Hebrews 12:4-6

In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“my son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

Verse 7 Endure hardship as discipline, God is treating you as sons, for what son is not disciplined by his father?

A girl told me today that she didn’t feel her mother loved her during her teenage years because her mother did not discipline her. She felt as though love and discipline went together. She said my mother knew all that I was doing and didn’t care enough to do anything about it. It made me think back to my teenage years. My parents did set rules and guidelines. There wasn’t any lack of discipline at our home. Whether we listened to it was another story. But it wasn’t until I learned from the Lord what discipline was, I only took as an act of control and not hate but not love either.

God says He loves those He disciplines. Discipline came in many forms for me. Sometimes I got an actual verbal warning from the Lord…telling me to “learn the Word in its entirety”. He was giving me subtle hints before. I knew I was learning the Word as I should be. I had many books in my closet that was an easier read for me.

I remember before my husband and I were married we had a period where God took us apart for about 3 months. I didn’t understand it all right way…but in time, I had realized for me, why He did it. My now husband, became #1 to me and my relationship with God was slowly but surely becoming second…even though we both love the Lord, this was all new to us and God intervened and broke us up to show both of us what was going on…but that could be a whole other bread….

In short, God disciplines us because He loves us and He truly wants the very best for us. And when we love someone, we do the same because we want what is best for them.

My prayer is that when God disciplines us we seek Him if we do not understand and that we do not let satan take away what God is doing.

Max and Tammy

Prayer of Faith

James 5:19-20
My brothers, if one should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this, Whoever turns a sinner from error of his way will save him from death and shall hide a multitude of sin.

This verse is so very important. However, I believe misused in our church today. The last church I attended in Louisville was one of my favorite churches.. The Pastor there loves the Lord and that love was so apparent when he was preaching the Word. The church went from a small church that had to move to a bigger church due to its size. Oh the growing pains.

The bible study I was in was being led by God to learn how to love the people in the church God’s way and not our way. We went around the room and everyone said the same thing except for maybe one person…we need to learn how to love. Everyone loves differently but God was calling us to a different love. His love. The love He knew His church needed. The sad thing is that didn’t happen because people got side tracked and followed others in the church vs. what God wanted us to do. I am as much to blame as anyone else because I didn’t stand up to what God was calling us to do. They followed another study per the church and I didn’t participate because I knew God was not calling our class to that.

I have seen it happen many times where the leaders felt led by God to teach a subject and the church decided to go with something else. It is a very sad thing.

What happens is, the paid people on staff are afraid of losing their jobs that feed their families. It becomes a job like any other job. You do what the boss says because, well, he is the boss. But the boss of the church is Christ himself and that is who should be leading each individual. Each class…but because we have not allowed Christ to empower each person the church lacks.

The people at church do not feel fulfilled because Christ is not in control. People do not feel loved because Christ is not in control. People try to be in control.

So my brothers and sisters, if we see someone wander from the Truth, we should bring them back. I plan on meeting with the Pastor of my old church and share what God has shown me. I believe that is what God wants me to do. For once, speak the Truth w/out fear but with much love. I love that church and the people but we have to make sure the people aren’t doing the leading…lives are ruined because Christ is not in control.

My prayer is that we find a church that not only preaches the Word but follows it with their whole heart…for the good of all God’s anointed.

Max and Tammy

Judgment 2

I Corinthians 11v18-19 “First of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must heresies (disunion) among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you”

Wow!!! Seems like Paul wrote this for us only yesterday. What church today doesn’t have some sort of division lurking among it‘s members? What differences are there between denominations? Our world today is like “religion stew”, so mixed up it takes a PHD in theology to even know the real differences. Yet we are responsible for judging what is truth, and discerning who are of the truth.

How is it really that we are able to discern what and who is of the Truth? There are so many messages flying around us everywhere. There are televangelists, authors, and sometimes even our own pastors who give us a great insight, or reveal a great truth in the word, then follow it up with some wacky doctrine or error. The times are such that without spending time alone in the Word, and seeking the Lord in prayer, we are helpless against the impure word that is so prevalent in this world.

My prayer for us is: Eph 4v13-15: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Max and Tammy

Judgment 1

Jesus said in John 9:39 “For Judgment I am come into this world that they which see not might see, and they which see might be made blind” All who came into contact with Jesus experienced judgment in some form or another. By bringing truth in His life and His words, judgment was inevitable. The truth of the word judges our thoughts, doctrines, and actions.

Our interactions with co-workers and friends can often bring judgment. When someone does something and we feel wronged or we wrong someone else, the way we deal with that situation can bring judgment.

We are all given choices every day, choices that bring judgment, and then reward or consequence. This is so important for us to understand as sons and daughters of God. Our interactions with each other are not random, God uses us sometimes to bring that judgment. Understanding this can often explain the seemingly unexplainable things that happen in our relationships.

My prayer for us today is that we see Him in all of it!

Max and Tammy