Author Michael

Topic #1 Biblical Decision Making

Michael Leave a comment

Decisions, decisions, decisions! –

(A response to Chris Hamilton’s lecture and Biblical Decision Making)

Do you want a mocha or a latte? Hyundai or Lexus? USC or UCLA? Which one do I choose? Is it a sin to choose the mocha!?!? What if I’m not in God’s will and I choose UCLA but God wanted me to choose USC? Or maybe I decided to ask out Christine instead of Monica! Our life is ultimately determined by God. He is perfectly orchestrating everything according to his will. However, from a human perspective, we are making decisions every day that impact our lives. And this is the great paradox. God is sovereign but we are responsible to act according to his will. So how in the world do we go about making Biblical Decisions?

There are many, many examples of bad decisions in the Bible. David choosing to kill Uriah and living a lifetime of consequences. Israel deciding to not repent. Below are the two principles I learned*

Principle 1- You decisions change nothing

Principle 2- We must make good decisions.

God is sovereign. He created the heavens and the Earth. He is orchestrating everything according to His purposes and His plans. We are exactly where He wants us to be at the moment. Yahweh is in control and His purposes will come to pass. Hannah’s prayer is a great example of this! 1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said,

“my heart exults in yahweh

my horn is exalted in Yahweh;

My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I am glad in your slavation.

“There is no one holy like Yahweh; Indeed, there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.

“Do not multiply speaking so very proudly; let arrogance not come out of your mouth; For Yahweh is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed.

“The bows of the mighty are shattered, but those who stumble gird on strength.

“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, but she who has many children languishes.

“Yahweh puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

Yahweh makes poor and rich; he brings low; He exalts.

“He raises the poor from the dust; He exalts the needy from the ash heap.

To make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s, And He set the world on them. “He keeps the feet of His holy ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness, for not by power shall a man prevail.

“Those who contend with Yahweh will be dismayed; against them He will thunder in the heavens;

Yahweh will render justice to the ends of the earth, and he will give strength to his king, and he will exalt the horn of his anointed.”|

Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the young boy ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.

Yahweh has the power to give and take away. He allows people to be rich and allows others to be poor. Whatever our situation, we are right where He wants us to be!

Our most important decision

-The most important decision we will ever make is to repent and believe. Many know the truth but not all will repent. Repentance is granted to us by God (2 Timothy 2:25)

If God is sovereign, why make decisions?

So do we just let go and let God? We are responsible for making decisions. Decisions that are obedient to God, authorities, and scripture as long as we aren’t required to sin. We make decisions with pure motives, wise decisions that glorify God in everything we do. There will be consequences to the decisions but we have the body to help us through and get counsel!

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

So no, getting a mocha IS NOT SIN in relation to getting a latte. It’s a preference issue. Choosing Monica over Christine is a preference issue. Now there may be some principals we can apply to make the wisest decisions, but ultimately, there is freedom in Christ.

Final thoughts

People will give all sorts of counsel. People will say things are sin when they aren’t. Or they may say your reasoning is not a good reason for the decision you are trying to make. Where do we look? We always go back to scripture and make decisions based on that. Ultimately, our decisions are not based on what someone says but what scripture says. We need to make sure we are Bereans, studying the Word every day for our own benefit, the benefit of others, and glorifying God to the end of our days. It is ok to disagree with a counselor as long as the decision doesn’t involve sin. Preference issues are a matter of choice. However, we will all give an account to God based on how we make decisions and the principals we applied. But there is joy knowing that God is in control, he is sovereign, and we can make decisions in accordance with His will. Just make a decision and trust in God’s sovereignty and providence. A truth that I need to remind myself of every day.

Fired

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The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. This was THE DAY. The day that I would find out if I still had a job. If I still had a credential. As I briskly walked into the administration office, I could sense the irateness of the HR director. The words that came out of her mouth slowly sputtered out “You are terminated.” Terminated for what? Separation of Church and State.

What happened? How did Michael Suzuki get fired? I’ll start off by saying that I love the kids I teach. They are in 7th grade and I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a child. Sometimes, you just know. You know what your God-given desires are and what you are called to do. Investing in the next generation is an important task. A task that impacts the futures and destinies of those being taught. Live out your convictions- more words I learned from the Pastors that I have grown up with over the years. Now it was all coming to fruition- Everything I believed was going to be tested in this moment. Would I cave into the culture and live out what I believe?

One student asked, “Do you support the LBGTQ community?” Was this a legitimate question? Was this a setup? I’m not sure but I just answered truthfully. Students were claiming to be homosexual and Christian. Out of love, I told them that it’s not possible to be homosexual and Christian. I gave them the Gospel message and told them that being a Christian is about the heart. We are sinners in need of God’s grace. To be a Christian, one must repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He was raised from the dead and is the only one who can forgive sins. This is our hope. An habitual, unrepentant lifestyle of any sin is characteristic of an unbeliever. It’s not possible to be homosexual and Christian. Unbelievers are going to hell but there is hope in the Gospel message.

God is working through this. I’m just thankful I had the opportunity to give the Gospel message to the students that are deceived. The ones that think they can be homosexual and Christian. In fact, we can’t be heterosexual and Christian if we are living in unrepentant, habitual fornication either. The Gospel frees from the Power and Penalty of sin toward new desires and a new heart that wants to obey. God can use this as a means for salvation to accomplish His purposes.

What now? I’m not sure what the future holds. I’m being diligent in applying to jobs and am open to anything at this point. But I don’t live for a job. Katie Davis Majors once said- “the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people’s lives and their eternity. And that’s worth spending my life for.” We aren’t all called to be missionaries but we are called to be faithful to the Gospel message and proclaim Christ. It’s a message of utmost value. Like Diamonds. However, diamonds do not last forever. EVEN diamonds eventually turn into graphite over billions of years. It may seem like diamonds have supreme value and last forever but the Gospel message never goes away and is infinitely more valuable than diamonds because it affects eternity. Lets remain faithful to what has eternal value. Infinite value. What do you value with your life and are we willing to stand up for the truth? Could I do it again? I’m not sure. I was never looking to get fired but the Holy Spirit enabled me to stand firm. The goal is to be faithful and one day, He will say good job faithful servant. Lets live for that day and influence those around us! Let the love of Christ indwell your heart so much that we would want to give the message because of what He has done for us. For one day we will give an account with how we stewarded our time, what we said, and how we impacted the Kingdom of God. Judgment is coming for unbelievers and Glory awaits those that are saved. What a great truth we can set our minds and hearts on as we try to be representatives and ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Stay faithful.

Graciousness

Michael Leave a comment

3 Gs For A Better Life : Gratitude, Graciousness and Generosity ...

Today I came across a post by Jim martin. Here is what he said are the 10 qualities of graciousness.

A gracious person is slow to take credit and quick to lavish praise. 

A gracious person never seeks to embarrass another. Humiliating another is not in this person’s vocabulary.  (And
please don’t say something that humiliates another and then try to escape responsibility by saying, “I was only joking.”)
A gracious person is always thanking others.  Do you go through an entire day without thanking another? 

A gracious person doesn’t monopolize the conversation. Someone else has something to offer.
A gracious person doesn’t try to play one-upmanship. (That’s nothing, you should have seen what I did!”) 

A gracious person pays attention to people. Sometimes people come away from such conversations saying, “He made me feel like I was the most important person at that moment.”
A gracious person desires to say what is appropriate. He doesn’t just say what is on his mind or whatever he might be thinking. (There is no redeeming value in emptying one’s mind of whatever fleeting thought has happened to land at the moment.)

A gracious person looks out for the comfort of others.<!–
A gracious person understands that she is not indispensable. You’ve
seen this person.  She desires constant attention.  She has a way of
constantly focusing most any conversation back on herself.  There is a
humility in realizing that you are dispensable. A gracious person constantly points out the good that he sees  “Would you like a cup of coffee?  What about a coke?  Can I get you a newspaper while I’m out?”

A gracious person looks for the good.  Maybe
you are visiting a friend who lives in another place.  Instead of
pointing out the inadequacies of your friend’s community, you are
constantly finding things that are good.  “This cafe has outstanding
peach pie!  That was delicious.”  “I just love the way you have planted
your garden.  It is beautiful!” 

That’s a great list! What else would I add?

Gracious people are gracious to everyone regardless of what they’ve done. They have an innate ability to make the day of other people better. People have needs including respect, being highly valued, feeling important, and conversing with others. They are slow to get frustrated, angry, or make assumptions but quick to love, interact, invite, elevate, and be a blessing to others through their words and deeds. Being warm, welcoming, elevating others, making others comfortable, being easy to talk to, being open to talk to, and thinking the best of others are great qualities for a gracious person to have. Gracious people will make your day better; you’ll look forward to meeting them and interacting with them.

Do you have any other thoughts on the quality of being gracious? I’d love to hear your comments.

 

 

 

Gossip

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gossip

“I have never seen adultery send a whole church into meltdown. Gossip is perceived as a little sin but it destroys church.” -Unknown

Wow. What a statement. I’m not sure who wrote that but that woke me up. Gossip can be seen as an accepted sin in any community. And the fact is that it is accepted. The problem is that sin is sin and there’s no such thing as a sin that is accepted. We need to repent! I’ve even heard gossip about people that are passionate about scripture, posting verses, on fire for God. We need more of that. We don’t need more passive men but people that are on a holy pursuit of righteousness and character.

Why do I feel a need to write about Gossip?

I’m concerned about the unity of the church. I’m concerned that this particular sin is justified and accepted. I need a review of this. It’s a communal effort and I think we need a good understanding of the implications. What is Gossip and how do we handle it?

Definition-

Gossip is speaking against someone that you would never say to their face. (Speaking negatively against someone and running their reputation.) It has an inverse relationship to flattery.

Flattery- Saying something to someone that you would never say behind their back. It’s telling someone nice things that aren’t true.

What are some implications of Gossip?

  1. At the core of Gossip is a sense to lift yourself up and put someone else down. We feel a sense of superiority over another person.
  2. Sows distrust among people
  3. Harms our spiritual witness and faith. How can someone trust you with the Word of God and what He says when you are gossiping all the time?
  4. Destroys your integrity- Gossips are perceived as having worse characters. If someone gossips about others, they are likely gossiping about you.
  5. Harms or ends friendships
  6. Ruins reputations

From Midwestern Seminary:

  • Gossip is a sly and sneaky sin that can destroy the unity of a church.
  • Gossip points to self importance; ministry and service point to the importance of others.
  • There is never a time when gossip helps or builds up.
  • Once gossip is out about someone, it’s hard to correct it if it’s false.
  • Gossip not only hurts the reputation of the subject, but of those who pass it on as well.
  • If someone gossips about someone to you, they’d likely gossip about you to someone else.
  • Gossip is a very evil and destructive force within the church.
  • Churches should have an environment of trust that does not allow for gossip.
  • Every church covenant should address gossip.

Gossip has the power to damage careers, ministry, and families. How can we respond in a Godly with Gossip?

Think. Are you part of the problem or solution? If not it’s gossip. Are you listening to a gossiper? That’s a form of gossip because you are saying you are ok with the gossip. That you have an attentive ear to what they are saying. Shut it down.

Play the role of advocate- stick up for the defenseless person in the conversation- the person not in the room. Say something good about them or like we don’t have all the facts.

What is our typical response when someone hurts or offends us? We tell 10 friends and gossip about them, ruining their reputation. I think the correct response is to solve the problem with that particular person instead of damaging their reputation. If we can’t still work it out, go to the elders.

Last things

Talking about someone really has two options. We can say words that are life giving or life depleting. We can begin to see Gossip as facts when they are actually only rumors. We can look at a person through the lens of the gossip or through the lens of scripture. We can start assuming things about people including their motivations for everything they do. It’s not healthy and it’s never edifying.

How do you respond to the person being gossiped about?

Maybe you see this person in real life. There are rumors going around. We need to love this person. I think true love starts with the mind. When you engage in conversations with this person, what are you thinking? Are you thinking about the gossip or just trying to love this person genuinely? Are you maintaining eye contact and expressing body language that suggests genuine interest in this person or are you being cold and disregarding your brother? Do you look down on this person? What is your motivation for engaging with this person? Yes, we need to have unity in the church but that isn’t the ultimate motivation. The motivation  is a genuine love for beleivers and unbelievers. Its about forming love into our character as a pattern of life because of the Gospel. Its about sanctification and setting an example for others to follow. We have a responsibility to love others well through our thoughts, words, and deeds. We have a responsibility to care about the unity of the church. Lets get back to treating gossip as a serious sin and love as an essential responsibility.

Where’s the Line Between Helpful Info-Sharing and Office Gossip?

Kobe Bryant

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-One day I’m going to teach. And I’m going to tell them about Kobe Bryant.

Image result for kobe bryant leadership

My first basketball experience-

Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. I saw kids playing basketball at the courts when I was about 13. I never played basketball. Ever. But I just jumped in. My philosophy has always been that sometimes we need to just take a risk, fail miserably, and learn from our mistakes. I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines. If you don’t try, you’ll never know how good you are. I’d rather fail miserably than wonder what if and not take action. So I did. I jumped in with no experience. And I made a fool of myself. (Literally running with the basketball like a football player.) But that’s ok. I learned how to play basketball. I learned about traveling, double dribble, goal tending, how to defend, how to shoot, screening, etc. I learned a lot. Kobe inspired me. I saw him on TV in the finals against the Celtics. I saw him win multiple championships. And I always pondered-

How does one get to THAT level? And what’s the definition of success?

Mentors-

Most of us have someone we can look up to. Whether that be your dad, your mom, a sports figure, etc. They’ve done it. They’ve been there. Kobe looked up to MJ. Everyone did. Kobe asked questions from great people so he could learn and execute. It’s amazing to me how children tend to emulate the characteristics of the people they most respect. Kobe used to bring is daughter aged 15 to come work out with him at 4 AM. That’s what we need. We need people to challenge us. Convict us. Encourage us.

The Legacy Of Kobe Bryant

Image result for kobe bryant career accolades

Quotes from Kobe-

Losing is a good thing. It means your weaknesses are exposed. Find the answer for success. Collect data on what went well. What needs to improve. Have an honest conversation. Face it. Learn from it.

“If you put in the work, anything is possible”

“Getting great at something is just math. If you are putting in 2-3 hours a day and everyone else is putting in 1.5 hours a week, you start gaining separation.”

“Are you doing everything you can to be the best version of yourself?

“Winners don’t make excuses. Do you want to be the best? Come with me. You want second place? Go somewhere else. ”

“Reach A level you don’t think is possible.”

-Leaders make tactical adjustments and are very specific. They don’t just say we are going to get better. They know how and tell their team.

Image result for Kobe bryant passing to shaq

Stories of Kobe

-He pulled back and didn’t score 40 pts a game so Shaq could move forward

-Shooting in the dark…..at 4 AM

-Watching every single game and learning every minute detail of how to improve……and how to help his teammates improve. Even analyzing the energy between the teammates.

Putting it all together

The loss of Kobe was tragic indeed. It happened just a few weeks ago. But his influence lives on. We’ve all been in Kobe’s shoes when he didn’t score one point as a 10 year old in a basketball league. But he didn’t get discouraged. He made a menu of skills and started practicing relentlessly every day. Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team in high school; but he persevered. Whenever I fail, I look to how the greats persevered through their trials and continued on. I reflect on how I was 13 and just jumped in to a basketball game. Kobe is part of that. Fail. Look like a fool. Lose. Let your weaknesses be exposed. Get better. Don’t make excuses. Have a great work ethic. And inspire the people around you. I like that. Set a goal and go for it. Nothing comes easy and it for sure didn’t come easy for Kobe Bryant. Inspire the people around you. I’d also add check your heart. We always need to have the proper motivation for what we do. Thank you Kobe.

From the Legend, John Wooden-UCLA Basketball Coach

Image result for john wooden definition of successImage result for john wooden definition of success