How Successful Are You?

Dr. Mike Murphy

September 5, 2022

His resume was different from all the rest they had received.  And as they looked it over, they did not know what to make of it.  Many times he had been arrested, and he had spent large parts of his life in and out of prison.  Several times, the people had become so angry with him that he was run out of town.  He had never spoken on television, or even had a podcast.  He did not have a web page, or even a Facebook page for that matter.  He did not own a house, and never seemed to stay in one place very long.  He would often take on side jobs just so he could support himself.  He would sometimes keep preaching for hours, although he was not known as a skilled public speaker.  And on top of it all, he often found himself in the middle of local and public controversies.

How could this man possibly think he would qualify as the pastor of a church?  Much less a larger church that wanted to become a megachurch.  Did he even realize what job he was applying for?  As they tossed his resume in the trash with a laugh, they thought to themselves, he could not even be hired as their janitor!

In my fictional scenario, would you hire this man as the pastor of your church? Would you even take him seriously, or would you never give him a second thought?  Do you believe this is the type of man that God would send to lead your church?  Or would you automatically dismiss him, thinking God would never send to you such a man?  What if I told you the resume of the man I described above, was the very man God chose to help set up His church.  That the resume of the man above is none other than that of Paul.

During Paul’s time in the ministry, he faced these very questions.  During the early days of the Church, many false teachers started carrying forged letters of recommendation to authenticate their authority, so they would be welcomed into different churches. When Paul was asked about his letters of recommendation, he replied in a very simple way. His letter of recommendation did not come from the hand of a man, but at the hand of the Holy Spirit.  Paul made it clear, the success and authority of his ministry could be seen by the lives that had been changed for Christ, not by the letters that had been written by men.

Today’s Church needs to take the words of Paul again to heart, and realize that how man tries to defines success, and how God views and constitutes success, are two completely different things.  God does not look at our churches today and see success in the elaborate buildings we try to build, the budgets we try to meet, or the television and online appearances of our pastoral staffs.  God sees success in the lives we reach for Christ, the fellowship we share in Christ, and the growth we experience through Christ.

We are watching as our churches today try to define success through man’s eyes, and in doing so, make of themselves a failure in God’s eyes.  A couple of years ago, I was asked to help a church that was struggling.  To help give input and direction in a meeting with the board of the church, in hopes of helping the church set a path for success.  With the church being at a distance away, I was connected via video with the board as they met.  I asked the board if they would list for me their one year, five year, and ten year goals for the church. I heard almost everything in response.  They wanted to double the attendance. They wanted to build a new sanctuary.  They wanted to start new programs. They wanted to build an activities center.  So as they told me all the goals of the church, I asked them another question.  “What is God’s goals for this church in the next one year, five years, and ten years?”  Dead silence to my question. They had no clue what direction God wanted their church to go, nor had they turned to God for this direction.  This was a church that had not learned the definition of success.  That could only envision success through their own eyes, not allowing themselves to be shown what success for their church looked like through the eyes of God.

We watch as many of our churches today define success by the caramel lattes and mocha cappuccinos that are offered as you walk in the door, and how plush and cushioned the seats are on our pews.  But as we nap between sips of our latte during the service, we miss the call to success that the Lord is giving to our churches.  Success cannot be seen if we accomplish our will, but only seen when we fulfill His will.  Not heard in the praises of our own glory, but heard each time we bring Him glory.  Not felt in the temporary emotions we get as the laser and smoke generators simulate our sermons, but in the life-changing emotions that come through the raw power of His Word.

Christ defined success for the Church in the simplest of ways.  When asked what was the greatest of commandments, Christ answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31).  In this answer, Christ defined success.  When we obey God, and follow His command, our life will be successful.  When we accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, the first step in success begins!  And as we live our lives for Christ, His glory is seen and grows, not our own. As followers of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit is seen in each of us(Galatians 5:22-23), serving as nourishment in our Lord’s hands to all those around us.  And as we grow in Christ, we have a desire to not just think of ourselves, but to love our fellow man.  This success is not accomplished by our will, but by the will of the Holy Spirit(John 1:12-13).  This is true success, and it is actually that simple!

Success through Christ shows us that our joy comes from our service to the Lord, how we can better and closer follow His Word, and how we can reach out with that Word to others.  True success cannot be seen in the money, power, or popularity this world will offer us.  The success of this world will leave us as an eternal failure.  Leaving us asking the question, “What good does it do to gain the whole world if we forfeit our soul?’(Matthew 16:26).  No matter how hard this world might try, success can never be seen in the gifts, it can only be seen in the One who gives us those gifts.  And if we find ourselves desiring the gifts more than their Giver, then we find ourselves as unsuccessful as any man can be.

This Church has lost the very dictionary that defines for us true success. We look at our pulpits and see success in the man who tells us that if we want to know the rest of what God has told him, then we need to go buy his book for $29.95.  We measure success in what this world shows us, building ten million dollar fountains to stand in front of our churches, hoping it will shine as a beacon to draw people to our services.  We install light shows and special effects to dazzle this world during our services, in hope that we will somehow catch their attention.  But in all this we have lost our focus, and forgotten that there is only One reason they will want to read more, only One reason they will want to come to our churches more, and only One thing that can cause them to be wowed at our services more.  The more this Church reflects Christ, the more we will become successful.

Christ told us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Matthew 6:21).  Where is our treasure Church?  Where is our heart?  Does it lie in the desires of this world, or does it rest in the hands of our Lord?  Because where our heart is, where our treasure is stored, will be where our success will be found.  Will our treasure be found in men who seek to use God for their own glory?  Or will our hearts be with those men like Paul?  Those who this world see no success in, but who measure their success by how much glory their lives have brought to our Lord?  It is within these questions that the success or failure of this Church will soon be found.

It is time this Church got back to a simple definition of success.  Simply defined by the sheep we feed, by the love we show, by the hearts we touch, by the truth we share, and by the faithfulness of our walk in following Christ.  If this Church will just focus on these simple things, then we will be seen as successful in God’s eyes already.  And when our time on this earth is done, we will hear the six most successful words any man could ever hear spoken.  Well done, good and faithful servant!

Praying this Church will one day soon hear those six words!

Faithbook

Dr. Mike Murphy
August 28, 2022

“Our church does not have anything to do with social media.  There is just so much out there on it, I do not feel comfortable with our church being a part of it.  And if we were, people might come to our site who disagree with our faith.”

These words were spoken to me by the pastor of a very large church.  A church well known in their community, that has long-standing ties in the community.  A church that is often found holding special events within the community. But a church that does not feel comfortable using social media to reach out to the community, out of fear of how some in the community might respond.

I would ask this church, as I ask all.  If Christ had been born into this world today, would He be found using social media?  And as I ask this question, I would remind all. Christ took His message to this world by often going directly to the people.  By word of mouth gathering the people to Him outside of the structures and synagogues, so they could hear and see the promises being fulfilled that the Lord had given to man.  Gathering not only so they could hear and see Christ, but so they could ask questions of the Promised Messiah.  

I would also remind this church, Christ never shied away from those who looked to attack Him.  As He would respectfully present the truth to them, and explain that truth in a relatable and understanding way, so all who heard Him speak might also come to know the truth.  Allowing His words to draw them near, to want to hear more, so they might come to be led more by His truth.

If Christ had been born today, I firmly believe He would have a heavy presence on social media. As a way to take His message directly to the people, so His truth might be read and heard by as many people as possible.  And if you find yourself believing as I do, that Christ would be making the most of social media, then we must ask ourselves, why are we not doing so each day?

Christ gave this Church a call to evangelism, one we refer to as the Great Commission.  A call that says to us, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:18-20).  In this technically advanced age, how do we think we could possibly best fulfill this call, without incorporating social media into that call?

Let us take a look at the church I mentioned above, to best understand what I am saying.  The church I mentioned has over two thousand members. If this church was found each day posting articles about our faith, things that pointed to our faith, and writings that supported and explained the truth of our faith, how many people would it reach for Christ each day?  Now let us say just one in twenty of its members shared the posts it saw on the church’s page. How many would then be reached each day for Christ? Now take into account the friends of those members who share what they see the members posting, now how many have been reached?  How many people who read a single post that started from the page of this church, could be led each day to a desire to want to know more about Christ? How many people would find their way to the doors of that church, or to another church, because this church was willing to faithfully use the tools available at its reach, so as many people as possible would come to know Christ?  How many more would stand at the foot of the Cross today if this church was willing to use social media to take His reach to this world? Now as you contemplate that number, ask yourself, what would that number be if the thousands upon thousands of churches we see in this world today was found doing the same?

Another question I would also ask as we contemplate all of this.  How many brothers and sisters in Christ, could we reach with words of guidance and encouragement, if we were found daily looking to share Christ on social media?  Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  We can never replace the fellowship that is found in our churches, but how many more would be drawn to share with us in that fellowship if we were found reaching out to our brothers and sisters through social media each day? How many familiar names might we see sitting next to us this Sunday, if we were willing to offer encouraging words that strengthened the faith of our fellow believers each of the other days?  How many who profess a faith in Christ, but have given up on our churches, might return to the doors of our churches, if we were just willing to take a few minutes each day to share His Word with others on our social media accounts?

It is time the Church took a hard look in the mirror, and began to ask ourselves some difficult questions. Questions we have found it easier to ignore than to ask.  Questions that leave us to wonder why we have found it easier to often abandon social media, to just turn it over to the hands of Satan, than to make the most of each day for Christ with social media.  Questions, that if we are found turning to His Word for the answers, would find us immediately looking to turn Facebook into Faithbook, as we place our social media accounts in His hands.

Praying you make the most of each of your posts for Christ today!

Reflections (A Look At Christ And Muhammad)

Dr. Mike Murphy
July 17, 2022

The peacefulness of the night brought a tear to his eye.  The peacefulness of that night reminded him of the God who guided him, the Lord who had made him.  But the peacefulness of that night also reminded him of a different reality.  The reality of knowing what tomorrow would bring.

As he stared at the sky that night, he knew it would probably be the last time he would look on that sky.  Tomorrow would certainly bring his death, and the end of all he held dear.  He had looked at that sky more days than he could now count, and he did not fear what tomorrow would bring his way.  But he did fear what tomorrow would bring to the lives of all those that surrounded him. Those who filled his thoughts, now filled his fears.

If only he had followed the words of the Lord, the writings and warnings of his ancestors. If he had seen the threat that the one who claimed to be a prophet had brought to his people, and to his city.  If he had only prayed that his eyes would be opened to the truth of this man, and to the lies and horrors this man would soon bring into the lives of those he loved.

As he looked up into the stars that night, he began to reflect back on how all this had come about. "Five years before this 'prophet' had come to the gates of my beloved city, Yathrib. He rode in proclaiming peace, saying he wished to live in serenity with us, all the Jewish tribes that made up this town.  At first, he talked to us about our beliefs, about our God.  He talked to us about his god, proclaiming to us they were one and the same.  He told us that the same God who sent down the Torah, had also sent His angel to speak to him.  He ordered his followers observe our most holy of days.  Even instructed them to look to Jerusalem when they prayed. But when we would not recognize him as a spokesman of the Lord, and we did not accept the message that he taught, his words of peace soon turned to words of wrath.  The treaties he had made with us, soon became nothing more than scraps of paper."

"Word soon began to spread that he sought our death, the complete elimination of our faith.  Despite all the rumors that we heard, we continued to honor our treaty and the promises of peace we had made with him.  Even as past enemies came for him and his followers, we did not get involved, closing the gates of our section of the city, not allowing them entrance to attack him.  But as he put those enemies behind him, the rumors became real.  His words soon accused us, and his troops soon surrounded us.  For fourteen days his troops have besieged us, until there is nothing left of us.  As daylight comes, we have nothing left to do but surrender, and face the horrors that now await that the morning will bring."

Many know the name of Muhammad, but few have ever heard of the name of a city called Yathrib.  In Muhammad’s time, Yathrib was a prosperous trade town in Arabia, that was made up of a large Jewish population.  When Muhammad and his followers were chased out of Mecca, it was Yathrib where they settled.  And when the Jewish people of the city would not recognize and follow Muhammad, they were beheaded and enslaved.  Soon after, the city of Yathrib had its’ name changed to a name most will recognize today, the city of Medina.

As we look at the world today, we see just how little this world has changed. We watch today as Muhammad and his followers ride to the gates of our churches, and we watch as we open those gates and continue to invite him in. As he makes his way through those gates, he proclaims to come in the name of peace, in the name of compromise, and in the name of unity.  The words so effortlessly roll from his lips as he tells us we are one, that after all, we both worship the same God.  And as we reach for his hand and again pick up our pen to sign his treaty, we do not look closely at the words we accept.  Words that will soon rapidly disappear from the page.

Much of the Church today looks to sign this treaty of interfaith, and I am fearful those looking to add their signature will continue to rise.  A treaty proclaiming that all roads lead to God, that all religions point to the Lord.  A treaty whose words pridefully declare a religious pluralism, and announce a movement toward interfaith.  A treaty that hides the fork in the tongue of the one who wrote it, whose words seek the same outcome as it did in Yathrib.  A treaty that seeks to lead the world and this Church down a road that will bring them to a place far away from our Lord.

We watch today as so many of our Church leaders and pastors embrace this religious pluralism.  One of the world’s most famous pastors said, "The future of the world is not secularism, it's religious pluralism."  Though many of us see the danger of the words these pastors speak, and see how these words are far from the ones spoken by Christ(John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5), I am afraid that his statement is actually true.  This “pastor” and I would come to this statement from the most opposite of places.  He would embrace it, and see it as unifying the world.  I would see it as a warning, an attempt at inclusiveness that will actually tear the world apart.  A second attempt to build the Tower of Babel(Genesis 11:1-9), bringing only destruction and confusion.

So why do these pastors look to hold hands with Islam?  Why do they seek to bring the religions together as one?  What do they hope to gain by doing so?  And just what do they give up in the name of religious pluralism?  To understand the dangers of this, we only need to look at Muhammad, and then to look at Christ.  Who were each?  And what message did they bring this world?  

No divide could be greater than the lives that Muhammad and Christ lived. Muhammad led and called men to plunder, rape, and murder.  The Quran and the writings of Islam are filled with many such examples given by those who followed Muhammad, and by Muhammad himself. Muhammad taught and commanded his followers to enslave people, claiming that slaves were nothing more than objects that could be sold and abused(Sura 33, 23:5, 70:30, and the Hadith volume 2).  Muhammad taught and believed that women were half of men, seen as nothing more than possessions to be mortgaged, and claimed that the majority in hell would be women(Hadith 1:301, 2:541, 3:826, 7:124, Bukhari 1:28).  

Jesus, lived His life on this earth in a very different way.  Christ was sinless(1 Peter 2:22).  He never killed a fellow man, never stole from another, and respected and honored women with the same love He felt for all those who surrounded Him.  Christ brought a message of salvation and grace to all men, seeking to free the heart of every man.  He preached a message that all are equal,  telling all who would hear, to do unto others as you would have them do to you(Matthew 7:12). Although Muhammad never fulfilled a word that the Lord had given man through the prophets, Christ fulfilled over four hundred such promises, proving He alone was the Son of God.

Of all the differences their lives would show us, one of the greatest differences can be found in their last words.  Muhammad left this earth cursing both Jews and Christians(Bukhari 1:427), wanting nothing more than to see the deaths of both.  As Christ hung on the Cross, He looked at those who stood around Him, and asked God to forgive those who had falsely persecuted Him(Luke 23:34).  Both claiming to speak for God.  One who sought the ruination and annihilation of all those who disagreed with and rejected him. The other who sought forgiveness for all those who tearfully did not recognize Him. 

Men who are far wiser than I have laid out the case for the lives of Jesus and Muhammad with greater detail than I would ever be capable of doing,  But in the mind of this simple man, no greater evidence can be found than in the mention of just one word. Reflections! The Bible calls us to reflect Christ(2 Corinthians 3:18), and the more we turn our lives over to Christ, the more we see Him in us.  The more we reflect Him, the more we find that we love the Lord with all our heart, our soul, our strength, and with all our mind. And the more He is seen in us, the more love we have for all those around us(Luke 10:27). From the first words of Genesis to the last words of Revelation, we see the love that the Lord had for all of us(Psalm 86:15, Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16).  We see how He desires nothing more than for us to know that love, to experience that love.  A love so great, He gave His life for us.  But sadly, this is a love that Muhammad never came to know.  A love that never drove him, a love that could not change the heart in him.  A love that his god did not possess( Quran 30:45, 3:32, 22:38), a love that is absent in the heart of Islam.  Muslims teach that over ninety words are used to describe Islam, but absent from that list is the word “love”.

It was from that love that the Lord came to this earth, and gave His life for us. Through the years, many have tried to complicate the message of Christ, and why He came. But if we look at it honestly, that message and purpose is quite simple.  Christ came to bring us back to the Garden, to lead us back to the forever loving folds of Eden, and the personal relationship the Lord once had with each who walked this earth.  Christ came to reopen the gates of that Garden, to restore the heart of man so we could again forever walk hand and hand with Him.  

Christ longed for nothing more than to also bring Muhammad back to the path that leads to that Garden.  But sadly, Muhammad rejected that path, and turned toward another path.  A path of dismay, a path of destruction.  And Muhammad was not content to walk that path alone, he looked to bring as many as he could down that path with him.

Christ and Muhammad.  Two who came to lead men down a path.  Two paths that lead men in the most opposite of directions.  One who came to lead men on a path back to the Garden, back to the loving arms of our Lord.  Another, who marched men down a path of chaos, a path that ends in a burning rage.  How so many today can look at both these paths and not see they lead in opposite directions is beyond me.  How they can turn to the path Muhammad constructed, and not see Eden fading in the distance is something I will never begin to understand.  But to these men and women who try to combine these paths, I have but one question. When you look in the mirror, who’s reflection do you see?

Praying that each day as you look in the mirror, you see Christ a little more!

The Devil Made Me Do It!

Dr. Mike Murphy

June 26, 2022

It was a sad day at the small, rural church.  Many of its’ members sat in the courtroom as one of their own was being sentenced.  One of the churches own members stood, facing the judge as the procedure began.  He had served on the board of the church, even being trusted with handling the day to day finances of the church.  He had recently been convicted of embezzling over thirty thousand dollars from the church, an amount that would be very hard for any small, rural church to overcome.  As he faced the judge for sentencing, he was asked if he wished to make any statement before his sentence was rendered.  He looked at the judge, and told him, “Your Honor, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what I have done.  I was in financial trouble, and did not think about those I might hurt.  I just took a little to start with, but after no one found out I took a little more.  I finally found myself taking money from the church each week without even thinking about it.  All I can say in my defense, ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’. ”

‘The Devil Made Me Do It’, a common statement we have all heard for years.  But just who is the devil?  And just what can he make us do?

Both the excuse and the devil himself are almost as old as man.  From the very beginning we see man quickly turn to the devil to excuse our actions.  From the first bite of the apple we see these words easily rolling from our tongues(Genesis 3 13).  And these words carry about as much weight with the Lord today as they did in the Garden of Eden(Genesis 3:14-19).

Although Satan does roam this world looking to cause havoc in our lives(1 Peter 5:8), there is absolutely nothing he has the power to make us do.  It is our own choices that lead us to sin, not a demonic creature forcing us to do evil(James 1:14-15).  We sin because of the works of our own flesh, not because of the demonic works of Satan(Galatians 5:19-21).  

We often give Satan far more credit than he deserves, finding it easy to cast the blame to someone besides ourselves.  Although Satan may tempt us toward sin, it is ultimately our choice that brings us into sin(Romans 7:20).  Until we look to ourselves for the blame, we will never identify the solution.  Look at a man with a drinking problem as an example.  Is it the fault of the man for buying the bottle and consuming it until he can no longer function, or is it the fault of the alcohol company for producing it?  The ultimate choice resides with the man, he has the ability to decide whether or not to purchase the bottle, and he also has the ability to seek help for any problem he may have in his life.  The same can be said of us, we have the ultimate choice, and God is always standing there with open arms waiting to help us make that choice(1 Corinthians 10:13).

So if Satan cannot cause us to sin, just what powers does the devil have? To answer this we need to take a close look at Satan himself.  And God’s Word gives us all the information about Satan we will ever need!

The Bible refers to Satan by over forty names, all showing us the characteristics of just who Satan is.  From the prefall name of Lucifer(Isaiah 14:12), to the name of Abaddon who will bring destruction during the Tribulation(Revelation 9:11),  his name may be different but his purpose is the same.  The Bible makes it clear just who Satan is, and the purpose that he thinks he holds.  Satan was the Lord’s highest created angelic being, who fell from the cherished position he held in the heavens because of his sin, and now spends his days doing all he can to destroy God’s plan for mankind.  The book of Isaiah paints us a very good picture of Satan, and shows us the very characteristics that define him.  Isaiah 14:12-17, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!  You have been cut down to the earth,  You who have weakened the nations!  “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’  “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.  “Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?”  

Notice the similarity in each of Satan’s statements.  In each we see him state, ‘I will’.  We see in this the conceded pride that lead Satan to think he could place himself on the throne of God, and the sin that lead to his fall.  We also see in this the same sin that drives Satan to this day, as he works daily to circumvent God’s plan of salvation.  In Satan’s prideful and twisted mind, he still tries to fulfill those ‘I wills’ we saw him make above.

Although Satan can be very cunning and resourceful in his attempt to destroy God’s plan, we often credit him with far more power than he is due.  We often see Satan pictured by the world as a presence controlling us like puppets, knowing our every thought and orchestrating our every action.  This could not be farther from the truth!  Satan should not be taken lightly, he uses every tool in his arsenal to destroy the heart and soul of man, and he is a master at deception. But we do have to remember that his toolbox is not completely full!

Satan suffers from what I like to refer to as having an ‘omni complex’.  He is not omnipresent like the Lord, he cannot be in all places at once.  As a created being, he can only be at one place at one time.  He is not omnipotent like the Lord, he does not have His unlimited abilities.  Again, because he was created by God, his powers are limited to only that which God has given him.  He is not omniscient like God.  He does not know all things, and does not have the ability to know our thoughts.  Satan’s powers may be great, but they are not unlimited like the Lord’s.  And because of this, he will never sit on the throne of God.  And the truth is, he knows it!

Satan is, though, an expert on human behavior.  He is very good at knowing how to push our buttons, by watching our actions he knows which temptations work best on each of us. Satan uses this temptation to continue to rebel against the Lord to this day.  He works feverishly to turn people from God’s plan, and to bring them to follow his plan of destruction. And he will do anything within his power to bring this about.

We often do not realize the greatest tool Satan has against man today. The greatest tool he has is one many do not even recognize.  Satan’s greatest tool against man is the fact that many today do not even believe he exist.  In recent polls, only 35% of Americans believe that Satan is real.  The cartoon images of a spiked tail and a pitchfork have replaced the reality of a real life deceptive demon.  And that is just the way Satan likes it.  He can tempt and manipulate many without them even knowing where the influence is coming from.

But as Christians, God has given us a guard against the psychological warfare that Satan uses.  John told us that if we have God’s Word in us, that Satan has no control over us(1 John 2:14).  Satan’s power is limited by the relationship we have with Christ, because we are filled with the presence of Christ in each of us.  Although Satan may spread his evil to much of the world, he can only influence us when we allow him to.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  Satan roams this world spreading evil, with his teeth of deception.  Happy to sneak up on many who are not even aware he is lurking.  Satan reminds me of a story I heard several years ago.  A man found himself one day at a local zoo observing a mountain lion in a caged area.  As he stood there watching the beast, a zookeeper enter the cage with nothing more than a broom.  He watched in amazement as the zookeeper moved around the cage cleaning it, not worrying about the mountain lion at all.  He could not believe as the zookeeper moved over to where the mountain lion was lying, poking him with the broom so he would move out of the corner.  The mountain lion hissed at him but moved to another corner of the cage.  As the zookeeper exited the cage, the man walked up to him and commented on his bravery.  The zookeeper chuckled and told him, “I am far from brave!”  “That mountain lion is just old and does not have any teeth!”  When we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we soon realize that the beast, Satan, does not have any teeth!  He may hiss at us and not like us being here, finding us in his way.  But he knows that we have the power in us to prevent the world from ever having to say, ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’!   

Hoping Satan in always toothless in each of your lives!

Never Forgotten!

Dr. Mike Murphy
March 19, 2022

The stars that night filled the sky.  Their beauty did not escape him, and their elegance mesmerized him.  The heavens flickered with their presence, drawing his attention to look toward the One who had made them.  Who had placed each one there with a reason and a purpose in mind.  As he stared at those stars, he seemed to have counted each of them that night.  Sleep had escaped him, as the anxiety of what the coming day would bring filled his mind. As he lay looking up that night, the stars had been his escape, the one thing that keep his mind from what tomorrow held. As he focused on the stars, he realized how many of his forefathers had seen the stars as he was now seeing them. Looking up at them from the same land, the same angle at which he now saw them.  For years he had wondered if he would ever see the stars as his father had seen them.  His whole life he had seen the stars from a distant land, a land the generations before him had never known.  A land that had filled his life, but a land that did not hold his heart.  But as he looked up at the stars again, his heart sang, and his eyes filled with tears.  For the first time in his life, he knew he was home.

For weeks he had traveled to see those stars, to see the land that his father had so often walked.  The only land his grandfather had ever known.  The land his grandfather’s grandfather had fought for.  That so many of his ancestors had given their life for, and so many of his distant relatives had yearned for.  A land that the One who made the stars had drawn them to, and promised to them. The same land that he had prayed for a lifetime that he would have the chance to see.  He had prayed that if just for one night, he could look at the stars as he now looked up at them.

Tomorrow, he did not know what would lie ahead of him.  The task that now brought him here was overwhelming.  He had heard the reports of what tomorrow would show him.  The devastation that awaited him in the city that laid just over the hills before him.  The city he had heard about his whole life.  The city that filled his dreams, and was at the heart of many of his desires.  The glorious city that had filled all the stories he was told of in his youth.  The city that once held his heroes, and the city that held the graves of his relatives.  But those were worries for the next day.  Tonight he was thankful, thankful to the Lord for letting him just see the stars.

The next day would challenge him.  He must begin to restore the city, to rebuild the once great walls that protected that city.  Others had been called to task in the city before him.  But he knew the importance of task the Lord had called him to.  Without walls, a city was not a city.  Unprotected, waiting to fall to the devastation and destruction that now held it again.  But he knew he would not fail.  He knew this, because he knew that God would not let him fail.  God’s handwriting was on this city, and he knew that the Lord had a plan and a purpose for this city.  He knew that what God desired, what God foretold, would be accomplished.

For all the years of his life, he had heard the stories of the Lord, of His land, and of His city.  Stories that always lingered in the back of his mind, stories that were celebrated each year.  But as he had made his way home, those stories came to life.  He saw many of the places that had filled those stories.  His path had led him over the footsteps of his forefathers, footsteps that filled the joy and the tears of those stories.  But today, they had become more than stories. Today, he saw firsthand that the Lord had not abandoned his people, and that God had not forgotten them.  For not one day had He not walked each step with them, wanting nothing more than for them to again turn to Him.  His people may have forgotten God, but he now knew that God had not for a moment forgotten them.  And as he stared again at the stars that night, he once again remembered the One who made the stars.  And as he looked at those stars in amazement, he promised he would never again turn his face from the One who had made them.

I love to read the story of Nehemiah, and I can only imagine what it must have been like as he returned to Jerusalem.  The emotions that filled him, the task ahead that drove him.  Nehemiah’s story is a story of devotion, a story of forgiveness, a story of promise, a story of faithfulness, and yes, a story of love.  A story whose words stir my heart today the same as if I was travelling with Nehemiah those many years ago.  His words are more than just a story, in each word we see assurance and attainment of God’s Word.  In each word we see the hope that He has for everyone of us.

Nehemiah shows us just what our faith should be, and what God can do with that faith. Nehemiah’s story starts the way each of our stories should go.  When Nehemiah heard what had become of the city of his forefathers, Nehemiah did the one thing that could bring the greatest of results, the one thing that could address the problem immediately.  Nehemiah humbled himself and prayed(Nehemiah 1:4-10).  Nehemiah showed a willingness to put his words into action, and turned to the only One who could fulfill those words and put purpose to those actions.  In Nehemiah’s prayer we see him praise God, give thanks to God, repent before God, ask specific help of God, and make a commitment to God.  Nehemiah’s prayer teaches us three things.  It shows us that any problem we may be facing, it not a problem that God is not there to help us with.  It shows us that with God’s help, there is nothing we cannot overcome.  And it shows us that we have to be willing to allow God to work through us in order to often hear the answers to our prayers.

Nehemiah knew the promises that God had given his forefathers, and his people(Nehemiah 1:5).  Nehemiah also knew that God’s Word was unchanging, unfailing, and the promise He had made in the past held just as true as Nehemiah prayed. “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.”, Nehemiah 1:8-9.  Nehemiah trusted those words, and Nehemiah knew that God had not forgotten those words.

And forget, God had not!  Nehemiah restored the walls of Jerusalem in record time with the Lord’s help!  In fifty-two days, God accomplished through Nehemiah what many a man told him could never be accomplished.  He restored the walls and the gates that protected the earthly City of God, the place the Lord had chose to dwell on this earth.  What man had seen as impossible, God made simple.  And what man had destroyed, God made anew.  God had not forgotten His promise to His people, and the people saw that promise come to life as the walls went back up.  But through Nehemiah, the Lord had not just rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, He put into action another plan.  A plan wrapped in another promise.  A plan that would forever change the world!

As we read the words of Nehemiah, and how he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and the city, the words of Daniel jumps off the pages at us.  Another who had found himself exiled in Babylon, far from the city of his forefathers, wrote down the words that the Lord gave him.  Words that would foretell God’s ultimate plan for all mankind.  A plan that would bring an end to transgression and sin, that would atone for all wickedness, a plan that would bring everlasting righteousness, a plan that would conclude and seal all other prophecies, and a plan that would anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel’s seventy week prophecy(Daniel 9:24-27) gives us incredible specifics.  The angel Gabriel gave Daniel the exact times this prophecy would start and would end. “ So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.”, Daniel 9:25.  Nehemiah rebuilt the walls so the city would be protected, and then spent years overseeing the redevelopment of the city. Little did Nehemiah know where his faithfulness and willingness would lead.  Little did he know that his desire to put his prayers into action would be used in such a powerful way.  Little did he know that the decree he sought from the king to return and rebuild Jerusalem would lead to the greatest promise the world has, and will ever know. The next words that Gabriel gave Daniel from the Lord, tell us where this prophecy would lead.  “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing”, Daniel 9:26.  His faithful actions would trigger the timetable that would lead to Christ and His Crucifixion.  And as Gabriel would go on to give Daniel, to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the time period we know as the Tribulation, and the second return and reign of Christ(Daniel 9:26-27).  With each stone that Nehemiah laid to rebuild Jerusalem, his faithful actions paved the way for the Promised One!  God had not forgotten Nehemiah, nor had He forgotten the plans and promises that Nehemiah faithful actions would make him a part of!

The same can be said of each of us today!  When we are willing, there is no limit on what God can do with us and through us.  Each day, God seeks in us what He found in Nehemiah.  A heart that is filled with a hope that can only come from above, a faith that is never forgotten and ever present, and a willingness that is diligent to serve Him.  And as He finds those things in us, nothing is impossible with what He can accomplish through us!

Many of you may have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada, but few know her story.  As a teenager, she found herself doing what teenagers do.  One day, while swimming, she dove into a lake the same as she probably had many times before.  But on that day as she dove, her head hit bottom, breaking her neck and leaving her paralyzed from the neck down.  For months afterwards, she lived a life that was filled with despair.  It was during this time, that she found herself having to lay face down, staring at only the floor below her for a three week period. And if that was not trying enough, during one of these weeks she came down with a case of severe flu.  For several days, she found that not being able to move was nothing compared to not being able to breathe!

With all she faced, she felt that God had abandoned her.  But what she came to learn, was that the Lord had not for a day forgotten her, that the whole time He was standing right there beside her.  With a brush in her teeth, the Lord showed her that He still had an incredible purpose and plan for her life.  She has went on to paint many incredible paintings.  She has wrote over fifty books, and has a ministry that helps disabled people the world over see the purpose that the Lord has for their lives.  She has hosted a radio show, and spoke the world over about what Christ has done for her life.  And she has sang with an incredible voice in an award winning movie.  Each day her presence reminds us that with the Lord, nothing is impossible.  And each day she shows us that if we are willing, the Lord can use us in ways that are nothing short of amazing!

As you read the words of this article, I pray it will lead you to read the words of Nehemiah.  That it will inspire you to overcome, to not let man put limits on your life, the same way Joni Eareckson Tada has.  I pray that each of their stories will show you, that no matter what you may face, God is always there.  He will never abandon you, and He does not even know how to forget you.  I pray that each of you will come to know, it is not enough that we talk to God, we must also desire to walk with God.  Make His steps, your steps.  With each step, I pray you will see that there is nothing but beauty on the path where it will lead you. And with each step of that path, your life will be filled with opportunities to bring others to see the beauty of that path also.  I pray that each day,with each step, that walk will lead you to incredible places, to accomplish amazing things in His Name.  I pray that He will find you with a  willingness without limits, and a faith for Him that will know no boundaries.  And I pray that with each day of your life, you will not forget God.  Because each day that goes by with God, you are never forgotten!

Praying the Lord will find more than a little Nehemiah in each of you!

Vice Gripped, But Not Squeezed Of Hope!

 Dr. Mike Murphy

March 6, 2022

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,

As to be hated needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Through the years, I have often used this quote from An Essay On Man by Alexander Pope.  In thirty-two words, he describes with definition what it would take most of us pages to define.  Pope speaks of the wickedness we see around us, and how obvious it is to see that wickedness.  He goes on to speak of how man deals with that wickedness. How we will look to justify that wickedness, having sympathy for those caught up in that wickedness, and to eventually accept and welcome that wickedness.  

The dictionary defines the word “vice” as, moral depravity or corruption, abnormal behavior that is detrimental to health or usefulness.  As we look around this nation today, we do not have to look far to see each word of this definition. With each newscast and newspaper headline, we see the wickedness that is gripping this nation.  The face of our society shows us the vice that has gripped this nation today.  A vice that was once scorned, and every attempt was made to keep it from our society.  But a vice that over the years, we began to endure.  A vice we then began to excuse and take pity on.  And a vice today that we openly embrace, and have often tried to redefine as normal.

Sin has become the vice of this nation. Sin has become the frightful monster that now drives us, the familiar face that now governs over us.  We watch today as sin is not only being endured, as it is not only the pity of our society, we hear the words of our society as it tries to force our arms open to embrace it.  We watch as politicians and judges pass laws and hand down rulings in an attempt to change the face of sin.  Looking to give this vice of ours a facelift, in an attempt to show it as appealing to all around us.  A society that has determined they can better define sin than God ever could.

As we watch many of our political leaders climb the Tower of Babel, looking to again build a stairway to the heavens that will place themselves on equal footing with the Lord, we must remember the words that He once spoke to Moses.  In Leviticus 18:20-25, we hear the warning God gave about the nations of Canaan.  Warnings of action that would cause the Lord to raise His hand against a nation.  We see that warning start with adultery.  We then see it move on to child sacrifice, what we would call abortion today.  God then warns of homosexuality.  Then, He finally warns of sexual behavior so perverse that it is seen as nothing less than an abomination in His eyes.  All actions that God said had defiled the land. Actions that make us look a lot like the Canaanites today. As we read these words, we must ask ourselves, if God judged the Canaanites for such actions, why would we expect Him to do anything less to us today?

Will God judge this nation as He did the Canaanites?  Or will this nation find a Jonah on our shores, and fall to our knees before the Lord?  I pray for His mercy, and my trust is grounded in that mercy.  I pray that God will awaken this Church, and thousands of Jonah’s will be called on to bring His truth again to this nation.  I know, without a single doubt, that He alone is able.  He has done it before, and we must fervently pray that He will do it again.

Will this call to the Church come easy?  I fear it will not.  I fear this nation and this society will look at us mockingly.  I fear they will look to silence us, instead of opening their ears to the words the Lord has called us to speak.  I even fear they may look to persecute us, making many in this Church fearful to open their mouth.  But never forget, God changed the hearts of many in Nineveh with a reluctant Jonah.  Many stand in His presence today because a reluctant Jonah spoke the words to Nineveh the Lord called on Him to speak. How many hearts could be touched today if a reluctant Church would once again find its’ voice?

Church, do not let the fear of persecution frighten you.  Let those stripes of persecution encourage you.  Rejoice in each stripe this world gives you.  Wear each of those stripes with pride.  Let the words of Christ rally you, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:10).  Never forget, you hold the answer.  The answer to every question this world has ever asked.  The answer to every question this nation has today.  Hope is found in that answer, Christ is that answer! Do not keep that answer quiet in you, shout that answer so everyone may hear!  If others shout another answer mockingly back at you, shout louder! Do not let their threatening answers quiet you.  Remember the words Paul gave you, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”(Romans 1:16).

Do not wait for others to speak first, let God first speak through you.  Do not wait for another to lead you, let the Lord guide you, and others will follow. Many in the Church today see men and women who pour out the heart daily for Christ, and point to them with praise, proclaiming how extraordinary they are.  But talk to any of these men and women, they will be the first to tell you they do not look to be seen as extraordinary, but wish the Church would see them as ordinary.  That what they are seen as doing was the normal, not the exception. Let Christ move through each of you, so that this Church is seen as extraordinary. Let this nation see what extraordinary things Christ can do through each of us, so that an ordinary world may want what we have.

I will give you a prime example of this, at the sake of embarrassing a young couple that I know.  They would be seen as an ordinary couple by this world’s standards.  Both have normal jobs, and attend a small church.  But the love of Christ that is seen in each, makes both far from ordinary.  When their church needed someone to lead the music on Sunday morning, she was the first to raise her hand.  She would be the first to tell you, others have a much better voice than she does.  But she stands on Sundays and sings with all her might. Not because she has to, but because the Lord has called her to.  She does it because Christ needs her to, and she does not question what Christ needs.

Her husband, does many things quietly for the church.  He is there to do the things many never see, but the things Christ needs him to do so that others may hear the message of the Lord. Today, he is looking to go into the ministry. At a time when others are running from the Word of God, he is running to it.  Not because he has to, but because Christ needs him to.  He goes, without question, where Christ leads him.

Church, be this couple!  Be the extraordinary!  Do not just hear His voice, follow His voice.  Go where He leads you.  Show this nation, by your words and actions, what they are missing.  Let them know the truth that only Christ can bring, and show them the difference that only Christ can make.  Go wherever Christ leads you, and bring the people of this nation with you.  Speak each word that He gives you, and let all around you watch as you bring those words to life.

Listen closely Church.  The sound that you have tried to keep in the background is a familiar voice.  A voice that keeps calling you, a voice that keeps reminding you.  A voice that grows louder each day.  A voice that calls you for this very hour.  I beg of you, do not ignore that voice any longer!  Call out to that voice, and go where it leads you.  This does not have to be a time in this nation that silences us.  Make this a time that emboldens us. Do not let this world tell you this is the Church’s last hour, make this the Church’s finest hour.

We live in a day where all we see makes us shake our head.  We live in a day where we see the smile forming on evil’s face.  We watch the events unfold, and we look to the sky as we know that His return draws close.  Let “close” reminds us of the importance of each day, of how vital each hour is.  Let us not waste a single second, let us make the most of the precious moments we have left.  Let us spend each of these moments fulfilling the call that He gave us, bring the Great Commission to life(Matthew 28:18-20).  Let us not forget, facing this day every word the Apostles gave us carries more importance than ever.  Let us put each of their words into action, reaching more than we could have ever imagined in these final moments we have left.  So on the day He appears in the clouds, and calls us with a shout, we can flood the sky with the souls of those we have reached.

As for this nation, where America will fall on the future day of judgement(Matthew 25:31-46), I can only pray.  But through it all, this is a nation I am willing to fight for.  A nation, with every ounce of my heart, I know this Church is being called to lead this fight for.  It is time the Church put on its’ armor(Ephesians 6:11), and let the Lord lead us onto the battlefield.  As I enter this battle, each stripe I take I will do so with joy.  Each wound I inflect, will just embolden me more.  As the Lord calls me, I will gladly spend my days pointing out the evil that thinks it has surrounded us.  But I will not get so caught up in pointing out evil that I forget to point everyone to Christ.  Evil may think it has imprisoned us, but I call on this Church to show evil, we are a slave to Christ, not to sin(Romans 1:1).  May the Lord raise my voice on this battlefield, and allow me to shout each of my days.  On the day when He calls me home, may I leave this world hoarse, having shouted every word He called me to speak.

Satan may think He has a “vice grip” on this Church and this nation.  Time to remind him, once Christ Jesus gets His arms around us, a single squeeze can eliminate all sin!

Praying Christ leads you to be extraordinary in this battle!