Release From Past Negative Influence

We tend to interpret the present in light of the past. By failing to put down the baggage accumulated in the past, we restrict our potential for spiritual growth.

Consider bitterness. One general characteristic of today is resentment of authority. There are many admirable exceptions to this fortunately. It is, however, a trait of the era in general. Over the years we have developed a root of bitterness regarding authority and it colors all of life. Who is the ultimate authority? The Lord Himself. Even those who know Him as Savior often resent His authority over them and do not comply with His teachings as recorded in God’s Word.

All people need to be alert to the danger of being caught in the web of bitter people. Bitter people may smile and use pleasant tones, but they manipulate others by pushing their emotional buttons and bringing out the worst in them. We must resist the bitter person’s attempts to pull us into their traps of anger, non-cooperation, and complaint. 

God is not pleased with the root of bitterness which He says causes “deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” (Hebrews 12: 15)

The full text says, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Following is an abhorrent thought regarding past baggage. Often the Scripture uses a graphic repulsive image to help our understanding. Romans 7: 24 is such a reference. “Who shall deliver me from this body of death?” This refers to a Roman law well known in that era. If a person committed murder, the body of the victim was strapped to the back of the murderer with wet leather ties which drys and becomes even tighter. The body of the victim was left there to go through the process of decay. Naturally it infected the body of the murderer. This unpleasant image gives some indication of the influence our old spiritually decaying nature has on us. Our old sin nature should be considered just as heinous.

Is it time for you to consider having the funeral of your past bitterness, anger, hurts, and resentments?

Christ buried the baggage of our sins in the depth of the sea. Won’t you?

Because of all the negative imprints in your life, because of all the negatives that built up and accrued through the years, because of all your sins and shortcomings, now is time to renounce the negatives in your past. Perhaps you need to pray:

“As a child of God, purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I here and now renounce and repudiate all the sins of my ancestors and their influence on me. I joyously and voluntarily put myself under the controlling influence of Jesus Christ and denounce the negative powers of my family, friends, or Satan.”

Yes Lord, Yes

Jesus deserves devotion like that given the British by the soldiers from Nepal, known as Gurkhas, who fought with them in Indonesia in 1964. The Gurkhas were courageous and fiercely loyal. These primitive people made up for their lack of training by their boldness. One mission called for there to be persons air dropped behind enemy lines in a section of Borneo. The British request for the Gurkhas to make the jump was declined at first. After consideration they sent word they would do it under certain conditions. The first condition was that the area of the drop had to have reasonably soft ground with no rock outcroppings. The second condition was that the plane had to fly as slow and low as possible, not over 100 feet. 

Their three requests: fly slow and low over soft ground and they would jump.

The British told the Gurkhas the planes always fly as slow as possible, but at only 100 feet there would not be time for their parachutes to open.

“Parachutes,” said the Gurkhas, “what is a parachute?” The valiant soldiers did not even know what a parachute was. However, they were willing to do whatever their commanding officers required even at the peril of their lives.

When our Lord calls on us to do something, He always has provisions in store about which we know nothing. Once we consent to comply, then He reveals the resources. This gives an opportunity to demonstrate faith.

Our response to the word and will of God should be like that of the people who in response to Joshua’s command responded,  “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” (Joshua 1: 16)

Our love for and indebtedness to Jesus deserves such loyalty. Consider what He does for us when we come to Him in faith seeking His forgiveness.

When Christ saves us He cleanses us and washes away our sins. He removes them as far as the east from the west. Distance can be measured in both directions in millions of light years.  Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. A light year is the distance light travels at that speed in a year. To give you an idea how fast 186,000 per second is imagine having a gun that would shoot a bullet at that speed with the capacity to travel that distance. If you fired the bullet and tried to get out of its way it would travel around the world 7 and 1/2 times before you could even move.

Figuratively it is said He buries our sins in the depth of the sea. To give you some idea of this depth consider this. If the tallest mountain on earth were put in the lowest part of the sea more than a mile of water would cover the summit of that mountain. The point of these illustrations is merely that when our Lord forgives us He takes away our sins.

Out of gratitude our response should always be, “Yes Lord, yes.”

What’s a Dad to Do? 6/21/98

II Chronicles 34:1-3
Page 687 Come Alive Bible

Jesus Christ taught us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven….”

What is your image of the Father God?

No person arrives at the house of God without their “pet God” under their arm. For some the image of this “pet God” isn’t a very good one. That’s because our negative image of God is often rooted in our emotional hurts and destructive patterns carried with us from our past based on our experience with people.

Our perception of God is often an emotional not an intellectual one. It is based on our experiences with people not our study of God’s Word. Our God image should be based on Scripture but psychological studies show it is often arrived at slowly by observing people —- especially our dads.

At Sunday School a child is taught “God loves you.” If the child’s perception of God is based on experience with its natural father the concept of God might be of an unstable, rejecting, abusive person who can’t be trusted.

Dad’s your influence is critical to a child’s spiritual development.

If a dad is impersonal and uncaring, one who will never intervene on the child’s behalf, God is seen in that light. The child grows up feeling God is disinterested in its needs and can’t be gotten close to.

If a dad is pushy and inconsiderate God is thought of as one who makes you feel cheap and undeserving, that is, one who deserves to be taken advantage of by others.

If a father is a drill sergeant, demanding more and more and never showing approval the child feels unaccepted by God. This often results in an adult who is never sure of salvation. Having an authoritative figure in life that can never be pleased is often transferred to God who can never be satisfied. This person keeps praying over and over to be saved without ever having confidence of salvation. They think they can never do enough to please God.

If a father is seen as a weakling who can’t be looked to for help God is considered to be incapable of helping.

NOW THE POSITIVE.
If a father is patient God is seen as patient, forbearing, and long suffering.

If a father is kind God is thought of as kind and gracious.

If a father is giving God is seen as supportive.

If a father is protective God is seen as a shield and defender.

Ideally, instead of our concept of God being derived from our association with people such as our earthly father, the fathers concept of his role should be derived from the model set by our eternal Father God. The Lord God modeled fatherhood through His relationship with His own Son. When the Father spoke of His Son He did so in terms of endearment, “This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Earthly fathers should speak kindly and encouragingly of their children.

Jesus continued to model fatherhood by constantly reaching out to children.

For the importance of fatherhood to be restored in America we are going to have to recapture the importance of marriage. Americans love to get married. When we become as interested in staying married as in getting married the institution will prosper.

A Sunday School teacher asked children how many times should a person marry. Instantly one child responded, “Sixteen!”

The child was so certain she asked how do you know. Replied the child, “The preacher said so at the wedding last week. ‘Far [four] better or for [four] worst, for [four] good or for [four] evil. That’s sixteen.”

Children have a delightful way of putting things in perspective. Erma Bombeck tells of one such child.

This little girl loved her dad but wasn’t quite sure what dads do. She tells her own story.

“I hadn’t thought that much about dad before. He was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night. He opened jars of pickles no one else could. He was the only one in the house who wasn’t afraid to go into the basement by himself.

He cut himself shaving, but no one kissed it or got excited about it.

It was understood that when it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door.

When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled.

He took lots of pictures —- but was never in any of them.

Whenever I played house, the mother doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say, ‘I’m going off to work now,’ and threw him under the bed.

Then one morning daddy didn’t get up and go to work. He went to the hospital instead and died. We had never had so much company and food before.

I went to my room and felt under the bed for the daddy doll. When I found him, I dusted him off and put him on my bed. He never did anything. I didn’t know his leaving would hurt so much…”

Dads, those of you who voluntarily absent yourself from the lives of your children your going away hurts so much.

The little girl didn’t know what dads do. Let’s examine the life of one and learn some good things for all of us to do, but especially dads.

There are numerous studies showing the advantages of having a contributing dad in the home. In reality every home does not have one. If you are a child in a single parent home I want to encourage you by relating to the story of a child whose dad died when he was eight. He overcame this liability and an even greater one. His name was Josiah son of Amon, the evil King of Israel. His grandfather was Manasseh also an evil king. As a college student I heard Billy Graham preach a sermon entitled, “The Meanest Man Who Ever Lived.” It was Manasseh.

To aid in overcoming the liability of not having a living dad and being the product of a home with a corrupt heritage, he chose a role model. II Chronicles 34: 2 spoke of “his father David.” This meant a descendant of David. The David he modeled his life after was the repentant David who was “a man after God’s own heart.”

At the age of eight he became King of Israel.

Don’t give up on yourself if you are a fatherless child.

Don’t give up on yourself if you have a vile and evil dad. Do as Josiah who determined to – – – –

I. SEEK THE GOD OF HIS FATHER DAVID VS. 3c
David had many weaknesses and numerous failures. Josiah chose the lifestyle of David as a man back in fellowship with the Lord. It impacted him dramatically.

It has been determined that the most influential times in a child’s life is between ages 30 months and five years and during early adolescence.

Current research shows three things in the lives of parents, especially dads, influence the faith life of children. Those who:

• Attend church at least three times a month,
• Discuss their faith at home,
• Demonstrate commitment to the faith
  have children with values and behavior like their
  own. Conversely those who do not do these three
  things have children who are inconsistent in their
  lifestyle.

Research shows that the average teen in our churches spends only two minutes a day in meaningful dialogue with dad. Alarming as it is 25% of the teens say they have never had a meaningful conversation with their father. That is, a talk centered on the teens interest.

A study from Cornell University shows fathers of preschool children on the average spend 3.7 seconds per day in real contact with their youngsters. In contrast children spend approximately 54 hours a week watching TV.

While parents have not been watching, TV has slipped a false image of the family under their door. A contorted imagine of their “pet god” has been included as a supplement. Laughter has been the lubricant making it easy to slip in false concepts of the family.

Previous generations have been laughed at for laughing at “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It to Beaver” the present generation is developing character while laughing at “Bart Simpson” and “Married With Children” that depict fathers as bumbling, befuddled, or beastly.

Dads, children tend to spell love —- “T I M E.”

American fathers spend less time with their children than fathers in any other countries in the world except Britain. Today’s American father spends 40% less time with their children than any previous generation.

Charles Francis Adams was a prominent 19th century political figure who kept a diary. One day he entered the following: “Went fishing with my son today —a day wasted.”

His son Brook Adams also kept a diary and made the following entry on the same day:

“Went fishing with my father — the most wonderful day of my life!”

Children value the time spent with their parents.

HOW TO TEACH A CHILD
I tried to tach my child with books,
He only gave me puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child by word.
They passed him by, often unheard.
Despairingly, I turned aside,
‘How shall I teach this child?’ I cried.
‘Come,’ said he,
‘Play with me!’

David, even though king, evidently spent time with young Josiah who consequently sought the God of his father.

II. SET THE HOUSE IN ORDER VS. 3C “HE BEGAN TO PURGE”
A. THE CAUSE OF CONTRITION (Verse 19)
Without a mirror it is difficult to determine how we look. The Word of God acts as such a mirror to help depict our spiritual condition. “Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord” (Vs. 14) and it was read before the king. When it was Josiah saw himself and his people in light of God’s Word. When he did it caused him such grief that he spontaneously engaged in a custom of his day, he “tore his clothes” (Vs. 19). This was a sign of grief and remorse.

B. THE CONSEQUENCES OF CORRUPTION (Verse 21) “THE WRATH OF THE LORD

C. THE CONDITION OF CORRECTION (Verses 26, 27)
“YOU HUMBLED YOURSELF BEFORE THE LORD WHEN YOU HEARD HIS WORD…”

I have a friend, David Simmons, a former member of the University of Georgia football team and corner back for the Dallas Cowboys. He tells of his father a former military man who was extremely demanding and who rarely said a kind word. He constantly pushed David with harsh criticism to do better. His dad had obviously decided he would never allow his son to feel any satisfaction from his accomplishments. He constantly set challenging goals and never complemented Dave of those reached.

When Dave was a little boy his dad gave him a bicycle, unassembled, with command to put it together. Dave struggled to the point of tears with the complex directions. His dad said, “I knew you couldn’t do it,” and took over.

When Dave played football in high school his dad was unrelenting in his criticism. After every game his dad would go over every play in their back yard and point out Dave’s every error. Dave said, “Most boys got butterflies in their stomach before the game; I got them afterwards. Facing my dad was more stressful than facing the opposing team.”

By the time to go to college he hated his dad and his demands. He chose to leave Louisiana and play for UGA because it was the school farthest from his home that offered him a scholarship.

After college he became a second round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals. Joe Namath was the clubs first round pick. Dave was so excited he called his dad to tell him. His dad said, “So, how does it feel to be second?”

During Dave’s time in college Christ came into his life. His bitterness toward his dad disappeared. Gradually he began to try to build a bridge with his dad.

Dave learned something during this time about his grandfather. He had such a violent temper he once destroyed a pickup truck with a sledgehammer because it wouldn’t start. He often beat his son. This insight caused Dave to have compassion not contempt for his dad.

One day Dave spoke here in our church. It was the first time we met though we had grown up only five miles apart and a few years. He learned I was going to visit my parents. He asked that I visit his dad and if possible tell him about the Lord. His dad ran a feed store. I went by to see him and was told he was out back in the warehouse. The Lord gave us instant rapport. He learned right away we had relatives who were close friends. Gradually the conversation turned to Christ and we sat down on sacks of feed as I told him of Christ’s love for him. That day he became Dave’s brother by faith in Christ. Dave later said they became friends before his death. Christ made the difference.

Next Josiah —-

III. SOUGHT TO SERVE THE LORD VS. 8C “REPAIR THE TEMPLE”
Josiah rediscovered the Torah, which consists of the first five books of our Bible. He restored it to its proper place as God’s guide for life for that era. It became the inspiration for reestablishing God’s will in the life of the community.

Verse 27 explains why the radical transformation in the life of Josiah and the community was possible: “because your heart was tender.”

This resulted in a devout spirit of self- humiliation before God (Vs. 27).

He engaged in a “purge” (Vs. 3c and 8). If being “salt” and “light” means anything it means being a purging and preserving agent in society. Dads take the lead. Purge your Internet viewing, your TV programming, and your reading lists. Lead by example. Let your standard for yourself be known by your children.

He evidenced devotion in that he determined to “repair the house of the Lord his God.”

He didn’t have a false “pet God,” but was given a proper concept of God by modeling his father David. He became pro-active in serving the Lord.

How to Develop a Biblical Worldview

To develop a Biblical worldview you have to view the world through the Bible lense. Too many of us are like the report given by an ABC White House correspondent on our President’s trip to South Korea: “He was the very picture of an engaged commander-in-chief standing with his men on an outpost watchtower to gaze at the enemy territory just across the way. Whoops! Those field glasses do work better with the lens cap off.” It was a staged scene and the lense cap was still on the field glasses.

To have a biblical worldview we need to preset our mindset. All of us do without realizing it. Most often it is done unconsciously. For example, are you an optimist or a pessimist?  How did you get that way? Likely you evolved into it.

The brain is sophisticated and complex. Here is an elemental insight. Negative thoughts produce stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, high levels of these hormones can contribute to mental health symptoms: in the brain. Positive thoughts release endorphins and serotonin in the brain. In turn these chemicals tend to attract thoughts that produce them. Therefore, if you have been thinking negatively you have a negative chemical flow. This causes more negative thoughts. If you have been thinking positively, you have a positive chemical flow and will tend to continue to think positively. You have in effect a preset mindset.

It is a matter of mind over matter and the mind only prevails if it is under the control of Jesus. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Pre-program your mind on the Word of God. This can enable the development of a Biblical worldview. Remember this axiom, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119: 11)

At a certain time in the Bible era science was not as advanced as today. It was held that thoughts originated in the heart and were carried by the blood to the mind where it became a conscious thought. This text is an appeal to deal with thoughts in their most elementary stage. Invest the Bible view on a thought at its most basic point.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”  (Psalm 119: 130

Whatever God testifies to is reliable. You can go to the bank with it.

It gives understanding to the simple. The word translated “simple” in this instance means a person who is open minded to instruction. 

Is this a time when our Lord would have you reset your mindset?

Motivation for Doing What You Ought to Do

Romans 7: 22 – 25

Jesus “…works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2: 13

The energetic living Lord Jesus spiritually indwells the believer.  Two of the many functions He performs are to motivate and enable a person to do the right.

He is responsible for the INWORKING, we for the OUTWORKING. Somewhere between the inworking and the outworking there is often a breakdown. speaks embarrassingly for most of us:

“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7: 19) Is that a painful description of you? 

Christianity isn’t intended to be a series of ups and downs. It is to be a succession of ins and outs. Christ works in us that His will might be worked out by us.

Two full-time college students were discussing their part time jobs. One said, “I work in the opera. The pay is good even for my bit role as a spear carrier.” The second, knowing of his fellow student’s long day and heavy schedule said, “How do you stay awake so late at night?” “Simple, the guy behind me carries a spear also.” The Spirit is the supernatural spear carrier behind us.

Christ said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts….” (Matthew 15:19)

If we are going to do what we should and avoid what we should not do we must preempt improper thoughts.  Don’t program your mind with secret improper thoughts and expect your conduct to be correct. 

A mental discipline must be developed. A technique for doing this is noted in II Corinthians 10: 5, “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ….”

Two negatives are spoken of as “arguments” and “high thing(s).”

Arguments refer to intellectual pretension or human conceit. It is any deceptive fantasy. The expression “high thing” refers to improper pride. 

In summary, the two refer to any barrier of pride that is erected against the knowledge of God.

Then follows the appeal to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” The New English Bible translates this, “we compel every human thought to surrender in obedience to Christ.”

Therefore, when you have a deceptive fantasy or improper pride rethink the subject and superimpose a thought you are confident Christ would think if thinking on the subject. That is what is meant by bringing our thoughts into captivity. Preempt improper programming. Get it out of your life if you don’t want it in your life.