Eliminate the Noise

Milan Ford

Does anyone remember the days when T.V. just went off? Although I'm not exactly sure when, I believe it used to happen right after midnight. You begged your parents to let you stay up just five more minutes to watch the end of that late-night movie, but then all of a sudden, there it was:

The waving American flag.
The Star-Spangled Banner.
That annoying mono-tone sound.
And then yes of course, those infamous color bars.

Ah, those were the days. For those you (like me) who tried staying up a little longer than you were supposed to, you may have discovered that nothing else came on till the morning. Throughout the night, all you would see were those color bars, accompanied with a dead silence.

My how things have changed.

With the emergence of cable television, XM radio stations, iPods, social media networks, and cellular phones that are admired more for their video and music playing ability, than their ability to effectively make or receive a call, it is nearly impossible for you and I to even imagine a world that silence can be effectively pursued. If even slightly appreciated.

Whether we may believe it or not, noise is now very much a part of our daily lives. Whether we are entering our homes, our cars, or even our churches, it is often the first thing we seek: Noise.

What is it about silence that we no longer appreciate? Why has it become so difficult for us to take just a few minutes out of our day...and pursue silence?

In 1 Kings 19:11-12v., God provides us with a great reason why silence may be something you and I (as believers) may no longer want to overlook:

Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire...

...and after the fire a still small voice."

This passage of scripture is just amazing to me. Here we find God, who through an angel, provided a prophet by the name of Elijah, with some instructions as to where to meet Him. For those of you who may not be familiar with him, Elijah had had some pretty good on-the-job work experience on knowing how and where to find God in the past (see 1 Kings 17:2-4; 1 Kings 17:8-9; 1 Kings 18:36-38v).

Yet this time, God revealed himself to Elijah in a way he may have never expected. While standing on the mountain, God allowed a strong wind to pass by Elijah. But God, surprisingly, wasn't there.

Then God allowed Elijah to experience an earthquake. But God still wasn't there. God even allowed Elijah to witness a raging fire, and although God had used fire before with Elijah, God could not be found in the fire this time. And then it happened.

After the wind passed.
After the earthquake ceased.
And after the fire disappeared...there it was.
A still small voice.

It is amazing how many of us have difficulties spending time with God, yet fail to recognize one important element that remains absent throughout our pursuit of Him: Silence.

As believers, the noise we have surrounded our daily lives with is very much a distraction to achieving the type of intimacy and quality time with God that He so desires for us to have.

Time alone with God is imperative to our spiritual growth. And while I realize many of us already know this to be true, I wonder if you and I can consider something together on today:

Aside for the need of more silence and quality time with Him, are there any noises around you now that you simply can NO LONGER hear God speaking through?

Remember, fire was something Elijah had once found God in. But this time, He wasn't there.

Be sure to spend enough time alone with God to know when He has changed His methods of communication with you. This day, hunger after His voice.

Eliminate the noise.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Brent Barnett

Luke 5:36-39 says, "And He was also telling them a parable: 'No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, "The old is good enough."'"

Jesus' ministry came at a time when Judaism had been severely perverted into an outrageous system of rule keeping with self-righteous teachers presiding as rulers over the people of Israel. Rather than look at how the Old Testament foretold of Christ's coming and sacrifice, they ignored what had come in the person of Christ in exchange for what had been.

The Pharisees and many of the Jews had become enslaved to a thinking process that loved the old ways. Now, there is nothing wrong with being nostalgic or reflecting upon the past, but it becomes wrong when it controls us to the extent that we are unable to put it out of our minds. The Jews were so consumed with Moses and the Law that they could not recognize God Himself in their midst. Though they wanted a Messiah, they wanted it their way.

They wanted a Messiah Who would bring back the glory days of an earthly kingdom as it had been under David and Solomon. They wanted the past, and because they thought that the old was good enough, they missed the future which was right before their very eyes. They were satisfied with the old wine, and their clouded view of the past led them to miss the new wine in Jesus which was far better.

In order for them to receive the new wine, they needed to realize that they would have to lay aside their system of self-righteous Law-keeping. Jesus preached a message of forgiveness, healing, grace, and life. He didn't come to set up an earthly empire, but He came to demonstrate His eternal power and overcome the world. He didn't come to show that Law-keeping was the way to eternal life, but He Himself fulfilled the Law because no man could do it (Romans 3:23, 8:4). The Law brought condemnation and showed man his inability to keep it (Galatians 3:24). Jesus came to bring life, and life to the full (John 10:10).

Old wineskins were fitting for the old wine. The Law did its job, and it did it well (Romans 7:12). But its job was to point people to the cross and to Christ, Who had come in the flesh. If new wine was available in Jesus, then it made no sense to put it into old wineskins which would break as soon as the wine was poured in. The Law had done its job, and the new wine needed new wineskins.

The new wine of forgiveness in Christ needs to go in the new wineskin of grace. We were under law, but now we are under grace (Romans 6:14). The old covenant is over, and the new covenant has been established. Christ is the centerpiece and the focus. We must drink of Him (John 7:37).

If we find ourselves still trying to earn our way into God's favor, we need to lay aside the old and receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. If we are attempting to manipulate God into giving us what we want in life, we need to stop drinking of the old wine and simply receive the blessings which He graciously gives as He knows best.

Trying to do things on our own strength apart from Christ is like pouring wine into a leaky wineskin. It will never work. Do we want to be full in Christ? Do we want to experience the promised abundant life? Life to the full is found in abandoning the old wine, taking hold of the new wineskin by faith in Christ, and allowing Him to fill us and empower us as He pours the new wine of His grace into our hearts.

Christ In You

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"Christ in you, the Hope of Glory." Colossians 1:27 NIV

The Virgin Birth is more than just another Christmas story; it illustrates just how close God wants to get to you. In fact, He's asking you the same question He asked Mary, "Are you willing to let Me move in?" Throughout scripture it's always been His desire to get close to His people. Jesus told the disciples, "I am in you" (Jn 14:20 NCV).

Paul prayed, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts" (Eph. 3:17 NIV). John says, "Those who obey...live in him, and he in them" (1 Jn 3:24 NIV). Paul wrote, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27 NIV), then he added: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20 NAS). And Jesus said, "If anyone...opens the door, I will come in" (Rev. 3:20 NIV).

In the Old Testament God was with Adam and Eve in the Garden...He was with Abraham, and even called him His friend...He was with Moses and the Israelites. But as a believer He's in you - and He'll keep growing in you until He comes out in what you say, how you act and the decisions you make. Do you struggle with bitterness, worry, habits and fear?

Not Jesus! And because He lives in you, you have access 24/7 to His unlimited power! That's why Paul writes about "striving according to His power, which mightily works within [us]" (Col 1:29 NAS). What's in you? "His power!" What more do you need? Remember when the Lord appeared to Mary and she said, "Let it be...according to your word." (Lk 1:38 NKJV)

Make that your prayer this Christmas!

Time For A Spiritual Check-up

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"I am praying...your body is as healthy as...your soul." 3 John 2 TLB

We all know how important physical health is; here's a plan for keeping your soul in shape:

(a) Don't question your faith, question your doubts. We spend too much time dwelling on our misgivings, experiencing faith as an occasional flash-in-the-pan. God's promises are for 'believers.'

(b) Don't be a 'lone ranger.' It's no accident that the Old Testament contains the story of God's people, and that the Epistles were written to congregations. We grow as we relate - not isolate!

(c) Guard your thought life. If your "thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if [it's] controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace" (Ro 8:6 NCV). Practice mind management!

(d) Fall asleep and wake up immersed in gratitude. It'll transform your day. "In every thing give thanks!" (1Th 5:18).

(e) Ditch anything that distracts you from God. Toss the junk reading material, and if you've got the guts, throw in the TV!

(f) Always err on the side of mercy. Philip Yancey writes: "I marvel at the humility of a God who descends to live inside...his 'flawed' creatures...Do I show that same attitude towards people of whom I disapprove?"

(g) Be specific and don't revert to generalities when discussing your faith. Paul wasn't "ashamed of the Gospel" (Ro 1:16); neither should you be.

(h) Be gracious to the people who irk you. God chose them too! Sometimes it's easier to be gracious to non-believers than to uptight, moralistic Christians. But that just makes you a different kind of judgmental.

(i) Forgive those who've hurt you. Harboring hatred hinders healing, so bring your hurts to God.

Empowered By His Spirit

Brenda Gittens


"At that moment the Spirit of the LORD powerfully took control of him, and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat." (Judges 14:6).

In the Old Testament, we see many examples of where the Spirit of God would often come upon people, so that they could perform or accomplish specific duties or tasks. All of these moments and experiences were special, but the Spirit of the Lord almost never remained upon someone indefinitely.

There was one young man in the bible named Samson, who was blessed by the Lord as he grew up and the Spirit of the Lord began to take hold of him. One day on his way to a city named Timnah, he was attacked by a lion. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he tore the lion's mouth in two with his bare hands!

Sponsor AdAside from that incident of shutting the lion's mouth, he also triumphed over the Philistines because God's Spirit empowered him (Judges 15:14-20), and he became the judge of Israel for twenty years, and the Spirit gave Samson the strength and ability to subdue great numbers of his enemies and to accomplish great victories.

However, in the New Testament, after Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help His followers, things did indeed change. Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - all who have been called by the Lord our God." (Acts 2:38-39).

We no longer need to wait for His Spirit to come upon us, for the Holy Spirit lives and dwells in all believers and worshipers. Today, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist the devil, accomplish, and perform great things for God. What a privilege we have - to be the temple of the Holy Spirit!

Today let's praise the Lord for the Spirit, who "helps us" and "pleads for us." And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. (Romans 8:26-27).

The Spirit helps us to overcome temptations, triumph over evil and other things that will try to destroy us. Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit that lives within us each and every day, and helps us to crucify and take off the old nature and put on and wear our new nature in Christ!

We are empowered by His Spirit!

Faith Report Card

Latrice Pace

As a preacher's kid, I grew up hearing and reading about faith. As an adult I've come to know and experience what faith is and does. FAITH: loyalty, belief and trust in God. I am a fan of Webster.com and when I typed "trust" I noticed the derivatives were, "trustability", "trustable", "truster", "trustingly", "trustingness".

Nothing came up for "trusted". It may very well be a word, but not acknowledged by Webster. My point, "trust" is never past tense. It's not something you did once and it didn't work out for you. A friend once said to me, "to say you've trusted is to say life got stuck in a previous experience of failure or hurt." As believers its never a thing of the past, it's our now, our life. It's the fundamental fact of our existence.

"But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him." Hebrews 11:6 Amp.

I, like so many others have found myself to the point of frustration and really wanting to be enlightened when it came to the subject of faith. I'd ask, What am I doing wrong?, What am I not getting? Why is my life not yielding certain results? There have been numerous Biblical testimonies of faith set before us to show us that if we get in the habit of believing (without options, without a plan b) our lives can yield the same results if not better. They stood firm, in the state of mind in which they had un-shakeable confidence and faith in God.

Abraham when asked was ready to return his promised son, Isaac back to God not knowing that other provisions had already been made. Abraham didn't go to the undisclosed location with Isaac and an optional sacrifice. He knew that there was a reason God was asking for the son in which his descendants would spring forth.

Now he very well could have asked a plethora of questions and refused to make a move until he understood. I'm sure nothing about this was making sense to him. However, he didn't seek to understand it, he moved and believed. God saw his heart, his desire to please Him. Therefore, He provided the ram.

Sponsor AdNoah, who was a farmer and aspiring entrepreneur. He was probably in the process or planting his very own vineyard so he could open a farm winery, but God interrupts his plans. He was asked to build an ark in the Summer's heat, if I may. The process of building a boat/ship/ark is a traditional craftsmanship which is a refined art delivered from master to apprentice. The skill is passed on by doing and often without a sketch or blueprint.

In Genesis 6 and 7, God (the master) gave detailed instructions for the ark and Noah (the apprentice) obeyed. Why? He was in the habit of believing. Noah's habit affords us the opportunity to experience the brilliant beauty of the consequent rainbow today.

Enoch's habit caused him to be caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not see death.

SELF ANALYSIS: Is your faith failing or satisfactory?

1. Like Abraham, has God ever asked you to sacrifice something he promised you with no explanation why and not knowing the end result?

2. Like Noah, has He ever wanted to interrupt your plan because He had need of you?

3. Just as Enoch did, He expects us to be "caught up". Get caught up in the habit of trusting Him, so that our faith grows increasingly faster than any giant/deathly circumstance we may face today.

A firm mindset of faith influences a habit of faith. The testimonial results from that faith that will last for generations is the sum of those essential factors. Is your faith.