The War

 Through my experience of this principle, I discover that even when I want to do good, evil is ready to sabotage me. Truly, deep within my true identity, I love to do what pleases God.  But I discern another power operating in my humanity, waging a war against the moral principles of my conscience and bringing me into captivity as a prisoner to the “law” of sin—this unwelcome intruder in my humanity. (Romans 7:21-24, TPT)

The above scripture passage describes a universal truth that applies to everyone living today. There are those times when we want to do what we know is right, but instead resort to actions that are not representative of who we truly are internally. I believe bad habits (like food, pornography, or shopping addictions) are an ineffective way for anyone to deal with an emotional wound. Bad habits are a lot like putting a small bandage over a large bleeding gaping wound. It just won’t work. (I am also preaching to myself.) If therapy can help with finding the source of an emotional wound behind the bad habit, you must do whatever will bring you back to the best version of yourself that is possible.

No matter the challenges you are facing or the bad habits you are working to break, Romans 8:38-39 (TLB) gives one thing that you can always count on from your heavenly Father: For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us. I believe God is listening, and is working to turn your challenges into something meaningful that will help someone on their life walk. You can be certain of this.

 

Rehearsal

“Enjoy life now. This is not a rehearsal.” (Bob Marley)

So many people in life are waiting for the next best thing to happen before they make plans to live their life completely (and with joy). There are so many simple things in life that I am thankful for right now. Below is some of the items on my list. Would the list you write be shorter (or longer) than mine?

·        The weather (and scenery) of the seasons where I live are beautiful.

·        The positive (and negative0 lessons I’ve learned that have made me the person I am today.

·        There are possessions I own that make my life easier and more enjoyable.

·        With bariatric surgery, I have had the ability to lose and weight. I am healthier and wearing smaller size clothing.

·        I have the ability to appreciate and acknowledge the good in myself and others.

·        I can watch shows on TV that make me laugh, think, and wonder

·        Breathing is a signal that I am still alive.

Ecclesiastes 3:1(ERV) makes this assurance. “There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.” Nothing in your life (good and bad) is wasted with your heavenly Father.  He sees the entire tapestry of your existence, and knows when every event needs to happen.  God wants you to be fully engaged in everything you do. Honor Him with your actions, and point others to Him.

A Thousand Times

“When we get impatient because something is taking too long. We should remember that life waits on us a thousand times more than we wait on life.”   (Laura Teresa Marquez)

I fail miserably when it comes to achieving better patience. I want my food ready instantly. My wife to get my point the first time I say it. My three Chihuahuas to obey me the first time I tell them to stop barking.

My heavenly Father to align with my future, and make all His lessons happen quickly. That’s my dream world, and not reality. With life you can never know what challenge is coming down the road. You can never be sure anything will happen the way you want (and need) it to happen.

There is a key to your future (and current) times not being horrible for you. It is found in Isaiah 40:31 (TPT): “But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again.  They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak.  They will walk and not get tired.”

In other words, the key to being in control of your impatience is being patient as you wait on God’s will and timing. I wish I could tell you I am an expert at this. At times, I willingly choose the harder path of fighting with God instead of giving in to His will, which He always gets. I want the freedom that comes with being obedient to God’s will the first time.

What about you? Do you always question God’s decisions for your life? Take it from me. Divine submission is the safest (and best) path to take. Learn this important life lesson in all areas of your life. 

A Restraining Order

“I have a restraining order against Satan.....Father God signed it with the blood of Jesus, and the Holy Ghost served him with it.” (Anonymous)

 Many people living in the area were against the people of Judah and Benjamin. These enemies heard that the people who had come from captivity were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. So they came to Zerubbabel and to the family leaders and said, “Let us help you build. We are the same as you, we ask your God for help. We have offered sacrifices to your God since the time King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”

³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other family leaders of Israel answered, “No, you people cannot help us build a temple for our God. Only we can build the Temple for the Lord. He is the God of Israel. This is what King Cyrus of Persia commanded us to do.”

⁴ So the enemies began to discourage them and tried to frighten them in order to stop them from building the Temple. ⁵ These enemies hired government officials to work against the people of Judah. The officials constantly did things to stop the Jews’ plans to build the Temple. This continued the whole time that Cyrus was the king until Darius became the king of Persia. (Ezra 4:1-5, ERV)

The Jews in Ezra’s time experienced these struggles. Satan uses these tactics today to restrain your Christianity…

·        COMPROMISE-(See Ezra 4:1-3 above) The Jews rejected the help of their neighbors because they wanted to worship others gods in addition to the one true God. Many people practice cynicism today. This is combining the best parts of different faiths to come up with a unique belief. We can often allow our faith (and walk with God) to be watered down, and not be at full strength. God’s relationship with you is not a buffet that you can pick and choose you favorites at. God wants 100% of you.

 

·        DISCOURAGEMENT-(See Ezra 4:4 above) A person can feel like all hope is lost (whether that’s true or not). What’s the use in trying? When discouragement hits, work for God often slows down, and morale plummets.  Avoid those that are discouragers, and run into the arms of your Encourager. Be a spiritual champion.

 

·        FEAR-(See Ezra 4:4 above) Both healthy (real) and unhealthy (imagined) fear exist in our world today. God can handle the big stuff in your life. Your job is to focus on rebuilding the rest. Satan uses shame, guilt, and “what if” to make this tactic effective.

 

·        WORLDLY (EXTERNAL) PRESSURE-(See Ezra 4:5 above) This is a way for Satan to bend (and break) you on the outside. Instead run to Jesus (unrestrained) with everything that’s in you. What Satan cannot do on the inside; he will finish off with misinformation, lies, and half truths externally. Don’t be afraid to lead even in adversity because God has big, good things waiting for you.

So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us. (Hebrews 12:1, VOICE) Don’t allow anything to hold you back because many people (earthly and heavenly) want you to succeed in your Christian walk.

Adversity puts you in Satan’s line of fire. As you draw closer to God, Satan turns up the heat of trials because he wants to stop you.[i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon “Restrained: The Comeback” (installment three) Sunday September 20, 2020, Pastor Dave Jansen (CPG) and Pastor Jon Fulton (CPW).  All CenterPoint churches are open in-person at 10am. They will continue to meet online at facebook.com/centerpointchurches or centerpointchurches.com/live.

 

 

Unseen

 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. (1 John 4:20-21, MSG)

When it comes to friends (or family members), I believe it is possible to care deeply (and love someone) with every fiber of your body. I think also that you can realize that you really don’t like the above person because of the negativity (or drama) that seems to swirl around them. This person is not someone you want to be around (by choice) until radical change happens.

Can the same hold true in a relationship with your heavenly Father? In my opinion the answer to that question is “no.” There can be no halfway point in your love for God. (You are either all in or all out.) When it comes to showing any degree of love for God, this is demonstrated though our love for His creation, the human being. For me, the real question to gain from the above verse is “if I don’t care for people, is my love for God genuine?”

1 John 2:15(VOICE) gives us further information on the love/like dilemma with God. “Don’t fall in love with this corrupt world or worship the things it can offer. Those who love its corrupt ways don’t have the Father’s love living within them.” With God, you can’t have it both ways. Your actions decide where your relationship stands with your heavenly Father. Being so engrossed in trying to get the next best thing in life (whether that’s things, money, relationships, or prestige) makes it difficult to see (and obey) in what your Heavenly is permanent and of divine importance.

 

 

Big Thoughts

“The 1960s was an era of big thoughts. And yet, amazingly, each of these thoughts could fit on a T-shirt.” (P. J. O'Rourke)

No one truly knows why an individual emotionally connects with a certain style of clothing. I think comfort has a lot to do with it, or the person feels the clothing accentuates one of their best appearance traits (or deaccentuates a physical appearance item they dislike). Graphic t-shirts are one clothing style that is not leaving anytime soon. They can cleverly advertise an event, or give the individual the gumption to wear something across their chest that would never have the boldness to say to anyone in the real world.

Don’t we all want (and desperately need) an visual encouragement to be the real us as we speak (one way or the other) what is on our mind.  Graphic t-shirts do this in a grand, over-the-top style. Think to your favorite graphic t-shirt. Did (or do) you feel invincible in it. What did it say about the real you?

Graphic t-shirts make us think more about what we want (and need) t say to our world. How could we make it short and appealing? As long as sarcasm, humor, and imagination exist, the need for this product has a limitless customer base because everyone (no matter their personality) has something they need to say. This is why authors write books, and inspirational speakers communicate wisely. This post was inspired by friend and blog member, Juli Critser.

A Terrible Smell

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Then Jesus wept. ³⁶ The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him.” ³⁷ But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

³⁸ Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. ³⁹ “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

⁴⁰ Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” ⁴¹ So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. ⁴² You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” ⁴³ Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” (John 11:33-44, NLT)

What astonishes me most about the above story is not this dead man coming back to life. As a man, I am amazed Jesus cried in public. In today’s society, it is considered a sign of weakness for a man to cry. I say that if the Son of God did it than it ought to be alright for me to express emotions when it’s appropriate. I simply adore the song, “Rise Up (Lazarus)” by the Cain siblings.

Just like Jesus called a dead Lazarus back to life from a tomb, He is asking us to step out from our comfort zone, a place of false security, to service for Him in the great unknown. The journey may be scary, but your partner in this adventure knows how to get you safely to the other side. Read the lyrics below. Do you feel something stirring inside? Is it finally time to rise up, and give control of everything to your heavenly Father? He is listening for your prayer.

In the dark and all alone, growing comfortable
Are you too scared to move, and walk out of this tomb?
Buried underneath, the lies that you believed
Safe and sound, stuck in the ground
Too lost to be found

You're just asleep, and it's time to leave

 

Come on and rise up, take a breath, you're alive now
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You're brand new, the power of death couldn't hold you
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus

 

When He said your name, the thing that filled your veins
Was more than blood, it's the kind of love that washes sin away
Now the door is open wide, the stones been rolled aside
The old is gone, the Light has come so

 

Come on and rise up, take a breath, you're alive now
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You're brand new, the power of death couldn't hold you
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus

 

He's calling us to walk out of the dark
He's giving us new resurrected hearts
He's calling us to walk out of the dark
He's giving us new resurrected hearts

 

Come on and rise up, take a breath, you're alive now
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
You're brand new, the power of death couldn't hold you
Can't you hear the voice of Jesus calling us
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus
Rise up, rise up, rise up
Out from the grave like Lazarus

 

Waiting

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” (Joyce Meyer)

In Galatians 5:22, the fourth fruit of the spirit is patience (of which I am sorely lacking). I wish I could admit I am the good Christian man I need to be, but many times many of the desires of my sinful nature (as given in Galatians 5:19-21) seemed to be alive and well (at my current age).

I seem to have little patience for things like what I perceive as idiots, foolish projects, and other things that just don’t make sense to me. You would think with what I write on this blog that I would realize just how unproductive worrying (and trying to be patient in my own strength is). Worry doesn’t solve anything. It just makes you more anxious as you become less patient.

It works out much better to have an attack plan like Philippians 4:6 (VOICE). This way I know exactly what to do when I get irritated over something in my life (as my patience grows thin about everything. Here’s the verse: “Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come.”

As this post comes to a close, it’s important to remember the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ERV): “It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be gentle and patient than to be proud and impatient.” This verse tells me that the completion (of good things, of course) is important. Being patient is a wonderful thing, too. From personal experience, I’ve learned anger leaves caustic words that can damage for a life time. Patience allows time to think things through (before they come out your mouth). Good luck in your journey of what should be said (in love).

The First Step

“Everything's in the mind. That's where it all starts. Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it.” (Mae West)

Of all the assertive females that I’ve met in my lifetime, she’s one of the few who has no problem communicating with you exactly what she needs to reach her objective. Maybe some of you already know who I am talking about.  The rest of you may be surprised to know I am referring to my nine-year-old female Chihuahua mix named, “Lola.” We got Lola from our local dog shelter where I was volunteering.

Her original name was “Alana” the same as my daughter (though spelled differently).  I remembered telling anyone who would listen, “She’s such a good dog. Someone should adopt her.” That someone turned out being my family. Allena gave her the Spanish name she had in high school, “Lola.” It was rough at first to incorporate her into our canine family of two Chihuahua brothers, Chico and Rosco. Lola adds a lot of spice to the Kinker family. Though we are not sure, we believe her other part may be Miniature Pinscher (see pictures below).

Here are some examples of what I’m talking about (that will probably horrify any dog trainer reading this). Who’s got who trained? When Lola feels you have not adored her enough, she has no problem getting into your face until you love enough to her satisfaction. When Lola wants to go outside (or eat supper before the 4pm time) her barking is loud and incessant until you will do what she wants to stop it.

When Lola wishes to be scratched on the belly, she will lay down in a “submissive” pose (with all four paws in the air) to let you proceed. If you finish before she’s done, her paw or nose will encourage you to continue (without saying a word). Lola's loyalty to me never waivers. Whether it's in bed next to me as I sleep, or in my lap as I watch TV,  I am always somewhere within her eyesight.

When you are deciding what you want in life, how do you go about getting it? Do you resort to angry emotional outbursts, silence, or crying?  Your heavenly Father is not influenced by any of those methods of persuasion. Maybe Romans 8:28 (VOICE) is the key to getting what we actually need instead of letting our desires rule. “We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.”

There is absolutely nothing wrong in life with being both assertive and decisive. There is a problem when your desires to get (and have) become your soul focus for living. Matthew 6:19-20 (VOICE) tells you the correct viewpoint to have of your earthly wealth. “Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets.  Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door.” Is what you want really what you want (and need)? Think about it.

 

My Lola
 



A Miniature Pinscher

Vanishes

Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, “We are traveling to this city in the next few days. We’ll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up.”  The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes [away]. It would be best to say, “If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream.”  But your current speech indicates an arrogance that does not acknowledge the One who controls the universe, and this kind of big talking is the epitome of evil. (James 4:13-16, VOICE)

Along with the Bible, country artist mega-stars, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks, provide us with this important combined message. “Since you can’t predict tomorrow, live your life passionately today, and never forget to let those you love know regularly. “ To brag that you have some special insight into your future, is foolish and vain.

Only one Individual knows the unexpected turns of your existence, He is willing to guide you with His all-knowing wisdom. Your heavenly Father is just a prayer away. Read the wonderful lyrics below by two extraordinary country artist, and remember Who truly loves you, and provides divine guidance through both the good and bad times.

"Live Like You Were Dyin'" by Tim McGraw

He said, "I was in my early 40s,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days
Lookin' at the X-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options
And talkin' 'bout sweet time."

I asked him, "When it sank in that this might really be the real end,
How's it hit you, when you get that kind of news?"
Man what'd you do?"
And he said,

"I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."

And he said, "Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying."

He said, "I was finally the husband
That most the time I wasn't,
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all of a sudden goin' fishing
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look
At what I'd do if I could do it all again.
And then...

I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."

And he said, "Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying."

Like tomorrow was a gift
And you've got eternity
To think about what you'd do with it,
What did you do with it,
What can I do with it,
What would I do with it.

Sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I watched an eagle as it was flyin'.

And he said, "Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'."

To live like you were dyin'.
To live like you were dyin'.
To live like you were dyin'.
To live like you were dyin'.

 

 

"If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt
The way I feel about her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

'Cause if tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

 

United as One

 So by the seventh month, the Israelites had moved back to their own hometowns. At that time all the people met together in Jerusalem. They were all united as one people. ² Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and the priests with him, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the people with him, built the altar of the God of Israel. They built the altar of the God of Israel so that they could offer sacrifices on it. They built it just as it says in the Law of Moses. Moses was God’s special servant.

³ They were afraid of the other people living near them, but that didn’t stop them. They built the altar on its old foundation and offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord. They offered sacrifices in the morning and in the evening. ⁴ Then they celebrated the Festival of Shelters just as the Law of Moses said. They offered the right number of burnt offerings for each day of the festival. ⁵ After that they began offering the continual burnt offerings each day and the offerings for the New Moon and all the other festivals that were commanded by the Lord. The people also began giving any other gifts they wanted to give to the Lord. ⁶ So on the first day of the seventh month, these Israelites again began offering sacrifices to the Lord. This was done, even though the Lord’s Temple had not been rebuilt.

⁷ Then those who had come back from captivity gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters. They also gave food, wine, and olive oil. They used these things to pay the people of Tyre and Sidon to bring cedar logs from Lebanon. They wanted to bring the logs in ships to the seacoast town of Joppa as they did for the first Temple. King Cyrus of Persia gave permission for them to do this.

⁸ So in the second month of the second year after they came to the Temple in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began the work. Their brothers, the priests, Levites, and everyone who came back to Jerusalem from captivity began working with them. They chose Levites who were 20 years old and older to be the leaders in the building of the Lord’s Temple. ⁹ These were the men who supervised the work of building the Lord’s Temple: Jeshua and his sons, Kadmiel and his sons (the descendants of Judah), the sons of Henadad and their brothers, the Levites. ¹⁰ The builders finished laying the foundation for the Lord’s Temple. When the foundation was finished, the priests put on their special clothing. Then they got their trumpets, and the sons of Asaph got their cymbals. They all took their places to praise the Lord. This was done the way King David of Israel had ordered in the past. ¹¹ They sang songs of praise and thanksgiving, taking turns in singing each part.^[c] They sang,

“The Lord is good.
    His faithful love will last forever.”

Then all the people cheered—they gave a loud shout and praised the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.

¹² But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who could remember seeing the first Temple, began to cry aloud. They cried while the others there shouted for joy. ¹³ The sound could be heard far away. All of them made so much noise that no one could tell the difference between the shouts of joy and the crying. (Ezra 3:1-13, ERV)

How do you rebuild you life on God (as you get closer to Him)?

1.      Build on His forgiveness (grace)-You can’t be accepted by God full of your sin. Back in Ezra’s time an animal had to be killed to gain forgiveness of sins. Jesus sacrifice on the cross stopped this practice eternally. He is the Lamb slain for the forgiveness of your sins. Only He can get you to Heaven, and not your own goodness. (See Ezra 3:1-3 above)

³ “If you offer one of your cattle as a burnt offering, it must be a bull that has nothing wrong with it. You must take the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent where the Lord will accept the offering. ⁴ You must put your hand on the animal’s head while it is being killed. So the Lord will accept it as your burnt offering to make you pure. (Leviticus 1:3-4, ERV)

2.   Build on God’s Word- The Bible is your blueprint for rebuilding your life. (See Ezra 3:2-6 above)

¹⁶ All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right ¹⁷ so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, VOICE)

²⁴ “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵ It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. (Matthew 7:24-25, ERV)

3.   Build with God’s People-The body of Christ (church) is multigenerational and multicultural. Different people are needed to accomplish different tasks. There’s room for you in the church. (See Ezra 3:7-13 above)

For his “body” has been formed in his image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one. And every member has been given divine gifts to contribute to the growth of all; and as these gifts operate effectively throughout the whole body, we are built up and made perfect in love. (Ephesians 4:16, TPT)

¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself. ²⁰ You have been purchased at a great price, so use your body to bring glory to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, VOICE)

Before God can do rebuilding in your heart (and life), a good cleaning job needs to be done as all kinds of "junk" is eliminated.

God’s work of rebuilding in your life is done through community with others believers (and not alone). There His work is done faster as you obey and serve Him.[i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon “Rebuild: The Comeback” (installment two) Sunday September 13, 2020, Pastor Dave Jansen, CenterPoint Gahanna.  All CenterPoint churches are open in-person at 10am. They will continue to meet online at facebook.com/centerpointchurches or centerpointchurches.com/live.

The Question

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” (Martin Luther King, Jr. )

Though I am social in groups of people, I am a loner at heart. I enjoy my times of solitude to do the things that are important to me (like writing for this blog). I know it’s time to connect with other people when I start questioning my purpose for being here on Earth. For me (most the time), being around other people puts my mood in a much better place.

A benefit of being around other people is the opportunity to serve them. You forget your own problems as you realize that possibly others are dealing with a lot more than you are. As much as I might like to think I can do my life by myself, it’s just not possible. People need the socialization of other people (no matter how that happens).

If you’re a loner (like me), the only way you (or I) will ever feel more comfortable around people, is to be around them frequently. 1 Romans 12:16 (ERV) gives this advice about the benefits of being connected in community with others: “Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.” Being around others can be the best thing that ever happened to you. Just give it a try.