One day Marcus and J.R., two brothers, were watching a football game. They were at Marcus' house which was the eldest brother. Marcus had a wonderfully large plasma screen television bestowing upon him the duty of sharing all of its glory with all his die hard sports comrades. As they were watching the game, they began having a conversation about J.R.'s trouble in school. See J.R. had a hot head, easily angered at the slightest things. Marcus tells J.R. that he is too hot headed to develop good relationships with people. Marcus continues to say, "You should be more like me. It takes someone repeatedly and intentionally doing enough stupid stuff to me before I pop off at someone." Hearing this J.R. sits quietly planning the adequate amount of repeatedly and intentionally stupid stuff he could do to make Marcus upset.
J.R. began doing little things such as changing the channel at random in the middle of the game causing Marcus to miss big plays. J.R. began purposefully dropping large crumbs of potato chips all over the house and stepping on them as if he didn't see them making sure they were nice a smashed into the carpet. He then began to get cups of soda and tip them over enough so that they would spill. Marcus begins to get annoyed at the clumsiness of his little brother. Then, there was the straw that finally broke the camels back. J.R. filled a cup of soda and placed it on the coffee table in front of the TV. J.R. then, picks up his legs as if he is going to cross them and knocks the entire cup of soda off the coffee table as soda spills onto Marcus' plasma screen TV. Marcus jumps off the couch in a rage and finally confronts his brother. "Enough is enough! What is wrong with you? You are so clumsy! You have to be more careful!" J.R. looks at Marcus with an apathetic look, takes out a pad, and begins to write. This sends Marcus over the top. "What are you doing?" Marcus screams taking the pad out of J.R.'s hands. J.R. replies ever so gently, "I was just assessing the adequate amount of repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff it would take to meet your standard of measure for enough repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff. 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy your need to be angry."
While J.R.'s methods may not be totally orthodox for his experiment, his quest to find what "enough" was for his brother brings out some points worth noticing. As J.R. discovered, "enough" is a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something else. In the Marcus' case, we found 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy his need to be angry. Now, forget the entire story. The only thing I really want you to extract from this is the principle of "enough."
Do you know what is "enough" a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something in your life? It is important that we look at this principle of "enough" in reference to our lives. All human beings, everyday all day, do things to satisfy some kind a craving. Whether it's a burger to satisfy their hunger, or money to have bills paid, everyone has a craving for something and enact strategies and plans to satisfy their craving. What about the indefinable craving though? What about that craving in life that you can't pin point? You know that if you could satisfy this unexplainable craving that it would fulfill you and bring you to a place of contentment. So you began to try "enough" of any and everything to fill the craving. For the drug addict, they try drugs. And it actually seemed that it was the drugs that satisfied their craving until they went to use them again and found the satisfaction was fleeting. So they figured they didn't have "enough" drugs to satisfy the need. So what do they do? Of course, consume more drugs. What about the person who though they satisfied their craving by eating until the next time they had to consume more and more food to fill that they consumed "enough" to get them back to their happy place.
There are many more examples: How much more make-up will you put on your face for it to be "enough" to make you feel beautiful? How many more people will you need to bully to be "enough" to compensate for your self-esteem issues? How many more guys will you have to sleep with to be "enough" to make you feel wanted? Catch my drift. The answer is neither original nor shocking. Nothing on this earth will be "enough" to satisfy the unexplainable craving, neither will it even help you define your unexplained craving, but "ENOUGH is enough." "ENOUGH" is, has been, and always will be a limitless GOD whose powered is exercised without boundary. Until we really step out on faith and believe that GOD is enough to sustain life, we will blindly give ourselves to destruction of attempts to satisfy our craving for "enough." No matter where you are in life, anything you come up with will never match up, live up to, or be "enough" to satisfy your need for GOD. Paul experienced this when the LORD gave him a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud. About this thorn Paul sought GOD three separate times to do something to satisfy his need for peace and contentment. Paul says, "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:8-10 (NLT) The next time your unexplainable craving for "enough" of something captivates you, see it as a hunger pain for GOD. It like your souls way of reminding you it's time to fill up on GOD.
PEOPLE, WE MUST DROP MATERIALSIM AND OTHER ATTEMPTED REPLACEMENTS FOR GOD! REALIZE THAT HE IS THE ONLY REMEDY FOR "ENOUGH!" AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE HAS TO BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO CONTINUE TO SUPPLY US WITH ENOUGH AND BE ENOUGH TO US! "ENOUGH (GOD)" is enough!
Chris Cross
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Opponents Gameplan
The first rule of war is know thine enemy. We all recognize satan as the one who tempts us to do things that are contrary to GOD's command. The tempter does not come to us with random attempts to get us to fall. He has a plan and a process that he has been using since the creation of the world. The enemy is like a very crafty and successful coach. He studies tapes of all of out lives and finds our weak spots. Once he finds those weak spots he strategically puts the right people in place to open you open for his offensive attack. We talk about the Original Sin all the time, but let's look at the original temptation. Let's study the past game highlights on the tempters game tape. Let's learn his tactics so that when he attacks we can identify how he plans to attack our lives. We need to look at no more than satans first crafty attack on man kind, in the garden of Eden. Genesis chapter 3 is the game film we will study.
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Gen 3:1-13 (NLT)
1. Disbelief in GOD-The enemy tempts you to disbelieve GOD is more than enough. satan wants us to deny that GOD is all we need. satan got Eve to believe his plan was not the best path for her life. Once he gets us to invest into what could be a brief moment of disbelief, satan then offers an alternative plan.
2. The Alternative Plan-Anything alternative to the way GOD designed it is a work of satan and ungodly no matter how awesome it sounds. No matter how cunning and wise the alternative plan may sound, it will not lead you to where GOD has destined you nor will it align with his will. Therefore engaging in any alternative to GOD and His will (which is the only perfect and pure will by the way) is sin. The wages of sin bring death. When Adam & Eve accepted satans alternative to GOD original plan, they committed an act of sin and the ensuing result was death. Since the death is something we always talk about and know, let's talk about the shame Adam & Even endured for following satans alternative to GOD perfect will.
3. Guilt in Our Shame-Once we have followed the tempters alternative plan and come to the end we find ourselves in complete disgust. We find ourselves isolated, embarrassed, and ashamed for being so foolish. In the process we have hurt ourselves and others. We then begin to find coping mechanisms to cover our shame. We turn and run to cover ourselves from the world as to hide the a gun shot wound with a band-aid. People turn to drugs, sex, bullying, gossip, and some many other things to cover the shame. The blood of Christ, the Son of GOD, is the only thing sufficient enough to not only cover but cleanse our shame. It is at this truth that the tempter tries to blind us. He is one step away from his ultimate end goal. If we don't turn to the blood of Christ to cleanse our shame, we then hide ourselves from GOD, which is where satan wants to ultimately keep all people.
4. Guilt enough to hide from GOD-This was where the Creator finds Adam and Eve after they got to the enemy's step 3. They were hiding from the very GOD who had the best plan for their lives. This is satans overall goal. He wants to break the relationship between GOD and man and we aid him when we allow ourselves to get to step 4.
So what do we do after we identify these...
1. NEVER DOUBT GOD. RECOGNIZE HIS WILL IS THE ONLY PERFECT WILL. NEVER WAVER IN GOD
2. DONT ACCEPT THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN. IF IT IS NOT IN GODS WORD IT IS NOT HIS PLAN. DONT FOLLOW WHATS SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD
3. WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN GUILT, RUN TO GOD AND THE ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR AS FAST AS YOU CAN. REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU THINK YOU'VE STUNK THINGS UP, IT'S NEVER TO MUCH FOR GOD TO CLEANSE
4. WE DONT HAVE TO HIDE FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL HE'S EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIME, HE'S ALL SEEING, AND ALL KNOWING. AND REMEMBER HE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. "FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.
Be blessed. let always watch, fight, and pray.
Chris Cross
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Gen 3:1-13 (NLT)
1. Disbelief in GOD-The enemy tempts you to disbelieve GOD is more than enough. satan wants us to deny that GOD is all we need. satan got Eve to believe his plan was not the best path for her life. Once he gets us to invest into what could be a brief moment of disbelief, satan then offers an alternative plan.
2. The Alternative Plan-Anything alternative to the way GOD designed it is a work of satan and ungodly no matter how awesome it sounds. No matter how cunning and wise the alternative plan may sound, it will not lead you to where GOD has destined you nor will it align with his will. Therefore engaging in any alternative to GOD and His will (which is the only perfect and pure will by the way) is sin. The wages of sin bring death. When Adam & Eve accepted satans alternative to GOD original plan, they committed an act of sin and the ensuing result was death. Since the death is something we always talk about and know, let's talk about the shame Adam & Even endured for following satans alternative to GOD perfect will.
3. Guilt in Our Shame-Once we have followed the tempters alternative plan and come to the end we find ourselves in complete disgust. We find ourselves isolated, embarrassed, and ashamed for being so foolish. In the process we have hurt ourselves and others. We then begin to find coping mechanisms to cover our shame. We turn and run to cover ourselves from the world as to hide the a gun shot wound with a band-aid. People turn to drugs, sex, bullying, gossip, and some many other things to cover the shame. The blood of Christ, the Son of GOD, is the only thing sufficient enough to not only cover but cleanse our shame. It is at this truth that the tempter tries to blind us. He is one step away from his ultimate end goal. If we don't turn to the blood of Christ to cleanse our shame, we then hide ourselves from GOD, which is where satan wants to ultimately keep all people.
4. Guilt enough to hide from GOD-This was where the Creator finds Adam and Eve after they got to the enemy's step 3. They were hiding from the very GOD who had the best plan for their lives. This is satans overall goal. He wants to break the relationship between GOD and man and we aid him when we allow ourselves to get to step 4.
So what do we do after we identify these...
1. NEVER DOUBT GOD. RECOGNIZE HIS WILL IS THE ONLY PERFECT WILL. NEVER WAVER IN GOD
2. DONT ACCEPT THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN. IF IT IS NOT IN GODS WORD IT IS NOT HIS PLAN. DONT FOLLOW WHATS SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD
3. WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN GUILT, RUN TO GOD AND THE ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR AS FAST AS YOU CAN. REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU THINK YOU'VE STUNK THINGS UP, IT'S NEVER TO MUCH FOR GOD TO CLEANSE
4. WE DONT HAVE TO HIDE FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL HE'S EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIME, HE'S ALL SEEING, AND ALL KNOWING. AND REMEMBER HE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. "FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.
Be blessed. let always watch, fight, and pray.
Chris Cross
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