Monday, July 25, 2016

What To Do When Evil Seems to Win

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

what-to-do-when-satan-wins
The words from the Scripture above are potent and tend to impact my spirit. I certainly understand that in order to not have fellowship with worldliness, which God detests, is a two-fold process. 

(1) Resist the Devil with Intention - We want to see him run from us as we resist him by declaring our absolute commitment to our Lord. We intentionally resist him. Satan has no power where he is not welcome. And he is never welcome in a Christian heart, life, or home that has been dedicated to the Lord Jesus.  Satan will run from those environments.

(2) Draw Near to God in Submission - Each day as we dedicate ourselves in purity and spiritual cleanliness we not only draw closer to the Lord, but He draws closer to us (vs 7 above). As the writer of Hebrews 10:22 stated:
"let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
I am sure that you know these truths as well. But what happens when you make such commitments but the actions of others or when circumstances that are seemingly beyond your control allow Satan to settle in and do the  damage he desires to do? What happens when the first half of John 10:10 is allowed to rule? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ..." What happens when evil wins? What do you do?

What to Do When Evil Wins | Never Compromise God's Word


Truth is one of the Christian's most potent weapons. We shall know the truth and it will set us free. Jesus disarmed his opponents by speaking His Father's truths to them. We also have this same power. We simply confront the situation with the truth of God's word and trust the results to God:
14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ ... (Ephesians 4)

what-to-do-when-satan-wins
These words from Ephesians tell us to remain steady. No matter how crafty and deceitful Satan is, we don't waver. Even when Satan can influence a solid Christian to compromise his or her values, we don't waver. Even if the efforts of Satan are stealing the joy, killing the relationship, and destroying something beautiful and good; we don't waver. We don't fall for the craftiness of lost or evil men. We don't allow ourselves to be drawn into deceitfulness or scheming. We stand firm on the TRUTH of God's word and speak it in the authority of the Holy Spirit and in the power of the name of Jesus. We are not child-like in our faith. We are mature and strong. We don't waver! Our weapon is truth and we use it to the glory of God! We show grace and love to those we speak truth to, but we speak truth without compromise.

What to Do When Evil Wins | Trust the Situation to God


James 1: 2-4 reads as follows:
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
There are times when God allows our faith to be tested. The testing referred to in James 1 is the process of purifying gold. Rough gold would be melted under intense heat and as the metal liquified the impurities would rise to the top. Those impurities would be scrapped off and the gold would be allowed to harden. That process would be repeated until no more impurities rose to the top. This is what causes gold to be considered pure

When it seems that evil is winning or even has won, you and I simply have to trust the situation to God. We need to view it as a test of faith. God has allowed us to be thrown into the fire and we need to stand firm in the heat. We need to endure it. We need to allow God to use the situation to make us better, stronger, more faithful, and pure in His eyes.

When evil wins, it hurts. Especially if the evil has destroyed a faithful Christian heart, a beautiful and loving marriage, a church, a business, or a friendship. But we have to trust the situation to our loving Lord. We can only pray for wisdom (James 1:5), speak the truth in love, and then simply see how God may use even the evil for His ultimate purposes (Romans 8:28).

I trust these words have been a blessing to you. 

Tony Guthrie, PhD.
tguthriebiz@gmail.com
404-933-041

Monday, July 11, 2016

The Purity of a Pure Heart

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8
This verse has always been significant for me. In my younger years I struggled with its meaning. What did it mean to be "pure in heart?" I knew how to live in purity outwardly even though I, like all people, failed at it regularly. But the "in heart" part was puzzling for me. I wondered if it had to do with my thoughts which were so difficult to control. I reasoned that if my thoughts were impure then my heart was as well. But again, possessing regular pure thoughts proved so challenging. In fact, if I can be transparent, it was practically impossible. 

Often when I reflect on Matthew 5:8 the words of Paul in Ephesians 5:3 come to mind:
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
 "ALL impurity" is not to even be named among you. How could there be any hope for me or anyone else? I struggle with keeping my thoughts in check. And, if you are honest, you do as well. So, what's the bottom line?


The Purity of a Pure Heart | Knowing Your Heart

pure-in-heart
Jesus was always having to explain to the Pharisees that the outward expressions of the Law were not what made them right in God's sight. They were so focused on ceremonial washings and cleansings. They expected to see God as a result of these outward rituals. 

But Jesus came to make us pure inwardly. This inward purification is not based on what we do outwardly but is completely based on His sacrifice for our sins. What He did makes us pure in heart. It is true that no one will see God unless his or her soul has been delivered from all sin. It is through the blood of the cross that we have hope to see God.




The "actions" of the purified heart naturally follow our redemption. We may struggle with impure thoughts and actions but living continuously in those things will not be the norm. Prayerful and heart-felt repentance will be the norm for those whose hearts have been purified by the sacrifice of our Lord. We will not endorse impurity at any level for ourselves or anyone else. Paul's words related to not allowing impurity to even be named among us will take on new meaning for us. We will not live by those words so much out of obligation but more out of a desire to honor the Lord for just how far He went to purify us.

So, how's your heart? Has it been redeemed and made pure? If so, are you living in purity out of a desire to honor the Lord in every area of your life? This is a question I deal with regularly.


The Purity of a Pure Heart | Seeing God

People often talk about the day that they leave this earthly realm, enter God's presence and see Him. They, like I do, put it in very positive terms. We all look forward to that day. But none of us can truly imagine what it will be like. We merely know that it will be awesome. 
pure-in-heart

The expression "they shall see God" is actually a reference to possessing God and being happy in the knowledge that He has purified us. It has more to do with the here and now than it does with the eternal. The statement is simply a Hebraistic expression. These expressions were common in Jesus' day. It may be an expression, but it's meaning is potent. Seeing God is living in the joy of His presence. 

Living in His presence will help monitor the thoughts of our mind and our outward actions. Knowing He is with us will help us to evaluate everything we do and live righteously out of an overwhelming desire to do so.

I trust these words have been a blessing, 

Tony Guthrie, PhD.
tguthriebiz@gmail.com
404-933-0418

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Friday, July 8, 2016

Thoughts on Philippians 2: 1-4

These are thought-provoking words, aren't they?


Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2: 1-4
Paul wrote these words immediately following his reminder that the Philippians would likely face suffering. He noted that suffering had been "granted" unto them. To truly fellowship with Jesus and to totally relate to the depths of His purpose in winning the world through the Gospel, one needed to be willing even to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. 

As he moved into chapter 2 Paul stressed our need to be as much like Jesus as possible. The need for self-sacrifice and considering others more highly than ourselves are simply non-negotiable traits for faithful believers. Just before those powerful words of Philippians 2: 5-11, Paul reminded us that "if" we really are Christians and possesses the attributes of faithfulness then we will live and act as Jesus did. We would remove ourselves from the top of the priority list and look at the needs of others, even the lost, and strive to bless them. 


Philippians 2: 1-2  | A Simple Explanation


Paul uses the if/then approach in order to make a serious case. "If" you are truly living for Jesus and possess true Christian attributes "then" self-sacrifice and the consideration of others will be the natural spiritual result. So, let's look at the "if" terms and get a feel for their meaning, 


  • Consolation of Christ - Consolation is closely related to the word Comforter in John 14: 16-26 which references the Holy Spirit. But in Luke 2:25 the word consolation is in reference to Jesus as He is called the "consolation of Israel." So, the word consolation carries with it thoughts of both the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus. 
  • Comfort of love - The word comfort means stimulating force. The idea is to keep stimulating and motivating. Paul was encouraging the Philippians to keep on keeping on in comforting and consoling one another as they faced the struggles of sharing Christ with the world. 
  • Fellowship of the Spirit - The idea here is to participate with the Holy Spirit in His work of ministry. We are simply not strong enough to face the rebellious world with our own efforts or with any natural means. The work of the Holy Spirit is needed. 
  • Affection and Mercy - These words have to do with our hearts and our compassion for others. Paul was appealing to the Philippians' natural sympathy, tenderness, and feelings for others. 
In verse 2 Paul gets to the "then" aspect. If they possess the above qualities "then" they will desire to fulfill his joy by possessing the unity that a true church of God should possess. The unified church is a powerful church. Working together gets things done. The Gospel message goes out more efficienty and effectively when carried out by a team of believers who have the same passion and compassion for the lost. 

Philippians 2: 3-4 | A Sensible Application


3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Some passages of Scripture need no real explanation from a preacher, pastor, or teacher. Some simply lay it out there and there is no room for personal interpretation. These 2 verses are of that sort. They simply mean ...

  • Don't be selfish, especially in the work of the Gospel
  • Don't think you are more gifted or better than other Christians 
  • Be amazingly humble as the Lord Jesus was
  • Think more of others than you do of yourself (Hmmm, maybe reading Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is a good idea). 
  • Remember that people are always more interested in themselves than they are anyone else, so use that to your advantage when sharing thr Gospel with them.
Hopefully these thoughts resonated with you as they have with me.

Blessings, 

Tony Guthrie, PhD.
tguthriebiz@gmail.com




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Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Sad Truths About Being in Denial

We have all heard the words, at one time or another, "You are in denial." People say this to us when we simply cannot face the reality of something. This post will focus mostly on how parents can be in denial but the application can be stretched to most forms of denial.


being-denial
The term "being in denial" is used for a psychological defense mechanism postulated by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. An individual who exhibits such behaviour is described as a denialist or true believer. Denial also could mean denying the happening of an event or the reliability of information, which can lead to a feeling of aloofness and to the ignoring of possibly beneficial information. [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial]

Parents often are in denial about the actions of their children. Our tendency is to trust what our kids tell us because we have a natural instinct and desire to believe them. We want to believe that they are always on the up and up with us. Again, this is natural. But this is also why it is easy for us as parents to fall into a state of denial when evidence suggests that our children are involved in less-than-wholesome activities.

I have noticed four characteristics of people in denial. I am sure there are others but these four top the list:


Being in Denial | Dismissal of Facts

Facts are facts. We know this. This is why we stand amazed when we can provide a fact to someone and they dismiss it. A person in denial will do all they can to "justify" their actions (or the actions of the child they are defending) in spite of undeniable facts and overwhelming evidence. The judicial system would not work efficiently if defense attorneys were allowed to dismiss facts. It is both facts and evidence, or lack thereof, that ultimately prove a person's guilt or innocence.

When a fact is presented it puts the person in denial in the awkward position of having to justify their actions. It is sad to watch this play out because it can cause immense damage to otherwise loving relationships. For example, a husband may present to his wife the overwhelming evidence that their son is visiting pornographic websites and posting inappropriate sexual material over the internet. This, of course, is the last thing any Christian woman wants to accept. She may move into a position of denial thus putting a huge strain on the marital relationship. Dad wants to address it swiftly and even forcefully but mom wants a soft approach. But when no serious price is paid by the son, he senses that his actions must not be that bad and likely will continue, although more cautiously.

Both parents involved should seek God's kind of wisdom. The Bible says in Psalm 1 that a person who meditates on God’s Word will be blessed. The wisdom of the Bible will help guide a person to avoid wrong friends and influences. Meditating—memorizing, studying and thinking about—brings the promise of being like a tree planted by a river. The person will have the life-giving nourishment that God provides through His Word. A further promise to that person is that God will guide their way in life.





Being in Denial | Providing Unhealthy Benefit of Doubt 

When parents are in denial it is commonplace to give a child the benefit of the doubt, oftentimes to an unhealthy degree. I know of a dad whose son was spending hours watching inappropriate Youtube videos. The dad caught his son doing so and simply enforced the verbal rule that the son was not to view those videos any longer. The son "said" that he would comply. The dad went into "benefit of the doubt" mode and assumed his son would never watch the videos again. Several months went by and this dad noticed that his son was always gazing at his laptop with his headset on. It was easy for the son to hide the screen by simply switching tabs if dad got too close. The dad felt something wasn't right and took the laptop from his son and viewed his history. This dad was heartbroken to discover that his son had deceived him when he had given him so much trust. It was a very painful scenario for both dad and son. The dad had no choice but to take the computer from his son for a designated period. Problem solved. 

The benefit of the doubt is a good approach in many situations. It shows trust and belief in other people and many times people will rise up and prove they can be trusted. But, as Ronald Reagan said, "Trust, but verify."

Being in Denial | Tendency to Blame Something Else

being-denial
When parents are in denial about the actions of a child the excuses and justifications begin to fly. As noted above an otherwise loving marriage can be strained or permanently damaged because the wife gets angry at her husband for pointing out what their son is doing. The son, in the example above, is involved in a horrific and frightening world that draws young boys into it by the thousands yearly. But the mother chooses to point out all the faults of the dad and remind him of his imperfections. Rather than focus intensely on the real problem, she shifts the discussion away from her son and toward the man who merely wants to help their son. Of course the dad knows that he isn't perfect but he also knows that one persons imperfections do not provide an open door for the corruption of others. He is merely trying to protect the son and knows that a forceful approach is the only solution. But mom is afraid that her son will get angry and draw away from her, perhaps even permanently.

This is a very difficult side of denial. Perhaps the dad should backoff a bit and try a softer approach. But this does not mean that internet and computer restrictions should not be enforced. If the mother wants to simply "have a chat" about it and trust that the son's actions will now be pure, she is exemplifying denial at its worst and very likely will be enabling the son to continue in this horrfic lifestyle. 

Being in Denial | Simplistic Solutions

As just noted, many times people feel like a little "chat" will solve the problem. The dad had a chat with his son about Youtube videos and the son continued. Children involved in an activity are involved in it because they think they enjoy it. They enjoy it so much that they don't want to stop doing it. Little chats and simplistic solutions typically only empower the child to contine. They have paid no price. They assume that the parent isn't really that concerned. If they were then the penalty would be more severe. But this activity only warranted a little chat. So, what's the big deal, right?

The penality should fit the crime. But when no penalities are enforced at any level the parent is actually (yet unintentionally) endorsing the activity. Little chats and other simplistic solutions tend to backfire. How many kids have been given little chats yet continued with their actions? Countless ones. Unfortunately prisons are filled with people who were given "chats" or minimal forms of discipline. 

Just my two cents.

I hope these thoughts have been helpful.

Tony Guthrie, PhD.
tguthrie1961@gmail.com
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Sunday, July 3, 2016

How to Deal with Discouragement

Hmmmm, how to deal with discouragement. It is an interesting question. Why? Because we ALL know what discouragement is. 



Most of us simply ride it out knowing that eventually things will get better. We will simply get over it with time. But that approach only works for the normal times of discouragement. And what are the "normal" disouragements? Things like:

  • not getting the promotion
  • a challenging season with your spouse
  • a "healable" illnes that lingers for weeks
  • Not getting the grade you had hoped for
Obviously the list above is not exhaustive. But those kind of things are "normal" and we have all faced those kinds of discouraging situations.

But what can you do when the discouraging feeling hangs on. You know what I am referring to, right? That season of discouragement that keeps on keeping on.  Here's a few thoughts:

Regroup and Refocus | Make the Decision To Overcome Discouragement


In much of my writing and teaching over the years I have pounded the idea of really "deciding" to act on your own behalf. People tend to "waller" in their discouragement. By doing so we not only stay discouraged ourselves but we also can discourage others. There is another solution. DECIDE to snap out of it. Tony Robbins often talks about completely changing your physiology and mindset in order to instantly feel better. He says that we have the power within us to take control of our own happiness. I totally agree. 

We simply have to stand up, slap our hands together, and say; 

"That's it! I am not going to stay this way. The Lord my God did not put me here to be in this state of discouragement! I have decided that this season of discouragement ends NOW!"

Reconsider | Are You Focused on the Right Things?


Maybe you feel discouraged because you are focusing on things that you shouldn't be. Maybe you are trying your hand at something that is not within your skillset. Maybe you are focusing on another person you have a relationship with when you should be considering yourself. 

Remember, it is far easier to change YOU than it is to change another person or a situation. 
Look at your life in totality. If you are discouraged more often than you are encouraged, then something has got to give. So you may want to ...

Reconnect | Use Your Skills and Spiritual Gifts


how-deal-discouragement
We all have spiritual gifts.  We are at our best and happiest when we are utilizing them. If you find yourself discouraged in life, career, or relationships it may be that you are in disconnect mode. The internet is amazingly powerful but if our computer is not connected to it, it is powerless. Our spiritual gifts and skills, properly utilized, will keep us focused and happy. 

Discouragement that lingers may be caused by a continual attempt on our part to involve ourselves in areas we have no business being involved in. Be honest with yourself. 

Remember | God is Still God


I recently read an article by Don Wilton on the subject of discouragement. In that article he stated: 
Shift your focus from your discouraging circumstances to God Himself.  Remember that He is love, and also that He is all-powerful.  Trust that God will help you because that's consistent with His character.

One on my favorite verses in God's Word is Isaiah 41:10:


Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

This passage is so easy to understand. It has a simple exegesis (seminary word). God tells us that there is no reason to be fearful. He says that there is no reason to be dismayed (discouraged). He promises strength and offers help. He reminds us that He will hold us up so we can continue to move ahead. TRUST THIS!

In times of unending discouragement remember the Lord and don't be discouraged.

Blessings, 

Tony Guthrie
tguthrie1961@gmail.com

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