Lambs in Lambs Clothing

by Benjamin Burke

My brother and I were talking to Jonathan, one of our team members, and he was talking to Sterling about a book he’d read. The book was talking about lambs in lambs clothing. He said that, as Christians, we don’t need to act like Christians; we already are Christians. We don’t need to perform like we have to be something we are not.

We discussed how many Christians act on different issues like devotion time. Most Christians say to do your devotions in the morning, so you can start the day with God on your mind. And that’s great, but if you are too tired in the mornings or have to wake up extra early because you have to go to work, just don’t do it. If that is supposed to be your special time with the Lord and you can’t focus on Him because you’re “too tired”, it’s worse than not doing it at all. We have to give God everything. We can’t spend time with him with half of our minds on Him and the other half on sleep. We have to give it all we’ve got, even if that means being the odd one out. God doesn’t care when we spend time with Him, just as long as we do spend time with Him.

We don’t have to be “Christians” for God. As Christians, we simply are His beloved children. Don’t feel like you have to follow a pattern. Nothing could please God more than for us to be our-selves. Just relate and talk to Him. Say “God, I’ve been having a rough couple of days. Do you have some pointers on how to resolve this situation? Help me dig down deep to find forgiveness for this person, or help me with the hurt. I know that you can. Help me find ways to glorify Your name in this situation. Amen.”

If we are lambs, we will have a desire for God. He obviously wants our time. Give Him your best. Stop when you feel like you need Him the most and you are wanting to spend time with Him. There is nothing wrong with that. God doesn’t care when, just as long as we are our-selves and spending time with Him.

Work

by Sterling Burke

In the world we live in, work and work ethic is something we have strayed far from. We have become complaisant and lazy. We are self-centered and think others should be doing the work for us. We chose not to work when we have the chance. We chose not to work and stay diligent to the little things that take up no amount of time at all, all the while thinking someone else will do it later. When really the only thing we’re choosing not to do is build self discipline and order.

In choosing to put off even the little things were creating a pattern in our lives that will carry on. It’s never just enough to show up to work on time, or clean up after yourself just once after a long history of not doing these things and say its all ok. We have to be constant and steady in our work not matter what we are doing.

When we stay focused to the work God has placed in front of us; unwavering to the work He has for us, we will see so much more happen in our lives. He will open new doors with jobs and tasks for us that we never thought could be open.We will see new things happen and prayers come to pass if we just stay diligent to His work and call on our lives. Even if we’re stuck in a office behind a desk all day He has you there for a reason and if you stay attentive to the small-things He will be able to work though you more and more.

Whole Hearted Devotion

by Benjamin Burke

I’m a kid, so I hate nighttime. It’s a waste of twelve hours for me. My family and I were listing to a sermon by Mike Bickle and, as he was talking, I just thought that so many Christians want the day and not the night. What I mean by that is so many Christians want God’s blessing and not have to sacrifice for Him. We have to want the full day. We have to take the good things, and the bad things. God challenges us by allowing pain, physically and emotionally. For example, Job had a pretty good life. A wife, kids, livestock, all these good things and God takes it all away. Everything; and yet, through all the pain and the sorrow, Job stayed true to God and trusted God to help him. Not only did He restore it, but He restored it 100 fold, all because Job had faith and took the day and the night.

God also challenges us to do things that might hurt ourselves and other around us. Abraham had waited for years and years to have a son, and finally God had given him a child. Then God turned around and told Abraham to sacrifice his son. And Abraham did it. He obeyed God. And do you know what God said when Isaac was laying on the alter? “And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” And God blessed him. Both Job and Abraham took the day and night and were blessed because of it. Only the day doesn’t get you the blessing, take it all and you’ll be better off.

How to Handle Discouragement

by Benjamin Burke

Do you ever get discouraged? Maybe you’ve moved away somewhere and have to make new friends. Imagine what it’s like to live in another country where communicating with other people, about simple things even, can be hard.

It can be hard to go through periods of time when you feel down. It’s even harder to come to God with it. But the Lord challenges us to trust in Him and seek Him. Most people say, “It’s hard enough to follow God, but to give up everything, including friends and family, impossible!” But if you want to know God, you have to love Him and believe that He is enough, no matter what problems you face.

When I am feeling a little down, there are a few things I do. I pray, try to keep a clean heart and mind and not fixate on my troubles, and I choose to concentrate on God’s goodness. I remember to think about scriptures that I know will encourage and strengthen me. Two that I like are:

1.) For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear” (Hebrews 13: 5, 6). 2.) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James4:8).

I also remember to be thankful. It is easy to think about the things you don’t have, but it is more important to praise God for the things you do have. I try in everything I do to listen out for God. I am re-reading a book right now called the Door Within where the motto of the knights is, “You are not alone”. When I read this I remember that God wants to remind me of His love even when I am doing everyday things like reading. Finally, try to find someone to show kindness to and encourage them in what they are going through. Remember, you might not be the only one feeling down.

So whenever I am feeling down, I try to turn the spotlight off of me and onto God. When I do I always feel less discouraged.

Be On Guard

by Sterling Burke

“Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith,

be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I have been taking a martial arts class with our teammate, Jonathan Trentham. The theme of the class is the verse above. I have read and re-read it many times through the years and it always challenges me.

This whole verse really stands out to me every time I read it. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth encouraging them to keep the faith and honor the Lord in all things, but also warning them as well not to fall into the hands of the enemy.

“Be on your guard” In the first 4 words Paul has already set a strong clear warning to the Church. Paul is telling them to be alert, not to let down their watch to continue to press in the Lord Jesus and his plan for their lives and not to allow room for anything that is not of God in their lives. He could have stopped the verse right there but he doesn’t. He continues to stress the point by saying “Stand firm in the faith”. His word of warning is growing louder and louder. Now it’s a cry to the people, "Follow the Savior, don’t give up, keep your ground, stand firm in the faith!”. He’s now pleading, begging the people not to give up hope.

The next part is letting them know not to back down, never to back down, and to keep up the fight! “Be courageous”, he says, as he encourages his brothers in the faith to maintain the fight, because God is on our side. That part really stuck out to me the most; “be courageous”. There's so many things that come to mind when you think of courageous but always one of the last is being courageous for the One that deserves our bravery the most.

Paul goes on to say “Be strong”. He’s not talking about physical strength but more mental and spiritual strength in God. Be strong in the Lord. That means keep his laws and commandments, His Word, 100% of the time. Again Paul’s prayerfully begging that they keep firm and stand in Jesus.

So, first “Be on your guard stand firm in the faith” he is warning his friends to keep the faith not to fall out. Then secondly “be courageous, be strong” he's telling them to keep up the fight in the spirit. What could Paul possibly say to wrap up such an amazing couple of verses? He ends with “do everything in love.” Be on your guard stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong; he chooses to end with, do everything in love. Do everything, not just half the time, not just when you feel like it, but do everything in love, all the time. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on your guard stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.” with only a few remarkable words, Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, managed to say so much.

Beautiful Feet

by Benjamin Burke

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings the good news

Who proclaims peace,

Who brings glad tidings of good things,

Who proclaims salvation,

Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

God calls us to missions. Sometimes, it is only to our neighbors, our friends, those around us where we are at. And other times, it is to the world. He may call us to go to completely different cultures. No matter where God calls us to go, we have to go, period.

It’s a period, but it’s not the end of the story. One way we can prepare for missions is to do what Jesus says most frequently to do; Read the Bible and pray. You have to make sure you are ready, in season and out.

As Christians we know that a time will come that we will have an opportunity to share the gospel and the good news. Many Christians spend time sitting and waiting for the opportunity to do that, but they are not preparing or seeing the daily importance of having fellowship with God. But the truth is, you can’t give what you don’t have. A verse that comes to mind is a verse from Ephesians 6. It says that when we are going out as Christians we need to have our feet “shod with the preparation of the gospel”. You notice that it actually uses the word preparation. Preparing to share with people is the most important part of missions.

God does call us to go out and share. Let’s not just hear the call. Let’s not just look for opportunities. Let’s be ready! If we are full His words then those words can be used to change people when the Holy Spirit leads us to speak them. If we are taking His good news, we are proclaiming peace, tidings of good things, and salvation! Our God Reigns!

Change

by Sterling Burke

In the world we live in, change, might be the principal part life. Some say life is change. Though if life is change, where is stability found? Does everything change all the time? The better question is; what doesn’t?

We live life fearing change when the reality is once you get up from reading this your life will have changed. Everything is change, and change is in everything.

I only wish that as things change, we could learn from the circumstances it brings and so, gain understanding from the past. Maybe if the past is clear we would be able to distinguish just what is needed to produce a brighter future. This to me seems the wisdom in it all, because you cannot stop change, you can only attempt to handle it wisely. Experience teaches, in the end, it will be just that; an attempt. Change will always come, but for better or for worse is up to you. You control your decisions and every decision made affects change. You cannot control actions of others around you, but again, you can control your decisions and your reaction to the future it brings.

You never again will have the same chances and the same opportunities as you do now. You will never view life the same. Enjoy the day. I am by no means saying do not take pleasure in the season you are in. I am simply trying to state when change comes do not shove it away. Move forward. Do not live your life trying to recreate the past by holding on tight to memories. Good are bad, they strengthen you. They are there to learn from. Don’t let them pin you down where you cannot move on. Remember, but do not relive. Live in the present, for soon it will be the past. Look forward to the future for soon it will be the present. Remember the past for it shaped you into who you are.

Change is an inevitable force, which can, in no way be stopped. As a mountain does not melt away into the earth, nor does change linger at your command. Only God does not change. Only God is in control as life gives way to change. If you attempt to control change, you are placing yourself in the place of God. Learn to trust. God knows where you are, He knows exactly what is happening around you. He knows exactly where you are and what you need. He placed you where you are for a reason and only He knows why. Trust and hold on to Him and He will always use all that happens to strengthen you. So, embrace the change God brings.

He is good and He brings us good all our days as we humble ourselves, trust Him, obey Him, and follow where He leads, no matter what has to change to get us there!