Lent-Day 15: Live in Truth And Be Free

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” – Psalm 145:18

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

“You want the truth. You can’t handle the truth.” This famous quote from the movie A Few Good Men has been used on people who are incapable of accepting the truth they seek. God can handle the truth and prefers dealing with truth over lies. In the gospel of John we are reminded that those who worship God must worship God “in spirit and in truth.” The word also tells us that God is not like humanity and “cannot lie.” Jesus tells his disciples “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to God expect through me.” Truth is important to God.

When we live and operate in truth, God dwells with us. When we call on God in truth, God comes near and hears our call. We can’t “fake it until we make it” when it comes to God. God is truth so God sees through our masks and lies. God knows the amount of hairs (in my case lack of hairs) that are on our heads. God searches our inner being and knows the intention of our heart. So why lie to the God who knows all? We can fool a lot of people with our lies. People can fall in love with a lie and draw themselves closer to you. As they draw closer, we find God pulling away.

Today I want to encourage you to live in truth. Whenever you call on God, call on God in truth. Whenever you worship God, worship God in truth. Lies create webs of bondage that keep you trapped. Lies will imprison you and prevent you from experiencing the fullness of God. However, we are reminded again in the gospel of John that “the truth will set you free.” Live in truth and be free.

#ConsiderThis

Lent-Day 13: Forgive and Live.

 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” – Mark 11:25

We expect God to do for us what we aren’t willing to do for others at times. Forgiveness is probably one of the greatest challenges for the Christian. Forgiveness requires a certain amount of love that many of us may not feel like we have or aren’t willing to give. Someone may have done something very hurtful to you and to simply say “forgive them” doesn’t seem fair. We want retribution. We want revenge. They must get what they deserve. And one thing they do deserve is forgiveness.

You may never receive an apology from that person. They may never acknowledge the wrong they committed against you. But check this out, God even forgives us for the wrong that we have not acknowledged. That forgiveness was expressed through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins. Jesus uttered those redemptive words on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” God daily looks beyond our faults to meet our needs. We should follow the example of our God and look beyond the faults.

The prayer many of us learned during our children that we refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer” has a clause that says “forgives us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The ability to forgive others is a mark of the Christian. God requires it of us in order that we do not become slaves to the hurt and pain of the past. Let me be clear, we do not have to ignore the action as if it did not happen nor neglect the pain caused by it. What we must not do is obsess over it because it can serve as the chains that would prevent us from being free and living. Forgiveness leads to freedom. It is a freedom from the control someone or something thought they had over you. It is a freedom from the guilt and shame of the past. It is a freedom to live and become all that God desires of you.

Today I want to encourage to practice forgiveness daily. The word tells us to settle our issues with our brother and sister before we approach God in prayer. We settle the issues with our brothers and sisters so we can stand before God with a free mind and heart. Forgiveness clears our mind and we are able to see and hear from God more clearly. It can be difficult because the pain can run deep but there is nothing greater and stronger than the love of God. Forgiveness is us showing the love of God. Just as God shows God’s love by forgiving us and renewing God’s mercies daily, we will respond by doing the same.

Forgive and live.

#ConsiderThis

Lent-Day 10: Kill Your Will

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you will not fall into temptation.’ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” – Luke 22:39-43

The Mount of Olives has been a Jewish cemetery for over 3000 years and holds over 150,000 graves. This is a place that Jesus visited quite often for refuge and reflection. Of all the places Jesus could have chosen as a site to retreat to, why did he choose a cemetery. Why didn’t Jesus go to the temple, a nice park, or near the Sea of Galilee but a cemetery.

At this point in Jesus’ ministry, he has made a name for himself by living out the mandate he set in Luke 4:16-19 of “proclaiming the good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom to the captives, recovering the sight of the blind, setting the oppressed free, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus had acquired many followers and enemies. Jesus has moved from being the obscure son of a carpenter and virgin and to the face of a new movement where God’s love is the center. Jesus is story is sounding real Drakeish because he can honestly say that “I started from the bottom now I’m here.” Jesus started his life being born in a feeding trough in a barn. Now he is on a collision course with the Jewish religious and Roman governmental authorities who feel threatened by his prominence. Jesus with all the notoriety surrounding him retreats to his quiet place. He visits the place where he is reminded of his mission and submission. Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to kill his will. He goes to the cemetery that is the Mount of Olives to bury his will.

The journey that is life we be filled with its share of success and failure. Success can bring fame, accolades, and attention. We see where we have started and where God has brought us and we can begin to feel good about the work we have accomplished. As the compliments come we can sometimes lose ourselves and get tired of being humble. Not only can we lose ourselves but we can being to lose our way and not focus on the work God has called us to. We can begin to think less about God’s will and give more attention to our agenda.

I want to encourage to visit your own Mount of Olives and bury your will daily. Escape the noise of praise and accolades and find a quiet place. Jesus in the Gethsemane moment wanted God to consider his will. “If you are willing, take this cup from me.” Jesus looked to God to see if he would think about what Jesus wanted for a second. Jesus didn’t want the cup. Jesus wanted to hang around a little while longer, but he had the faith to say “yet not my will but yours be done.” There are things we want to do with our lives. We have ambitions and hopes. My ambition was to be a sports agent or work on Wall Street. I had big dreams for myself, but just like Jesus I had to bury my will and pick up God’s will. I had to say “yet not my will but yours be done.” Don’t be afraid to surrender to God’s will. We are encouraged to know that when we submit and surrender to God’s will, God will send us angels to strengthened us as we embark on the journey.

#ConsiderThis

Lent-Day 4: Believe in God’s Love

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

I had a good friend ask me the question “Is God’s love enough?” It was one of the most honest and realest questions I had ever been asked. Do I believe in the power of God’s love? Do I depend on the love of family, friends, relationships, money, possessions, power, and prestige more than the love of God? It caused me to examine myself. Do I believe in God’s love? Do I believe God’s love conquers all things? Do I believe that I cannot be separated from God’s love? It made me look deep within and I realized that I must believe and rely solely on the love God. John 3:16 reminds me of this.

Jesus is God’s best expression of love. In the life and witness of Jesus, we see love in action. When we believe and live in the love of God expressed through Jesus it brings life to our lives. Jesus said that “he came so that we may have life and that more abundantly.” Life is more than being financially stable or having the everything “together” but life is a peace within that is not determined by our current condition. For some everything may be going well and for others everything that can go wrong is going wrong. And the reality is that we will go between the seasons of harvest and drought throughout the duration of our lives. Notwithstanding when we choose God’s love we choose life. When we choose God’s love we say God is enough. Life may not go exactly as we planned but when our plans change I’m glad to know that God’s love remains the same.

Believe in God’s love because God’s love is constant. Many things change in life but God’s love is always reliable.

So I ask you, Is God’s love enough?

#ConsiderThis

Lent – A Period of Renewal

Wednesday, March 5, 2014 marks the beginning of Lent for this year. Lent is a period of preparation and consecration and during this 40-day period (March 5-April 20: excluding Sundays), we engage in a time of fasting and prayer, of self-denial and sacrifice in hopes of strengthening our relationship with God.

The 40 days are representative of the time Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying while being tempted by Satan prior to his public ministry. Before engaging in ministry, Jesus went through a period of fasting and prayer where he went into solitude to be with God and separated himself from those things that were hindering him from being closer to God. Throughout his public ministry, Jesus found time to get away from everyone and spend time with God. Before we embark on any journey in life it is important that we pull ourselves from distractions that prevent us from hearing God. In order to gain clarity and insight on our life’s journey, it is important we engage in periods of fasting and prayer.

The period of Lent is not a competition. It’s not about “who can out fast who.” Fasting and prayer are between God and us. We do not have to advertise that we are participating in Lent or that we are fasting. We don’t have to share with the world what we are giving up. That is between God and you.

Give up something that is going to actually be a struggle for you. The point of fasting is removing things that we feel we can’t “live without” and replace them with the One we can’t “live without.” Jesus fasted from food and water, two essentials we need to sustain life, but that was replaced with God. For you it may be fried food, candy, or fast food. For some it may be twitter, facebook, or television. For others it may be alcohol, sex, or clubbing. What we must do is search within and be honest with ourselves and ask “What is it that is hindering me from getting closer to God? What is it that is preventing from hearing the voice of God?”

In the next post, I will provide a weekly scripture and prayer itinerary that my church provided to help us along the journey

I will be in much prayer for you during this period. God Bless.

#ConsiderThis

Merry Christmas from #ConsiderThis

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him ‘Immanuel’ (which means “God with us”).” – Matthew 1:23 (Isaiah 7:14)

On this day, December 25th, we commemorate the moment where God chose to give the world his greatest and most precious gift, his son Jesus. Even though the circumstances surrounding the birth appeared scandalous and the characters were not the most ideal, God still chose to share his Son with the world anyhow.

God entering the world in this way served as a reminder for that 1st century Judeo-Christian community and for this 21st century community that God is indeed “with us.” In the face of oppression and difficulty, God breaks into the world to announce that God not only “sits high and looks low” but “walks among and with us.” Kanye had it right we he said “Jesus walks with me.” Jesus walked with that 1st century community and Jesus walks with us now.

On this day, remember that God is with us. God walks and talks with us. God is ever present with us. God is with us in the smile of young children opening their gifts this morning. God is with us at the dinner table as we feast with our beloved family and friends. God is with us in the laughs and heated discussions that will happen at the dinner table. God is with us as we sing Christmas carols while drinking hot chocolate and egg nog. God is with us on this day and beyond.

Merry Christmas from the #ConsiderThis family.

God Bless and “Immanuel.”

If God is “FOR” Us…

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

In 2011 I made a commitment to read the Bible cover to cover at least once a year. I have read all the books of the Bible but up until 2011 I had not read it cover to cover. I decided to read the Bible cover to cover not looking for some deep theological meaning or the latest revelation from God. I just wanted to read the book, become more familiar with the scriptures and become better at locating scriptures without having to Google the first few lines of a passage. I desired to be well versed in the word. In my reading of the Bible cover to cover, I noticed a lot of things and began to raise some questions. One such question was, “What does it mean for God to be “FOR” us?”

In Genesis, God spoke to Abraham and told him that his tribe, his people would be God’s chosen people. By virtue of being chosen by God, God would provide Abraham and his descendants with a land that Abraham was currently settling in as an alien. God promised Abraham and his descendants thereafter (Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc.) that he would drive out the current occupants of that beloved Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey, and permit that to be the place where they would settle. God drew a line in the sand and said that I am “FOR” the Israelites and anyone not affiliated with them is against me and I am against them. It is wonderful to know that when God is for us, God puts everything on the line. It is also wonderful to know that when God is “FOR” us that God is faithful and loyal to his promises and covenant.

I also noticed that in as much as God is loyal, faithful, and “FOR” us, God expects this same commitment from us. There is an expectation that WE be “FOR” God. There is an expectation that we CHOOSE God just as God has chosen us. God pledged God’s faithfulness to the Israelites when God entered into covenant with Abraham. Abraham and his descendants entered into covenant with God as well and promised to serve God with all their “heart, mind, soul and strength.”

What became of great concern to me is what happens when we don’t choose God or when we AREN’T “FOR” God. There were times when the Israelites, the chosen people of God, the people God was FOR, intentionally did not choose God back. There were moments when the chosen people of God were NOT “FOR” GOD. The ramifications of not being “FOR” God don’t ever prove beneficial. A whole generation of Israelites did not enter into the Promised Land because they were NOT “FOR” the God who was “FOR” them. They complained against God even when God did everything possible to show that he was “FOR” them.

God gets offended when God gives all of God’s self to make sure we are cared for and protected but we return this kindness with betrayal. We betray God, like the Israelites, by giving into idolatry, constantly complaining and not living in love. We miss our promise and all God has for us when we are not “FOR” God.  In a real sense we become enemies of God when we aren’t “FOR” God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to become enemies of God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to be out of relationship with God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to be against God. And when we choose to be against God, I trust that the results will not be in our favor.

So I want to encourage us to be “FOR” God because “if God is for us, who can be against us…”

Vision, Plans & God

“Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.’” -Habakkuk 2:2-3

I had a great and important conversation with my older sister on Saturday. We spent a great deal of time talking about vision and planning and the timing of this discussion could not have been more perfect. I’ve always been a person of vision, being able to see what I want in life in terms of career, relationships, finances, etc. My weakness is that I have never been the best planner (something that I constantly working on). Vision and planning go together like a lock and key. We can have all the vision in the world but without a plan it’s nothing more than a dream. 

More importantly, we must make the sure that the vision and plan comes from God. We have our own visions and desire. I’m sure when Habakkuk made his complaint to God he had a vision in mind of what the solution should be. However, God tells the prophet to write this vision and it’s not just any vision, it’s God’s vision and plan. When the tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant and temple were designed and constructed, it was God’s vision and plan. It would be wise of us to make sure that we sync our lives with God’s vision and plan. So not only do we write the vision but we write the detailed plan for how this vision is to come forth.

Another key element to visions and plans is patience. In this passage God reminds the prophet that “though it may tarry it will happen at its appointed time.” I know I have a tendency to rush things when I know/feel they are supposed to be. And in my impatience I have messed up some good/great things in my life. So in carrying out vision and plans one must be patient.  God gave Noah the vision to build an ark but it took time for the ark to be constructed. It takes time for vision to come to fruition. Patience is a must.

So I leave you with these notes to remember:
1. Vision and planning comes from God.
2. Seek God for the vision and the plan to carry it out.
3. Patiently wait and work for the realization of the vision.

“I Know You”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…” – Jeremiah 1:5

September 30^th is the day set aside each year to celebrate the occasion of me being born. This event took place in 1985 and since that time I have been on this quest to fully understand myself in this world. Over the course of 27 years I have discovered, lost, and rediscovered who I am on numerous occasions. There is this journeying back and forth to the mirror to assess and determine whether I recognize the reflection on the other side. Do I really see myself for who I truly am? Do I know who I am?

On this 28^th installment of this celebration, I found myself pondering the identity questions once more: “Who is Michael Stewart Wortham? Do I really know me? Am I really honest with myself about my life? Am I on the right career path? Am I really living out God’s will in my life?” As I pondered these questions, I heard a small still voice say,

“I know you.”

This voice then led me to these words found in Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”

The words were reassuring to me because at this critical juncture in my life where internal battles of self-esteem and self-worth are real, career pursuits seem so close but yet so far, along with a myriad of other concerns, God gave me the subtle reminder that God knows EVERYTHING about me. Before I entered a womb to exit, God knew me. Before my parents made any considerations about having me, God had already confirmed my presence.

As I continue to learn myself, God has already stated that I know you in full. As I pondered over this idea of God “knowing” me, I realized that I had been looking for myself in all the wrong places. I was looking for myself in careers, relationships, and education. I was looking for myself in activities that did more harm than good. I considered everyone and everything but the source. If I wanted to find myself, I needed to start with the one who knew me before I knew myself. I needed to start with the one who knew me before the foundations of the earth were made. I needed to start with God.

Jeremiah received this word in his life when he questioned why God would choose him to be a prophet. I received this word in my life as I questioned God about my identity and why God would choose me to lead his people. You may be in a place right now where you are questioning who you are and why God has you in this place and has you doing a particular thing.

I pray these words reassure you just as they reassured Jeremiah and me: “Before I formed you in the womb, I KNEW you…”