Genuine Leaders have learned the importance of Repentance

It was just after a rousing evening service in 2006 where the worship was powerful and the sermon was stirring. A pastor is accused of soliciting drugs, and for that and the allegation of homosexuality, he would soon be let go by the board. The pastor had lived a double life, and religious postures and eloquent words were not a substitute for unresolved inner inconsistencies. All during the wonderful worship and challenging sermons, something was out of place.

"Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them ..." (Jeremiah 14:12)

As leaders, we are good at leading services, emceeing programs, and making speeches that can motivate people. We can arrange activities for small groups, all night prayer meetings, and all congregational fasting. We put together mission programs and preach moving sermons, as the church would require.

But what does God require more than these? The prophet Micah in 6:8 tells us:

"The LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God."

1. Who I am in the shadows rather than in the footlights is what God measures.

Israel and Judah had fallen away from God, and when God asked them to repent, they chose not to. After a refusal to repent, the next step is not going to be absolution. The next step is consequences; for Judah, it would extend over the next seventy years. The defining moment of repentance either opens the door, or closes it, to God's healing and restoration. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, used to greet his friends with these words, "Have you repented yet today?"

I guess he knew the power of repentance, for

2. A repenting leader is a growing leader; a repenting church is a healthy church.

I have noticed that the leaders that God has used in mighty ways in the past have been adept in repentance! In Numbers 14:5, we find these words: "Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel." It seemed as if they were always the first ones to repent because they understood the power of repentance and that following repentance is always grace and wisdom. But with the refusal to repent, the next step is always consequence.

3. Genuine leaders are good at repentance!

We often have the wrong definition of repentance. We have been raised to believe that if we repent, it is a value statement meaning that we are weak. It makes us vulnerable and somehow we think it relegates us to the consolation bracket in ministry and life. Shame teaches us that humiliation before our peers has to be the worst thing in life. But in actuality, repentance is making the switch to realizing that looking good before God is far more important than looking good before people.

And let's be reminded that

4. The result of repentance is not looking bad in front of people. It is healing, restoration, and wisdom.

However, the next step after a refusal to repent is consequences, and for Israel, it was seventy years of consequences in Babylon.

Allow me to repeat: "Repentance is making the switch of realizing that looking good before God is more important than looking good before people."

This has to be one of the most crucial realizations I can make in my lifetime.

So, repentance is what I choose. I will be quick to repent. I will even practice it today. I am good at giving eloquent reasonings, but not as good at repentance. I need practice.

5. Repentance keeps me from becoming "stagnant in spirit."

You communicate in three ways: through your words, your gestures, and through your spirit. Which do you think is most important?

I bet you guessed it. Not through our words, but the spirit with which we speak those words. That is what gives our words meaning, depth, credence.

But our spirit can flag. We become fatigued with the daily-ness of leading, and we end up still doing the deeds but they are done "absent of spirit." Zephaniah teaches us a leadership lesson that would do us well to heed:

"It will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit ... (Zeph 1:12)

"Stagnant in spirit."

What a graphic picture. A spirit that is putrid, rotting, decaying, and rancid. Not a pretty sight. But it's a reality and a fact of life. Zephaniah tells us that our spirit is prone to getting rancid and stale. Without intentional maintenance, our hearts go bad, like the moldy fruit in the icebox that we forgot was there since last summer.

The people of Judah had let their spirits go beyond their expiration date without renewing it. It was now musty and the sell-by date had outlived its freshness label, and now it was decomposing rapidly.

Our spirit has an expiration date ... I think its "every morning." Every morning, each day it has to be refreshed and updated. That's how God made us. Like farm fresh produce, if it's last week's harvest, it's too old.

I need to stay current with the Holy Spirit as He renews my spirit every morning ... for my family, my ministry, my physical health, my speaking and teaching. They will all go stale if I do not renew my spirit. Otherwise, I will go "stagnant in spirit" and I become dull to God.

Judah did. So can we.

That is why my time in the Word each morning is a non negotiable. I must renew my spirit for what is before me.

For today. For this weekend. For life.

6. Repentance helps me to fight for UNITY in my church and on our TEAM

It is your job to protect the unity of your church!

Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ's Body. It is the essence, the core, of how God intends for us to experience life together in his church.

In his final moments before being arrested, Jesus prayed passionately for our unity. It was our unity that was uppermost in his mind during those agonizing hours. That shows how significant this subject is. Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than his church. He paid the highest price for it, and he wants it protected, especially from the devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony.

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)

How are we to do this? The Bible gives us practical advice:

- Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.
- Be realistic in your expectations. Choose to encourage rather than criticize.
- Refuse to listen to gossip.
- Practice God's method for conflict resolution.
- And most importantly, support your pastor and leaders.

What are you doing personally to make your church family more warm and loving? There are many people in your community who are looking for love and a place to belong. The truth is, everyone needs and wants to be loved, and when people find a church where members genuinely love and care for each other, you would have to lock the doors to keep them away. Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

Conies

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you will as well.

We have several people in our church who read a Proverbs a day. Today is the 7^th day of October, so everyone read Proverbs chapter 7. We then text message each other with comments and thoughts that the Lord spoke to us through that days reading. It really is inspiring and also a good accountability tool Well, as we read through chapter 30, verse 26 jumped out at me because of the use of the word conies. You see I LOVE extra long cheese coney's from Sonic, so that word raised my interests. I studied the word and found out that it really has nothing to do with Sonic. Let me share with you a little bit about conies.

"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks." Proverbs 30:26 AMP

A Coney looks like a rabbit but he can't run like one. He resembles a mole but he can't dig deep like one. So he moves to higher ground and positions himself in rocks, in a place of strength.

What's the message of the Coney? Reposition yourself! How?

(1) By realizing who you are in Christ.

When you accepted Jesus as your Saviour, your status in God's eyes changed completely. You're no longer an outsider but a fully accepted member of God's redeemed family, with direct access to your Heavenly Father and all the rights and privileges that go with it. Knowing that allows you to operate from a place of strength and not weakness, faith and not fear. When that happens you begin to pray for more, believe God for more, and enjoy more of His blessings.

(2) By recognizing that YOUR limitations don't limit God.

Who does God use? "Feeble folk" (v.26 AMP). Aren't you glad for that? God uses feeble folk. Folk that don't have it all together; folk that are struggling with finances; folk that are battling anger; frustration, worry, doubt, fear; folk who are currently going through a storm; folk who are diseased in their bodies; folk who aren't perfect! How does he use them?

By putting them in positions of strength. Sometimes that means putting extra support around them.

When you have a bad leg, you don't put the brace on your good leg, you put it on the feeble one. And if He has to, God will put braces on you and get you there ahead of the people who sit around complacent and complaining.

"Feeble folk" praise God differently! Others praise Him because they have a feeling of entitlement, but not conies; they remember where they were when God found them and what He brought them through, and they say, "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side" (Psalm 124:1). Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

What triggers a demonic attack against you?

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! I hope you will as well.

I would like to ask you a question. What triggers demonic attacks against you, your dream, your vision, your calling, your business, your family, your church, or your ministry? What makes the devil so upset that he rises up to resist you and your efforts? If God chose you, why are you experiencing so many hassles and difficulties along the way to your goal of fulfilling all He has called you to do?

I would like to share with you a few thoughts from author Rick Renner (Sparkling Gems from the Greek).

In Second Timothy 1:11 and 12, Paul gives us incredible insight into what triggers a demonic attack. He says, "Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things." In this verse, Paul writes about his specific calling in the Body of Christ. He affirms to us that he is called and appointed to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. Then notice that he immediately follows by saying, "For the which cause I also suffer these things." (2 Timothy 1:12).

The word "suffer" is the Greek word pascho, and first and foremost it means to suffer as a result of outside forces or outside circumstances. It could include physical suffering due to persecution; mental suffering due to outside pressures; financial suffering due to monetary hardships; or any inconvenience that stems from something outside of oneself or outside of one's control. Thus, the word pascho would depict any suffering or inconvenience due to forces beyond oneself.

When Paul wrote this verse, he used a tense in the Greek that lets us know he was experiencing these inconveniences at the very moment he was writing this epistle. At that time, Paul was in Rome, sitting in a prison cell, awaiting his own execution, and being accused of crimes that he had not committed. Because Satan couldn't find a way to personally destroy Paul, the enemy was manipulating outside forces against Paul and his ministry. The apostle's situation had been created by outside pressures that had nothing to do with himself but that the devil had orchestrated to use against him.

Satan was terrified of Paul's calling! The reason Paul was recurrently attacked is that the devil was fearful of the enormous progress Paul would make if he didn't face opposition. Paul let us know that his anointing, his calling, and his potential were the factors that triggered these demonic attacks. It's almost as though Paul was saying, "Do you want to know why I've suffered so many crazy things during the course of my ministry? Because I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles."

You see, Satan was scared stiff of what would happen if Paul operated 100 percent in his call. How much would he be able to accomplish if he had no resistance? If Paul was able to do the incredible things he did for God's Kingdom in the face of such opposition, what kind of Gospel advancements would he make if there was no opposition? This thought was so chilling to the devil that he threw every possible obstacle in Paul's path to slow him down, to discredit him, to destroy his friendships, and, if possible, to even kill him. Satan hated the call on Paul's life.

The reason Paul was never defeated by these attacks is that he had made a decision. He decided he would not stop or give up until he had apprehended that for which Christ Jesus had apprehended him (Philippians 3:12). Likewise, the only way you'll be able to resist the devil's attacks and successfully achieve all God has called you to do is by determining never to stop until you have accomplished your divine assignment. Jesus taught that those who "endure to the end" are the ones who will receive the prize (Matthew 24:13).

If you want to overcome all the attacks the devil tries to wage against you through outside forces, you will have to be determined to outlast every attack! Determination is a key factor in finishing one's race of faith.

Of course, no one can successfully resist the devil's attacks without the power of the Holy Spirit, but neither is the power of the Holy Spirit enough by itself. For that power to be effective, it must work in a committed person. God's power works in people who have resolve. It works proficiently through people who have decided they will never turn back until the assignment is finished. God delights in using people who are steadfast and unmoving in their conviction, tenacious and diehard in their commitment. He takes pleasure in those who have stamina, spunk, and a dogged determination to hold on to the vision He put in their hearts.

The most common reason people don't make it all the way to the end is that they weren't totally committed to completing the task assigned to them. Maybe they tried it or gave it a shot, but their commitment wasn't strong enough, and that's why they didn't make it.

There are many things Satan can do to try to elbow us out of the race, but the only one who can decide to quit is you or me. Satan can't make us quit. That choice lies in our hands alone.

If you make the decision to stay in faith and "slug it out" with the power of God at your side, you can do exactly what God called you to do. But you must begin with a rock-solid, hard-core decision to do it, do it, and keep doing it until it's done. Make any lesser choice, and you will never fulfill your God-given purpose. Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

Peace that passes understanding

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you will as well.

I have talked with several people over the past few weeks that desperately need God's peace in their lives. I would like to share something with you from Philippians 4:7, and some thoughts from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems from the Greek" concerning this verse.

Are you tired of letting the devil get you all stirred up? Has it been easy for the enemy to throw you into a frenzy of panic and anxiety? Maybe it doesn't happen continually to you, but every once in a while, something happens or someone says something that pushes a button inside you and throws you into a tizzy! When this occurs, do you say and do things you later regret? Do you feel sorry that you allowed the devil to get to you again?

If what I just described sounds familiar, I have help for you today! In Philippians 4:7, the apostle Paul writes, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

As we begin our study today, I want to draw your attention to the word "passeth" in the verse above. It is the Greek word huperecho, which is a compound of the words huper and echo. The word huper literally means over, above, and beyond. It depicts something that is way beyond measure. It carries the idea of superiority; something that is utmost, paramount, foremost, first-rate, first-class, and topnotch; greater, higher, and better than; superior to; preeminent, dominant, and incomparable; more than a match for; unsurpassed or unequaled. The second part of the word "passeth" is the Greek word echo, which means I have, as someone who holds something in his possession. It can be translated to keep; to possess; to have; to hold; or even to acquire.

When these words are compounded into one, they form the word huperecho, which Paul uses in Philippians 4:7. This Greek word denotes a peace so superior that it is held high above all other types of peace. This is a peace that transcends, outdoes, surpasses, excels, rises above, goes beyond and over the top of any other kind of peace. The implication is that people may try to find peace in other places, but there is no peace like the peace of God. The peace of God completely outshines every other attempt to produce peace, causing it to stand in a category by itself. There is absolutely nothing in the world that can compare with the peace of God.

Paul continues to tell us that this peace surpasses and excels above "all understanding." The word "understanding" is the Greek word nous, the classical Greek word for the mind. This word refers to the ability to think, to reason, to understand, and to comprehend. It also depicts the mind as the source of all human emotions. In Greek, the word "mind" represents the inner powers of a person and thus the place from which a person rules and controls his environment and the world around him. The Greek word emphatically depicts the mind as the central control center for a human being. Therefore, it was understood that the condition of the mind is what determined the condition of one's life.

Then Paul tells us what this powerful peace will produce in our lives! He says that this peace "shall keep your hearts and minds." The word "keep" is the Greek word phroureo, a military term that expresses the idea of soldiers who stood faithfully at their post at the city gates to guard and control all who went in and out of the city. They served as gate monitors, and no one entered or exited the city without their approval.

The apostle Paul uses this word phroureo to explicitly tell us that God's peace, if allowed to work in our lives, will stand at the gates of our hearts and minds, acting like a guard to control and monitor everything that tries to enter our hearts, minds, and emotions. When God's peace is ruling us, nothing can get past that divine "guard" and slip into our hearts and minds without its approval!

This is the good news you've been waiting for! It means you can refuse to allow the devil to access you, throw you into a state of panic and anxiety, or push any button inside you any longer. When the peace of God is standing guard at the entrance of your heart and mind, the devil has lost his access to your thought life and your emotions!

Taking these Greek words together, Philippians 4:7 could be understood in the following way:

"And the peace of God — a peace so wonderful that it cannot be compared to any other type of peace; a peace that stands in a category by itself and rises far above and goes beyond anything the human mind could ever think, reason, imagine, or produce by itself — will stand at the entrance of your heart and mind, working like a guard to control, monitor, and screen everything that tries to access your mind, heart, and emotions."

By using this word, Paul tells us that the peace of God will keep and guard your heart and mind! God's peace will surround your heart and mind just as a band of Roman soldiers would keep dangerous nuisances from entering a city or from breaking into special, private places. In the same way, peace keeps fretfulness, anxiety, worry, and all the other wiles of the devil from breaking into your life. When this peace is active in your life, it surpasses all natural understanding. It protects, guards, keeps, and defends you.

Nothing compares to this powerful, protective, guarding peace that God has positioned to stand at the entrance of your heart and mind! When this peace operates in you, it dominates your mind and your life. Since what is inside you is that which rules you, peace rises up and conquers your entire being. It stands at the gate of your heart and mind, disabling the devil's ability to disturb you by preventing his attacks from bypassing and slipping into your mind. The devil may try his best to find access to your mind and emotions, but this guarding peace will paralyze his efforts.

So make sure Philippians 4:7 is a reality in your life. In every situation you face today and every day, let God's supernatural peace rise up to dominate your heart and protect your mind and emotions. If you're tired of the devil getting you all stirred up and throwing you into a tizzy, it's time for you to let this supernatural peace go to work and start monitoring, guarding, and approving what does and does not get access to you! Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

Seeing Jesus in the Underdog

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I woke up this morning thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew 25 about reaching out to those who are less fortunate than ours. When discussing showing them love, by feeding them, giving them water, visiting them in jail and the hospital, Jesus said...

When you did it to the least of these, you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40 NAS

I read the following story this week:

A minister on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia noticed a homeless man coming towards him. He was filthy and his beard was caked with rotten food. He was holding a cup of coffee and the lip of the cup was dirty. Staggering up to him the homeless man exclaimed, "Hey, mister. You want some of my coffee?" The pastor really didn't, but he thought it was the right thing to do, so he said, "Sure, I'll take a sip." When he handed the cup back he remarked, "You're generous giving away your coffee." Looking at him the derelict man replied, "Well, it was particularly delicious today, and I think if God gives you something that good you should share it!"

The pastor continued: "I figured I was being set up and it would cost me five bucks. So I asked him, 'Is there something I can do for you in return?' The man answered, 'Yeah, you can give me a hug!' (To tell the truth, I was hoping for the five dollar option!) He put his arms around me, and I suddenly realised he wasn't going to let me go! People were passing by and staring at me.

There I was, dressed in my establishment garb, hugging this filthy man! I was embarrassed. Then little by little my embarrassment changed to awe. I heard a voice echoing down the corridors of time saying, 'I was hungry; did you feed Me? I was naked; did you clothe Me? I was sick; did you care for Me? I was the homeless man you met on Chestnut Street… did you hug Me? For if you did… you did it to Me.'"

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

Seven steps to LET IT GO

One of the things that the Lord has dealing with me about is my tendency to hold onto things. What kind of things? Bitterness, grudges, hurts from the past, offenses, loser mentality, fear, doubt, worry, negative attitude¸ just to name a few. Over the past several weeks at First Assembly, I have been preaching a series on “Making it THROUGH the wilderness.” It has been a study of the Children of Israel’s wanderings in the Wilderness. Before they made it to the Promised Land, there were several things that they had to get rid of. They had to learn to LET IT GO.


I believe there are some reading this blog today that need to learn the same lesson. We hold onto to things that are stunting our spiritual growth and progress. Years pass by, and we wonder what has happened to us spiritually. If we look closely, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we will see things that we need to LET GO of.



In Psalm 51, David gives us SEVEN STEPS to “LET IT GO.” You see King David had an adulterous fling with Bathsheba, and then basically committed murder by having her husband killed in the line of duty with his military. He thought he had gotten by with it, but God sent a prophet by the name of Nathan to David to confront his sin. Psalm 51 shows us the way that David responded. It shows us how he LET IT GO. Let’s look at it together today. I will use the Message version of the Bible to take a look at these steps.


Step #1: Learn to repent (v. 1-5)

Psalm 51:1-5 Generous in love--God, give grace! Huge in mercy--wipe out my bad record. (2) Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. (3) I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down. (4) You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. (5) I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.

If we truly want to LET IT GO, we must learn to repent. That doesn’t just mean that we are sorry we got caught, it means to “change your mind, and direction.” I must be willing to admit that I have been wrong, and then change my thinking and the direction that I have been going. I must CHOOSE today, to ask God to forgive me of my offense, grudge, fear, worry, etc, then make plans to CHANGE. Insanity is doing the same things you have always done and expecting different results. If you TRULY want to change, then you have to change. There are some things that we do that we need to do different. If you are battling offense, then STOP dwelling on it, and realize that it is sin and is hindering your walk with God. REPENT of it, change your mind and direction. That is the first step.

Step #2: Excavate the parasites in your heart (v. 6)

Psalm 51:6 What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

The battle of “Letting go” is on the inside. The enemy loves to attack our spiritual hearts with little parasites like worry, doubt, anger, fear, offenses that don’t seem to be causing many problems for us. But the Word of God gives us warnings about this:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.

Song of Solomon 2:15 Then you must protect me from the foxes, foxes on the prowl, Foxes who would like nothing better than to get into our flowering garden.

The ESV calls the foxes, little foxes that spoil the vine. We must make sure that we get rid of all of the little things that are attacking us spiritually. Set a watch over your heart. Take the little things seriously.

Step #3: Trust the blood of Jesus (v. 7-9)

Psalm 51:7-10 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. (8) Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. (9) Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.

The Christian is washed in God’s “laundry” through the precious blood of Jesus. Learn the importance of every single day, and several times a day, “pleading the blood of Jesus” over your mind and your attitudes. Bring your troubles to the throne room of God, and LEAVE THEM THERE.

Step #4: Invite God to right your wrong spirit (v. 10)

Psalm 51:10 (MSG) God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

It is so easy to go through life with anything but a RIGHT spirit. We can have: wrong spirit, wounded spirit, offended spirit, angry spirit, jealous spirit, frustrated spirit, lustful spirit, greedy spirit, lying spirit, etc. We need to, like King David, invite God to help your spirit to be renewed and made RIGHT again.

Step #5: Trust God to return joy into your life (v. 12)

Psalm 51:12 (MSG) Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

So many of God’s people have lost their joy, and they are just going through the motions in life. They are discouraged, depressed, defeated, and wondering where God is. My friends, we need a good dose of the Joy of the Lord. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness depends upon your “happen stance” or circumstance. If you have happy circumstances, then you are happy. If not, then you are miserable. The Joy of the Lord isn’t dependent upon circumstances; it is founded upon the Lord! Regardless of what you are facing today, why don’t you make up your mind to LET IT GO by asking God to return the “Joy of thy salvation” to be returned into your life. My friend, if you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, and you are on your way to heaven, that is “shouting ground!”

Step #6: Give your testimony regularly (v. 13)

Psalm 51:13 (MSG) Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.

Psalm 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Make up your mind that you will allow God to use your struggle and victory to help other people.
Step #7: Outwardly express your praise to God (v. 14-19)

Psalm 51:14-19 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. (15) Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise. (16) Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. (17) I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. (18) Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls. (19) Then you'll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar! A David psalm, when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul,"David's at Ahimelech's house."

Simply praise God daily and often. He is worthy of our praise. The enemy will do everything he can do rob you in this one area. Do not allow him to. Make up your mind that “I WILL praise the Lord.” There is victory in praise!

I hope you will consider these seven steps from God’s Word today, and LET IT GO! Blessings.

Pastor Rusty

The Thief called FAMILARITY

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! I hope you will as well.

A few years ago, I read a book by Max Lucado entitled, "God came near." I will never forget one part of the book that I read. It ministered to me and I cried like a baby. The Holy Spirit brought this back to my memory today so I searched it out and found it. I would like to share it with you today. Please allow God to speak to your hearts as we fight against the "Thief called familiarity."

Several years ago, we were having Sunday lunch at the home of a fellow missionary family. It was after the meal, when our friends daughter, Beth Ann rushed in with a look of panic on her face. "Jenna (my two year old daughter) is in the pool!"

Paul was the first to arrive at the poolside. He went straight into the water. Denalyn was next to arrive. By the time I arrived, Paul had lifted her up out of the water to the extended hands of her mother. Jenna was simultaneously choking, crying, and coughing. She vomited a bellyful of water. I held her as she cried. Denalyn began to weep. I began to sweat.

For the rest of the day I couldn't hold her enough, nor could we thank little Beth Ann enough (we took her out for ice cream). I still can't thank God enough.

The stool was kicked out from under my feet and the rope jerked around my neck just long enough to remind me of what really matters. It was a divine slap, a gracious knock on the head, a severe mercy. Because of it I came face to face with one of the underground's slyest agents-the agent of familiarity.

He'd been on my trail for years and I never knew it. But I know it now. His goal is nothing less than to take what is most precious to us and make it appear most common.

To say that this agent of familiarity breeds contempt is to let him off easy. Contempt is just one of his offspring. He also sires broken hearts, wasted hours, and an insatiable desire for more. He's an expert in robbing the sparkle and replacing it with the drab. He invented the yawn and put the hum in the humdrum. And his strategy is deceptive.

He won't steal your salvation; he'll just make you forget what it was like to be lost. You'll grow accustomed to prayer and thereby not pray. Worship will become commonplace and study optional. With the passing of time he'll infiltrate your heart with boredom and cover the cross with dust so you'll be "safely" out of reach of change. Score one for the agent of familiarity.

Nor will he steal your home from you; he'll do something far worse. He'll paint it with a familiar coat of drabness.

He'll replace evening gowns with bathrobes, nights on the town with evenings in the recliner, and romance with routine. He'll scatter the dust of yesterday over the wedding pictures in the hallway until they become a memory of another couple in another time.

He won't take your children, he'll just make you too busy to notice them. His whispers to procrastinate are seductive. There is always next summer to coach the team, next month to go to the lake, and next week to teach Johnny how to pray. He'll make you forget that the faces around your table will soon be at tables of their own. Hence, books will go unread, games will go unplayed, hearts will go unnurtured, and opportunities will go ignored. All because the poison of the ordinary has deadened your senses to the magic of the moment.

Before you know it, the little face that brought tears to your eyes in the delivery room has become-perish the thought-common. A common kid sitting in the back seat of your van as you whiz down the fast lane of life. Unless something changes, unless someone wakes you up, that common kid will become a common stranger.

On a shelf above my desk is a picture of two little girls. They're holding hands and standing in front of a swimming pool, the same pool from which the younger of the two had been pulled only minutes before. I put the picture where I would see it daily so I would remember what God doesn't want me to forget. (from God Came Near - Copyright 1987 Max Lucado)

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty