Author: Dr. Mike

No

Dr. Mike 2021 , , , 
Galatians 5:24

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A simple two letter word that most of us have great difficulty executing when needed.

                                                                        NO

How often, when we are tempted, do we immediately put on the breaks and give ourselves a quick, determined “NO?” How many times this past week did our carnal desires win out?

What is the problem with saying NO to ourselves? Are we afraid of missing out on something? Afraid to hurt someone else’s feelings? Fearful of what others may think of us? Or are we such a narcissist that we believe we are God’s best gift to mankind?

Sometimes I even shock myself to discover how little self-control I exercise in my daily walk. I want; I expect; I deserve; I don’t care; me, me, me – It’s all about me.

Whew! When the ugliness comes alive, and this old man fumigates the room, everyone needs to disappear. Otherwise, my two-year old nature surfaces and he has a very strong self-centered ego which gets him into trouble at times.

Yes, those were the younger days when I didn’t even realize I had a problem with self-control. “No” was only a word in the dictionary and reserved for two-year old children. It took a few years plus God’s Spirit to open my eyes and see the ugliness of a life without self-control.

For example, I could eat a gallon of ice cream or a large bag of chips in one sitting without any known ramifications. I could work 24 hours without sleep for days and not talk with family members or friends; just be strictly focused on what I was doing.

I did whatever I wanted without considering the consequences to myself and others. My sole purpose was to satisfy me, myself, and I.

Thankfully, the Spirit would slap some sense into me. Realizing my self-narcissistic tendency, I started a repentance process that even continues to this day. With the assistance of the Holy Spirit and His fruit of self-control, I may still struggle at times, but have learned the great joy of saying “No” to the self.

The short-term struggle now most often leads to a long-term satisfaction found only in Jesus Christ. Those of us born in the United States definitely struggle with an over-abundance of material and choices which make being a Christ-follower more challenging at times then our brothers and sisters in third-world development countries.

Yet the battle is the same for both of us. We learn to deny ourselves and allow the Spirit to work in us and through us for the glory of God. The end result is always best for you and I for the long term. “No” may be a short two-letter word, but the impact of a properly placed “No” is the beginning of allowing our Triune God to complete His purpose of producing a spiritual masterpiece in you and I. Therefore, use wisely.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

God Wants Your Friendship

Dr. Mike 2021 , , , 
Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

When someone wants to be your friend, how do you normally respond?

Do you immediately welcome them into your world without hesitancy?

Or do you quickly put up a wall and slowly keep them a distance away until you are more comfortable with them?

Do you allow anyone be your friend or are you selective? What criteria do you use to evaluate any potential friend?

Do all your relationships require them to become a friend?

Jesus wants you as a friend.

Abraham was a friend of God (James 2:23).

The Lord considered Moses a friend (Exodus 33:11).

Jesus even called his twelve disciples’ friends (John 15:15).

In this Scripture Jesus is inviting you and I to eat with him. In the Jewish custom, when you had a meal with someone you are letting them and the world know you are welcoming them into your world as a friend. Friends share time and their possessions with one another. The relationship Jesus wants with you and I include being a friend.

Of course, HE is still King, Lord, and Savior which carries all the responsibility and authority along with the titles. But even a king desires friendship; not because of his riches and influence, but because He simple enjoys hanging out with you. And you enjoy Him for being himself without all the trappings of royalty, power, and fame. Is not that what true, close, and abiding friendship means?

I for one am thankful He is my friend. In fact, HE is my best friend; and also happens to be my Lord, King, and Savior – which I always respect and hold in honor in our friendship. And I am OK that He also wants to be your friend. There is more than enough of him to go around. So, if you haven’t done so yet, take up his invitation and learn what real friendship is all about. You have my recommendation. You truly will be more than pleased with the relationship.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Holiness

Dr. Mike 2021 , , , 
1 Thessalonians 4:7

For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

What do you picture when you think of holiness?

I recall back in my bachelorhood days an incident which help me crystalize how misguided religious and non-religious people classified holy people.

After an afternoon date with someone who was visiting the area for the first time, and before we went our separate ways, she looked at me in a stunning poise. Her words slowly out of her mouth were half being spoken to me and the other half as if she was thinking out loud. Simply paraphrasing, she was amazed that someone who was a baptized believer could have so much fun without harming anyone or doing anything semi-destructive in the process. I was dumbfounded. For me, being a recent follower of Jesus Christ was more exciting than anything I have experienced at that time and I wanted to live it out.

Yet she explained that she grew up in a household where dancing and even playing cards was considered taboo. Where “Christians” didn’t laugh and joke but carried on with serious discussions about life. That life was serious and there was no time for unproductive enjoyment.

I don’t recall my exact reply, but did mutter something about God must be the most enjoyable Being in the universe to hang around and I wanted to be like Him. Maybe I was fortunate to understand early in life that holiness wasn’t just about doing the right thing all the time like God, but being like God.

Think about it. God is holy. Therefore, holiness is the natural characteristic of God. What is God like?

From the natural inclination to express Himself in a loving manner at all times, he does ALL things from a heart of love. Yes, even when He disciplines or reproves us, He does so from a position of love. We may not think so, but like an adult looking back at their childhood, we realize that most of the time our imperfect parents disciplined us for our own good. God does the same.

His holiness includes not only doing the right things at the right time, but also being the person of love. From the position of love, He expresses His holiness with imagination, creativity, and foresight; He plans and executes his work to perfection; He laughs, cries, and even uses humor to illustrate a point. Yes, He is gentle and kind and merciful, but also spanking, chastising, and disciplining those He loves. He is the embodiment of joy and the author of faithfulness and competency.

What you soon realize is holiness contains more than just doing the right thing. It is being fully human by experiencing the divine nature of God. From the divine position, one learns to live life to the fullest without the worldly, imposed conditions. Love, joy, and peace aren’t goals to strive for but the outer expression of Him who lives in us. As we submit to His authority in our lives, we become more and more like Him in character and being. The work is not ours but his. We may put in the effort, but at the end of day we know without Him, the rock we push all day will not move without his cooperation. At the end of day, He is glorified.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved