don't believe the lies

… the devil … He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The poster above is from www.potsc.com (People of the Second Chance) and a series called “Label Lies”. So many of us have believed the lies that have been told about us. Someone said “you are no good” or “you will never amount to any thing” or “you are a corrupt ex-con”. Those things might have been true at one time, but if you let God work in your life, those things will become lies.

Let me remind us that Satan is a liar. As the verse above plainly says, it is the character of the devil, Satan, to be a liar and to tell lies. He lies to us and to the world about God, and he lies to us about who we are and who we are about.

Meet Steve. I first heard about this dude from his girlfriend who attends The Community Fellowship where I am pastor. Steve was about to get out of prison, and we would meet him soon. When he first walked in the door, he held his head low and most of the time looked down. But things have changed in his life so much.

Last year Steve began to volunteer full-time with the church and The Community Dream Center. Since then we’ve been able to hire him part-time. What inspires me and others more than anything is how God has changed this man and how Steve is now pouring his life into others. I have listened to Steve speak honestly into the lives of several broken and hurting people. Steve speaks as man who has “been there” and who is now a brand new man.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Steve was a “corrupt ex-con” but now is living as a man who has met God and is allowing God to remold and remake his life. Steve and his girlfriend are now married and so blessed. They have their issues and aren’t perfect. But they are honest, and they are sharing their lives with others.

It is time for us to get honest and to stop believing the lies that Satan or anyone else says to us or about us. Believe what God says. Live it out.

I am so proud of Steve as my co-worker and friend. There are greater days coming for all of us. We are called to speak life into others as I have been doing for Steve and now he is doing for others!

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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