A Dead end Road is no place to be
Yesterday was Good Friday, a day in which we remember Christ's crucifixion, and His willingness to be the ultimate sacrifice. I for one will remember this Good Friday like none before and not for the greatest of reasons. You see my family and I (all but the two youngest daughters) were on our way to our service at the Church in Shasta Lake, it had been a rather enjoyable morning and we were looking forward to an enjoyable day. As I began to prepare to exit the freeway and made a lane change there was a motorcyclist in my blind spot and fortunately after only moving a few feet we saw him and avoided a collision. He of course was offended I made an apologetic gesture and he returned with a not so polite gesture, however I was the one in offense so I laughed it off and continued on, or at least attempted to. This young man wanted more, he wanted to terrorize my family and I. Therefore he proceeded to race around our car attempting to scare us and act like a fool. At one point I rolled down the window and apologized verbally but again this was not acceptable, little did he know that there was no fear in me at this point but rather now a man who was set on protecting his family. You see I had apologized, I wasn’t trying to harm him I simply made a mistake, but no that wasn’t good enough he had to keep making an issue of it, he wanted more. As we exited the freeway my goal was to find a sheriff before arriving at Church, because I knew once we parked I would be in protection mode and that would not bode well for anyone; however that was not meant to be. As I looked in the rear view mirror I saw the young man (who had only for a moment vanished) coming up quickly upon our car and as he passed (in a single lane) he swung at the car and knocked out the drivers side mirror, again more antagonism. Then off he rode, avenged in his mind leaving behind destruction in his wake.
This incident is now in the hands of the authorities and maybe they will find him and maybe they won’t, either way the Lord has used this incident to show me many things, some of which I feel led to share. For our Good Friday service the Lord had led me to John Chapter 17 where Jesus is praying for His disciples and those who would later believe. In this passage He speaks of His desire for God to protect us form the world that hates us, for us to be in unity with Him, and in unity with each other through love for Him. This passage while I love it, hurts me deeply, this passage brings to mind many painful memories and some ongoing hurts, things that just won’t go away. I was reminded as we read of the incidents of the day, how apologies were not enough how the world wants more, the world wants revenge, and retribution, how the worlds lust for power and control is never satisfied, much like my biker friend. Yet that truly is not what pains me most, what pains me are those who claim to be a part of the body who have purposed in their hearts to act the same way as the world. Those who profess that their actions no matter how contrary to the word they are, are justified, how they thank God for His supposed blessing as they do things completely contrary to His word. Can I just say this, God does not bless sin, and sin is missing the mark, when your actions are contrary to the word you have sinned, and repentance is your only hope for complete restoration. Anger, retribution, gossip, striking back, striking out, these are not the actions that vilify or exemplify the behavior that Jesus prayed and commanded for us to have toward one another. The world is out to destroy us, and if the enemy can get a few of us to turn on one another then the enemy can win a battle, and yes he has won far too many! There is no way that the young man on the motorcycle can justify his actions, yet the story will be twisted and he will no doubt brag to his friends about his heroic and justified deeds. He will no doubt brag of how he antagonized and innocent family, how great a man he was for his actions and yes he will in his own mind justify them, the key words being “in his own mind”. However in truth he was not justified, in truth he was vicious, foolish, and angry, in truth he appeared to be a fool, hell bent on self destruction. I too in my earlier days have found myself all to often on this road, this road of self righteous indignation, this road with a dead end, and I headed for a crash. And unfortunately today I see too many of my brothers and sisters remaining on this road this dead end road of death, this road littered with the bodies of believers wounded by other believers in the name of justice. The highway of Christianity is a bloody place, a place where tongues have lashed, and words have cut, a place paved with innocent blood, isn’t it time to quit? Please my friends I implore you, if you are on this road, get off before it is too late, take the exit of humility, or the one of grace, or the one marked mercy, take the road of repentance that leads to healing and unity in the body of Christ. I implore you, don’t confuse the grace with which God forgives your sins as justification for actions contrary to His word, of yes He forever loves you, but He does not love all you do. Please I ask of you stop feeding in the failings of your brothers and sisters in Christ, stop judging others when the facts you do not know, stop assuming wrong and start pursuing right. You see the world wants us to turn on each other, the world desires to scar us, hurt us, and separate us, but the Lord wants nine of these things and if what we do, say, or feel causes these things then no matter how we justify it we are simply wrong, for the word is never wrong, truth will again always be truth!
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Finding the Favor of the King
Finding the Favor of the King
Last week we started studying the book of Daniel, and like every book we are studying it has quickly become my favorite, at least for now. As we study chapter one and understand the dynamics of being held in captivity, and being forced to change literally every aspect of your life or face death, Daniel's conviction of his faith truly humbles me. From the very beginning of his captivity he makes it known that he is a child of the most high God, the God of his fathers, our God, and that he will not compromise. You notice that he does not do so with arrogance but rather very diplomatically, in a way that makes his actions mutually beneficial to all. He is able to do so because he first has found favor with his King, the God of heaven and earth. You see Daniel had the favor of God upon him, and because he found God’s favor he was able to have the favor of man, and eventually as e will see the favor of the king of this world.
This chapter challenges me, it causes me to refocus and examine many aspects of my life, it causes me to ask the question; “do I have the favor of my King, my Lord, and my Savior?”If not then how does one acquire the favor of the King? Yes these are very interesting questions for us to ask of ourselves,after all shouldn’t all believers ultimately desire to have God’s favor upon them? As I search the scriptures I find that truly having the favor of the Lord is something attainable to each and every man, woman, and child upon the earth, after all we are born with His favor. No truly we are, we are born with the opportunity to be redeemed from death by the innocent blood of Jesus that was given as payment for all it?I believe the true challenge for those of us who have chosen to believe, and accept this wonderful gift,is maintaining the Kings favor,(particularly in our minds). How do we become living lights that shine as a reflection of His glory? You see that is true favor, when you begin to shine as Jesus shined because you reflect who He is, truly then we have found favor, have we not? Or is it when we are persecuted for His names sake, or maybe when our world is turned upside down by some cataclysmic event in your life and you yet you continue to remain faithful, maybe then you have found HIs favor? As I have pondered these question sand more and continued to pray I find myself desiring all the more in love with the concept of finding God’s favor, I find myself more intrigued by the pursuit of it, and yes I have come to some conclusions through His word. As I seek for ways to find His favor I have found more ways in which to loose it,. Maybe the true key is to favor is discovering these pitfall's and purposing with my actions to avoid them. In searching things that would displease God I found the following: Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the Lord hates, Yes seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift at running to evil, a false witness that speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren.” Ouch! Surely these are pitfall's i must purpose to avoid. A Second place I found things the Lord is displeased with was Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,idolatry, sorcery, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissent ions, heresies,envy, murders, drunkenness,revelries, and the like:of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Now before we go on it is crucial to point out that the writer says “those who practice such things” not those who do these things once, or without understanding. We must never get so caught up on law that we forget the grace and mercy that Jesus has provided us through His death and resurrection, to do so would surely render all men hopeless. No the reality is if we desire to find the favor f the King these are the things we are to avoid. One last place I will mention in the word where we are given direction (there are many, many, more) is in Hebrews 11:6 where we are told the following: “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore if we desire the Kings favor maybe we should practice faith, what is faith you ask? Hebrews 11:1 says this: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” If you believe in Jesus you are practicing faith, is there more, is there farther one can go in search of faith? Yes of course, but the most important is the belief in Jesus, for without it you have not even begun the adventure, you truly have no hope.
We have seen the things the Lord is not happy with, now let us look at the things He calls us to in order to find favor. In Matthew 22 from verse 36-39 Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, truly following the greatest commandment will bring favor of the King will it not? And then there is Jeremiah 9:23-24 that tells us what the Lord wants us to delight in : “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the Lord”. Surely if the Lord delights in a man understanding Him then one truly should do so in order to find the favor of the King, could this be the answer?
As I ponder these passages and more I truly have found for myself the way in which I will pursue the favor of my King: I will practice the greatest commandment of all, I will pursue love, I will practice 1 Corinthians 13 to the very best of my ability, for if I love those He loves with the same manner in which He loves them, surely I cannot fail to find His favor. Today this the journey for me continues, how about you, will you seek the favor of the King, I must warn you, it is not as easy as it may seem, but the rewards far outweigh the cost.
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
“A place of New Beginnings”
Last week we started studying the book of Daniel, and like every book we are studying it has quickly become my favorite, at least for now. As we study chapter one and understand the dynamics of being held in captivity, and being forced to change literally every aspect of your life or face death, Daniel's conviction of his faith truly humbles me. From the very beginning of his captivity he makes it known that he is a child of the most high God, the God of his fathers, our God, and that he will not compromise. You notice that he does not do so with arrogance but rather very diplomatically, in a way that makes his actions mutually beneficial to all. He is able to do so because he first has found favor with his King, the God of heaven and earth. You see Daniel had the favor of God upon him, and because he found God’s favor he was able to have the favor of man, and eventually as e will see the favor of the king of this world.
This chapter challenges me, it causes me to refocus and examine many aspects of my life, it causes me to ask the question; “do I have the favor of my King, my Lord, and my Savior?”If not then how does one acquire the favor of the King? Yes these are very interesting questions for us to ask of ourselves,after all shouldn’t all believers ultimately desire to have God’s favor upon them? As I search the scriptures I find that truly having the favor of the Lord is something attainable to each and every man, woman, and child upon the earth, after all we are born with His favor. No truly we are, we are born with the opportunity to be redeemed from death by the innocent blood of Jesus that was given as payment for all it?I believe the true challenge for those of us who have chosen to believe, and accept this wonderful gift,is maintaining the Kings favor,(particularly in our minds). How do we become living lights that shine as a reflection of His glory? You see that is true favor, when you begin to shine as Jesus shined because you reflect who He is, truly then we have found favor, have we not? Or is it when we are persecuted for His names sake, or maybe when our world is turned upside down by some cataclysmic event in your life and you yet you continue to remain faithful, maybe then you have found HIs favor? As I have pondered these question sand more and continued to pray I find myself desiring all the more in love with the concept of finding God’s favor, I find myself more intrigued by the pursuit of it, and yes I have come to some conclusions through His word. As I seek for ways to find His favor I have found more ways in which to loose it,. Maybe the true key is to favor is discovering these pitfall's and purposing with my actions to avoid them. In searching things that would displease God I found the following: Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the Lord hates, Yes seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift at running to evil, a false witness that speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren.” Ouch! Surely these are pitfall's i must purpose to avoid. A Second place I found things the Lord is displeased with was Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,idolatry, sorcery, contentions, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissent ions, heresies,envy, murders, drunkenness,revelries, and the like:of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Now before we go on it is crucial to point out that the writer says “those who practice such things” not those who do these things once, or without understanding. We must never get so caught up on law that we forget the grace and mercy that Jesus has provided us through His death and resurrection, to do so would surely render all men hopeless. No the reality is if we desire to find the favor f the King these are the things we are to avoid. One last place I will mention in the word where we are given direction (there are many, many, more) is in Hebrews 11:6 where we are told the following: “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore if we desire the Kings favor maybe we should practice faith, what is faith you ask? Hebrews 11:1 says this: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” If you believe in Jesus you are practicing faith, is there more, is there farther one can go in search of faith? Yes of course, but the most important is the belief in Jesus, for without it you have not even begun the adventure, you truly have no hope.
We have seen the things the Lord is not happy with, now let us look at the things He calls us to in order to find favor. In Matthew 22 from verse 36-39 Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, truly following the greatest commandment will bring favor of the King will it not? And then there is Jeremiah 9:23-24 that tells us what the Lord wants us to delight in : “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says the Lord”. Surely if the Lord delights in a man understanding Him then one truly should do so in order to find the favor of the King, could this be the answer?
As I ponder these passages and more I truly have found for myself the way in which I will pursue the favor of my King: I will practice the greatest commandment of all, I will pursue love, I will practice 1 Corinthians 13 to the very best of my ability, for if I love those He loves with the same manner in which He loves them, surely I cannot fail to find His favor. Today this the journey for me continues, how about you, will you seek the favor of the King, I must warn you, it is not as easy as it may seem, but the rewards far outweigh the cost.
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
“A place of New Beginnings”
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Value of Time
The Value of Time
Day after day I find myself as well and many of those around me spending countless minutes, and even hours tending to a plethora of seemingly meaningless distractions. As a man who serves God on a full time basis I have a dedication and sense of urgency to share with all who will listen or observe the saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is with the pen, other times with the sword, and often than not on my knees seeking His will. The greatest challenge I face in this quest is oddly enough not the obvious forms of attack by the enemy, but rather the far less obvious, sometimes they are so obscure to the untrained eye that they would not be considered attacks at all, but rather simply normal goings on. However when one views attacks as anything that takes you away from the true work of the ministry your view does change, you begin to notice things once left ignored. You find yourself in a rather lonely place, a place many would rather ignore. You see time is the one commodity we all have, the one thing we cannot waste, purchase, trade for, hope for, or acquire with any amount of wealth or effort. When we are born onto this earth each of our days is numbered, and none of us know how many days, minutes, or even seconds we have been allotted. Therefore each second, minute, hour, day, and more should be cherished like nothing else we posses. When you adopt this understanding and attitude you find yourself guarding time, making better use of it, cherishing it.
So what are the time wasters of which I speak? Well for each of us they truly are unique, after all each of us must determine on our own what our time should be spent doing. For example my oldest daughter has two beautiful daughters and surely each moment she spends nurturing them is time well spent. I have a friend who is a paramedic and every moment he spends caring for someone who is fighting for their lives is yes time well spent. When my children desire to share with me the challenges of their day and question the meaning of life, or just want a hug, yes that too is time well spent.
It is not these that are the wasters of time but rather those things that keep us busy keeping busy and accomplishing little. For some they are the moments spent satisfying curiosities, squelching rumors, comforting hurt feelings, listening to excuses, those moments spent listening to people attempting to justify their actions even though their actions were contrary to the will of God. I wonder truly how many people have their time wasted by others who have made poor choices and now are desiring to be bailed out rather than facing the consequences on their own actions. How many innocent lives have been lost in the process of saving the lives of those who have chosen to throw their own away. How many people have gone hungry because people have chosen to purchase drugs rather than food. How many children have been neglected as the result of people choosing to neglect themselves. How many babies have died or been sacrificed because young women have sought the attention they deserved from people who didn’t deserve theirs. How many of Gods children have not heard the gospel because those who have are not spending their time following the greatest commandment of all? “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” The reality is that far too many who claim to believe in Christ spend their time, justifying behavior, attempting to feel worthy of salvation, or even criticizing their fellow believers, an activity never sanctioned by the word, and yes they waste the time of all who choose to listen. The reality is no matter what the time wasters are in your life cutting a few of them out may not be a bad idea, the question for you is what has God called me to do? You see what I may view as a waste of time may be exactly what God has called and gifted others to attend to, therefore we must each by His leading determine our roles, and walk in them.
Maybe my words seem harsh to some, and yes I know I am not politically correct, but neither was my savior, the one whose steps I am not worthy to walk in. I can however do all I can to stop or slow the waste of time by those closest to me. It is never my intention to point fingers or direct my thoughts at particular individuals, hey we all fall short of the glory of God but choosing too, well that is just a waste of time now isn’t it?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
Day after day I find myself as well and many of those around me spending countless minutes, and even hours tending to a plethora of seemingly meaningless distractions. As a man who serves God on a full time basis I have a dedication and sense of urgency to share with all who will listen or observe the saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is with the pen, other times with the sword, and often than not on my knees seeking His will. The greatest challenge I face in this quest is oddly enough not the obvious forms of attack by the enemy, but rather the far less obvious, sometimes they are so obscure to the untrained eye that they would not be considered attacks at all, but rather simply normal goings on. However when one views attacks as anything that takes you away from the true work of the ministry your view does change, you begin to notice things once left ignored. You find yourself in a rather lonely place, a place many would rather ignore. You see time is the one commodity we all have, the one thing we cannot waste, purchase, trade for, hope for, or acquire with any amount of wealth or effort. When we are born onto this earth each of our days is numbered, and none of us know how many days, minutes, or even seconds we have been allotted. Therefore each second, minute, hour, day, and more should be cherished like nothing else we posses. When you adopt this understanding and attitude you find yourself guarding time, making better use of it, cherishing it.
So what are the time wasters of which I speak? Well for each of us they truly are unique, after all each of us must determine on our own what our time should be spent doing. For example my oldest daughter has two beautiful daughters and surely each moment she spends nurturing them is time well spent. I have a friend who is a paramedic and every moment he spends caring for someone who is fighting for their lives is yes time well spent. When my children desire to share with me the challenges of their day and question the meaning of life, or just want a hug, yes that too is time well spent.
It is not these that are the wasters of time but rather those things that keep us busy keeping busy and accomplishing little. For some they are the moments spent satisfying curiosities, squelching rumors, comforting hurt feelings, listening to excuses, those moments spent listening to people attempting to justify their actions even though their actions were contrary to the will of God. I wonder truly how many people have their time wasted by others who have made poor choices and now are desiring to be bailed out rather than facing the consequences on their own actions. How many innocent lives have been lost in the process of saving the lives of those who have chosen to throw their own away. How many people have gone hungry because people have chosen to purchase drugs rather than food. How many children have been neglected as the result of people choosing to neglect themselves. How many babies have died or been sacrificed because young women have sought the attention they deserved from people who didn’t deserve theirs. How many of Gods children have not heard the gospel because those who have are not spending their time following the greatest commandment of all? “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” The reality is that far too many who claim to believe in Christ spend their time, justifying behavior, attempting to feel worthy of salvation, or even criticizing their fellow believers, an activity never sanctioned by the word, and yes they waste the time of all who choose to listen. The reality is no matter what the time wasters are in your life cutting a few of them out may not be a bad idea, the question for you is what has God called me to do? You see what I may view as a waste of time may be exactly what God has called and gifted others to attend to, therefore we must each by His leading determine our roles, and walk in them.
Maybe my words seem harsh to some, and yes I know I am not politically correct, but neither was my savior, the one whose steps I am not worthy to walk in. I can however do all I can to stop or slow the waste of time by those closest to me. It is never my intention to point fingers or direct my thoughts at particular individuals, hey we all fall short of the glory of God but choosing too, well that is just a waste of time now isn’t it?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
At the Foot of the Cross
At the Foot of the Cross
This morning has started off being one of those days that for the most part you hope and pray never happens again, yet on the other hand you know you have need for such things to happen. You see those things that challenge us, those people who disappoint us, the unfounded rumors spawned by insecurities, feelings of low self esteem in others that end up breaking our hearts, these are what drive us to the foot of the cross. I found myself there this morning, lying at the foot of the cross, a comfortingly familiar place, a place of peace,security, healing, and protection, a place like no other, a place that can only be found at the feet of Jesus. You see no matter what we dream, think, or suspect, there really is only one truth that matters; that Jesus came, died, paid the price for our sins, and that someday He will return for us, and we will rise and defeat death, just like He did. What happens between now and that day of resurrection should be nothing more or less than each of us living a life filled the the hope of that promise. Truly what else matters? One of my children asked me yesterday if I thought that they would die young, my answer: “live every day as if you were dying tomorrow”. Why you ask? Because if I live today as if there were no tomorrow I would never do anything that would leave hurting people behind, there would be no regrets, I would share with as many as I could the joy of the Lord! But more importantly it is not what we would do but rather what we would not do that matters most. We would not sow seeds of discord, we would not hurt people, we would never do anything to harm another, and surely we would do nothing that might cause us not to be with Christ when we do pass. James 4:13-17 reminds us that we do not have any right to plan for tomorrow, and Matthew 6:34 says not to worry about tomorrow, so why do we?
I am listening to a new Todd Agnew song called “I need no Other” and he is singing about the fact that we need nothing more than Jesus, and as he is sharing about Jesus healing I was struck with a truth that bears repeating. In Matthew 8 Jesus is approached by a Centurion who asks him to heal his servant, and he says to Jesus just speak the healing and it will be done. Jesus responds with saying that this faith this believing without seeing is true faith none like Jesus has seen in Israel and because of his belief the centurion’s servant was healed. My though was this, how much healing are we missing out on because we do not believe? In particular today I speak of healing of our minds, our hearts, our emotions, and so much more. Because we compensate for our inadequacies we become someone different than who Christ would have us be and never walk in the fullness of His grace. Because we are insecure we become arrogant, because we are fearful we boast, because we are shy we hide, and so on. When truly all we need do is go to the foot of the cross, admit who we truly are, and let the blood and healing touch of Jesus deliver us from bondage. When we neglect or deny the healing we effect negatively everyone around us, why? Because we are not walking in grace and mercy, and fullness of life, we are rather living in judgment, anger, and so much more, none of which is God’s will.
There are far too many wounded and hurting people in this world who call themselves Christians and go around hurting others as opposed to setting the captives free, its time to change. I pray that you would join me at the foot of the cross, join me in receiving the healing God has for us, and may we live each day as if it were our last, for after all it may be.
Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church
This morning has started off being one of those days that for the most part you hope and pray never happens again, yet on the other hand you know you have need for such things to happen. You see those things that challenge us, those people who disappoint us, the unfounded rumors spawned by insecurities, feelings of low self esteem in others that end up breaking our hearts, these are what drive us to the foot of the cross. I found myself there this morning, lying at the foot of the cross, a comfortingly familiar place, a place of peace,security, healing, and protection, a place like no other, a place that can only be found at the feet of Jesus. You see no matter what we dream, think, or suspect, there really is only one truth that matters; that Jesus came, died, paid the price for our sins, and that someday He will return for us, and we will rise and defeat death, just like He did. What happens between now and that day of resurrection should be nothing more or less than each of us living a life filled the the hope of that promise. Truly what else matters? One of my children asked me yesterday if I thought that they would die young, my answer: “live every day as if you were dying tomorrow”. Why you ask? Because if I live today as if there were no tomorrow I would never do anything that would leave hurting people behind, there would be no regrets, I would share with as many as I could the joy of the Lord! But more importantly it is not what we would do but rather what we would not do that matters most. We would not sow seeds of discord, we would not hurt people, we would never do anything to harm another, and surely we would do nothing that might cause us not to be with Christ when we do pass. James 4:13-17 reminds us that we do not have any right to plan for tomorrow, and Matthew 6:34 says not to worry about tomorrow, so why do we?
I am listening to a new Todd Agnew song called “I need no Other” and he is singing about the fact that we need nothing more than Jesus, and as he is sharing about Jesus healing I was struck with a truth that bears repeating. In Matthew 8 Jesus is approached by a Centurion who asks him to heal his servant, and he says to Jesus just speak the healing and it will be done. Jesus responds with saying that this faith this believing without seeing is true faith none like Jesus has seen in Israel and because of his belief the centurion’s servant was healed. My though was this, how much healing are we missing out on because we do not believe? In particular today I speak of healing of our minds, our hearts, our emotions, and so much more. Because we compensate for our inadequacies we become someone different than who Christ would have us be and never walk in the fullness of His grace. Because we are insecure we become arrogant, because we are fearful we boast, because we are shy we hide, and so on. When truly all we need do is go to the foot of the cross, admit who we truly are, and let the blood and healing touch of Jesus deliver us from bondage. When we neglect or deny the healing we effect negatively everyone around us, why? Because we are not walking in grace and mercy, and fullness of life, we are rather living in judgment, anger, and so much more, none of which is God’s will.
There are far too many wounded and hurting people in this world who call themselves Christians and go around hurting others as opposed to setting the captives free, its time to change. I pray that you would join me at the foot of the cross, join me in receiving the healing God has for us, and may we live each day as if it were our last, for after all it may be.
Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church
Monday, March 7, 2011
Comfort or Satisfaction
Comfort or Satisfaction which do we seek?
Romans 8:13 Says that it is by the Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the flesh. You will notice the word Spirit here is one that is capitalized, signifying that it is the Holy Spirit of which Paul speaks. I take his statement to mean that in order to overcome the deeds, trials, and challenges we face in our flesh we must submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to put them to death. As I have been faced with many of the same fleshly challenges that all mankind faces in one form or another I can honestly say that I am in a place where I have never been before a place of victory over flesh, a place I believe no man can arrive at without the help and strength of the Lord. A place than can only be given to us as we submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to defeat our flesh. On the day after Thanksgiving in 2010 I began a fast purposed to overcoming the desires and temptations of my flesh, one dedicated to allowing Jesus to be my comfort, as opposed to my flesh. Many of us wrongfully allow food, drugs, alcohol people, sex, or other fleshly activities to become our comfort . When in reality our true comfort should come in and through our spirit . This comfort of which I speak can only come from the Spirit of the living God, this is a true and complete comfort, a comfort our souls crave. The challenge for so many of us is that we spend so much time and effort comforting our flesh and seeking gratification that we are never fully satisfied, we simply move from one form of gratification to another in search of comfort rather than satisfaction. This action simply causes us to crave more gratification and in doing so we fall deeper and deeper into bondage to our flesh all the while starving our spirit. If we seek comfort in anything we will find comfort to be a very temporary feeling often accompanied with far more detrimental and lasting consequences. For example, if we seek comfort in food we will find ourselves, overweight, suffering physically and emotionally, the guilt often driving us to a place of desperation again seeking only more comfort and driving us deeper and deeper into our desperation. The same could be said for any of the other comforts we seek in the flesh, money causes greed and the desire for more money, the desire for sexual gratification twists our thoughts of intimacy and so on and so on. However the true satisfaction we seek can only be found in the place of our spirit, and satisfaction is eternal, everlasting, and without negative consequence. Satisfaction brings joy, and peace, the fruits of satisfaction are never detrimental. The fruits of true satisfaction are peace, joy, love, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, it is the culmination of the fruits of true love found in first Corinthians Thirteen. When Paul is speaking of love he is describing the character of Jesus, the heart of God, the reality of what God truly desires for each of us to experience. This love can only be experienced to this level by those who have become satisfied in the spirit not comforted in the flesh.
As I have walked through the past ninety plus days of denying myself the comfort of the things that kept me from true satisfaction yes it has been at times extremely difficult, but never impossible. You see the Lord knew how difficult it would be, and He alone has given me the strength to make it through, He never left my side, even in those nights when I failed. Oh yes I fell, and yet His hand was there to pick me up, why? Because He loves me, and He knows that I am a man not a god, that I am flesh not spirit, and that I must have His help to make it through every day. This has been the greatest diet I have ever been on, you see the weight, the food, the eating wrong, those were never my problems they were simply the result of a man seeking comfort in the flesh as opposed to a man seeking satisfaction in the spirit. I pray that I never forget this lesson, today I feel as if I never could as long as I remain satisfied in Christ! For you see this is not a diet, it is no longer a fast, this is now a life dedicated to finding my comfort through the satisfaction of knowing God and denying the flesh that separates me from Him. Will you join me and others like me today, as we seek His will for us in our lives, in order that we might be whole?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
A place of New Beginnings
Romans 8:13 Says that it is by the Spirit that we put to death the deeds of the flesh. You will notice the word Spirit here is one that is capitalized, signifying that it is the Holy Spirit of which Paul speaks. I take his statement to mean that in order to overcome the deeds, trials, and challenges we face in our flesh we must submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to put them to death. As I have been faced with many of the same fleshly challenges that all mankind faces in one form or another I can honestly say that I am in a place where I have never been before a place of victory over flesh, a place I believe no man can arrive at without the help and strength of the Lord. A place than can only be given to us as we submit to and allow the Holy Spirit to defeat our flesh. On the day after Thanksgiving in 2010 I began a fast purposed to overcoming the desires and temptations of my flesh, one dedicated to allowing Jesus to be my comfort, as opposed to my flesh. Many of us wrongfully allow food, drugs, alcohol people, sex, or other fleshly activities to become our comfort . When in reality our true comfort should come in and through our spirit . This comfort of which I speak can only come from the Spirit of the living God, this is a true and complete comfort, a comfort our souls crave. The challenge for so many of us is that we spend so much time and effort comforting our flesh and seeking gratification that we are never fully satisfied, we simply move from one form of gratification to another in search of comfort rather than satisfaction. This action simply causes us to crave more gratification and in doing so we fall deeper and deeper into bondage to our flesh all the while starving our spirit. If we seek comfort in anything we will find comfort to be a very temporary feeling often accompanied with far more detrimental and lasting consequences. For example, if we seek comfort in food we will find ourselves, overweight, suffering physically and emotionally, the guilt often driving us to a place of desperation again seeking only more comfort and driving us deeper and deeper into our desperation. The same could be said for any of the other comforts we seek in the flesh, money causes greed and the desire for more money, the desire for sexual gratification twists our thoughts of intimacy and so on and so on. However the true satisfaction we seek can only be found in the place of our spirit, and satisfaction is eternal, everlasting, and without negative consequence. Satisfaction brings joy, and peace, the fruits of satisfaction are never detrimental. The fruits of true satisfaction are peace, joy, love, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, it is the culmination of the fruits of true love found in first Corinthians Thirteen. When Paul is speaking of love he is describing the character of Jesus, the heart of God, the reality of what God truly desires for each of us to experience. This love can only be experienced to this level by those who have become satisfied in the spirit not comforted in the flesh.
As I have walked through the past ninety plus days of denying myself the comfort of the things that kept me from true satisfaction yes it has been at times extremely difficult, but never impossible. You see the Lord knew how difficult it would be, and He alone has given me the strength to make it through, He never left my side, even in those nights when I failed. Oh yes I fell, and yet His hand was there to pick me up, why? Because He loves me, and He knows that I am a man not a god, that I am flesh not spirit, and that I must have His help to make it through every day. This has been the greatest diet I have ever been on, you see the weight, the food, the eating wrong, those were never my problems they were simply the result of a man seeking comfort in the flesh as opposed to a man seeking satisfaction in the spirit. I pray that I never forget this lesson, today I feel as if I never could as long as I remain satisfied in Christ! For you see this is not a diet, it is no longer a fast, this is now a life dedicated to finding my comfort through the satisfaction of knowing God and denying the flesh that separates me from Him. Will you join me and others like me today, as we seek His will for us in our lives, in order that we might be whole?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
A place of New Beginnings
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Seeking Before Speaking
Today I was spending some alone time with the Lord and I suddenly had the most random thought: “ If a Bombardier new his bomb would kill innocent people would he push the button to drop the bomb?” This is of course a rhetorical question, for I am convinced that every Bombardier is instructed and trained as to how to handle and justify the probability of innocent lives being lost, after all war is not fair. However I began to ponder this question with a rather different take on it; I began to think of the bombs that each one of us drop on people every day with no thought of their consequence or action. What bombs you ask? The ones that are birthed in our heart, that pass through our lips, and pour out onto others with all too often permanently devastating consequences. Matthew 15:18-20 records Jesus speaking these words: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication's, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” In this section of scripture Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders, those who stand in self righteous judgment based upon the law. Jesus on the other hand says that judging one for breaking the mosaic law is not an action we take in our self righteous indignation. But rather h we are to control ourselves by testing our thoughts with the word and tempering our actions by the Holy Spirit. All too often we (myself included) spew out our opinions, which are all to often based upon opinion, experience, or knowledge, tor are tempered by a filter of emotion, passion, or even anger, and what comes out of our mouth is nothing more than an emotional bomb that destroys and wounds innocent people. The book of James says this this about the tongue in chapter three verses 4-11: “Look also at ships; although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the whole course of nature, and is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be so. Does a spring set forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
I read these two passages and my heart aches for the innocent blood I and all to many other believers have shed with the words that have come from our mouths. I envision far too many of us believers as bombardier’s lying in the belly of a great flying ship randomly dropping bombs of destruction on the children of God with no regard as to the outcome. in our own self righteous indignation we justify our judgment and seek to purge the perceived sins or actions of others by inflicting upon them permanent emotional scars all in the name of righteousness.
If the body of Christ truly is a body then what purpose do we serve when we inflict pain and injury upon ourselves? We surely are not serving ourselves or the one who made us well, we are truly in fact only serving the one who has set himself against all things of God. Matthew eighteen gives us a very clear view of how to handle conflicts amongst ourselves as well as the judgment that awaits those who sit in judgment and forget the grace and mercy that is given to them by the Father. The same grace and mercy that we are to pass on to one another. My heart aches today as I think of those in my life whom I have bombed, those who I have hurt and even scarred, I pray for them to be healed, I seek their forgiveness, and I now do all I can to avoid speaking before seeking. “He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” and I for one want to be a tool of God used for building His kingdom and bringing Him glory, not one who drops bombs of destruction upon His children hoping to somehow purge them of their so I have judged evil actions. I will end with this, a challenge for all who believe to read 1Corintians the 13th chapter and remember that this is the love the Lord has for us, and the same love is what He calls us to have for one another, no matter how difficult it may be or how much pride we must swallow. My sleep is much better these nights, and my days are filled with joy, for now the problems of this world they are His and my thoughts are no longer cluttered with worry, judgment, or accusation. I pray the same for you, I pray that the freedom of loving unconditionally will fall upon is all for when it does the greatest revival of all will fall upon all mankind. You see when we walk in freedom and not in judgment who we are truly becomes attractive to those who are seeking love and acceptance and isn’t that really what we all are truly seeking? If not, why not?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
I read these two passages and my heart aches for the innocent blood I and all to many other believers have shed with the words that have come from our mouths. I envision far too many of us believers as bombardier’s lying in the belly of a great flying ship randomly dropping bombs of destruction on the children of God with no regard as to the outcome. in our own self righteous indignation we justify our judgment and seek to purge the perceived sins or actions of others by inflicting upon them permanent emotional scars all in the name of righteousness.
If the body of Christ truly is a body then what purpose do we serve when we inflict pain and injury upon ourselves? We surely are not serving ourselves or the one who made us well, we are truly in fact only serving the one who has set himself against all things of God. Matthew eighteen gives us a very clear view of how to handle conflicts amongst ourselves as well as the judgment that awaits those who sit in judgment and forget the grace and mercy that is given to them by the Father. The same grace and mercy that we are to pass on to one another. My heart aches today as I think of those in my life whom I have bombed, those who I have hurt and even scarred, I pray for them to be healed, I seek their forgiveness, and I now do all I can to avoid speaking before seeking. “He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” and I for one want to be a tool of God used for building His kingdom and bringing Him glory, not one who drops bombs of destruction upon His children hoping to somehow purge them of their so I have judged evil actions. I will end with this, a challenge for all who believe to read 1Corintians the 13th chapter and remember that this is the love the Lord has for us, and the same love is what He calls us to have for one another, no matter how difficult it may be or how much pride we must swallow. My sleep is much better these nights, and my days are filled with joy, for now the problems of this world they are His and my thoughts are no longer cluttered with worry, judgment, or accusation. I pray the same for you, I pray that the freedom of loving unconditionally will fall upon is all for when it does the greatest revival of all will fall upon all mankind. You see when we walk in freedom and not in judgment who we are truly becomes attractive to those who are seeking love and acceptance and isn’t that really what we all are truly seeking? If not, why not?
Pastor Gene Burroughs
Shasta Lake Church
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Ninety Nine Dollar Jeans
Ninety Nine Dollar Jeans
What I am about to write will know doubt stir many emotions in a variety of ways, I do however trust that the point of God’s great love will be made. Last night after dinner we took a trip to the mall, Michaela was in desperate need of a new pair of Jeans. Michaela is one who is quite happy to have twenty dollar jeans as long as they fit, she is a very practical and frugal young lady. Yet after a number of stores and rather frustrating dressing room trips it became rather obvious that the Jeans we were looking at either just did not fit her well, or that the size was not available. I cannot say that the Lord told me to take this next step, however I can say that He has given me great peace this morning about my actions. Hence I recommended we check one of those trendy shops, you know the ones with the hundred dollar jeans. Immediately Michaela responded with daddy those jeans are too expensive, we can’t afford them! Needless to say I won out and we left the mall with the ninety nine dollar jeans. Michaela new the cost was great, she knew that there was a sacrifice involved in my actions, and as a result she was so grateful and so appreciative of what her daddy did for her. She felt validated, appreciated, cared for, loved.
This morning in my quiet time the Lord reminded me of those ninety nine dollar jeans, He reminded me of what I felt when I saw Michaela’s smile. He reminded me that even though my daughter was willing to settle for jeans that didn’t quite fit right, or look as cute, I was unwilling to allow her to do so. Why? Because of my great love for her, because of my desire to see her feel good about herself, about her life, about her father, and ultimately to see the Fathers love modeled out by her earthly father. As always there was a lesson in this for me as well, the very same lesson I taught my daughter He wanted to teach me. You see I have struggled in my mind almost nonstop about my relationship and love for Deborah. I have asked the Lord, “is it right to love this much again, so soon?”, “can it be true that she is such an amazing gift from You Lord?”, “Am I blinded by love, loneliness, grief?” Yes these and many more questions have plagued me, and yes I have had to address them, both in my own heart and publicly at times, all to the same conclusion, and now once again set at peace in my heart by a ninety nine dollar pair of jeans. The Lord showed me again this morning that He truly has brought this new love into my life, that He chosen to bless me, that He had other plans. While I would have settled for a life of loneliness and grief, while I would have settled for being a single dad, and so much more, He had other plans. He has chosen to give me and my children the very best that He could for us, that His children need not settle for anything less than His very best. In Matthew twenty six Jesus is anointed by a woman with a very expensive oil, and the ridiculed followed with many saying the oil should have been sold and given to the poor, and Jesus responds with “the poor you will have with you always” and that her deeds will be recorded as a memorial to her as the gospel is preached.
May I suggest that each of us consider the areas we have settled in, those areas of righteous indignation that truly are not the will of God but rather a place where a false sense of pride and humility has taken hold. No I am no suggesting that everyone purchase designer jeans and spend money they don’t have on things they do not need. I am however suggesting that our God wants the very best for us and all too often we allow ourselves to be content, when He is wanting us to have more. I am saying to you that in my own life I could have loved one woman (Dawn) for thirty five years and more. I could have gone on muddling through life never again being complete, living in the past, and allowing all of my hopes and dreams to be lost just as I had lost Dawn. Not because that love or those memories was not enough for me, no because that was not God’s plan for me or my family. We do not understand why Dawn is gone, or why the Lord took her home, no more than we know why God took Deborah's husband home, all we know is that He is sovereign. If God loves us enough to bring love again, with a love that restores dreams, hope, faith, fresh vision and so much more. If God allows my family and I to be used for His glory then why won’t He do similar things for you? No it is not the same, yes it is different, and yes my love is deep, it is fresh, it is new, and I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in bringing Deborah into our lives. Will you allow Him to do similar things for you, or are you satisfied with settling for less than His very best for you today even if it looks different than you thought it should? Allow Him to be Lord of your life not just Lord, not just God, allow Him to lead and He will never fail you.
Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church
What I am about to write will know doubt stir many emotions in a variety of ways, I do however trust that the point of God’s great love will be made. Last night after dinner we took a trip to the mall, Michaela was in desperate need of a new pair of Jeans. Michaela is one who is quite happy to have twenty dollar jeans as long as they fit, she is a very practical and frugal young lady. Yet after a number of stores and rather frustrating dressing room trips it became rather obvious that the Jeans we were looking at either just did not fit her well, or that the size was not available. I cannot say that the Lord told me to take this next step, however I can say that He has given me great peace this morning about my actions. Hence I recommended we check one of those trendy shops, you know the ones with the hundred dollar jeans. Immediately Michaela responded with daddy those jeans are too expensive, we can’t afford them! Needless to say I won out and we left the mall with the ninety nine dollar jeans. Michaela new the cost was great, she knew that there was a sacrifice involved in my actions, and as a result she was so grateful and so appreciative of what her daddy did for her. She felt validated, appreciated, cared for, loved.
This morning in my quiet time the Lord reminded me of those ninety nine dollar jeans, He reminded me of what I felt when I saw Michaela’s smile. He reminded me that even though my daughter was willing to settle for jeans that didn’t quite fit right, or look as cute, I was unwilling to allow her to do so. Why? Because of my great love for her, because of my desire to see her feel good about herself, about her life, about her father, and ultimately to see the Fathers love modeled out by her earthly father. As always there was a lesson in this for me as well, the very same lesson I taught my daughter He wanted to teach me. You see I have struggled in my mind almost nonstop about my relationship and love for Deborah. I have asked the Lord, “is it right to love this much again, so soon?”, “can it be true that she is such an amazing gift from You Lord?”, “Am I blinded by love, loneliness, grief?” Yes these and many more questions have plagued me, and yes I have had to address them, both in my own heart and publicly at times, all to the same conclusion, and now once again set at peace in my heart by a ninety nine dollar pair of jeans. The Lord showed me again this morning that He truly has brought this new love into my life, that He chosen to bless me, that He had other plans. While I would have settled for a life of loneliness and grief, while I would have settled for being a single dad, and so much more, He had other plans. He has chosen to give me and my children the very best that He could for us, that His children need not settle for anything less than His very best. In Matthew twenty six Jesus is anointed by a woman with a very expensive oil, and the ridiculed followed with many saying the oil should have been sold and given to the poor, and Jesus responds with “the poor you will have with you always” and that her deeds will be recorded as a memorial to her as the gospel is preached.
May I suggest that each of us consider the areas we have settled in, those areas of righteous indignation that truly are not the will of God but rather a place where a false sense of pride and humility has taken hold. No I am no suggesting that everyone purchase designer jeans and spend money they don’t have on things they do not need. I am however suggesting that our God wants the very best for us and all too often we allow ourselves to be content, when He is wanting us to have more. I am saying to you that in my own life I could have loved one woman (Dawn) for thirty five years and more. I could have gone on muddling through life never again being complete, living in the past, and allowing all of my hopes and dreams to be lost just as I had lost Dawn. Not because that love or those memories was not enough for me, no because that was not God’s plan for me or my family. We do not understand why Dawn is gone, or why the Lord took her home, no more than we know why God took Deborah's husband home, all we know is that He is sovereign. If God loves us enough to bring love again, with a love that restores dreams, hope, faith, fresh vision and so much more. If God allows my family and I to be used for His glory then why won’t He do similar things for you? No it is not the same, yes it is different, and yes my love is deep, it is fresh, it is new, and I am so grateful for God’s faithfulness in bringing Deborah into our lives. Will you allow Him to do similar things for you, or are you satisfied with settling for less than His very best for you today even if it looks different than you thought it should? Allow Him to be Lord of your life not just Lord, not just God, allow Him to lead and He will never fail you.
Gene Burroughs
Pastor Shasta Lake Church
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