Moms have a way of asking oddly pertinent questions.  My mom used to ask me, “  Are you contemplating your bellybutton?”  My reply was usually something smart.  Normally mom would ask me this when I was quiet bordering on unusually quiet.  What was I doing?   (more…)

Have you ever felt that you were way out in left field, with nobody else around? How about feeling isolated or alone? While there are times as a Christian you may need to take the proverbial “straight and narrow road,” the questions that face everyone in this situation are:
“How did I get here?
“How do I get back?”
“God, are you out there and if You are, why aren’t You helping me?”

While it may seem like you are so far from living the life that you want to live or that you are so far away from other people, there is hope, which brings us to today’s blog entry.

How do you get back on track doing what you should be doing?

Obviously, the answer is in the Bible, but it never hurts to have a modern analogy to go along with it. The analogy? Electricity. Electricity is vital to today’s society. Think of all the things that run on electricity and how different society would be without it.

First, a quick lesson on electricity. As with all things electrical, you need to have a power source. That power source will release power through a conductor which is commonly referred to as a circuit. It also flows through metal tools and ladders so if you are working with electricity, be mindful that you need to be grounded so you do not accidentally become part of a circuit. In any event, power will flow through the conductor until there is a break in the circuit. Usually, this happens where we place a switch. The switch is responsible for opening or closing the circuit.

Perhaps you can see why I chose electricity for this lesson and the reason the title is No Flow, No Go. This same thing is true in life. Let’s put this in Christian terms.

As a Christian, the Word of God is our power source. If there is a break in that connection, the power that God has given every person begins to drain like a rechargeable battery that is not get recharged. That power is the Blessing that man received in the Garden of Eden, the same Blessing that Noah received, the same Blessing that Abraham received, the same Blessing that moved through the generations and now resides in us.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to break this connection, if you do not understand how Satan thinks. He knows that he cannot directly attack you, so he must take an indirect shot. Remember this, if Satan could kill you, he would have already.
All he can do is introduce another voice – the voice of distraction. Look at how Satan attack the man and woman in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:1-6 NLT
(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.

Satan is only looking for that one thing that will destroy the foundation that you built or are in the process of building. As soon as you take the bait of distraction, distraction will multiply until you feel overwhelmed and separated from God and others. In terms of our modern day analogy, Satan has effectively rewired you to conduct distration instead of conduct the Word. So, how do you get connected or reconnected so you can charge up? Here are three actions you can take to regain your power.

Joshua 1:8 NLT
(8) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

1.) Study:
Oddly enough the people mentioned in the Bible fall into one of two categories. They either know the Word of God or they do not and study is a big part of learning and knowing the Word. Remember, you are not looking at the original text and any time you translate text, the meaning and intent can change. Use a Concordance and a dictionary to help you decipher the meaning of the message God is trying to get to us.

Also remember that things change with the passage of time. A carpenter today is a person skilled in construction using wood and other similar materials. In the time of Jesus, a carpenter was a mater tradesman who was a project manager or highly skilled at many trades including masonry, wood constructions, goldsmithing and other areas.

Finally, study will allow you to find out how and what other people did when they faced life. The circumstances that we face today can be very draining, but they are not different than people faced in Biblical times. As you read, make notes so that you can quickly access what you have studied.

2.) Meditate:
You need to think about what you studying and learning. However, Christian meditation is not like other middle- and far-eastern religions that would have you empty your mind. Remember, every thing occupies a space and as a result if you empty your mind of all thoughts, Satan will make every attempt to introduce new ones to you.

Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT
(15) So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
(16) Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
(17) Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
(18) Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
(19) singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
(20) And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is something that many people do not do – use your brain. Living life is not difficult if you think about it. As you meditate on the Word of God, you will reconnect with two things:
Your ability to act as a Speaking Spirit.
Your part in God’s Master Plan for your life

3.) Obey:

Obey means you do it. This is something that is lost on many in today’s society. We have been trained to fear and resist those that have been placed in authority over us. The reality is that every failure in your life and in my life can be traced back to something (an instruction or a Word) that we did not obey.

Remember, Joshua was taking over from Moses, who met with God face to face. Joshua was not jumping for joy at the opportunity. But he conquered himself and stepped in as the leader of Israel. He became willing.

Joshua 1:1-10a
Jos 1:1 After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said,
Jos 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.
Jos 1:3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—
Jos 1:4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’
Jos 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
Jos 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.
Jos 1:7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.
Jos 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Jos 1:9 This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Jos 1:10 Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel,

Joshua did not have authority over others until he had authority over himself.

Remember, people who are successful – DO. Study it out for yourself.