Drifting or Far Away?

Your Bible Boost Pastor Leonard Navarre DRIFTING????? Not too long ago I read of a man, at the ocean beach, who fell asleep on his inflatable raft. About an hour later he awoke to find himself 5 miles out to sea. WOW! That was a rude awakening to find himself that far out to sea. We know that boats, just like this inflatable raft, without an anchor or rudder can be tossed to a fro by the wind and the waves. In the same way our spiritual lives can drift. In our present world of ups and downs and mighty winds, sometimes, we can find ourselves far away from God. Many times in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel drifted from God. Sometimes the nation found themselves far from God, either by not paying attention, drifting or at other times by purposefully seeking other gods and worshipping idols. I Samuel 4-7 is a prime example of their spiritual drift. Maybe, as each of us evaluate our spiritual condition today, we find ourselves “out to sea”, drifting or far away from God. Maybe it’s by neglect, a sinful habit or a purposeful move away from God. Before we know it we find that we have drifted far away from God. I’ve got good news. The prophet Samuel in I Samuel 7:3 tells the nation of Israel how they can find their way back to God. We can learn a lesson here. The question is, would Israel do what prophet Samuel told them to do? Here is Samuel’s four steps and if we find ourselves “out to sea” these 4 steps will help us get back on track. 1 – Return to the Lord – That means – course correction. If we find ourselves off course, then we must DECIDE TO RETURN to the proper course and direction. 2 – Remove – The prophet Samuel told the children of Israel to eliminate the foreign gods in their midst. The same advice is given to us if we find ourselves far from God. Usually something or someone has come between us and our heavenly Father that causes us to be far away from Him. Maybe, we need to eliminate an ungodly friend, maybe the internet, maybe a habit. Whatever it is, if there is a wedge between that “thing” and God, we will not be able to get closer to God unless it is eliminated. 3 – Repent – Samuel told the Israelites to “prepare their hearts FOR the Lord”. That is, make an “a bow face”, a true reversal. They (we) must turn from the direction they were going and RETURN to the Lord God. Change of direction and repent of their disobedience. 4 – Response – Serve the Lord God ALONE. They had allowed Baal and the Ashtoreh to turn their affections and behavior away from the Lord God of Israel. So, Samuel tells them to serve the Lord God and Him ALONE. That must apply to us today, also. Choose whose side we are on. If God be God (and HE IS) then let us desire to serve HIM and Him alone. Good news! Israel did exactly what the Prophet Samuel said and they went against the Philistines and defeated them. In fact, Samuel named the place, “Ebenezer” – ‘the Lord has helped us’. Wow! It was a true course correction. Question? Are you finding yourself off course, drifting or far away from God? Listen to the Prophet Samuel’s solution in I Samuel 7:3: Return, Remove, Repent and Response. May we seek to grow closer of our heavenly Father.

STUNNED!

Growing! I know many of you may be SURPRISED to hear from me. Especially since I have not written in a very LONG time. Well, one of my New Years Resolution was to do more writing and communicating what God was and is laying on my heart. Well, as you can note by the date, I have procrastinated for one month. But, lo, and behold, the first blog of the new year. First, I cherish our friendship and do want you to know that I pray regularly for each one of you. I pray that God will richly bless and touch your lives for Him. Life is journey. Many of us go through tough times but also have super mountain top blessings from God. This is the heart of this little email. The story is taken from Luke 8:22-25. It is where Jesus tells His disciples to get in the boat and travel to the other side of the lake. You are probably familiar with this story. As they are sailing Jesus falls asleep. I know that feeling. I love falling asleep in a slow moving and slow rocking boat. Jesus is asleep in this text. While asleep a "fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake". The story tells us that the wind was so strong that the water began to swamp their boat. Where's Jesus? Even with the fierce wind and mightly waves, He is ASLEEP. So His disciples descend on Jesus and woke Him saying, "Master, Master we are perishing!" Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves. Waves and winds stopped and it became calm. Jesus' question to His disciples, "where is your faith?". As it is presented to each of us. If we are not going through storms at the present, I promise storms will come. So, here's a couple principles that we can learn from this story of Jesus calming the winds and the waves. First, Jesus promised to be with us "til the end of the age", Matthew 28:20. Storms come and storms go, but Jesus is with us during those storms and even when we are going through calm periods in our lives with very few storm. Jesus was with his disciples before they got in boat. He was with them in the boat before the storms arrived. He was with them in the midst of the storms and He was with them after the winds and the waves were stilled. Wherever we find ourselves Jesus promised to be with us. No storm - Jesus is with us. Storms - He is with us. Calm seas - He is with us! The question by Jesus in Luke 8:25, "where is your faith" could really be a question of TRUST. Where's our trust? Can we trust the one who made the universe, named the stars, counts the very hairs of our heads to give us the strength and endurance to ride out the storms. Can we trust Him to know what He is doing to help us grow in our spirit walk? Growing is always difficult! Secondly, we always learn best and grow stronger through adversity. Listen to the disciples, "who is this that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" What did the disciples learn through this adverse situation. TRUST. Yes, they were fearful but they were also AMAZED. They were amazed that Jesus could and did rescue them from this storm (not here in this text but several others throughout the gospels). Isn't that also true with us? When we go through our storms and look back we are amazed at how the Master guided us, direct us, and sustained us. His very presence comforted and strengthened us as we were growing through the adversity. As we look back we too are amazed at what He was able to accomplish through the storm. All because of our TRUST. Our FAITH! Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Him who strengths me". I am praying for you and your families, Leonard check it out: navarreministries.com the second banner takes you to "Your Bible Boost" programs on youtube. also you can sign up for my "Your Bible Boost" newsletter on the front page.

India Mission Trip Great Success!

First, I thank my Lord Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father for the opportunity to travel half way around the world to witness for our precious Savior.

Second, thank you to all who contributed to this mission trip. Because of YOU many, many lives were affected and changed. Because of YOU the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ touched thousands and only heaven knows the results of our labors. Because of YOU many who were hungry, thirsty and unclothed have felt the love of Jesus through the rice, wheat, clothing and shelter. Because of YOU, I praise God for our partnership in taking the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to other countries as well as here in the U.S.A. via the radio program, "Your Bible Boost" on mykkim.com.

Here's the stats as to where the funds were used on India Mission 2012:
* Funded meals for over 500 orphans and staff at the Tribal Childrens Home for 1 year.
* Provided rice, wheat, blankets and sari's (clothes) for over 100 widows in a village near Damoh. These widows were to receive $5.00 per month (YES, per month) but by the time the local officials had skimmed the top, the widows only received @ $2.00.
* Provided funds to buy 55 children out of slavery. Each child bought AND their family are placed under the care of a local congregation so that the slavery will not be repeated. Also, the congregation and evangelist are able to witness and disciple these families for our Lord Jesus Christ.
* Provided rice, wheat, candy, cookies, pencils and vitamins to over 200 children of the Children's Food Project.
* Provided funding for food, lodging and expenses for over 300 evangelist who attended the two day Leadership Conference.
Those are just the "hard" facts. But, there are many stories that go along with these facts. I hope to be writing about these stories on the blog, www.yourbibleboost.blogspot.com. So from time to time check it out for those personal stories that show the full extent of YOUR partnership with us.

Again, thank you so much for partnering with us to reach others for our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am praying for you and your families!

Overcoming "stinkin' thinkin'"!!

OVERCOMING "STINKIN' THINKIN'



Do these names "ring a bell"? Sethur? Palti? How about Guel? Or maybe Nahbi? Don't remember them? Well, most folks don't. They are part of a group of 10 men who had an attitude that infected the children of Israel as they approached the Promised Land. These 10 men, uniting with the majority brought a curse upon these Israelites and halted their progress, "dead in their tracks". These 10 men along with 2 others were sent to spy out the land of Promise. Now, you probably remember the 2 others. Joshua and Caleb. But the ten? We don't remember them because they brought back the negative report as some would say the attitude of "stinkin' thinkin'". They brought back the disease of a "negative" report.

These 10 along with Joshua and Caleb were sent to spy out the land and to bring a report back to Moses, Aaron and the entire congregation. After returning these 10 men said, "NO WAY". There is no way that we can move in and conquer the land. Numbers 13 and 14 records the events. In Numbers 13:31 these 10 reported, "we are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." Virtually, every adult concurred with the majority of the spies...EXCEPT, 2 men...Joshua and Caleb. These 2 said, by God's strength WE CAN DO IT...they implore the people (Nu 14:9) "only do not rebel against the Lord..." Only Joshua and Caleb of these 12 dared to trust and believe God. This disease of "negative thinking" or as the Bible calls it, "murmurring", or "grumbling" (Numbers 14:2), was the very reason this generation of Israelites perished in the wilderness instead of inheriting the land that flowed with milk and honey. (Numbers 14:26-38)

Usually great achievements by both nations and individuals are results of both perserverance and faith. It is a little known fact that there was a colony from the Old World that came to America and failed BEFORE the Pilgrims sailed and succeeded.

Long ago there were those who insisted that it was impossible for a man to break the 4 minute mile in track. We once laughed and scoffed those who spoke of putting men in space and to even send them to the moon.

Progress and success is always attributed to those who look beyond the frustration and failure and move forward regardless. It is said that Edison experimented over 2000 times before he came up with the incandescent light bulb.

Negative thinking devours the seed in winter before the warmth of spring can give it root in fertile soil. Negative thinking chains us to the past and denies us the success of future challenges. Negative thinking becomes a habit that destroys our dreams and holds us hostage to our freedoms of success which are just over the horizon.

My friends, the same is true in our "spiritual journey". The devil is a master at originating devious tricks and strategies that discourage and disappoint us. The evil one has come to divide and destroy. He dosen't want you to find success in your spiritual walk. He doesn't want you to be victorious in your spiritual journey. Obstacles, barriers, and pot holes are placed in front of us to discourage so that we will throw up our hands and quit. The Bible calls them "trials". (James 1)

The apostle Paul experienced more than his fair share of trials, frustrations, disappointments and disasters. Listen to I Corinthians 11 beginning at verse 24..."five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one, 3 times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, 3 times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea" and Paul adds much more.

So, if there was a person who should have developed a negative complex, a "grumbling" vitamin it was Paul. Probably if I had been beaten, maligned, misunderstood, had my life threatened, a price put on my head, I would have opted for retirement. Not Paul. Not Joshua and Caleb. Listen to the Apostle Paul, who gives each one of us this encouragement as we journey on in our spiritual life..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Hear that? Where you listening? Was I paying attention?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer to what Zig Zigler calls "stinkin' thinkin'" in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me" (Emphasis mine). Overcoming negative thinking, gripping, complaining, murmurring and grumbling comes with putting our trust in the King of kings and Lord of lords and receiving our strength to move forward, to carry on, from HIM.

"Don't give up. Don't give in. AND NO COMPROMISE.

I am praying for you and your families,

Leonard

Life Interrupted!

Not a day goes by when our plans aren't changed by circumstances beyond our control. Natural disasters, house or car problems, unexpected illness, traffic jams, someone running a red light and ramming us, a friend or neighbor with an emergency need, unforseen time demands at work...and the list goes on and on. The question is, "can we trust that God is in those unforseen delays, diversions and distractions?"

A rarely-read single verse is in Exodus 13:17, "then it came to pass, when Pharoah had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."

This verse tells us how God led the newly-freed Hebrew nation into the Sinai Desert instead of around the southeast "corner" of the Mediterranean Sea into the Promise Land. WHY? Well, so the Hebrews wouldn't encounter the Philistines who inhabited the region, be attacked, go to war face death and opposition AND then decide to head back to the safety of Egypt. The Hebrews, you remember, did what they were known to do quite often. They, murmurred...the grumbled and complained about the Sinai sand, the heat and the desert obstacle. Yet, they were alive. If they had met the Philistines, there, probably, would have been war and many of them slaughtered.

So, my friend, the next time your path or directioon is changed unexpectedly, TRUST GOD. Put your faith and belief in the one who not only sees tomorrow but is already there. Trust that God is in it and that the change will always work for your good. (Romans 8:28) God said it would "work for our good", He didn't say that it would be painless.

TRUST!

adapted from David Jeremiah - "Turning Points"



--

Leonard

Leonard NavarreValley View Christian Church

Led by God!

It happened to Mary, Joseph, the wise men, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna. In fact, all through the first Christmas story you see and learn that all the main characters were led by God and His Holy Spirit.
Many people use various means to find the way of God. Some depend on chance. “Well, that’s where the Bible fell open, that must be God’s will”, they say. One woman I read about was uncertain about whether it was God’s will for her to take an overseas flight. The next morning when she was awakened by her alarm clock, it read 7:27. That was the kind of plane she was scheduled to take. Friends could not persuade her that it was a shallow way to receive God’s will for her life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 gives direction as to God’s will in our lives. It reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” One translation says, “He will direct your paths”.
So, how does God direct our paths? There may be occasionally very dramatic and vivid ways but let us consider a few others.
First, Psalm 119:105 states that our paths are directed primarily through God’s Word. God’s Word is “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path”. Someone once said, “to seek God’s will without being in His word is asking for error. God will never contradict His Word.” Remember, what a lamp does. It does not give light to the entire journey. It only shows us where to safely place the next step.
Secondly, God shows us and directs us by opening or closing doors. Paul in I Corinthians 16:9 wrote, “a great door for effective work has opened for me”. A.W. Tozer suggested, “if God is in it, it flows. If it’s forced, it’s of the flesh”. When opportunities present themselves we move through the open doors. When circumstances become obstacles it would be best to pray and regroup and see exactly what direction God is leading.
Thirdly, God also directs by closing doors. Remember, in Acts 16 the apostle Paul was kept from preaching in Asia because the Holy Spirit had closed those doors for evangelism. So, when we meet with closed doors, stop. Let us not force our plans or desires over God’s objections.
Fourthly, the perceptive and wise counsel of mature Christians can help us navigate through God’s will for our lives. Proverbs 15:22, “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Godly wisdom from Christ centered mentors who are faithful in prayer helps us find that direction that we seek. The combined wisdom from Christian friends is worth more than gold.
Fifthly, God will also work through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Everyone in the Christmas story was led by the Holy Spirit and MOVED when the Holy Spirit led.
Simeon: Luke 2:25 "...and the Holy Spirit was upon him."
Anna: Luke 2:36ff..."she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer"
Mary: 1:25 ..."the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you;"
Joseph: Matt. 1:24 "when Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded"
Shepherds: Luke 2:15 "let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened"
Wise Men: Matt. 2:10 "when they saw the star that they rejoiced exceeding with great joy"
These not only were in prayer seeking God’s will but when they had the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit they acted, they moved.
God uses many ways to direct our paths, but He does lead. Someone once said, “do not ask God to guide our footsteps if we are not willing to move our feet”.
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16
Praying that we all will seek God’s Word and Will and be LED BY GOD!

Don't ignore the Holy Spirit!

The Holy SpiritThis article is but a brief overview of the work and identity of the One that was promised to every believer by our Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:16-17, “and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”(ESV)
The key to knowing and understanding the Holy Spirit is to be open with our minds, sensitive with our hearts and have a strong desire to seek the truth revealed within God’s Word.
Before we begin, let us pray. Dear Father God, we come before you acknowledging your greatness and your awesome power. We are asking that you give us a commitment to know the truth and a desire for your Holy Spirit to give us clarity and understanding as we seek the truth. In Jesus name, Amen.
In John 16:7 ESV Jesus said, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
So, as we see in Acts 1, Jesus went away, i.e. ascended into heaven. Therefore, when do we receive the Holy Spirit? In Acts 2, a great crowd had gathered in Jerusalem on day of Pentecost. Peter along with the other apostles stood up and proclaimed the first gospel message about Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The crowd were overwhelmed with emotions as to their guilt in crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:37-38, they asked, “brothers, what shall we do? Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
This passage is very clear in the answer as to the “when do we receive the Holy Spirit?” In faith, these people in Acts 2 responded to the Word spoken by the apostles and over 3000 were baptized that very day. We may feel that we have to discuss, debate, and give greater study to the text. But, I suggest we need to simply respond, by faith, to the truth we have read and heard and welcome the promise of the Holy Spirit into our lives through our obedience to the Word of God.
Well, now that we see the “when” of the Holy Spirit, briefly, let’s ask a few more questions. First, who is the Holy Spirit? In John 16:7, as quoted above, we see that Jesus calls the “Spirit of truth”, HIM. Therefore, we learn that the Holy Spirit of God is not an “it”. John 14:17 states, “he dwells with you and will be in you”. This definitely indicates the Holy Spirit, being a person, can have a relationship with believers and with the Father and the Son. We see in Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 that the Holy Spirit works with the Father and the Son. Also, we see in Acts 13:2 that the Holy Spirit spoke also giving evidence of his personhood. The Holy Spirit can also be hurt or grieved (Ephesians 4:20)
Secondly, we ask, is the Holy Spirit a different or lesser “god”? Throughout the Holy Scriptures the words “Spirit” and “God” are used interchangeably, i.e. Acts 5:3-4. Maybe, if you can picture deity or the Godhead as One but expressed in different functions or missions we can understand him a little better. For example, H2O. We all know that H20 is the chemical identity for water. However, we can freeze H2O and it becomes a solid. Then we can boil H2O and it becomes steam. Check on the H2O in the river and it is a liquid. Now, H2O hasn’t loss it’s chemical identity but it has just been expressed in 3 different forms as a liquid, solid and gas. In that very simplified way, diety, God, is the same, just expressed in 3 different avenues as to mission and purpose.
Thirdly, if the Holy Spirit is given to every believer, what is his purpose in our lives? The Holy Word of God, the Bible, gives many functions of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Here are a few of those purposes:
1) Helps us know what to say to witness for our Lord Jesus. Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12
2) He is our guide and brings God’s Word to our remembrance. Psalm 143:10; John 14-17; I John 5:6-8. Have you ever awoken at night and a thought comes to you, “I shouldn’t have said that or shouldn’t have done that”? The world would say, that’s your conscience. Believers would say that’s the Holy Spirit nudging us to make right a wrong.
3) The Holy Spirit helps us overcome the evil desires and deeds of our fleshly, earthly body. Romans 8:2, 9.
4) Helps point out sin in our lives. John 16:7-11
5) Provides us with attitudes and actions that demonstrate that we are new creations in Christ Jesus our Lord. Galatians 5:22-23
6) He confirms that we are children of our heavenly Father. Romans 8:15-16
The Holy Spirit is not a gimmick, a magic trick, a “Houdini”, or a “genie in a bottle”. He, the Holy Spirit, is the very presence of almighty God in the life of the believer. In the Old Testament, God's presence was revealed in the tabernacle and temple in the Holy of Holies. It was called the "shekinah" of God, God's presence. In the New Testament through our obedience to Jesus Christ, God comes to live in a temple not made with human hands. I Corinthians 3:19, "do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you?"
He wants us not just to know “about” him, but to “know” him. The world will not understand about the Holy Spirit. But, those who come to Jesus Christ through obedience will be given this precious gift, the Holy Spirit. Jesus states in John 14:7, “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor know him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” The path and avenue to know and understand the Holy Spirit only comes to those who are obedient by accepting and believing in the Holy One, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Francis Chan in his book, “The Forgotten God” states, “our scriptures teach that if you know what you are supposed to do and you don’t do it, then you sin (James 4:17). In other words, when we stock up on knowledge without applying it to our lives, we are actually sinning. You would think that learning about God would be a good thing…and it can be. But when we gain knowledge about God without responding to Him or assimilating His truth into our lives, then it is not a good thing. According to the Bible, it’s sin. May we not merely gain knowledge. Instead, as we learn, may we grow and confess and change more into people we’ve been created to be by the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)”
Matthew 6:33, “but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Acts 5:32, “and we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
It is my prayer that we not only seek to know truth about the Holy Spirit, but that we seek the Holy Spirit, himself, to guide and lead us to be more and more like Jesus Christ our Lord, daily.

I am praying for you and your family!