; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 5:22-33; and Colossians 3:18-21. Furthermore, the reason many parents are micro-managing is due to the fact they are neglecting their roles in marriage and the home. The roles of husband and wife have been replaced with the roles of father and mother. They are not focused on each other, but on their children. In other words, they pay more attention to, do more things for, give more time to, talk more about, and give more concerned about their children than they do about each other. Because of this inside-out, upside-down family situation it leads to divorce, encourages micro-parenting, and extends the road to adulthood for the next generation. Why is this happening? #4

4. Selfishness – Throughout this New York Times article you will notice self-centered comments being made by the interviewees. This just confirms what the Bible states about the culture we live in of pride and selfishness (2 Timothy 3:1-5). The root of dysfunctional marriages and parenting is caused by selfishness, the desire to please self. Therefore, this selfishness is being transferred to the next generation and is being manifested by their unwillingness to take on adult responsibility. Selfish living always bears sinful consequences.

In summary, selfish living results in faulty marriages and insecure parenting which causes the next generation to refuse personal responsibility and ultimately extends the road to adulthood.  

We often joke about not wanting to grow up and being a “toys-r-us” kid for the rest of our life, but this trend is killing the next generation and causing us to miss out on an awesome opportunity to biblically shepherd them.

What does the article show us? It shows us that young adults are searching for answers in a world that provides none. 20-somethings and 30-somethings are prime candidates for the joy and success that Christ can bring! 

 

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