Masks

Today is Halloween! Children are getting excited about candy and what costume they will wear and parents are getting ready to brave the cold as they walk their children around to go trick-or-treating, or maybe the family is going to a harvest party. There are also those who will shut themselves away because a belief that Halloween is not a place for those who love Jesus.

Just a quick side note before we dive into our weekly devotional. This night that some avoid and others embrace will be full of your neighbors coming to your door giving you an opportunity to show a love and compassion that they may not see anywhere else. If we shut our doors and turn off our lights to boycott this evening are we missing an opportunity to show our world a truth that will change their forever?

Whether you choose to participate or not, this evening you will see people walking around with all kinds of masks. I was walking through Savers looking for a costume for my children and my son walks up to me with the craziest mask on. I remember asking myself, “Why in the world would anyone choose to wear a mask like that?” That is when the Lord began asking me questions about my own masks that I wear at times even on days when it is not a Holiday or costume party. There are times that I take my true self and feelings and hide it behind this false wall so people won’t be disappointed in me and in order to fulfill what it seems they are expecting. As I have gotten older, the Lord has challenged me to peel away these masks and for the most part I have learned how to be real in each situation that He has placed me in. Yet, even still there are times I am tempted to hide my feelings and thoughts instead of being honest with those around me. Why do we do this? What is in us that is so scared of being ourselves? Here are a few thoughts that might go through your mind that has kept you fearful of taking of the masks.

• If they only new who I really was!

• Nobody really cares to know the truth anyway!

• It won’t hurt anyone!

• Why disappoint?

• I don’t even like myself- How will they like me?

I am sure there are more thoughts that you can think of as to why you wear the masks that you do or are tempted to. Part of maturity in Christ is being able to take of the masks and stand in a crowded room simply being you. Here are some beginning steps that will help you peel away the false self and introduce to everyone who you really are. It might be scary to take these steps. Be brave and courageous! God did not create you to be hidden away.

1. Start by being honest with God.
This may be the hardest step of the journey, but it is the most important. The Lord already Loves you and has accepted you for who you are. As you wear these masks it breaks His heart because He has created you to be so much more brilliant and amazing than that mask you are wearing. I find that it is through worship that the Lord is able to strengthen and encourage who Kristopher is and who God has made me to be.

2. Then be honest with yourself
Look at what you are doing and how you are acting. Is this really you? Is this who God made you to be? It is always nice to think everyone in church really are as happy as they look on Sunday, but some of the loneliest people are sitting next to you on a Sunday morning. Take some time to dream and ask the Lord to show you how to be real. There maybe some that are reading this that have worn their mask for so long that they would not recognize themselves if the mask was taken off. Trust me! You can only begin growing in your walk with the Lord when you face the real you. Taking off the mask is step #1 in maturity.

3. Find one person that you love and trust and be honest with them
Choose wisely who this might be. If you do not have that type of friend then go to your pastor or a counselor. However, being honest in front of other people will allow you to feel better about yourself. Having integrity always will have a better result than lying. It may be difficult at first, but it will get easier. When I am struggling I go to my wife. She helps remind me that all I have to be is what God has made me to be.

4. Begin living this daily in front of others
There may be some of you who try to say that this is not a problem or it isn’t a temptation for those in the church. Even Peter, who was to be the rock that the church was built upon, dealt with this issue. As Jesus was being beaten, the Bible tells us that Peter was watching from the courtyard and three different people came and asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. Peter at that point pulled his mask on tighter and tighter and emphatically denied Christ. There is a cost to walking in this type of integrity, and yet I believe the cost of keeping our masks on is far greater and much more damaging.

Psalm 139
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

If this scripture is true and I believe it is! There is no reason to hide. Make a decision today to take off the mask and be who God created you to be. Whether you choose to take part in this Holiday or not, today is the day that the Lord has made and I encourage you to rejoice in it.

Joyful Attitudes?!?!?

“So how am I supposed to respond when you tell me something that I do not like? Do you want me to act like I am happy?” Noah Dahir

This was a conversation that spawned over some very important decisions that were made in the life of an 11 year old. It was late and we were coming home from football practice and I told him the week before that if he did good at his football game that I would buy him a large slurpy. (Yes, we do bribe our kids sometimes.) Like I said, it was late and I didn’t want him to get sick off of too much sugar. I told him that he could have a slurpy now, but it would have to be a medium or he can wait and we will get him a large one. All of a sudden he went from being my happy go lucky child and began turning into an 11 year old who did not get what he wanted. I told him that I did not like his attitude and then he asked me the profound question that began our devotional for the week.

You may ask, “What does this story have to do with you and I?” Think for a moment to the last time that you did not get what you wanted. Maybe it was a situation at home, at work, with a friend, or even a decision that it seems the God of this universe has made. The large slurpy represents how you think things should be or what you feel you deserve. It is crucial that we do understand that it does not mean that the large slurpy image is actually better. It simply represents what we think would make sense. The medium slurpy represents the door b and what could be the Lord’s plan from the beginning of time.

Here was my advice to my son and what I am trying to learn for my own life.
1. Don’t let an unwelcome answer or unmet expectation poison the possibilities that are available.

2. It is important to express your disappointment, but make sure it is the right time, right place, and to the right person

3. If you find yourself getting a bad attitude, fight it and be in control of your actions. You can never control what someone else says or does, but you can control yourself; or at least you should control yourself.

4. Trust that somehow, someway the Lord will fulfill all of His promises. Usually the worst will come out of us when we begin to think that we cannot trust the Lord with our personal needs and dreams.


In conclusion:

You can either look at your life and focus on all of the things you did not get, that have hurt you, or areas that were unfair, and let that set the tone for the day or situation you are about to face or you can learn from those things and decide to enjoy the good that is placed in front of you. I personally believe that even the simplest things can be turned to gold when touched with a heart that is joyful and knows how to trust in the Lord.

Romans 12:11-13
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

This devotional was used with permission of my son Noah. Thank you Noah for allowing us all to learn along side you. You are a wonderful young man and I love you very much. He did want you all to know that this story has been copy written and can not be used again without Noah Kristopher Dahir’s personal written permission.

Pleasing the Lord

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”- Psalm 19:14

This is my goal. To simply speak good wholesome and encouraging words, that the things that I ponder upon, put my brain juice and personal emotions towards, would please my Lord. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? Did someone who affects your world wake up on the wrong side of the bed? This morning I was helping babysit my nephew and niece and watched how one of them wanted nothing more but to hang out and enjoy a day of toys. He had no regard for what happened yesterday, definitely was not thinking about tomorrow, and was just enjoying the moment he was in. That is until my niece decided to share some of her little grumpiness with her brother. It was funny because I sat here and watched her decide that if she was going to be a grump then for sure others should join her. I would like to say that this is a child-like behavior and that we grow out of these actions and habits; but we don’t. I might even be brave enough to say that our children learn some of these behaviors from us.

Whichever position you find yourself in today, our application to this weeks devotion is very simple- refocus on things that are pleasing to the Lord. He has taken care of the details of our day that bring life. All of the other sources we run to for hope will ultimately bring confusion.

Take the time to stop and write down the top ten things that bring joy to your heart and then thank the Lord for them.

Here are mine…

1. A secure place to find hope. Running to the Lord has always brought me back to my feet and gave me the strength longer than I thought possible.

2. My Melissa, I love waking up and having her in my arms.

3. Watching my oldest son take each step of life and becoming such a wonderful young man.

4. Standing with my son Noah as he dreams about his future with sports, friends, and life.

5. Being able to see and be with my family here in Reno. The kids are loud at times but we sure do love being around to see them grow.

6. Knowing that I have friends who pray for, believe in, and want the best for me and my family.

7. Being a part of helping other learn how to take steps towards the Lord and find the same hope and peace that I get to walk in.

8. I get to take my wife out tonight. Yay for dates!

9. Taking classes in school and doing well. It makes me feel like my life is moving forward to accomplish something that is bigger than myself.

10. Having a Guinness!

Walking Miracles

Isaiah 11:1-5

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

It is now time to step into a world that most people avoid. It is the world of Godly judgment and righteousness. Most of society love to hear about how God loves them no matter what and that God’s arms are open so wide, how He has closed His eyes to their short comings, and how He doesn’t even smell the stench that has entangled their lives. All of these things bring a great smile to my face and they are even fun to preach about. However, we must remember that the God of this universe, as laid out in scripture, is also a just God and is full of righteousness and truth. God has not closed His eyes to your sin and yes, his olfactory (the smelling part of a nose) is not broken. He sees it all and smells it all, but has chosen to not make you pay the consequences by allowing Jesus Christ to die for our short comings and take on the punishment for our depravity. Sin is not to be looked at lightly and the fact that we are human does not give us a get out of jail free card whenever we choose to jump into the deep end of the world and its muck and mire. God has made a way to continue relationship and yet, we will always suffer the consequences for our sin.

I saw this article that made me laugh, as the person writing it was a bit extreme and possibly is the type of person who has painted his car and his house with messages of God’s destruction. But this title was so true and it brings into the light the balance of how the Lord’s forgiveness and love is applied.

What Happens In Vegas
… Is RECORDED In Heaven!

Being from Vegas myself and watching the gaming business exploit people and find ways to tempt its visitors and residence with destruction has been very sad and heart breaking. While I was a pastor in Las Vegas, there were many prayers sent out asking the Lord for direction of how to make a difference in a place that is trying to drag everyone to the pit. I do believe that God is doing wonderful things in Las Vegas and some of the most wonderful people I have ever met have been placed there to help keep the Lord’s name shining bright.

The point of this man’s article is based out of the book of Revelations.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” -Revelation 20:12

I cannot even begin to explain to you what this will look like or mean to each of us. However, I do know that there will be a time to give an account for every word that has been spoken, attitude formed and action agreed to. This scripture is not one that has a lot of popularity today and I would be shocked to see it placed in a church growth book of messages to get more people in your church. And yet, the fact that the God of scripture is loving and righteous at the same time must be up held for all to see. He does care about the sin in your life. He does want you to be a good husband, wife, father, mother, child, friend, neighbor, employee, boss, and stranger. Choosing to follow the Lord in these areas does not earn your way into heaven. He has already taken care of that part of the equation.

Ultimately, the goal is not based upon anything we have or experience here on this earth. It is based upon that future time in heaven with our maker. There are many horrible decisions that I have made in my past and will have to stand before my God and face those head on. But starting today, right now, right here, I can make decisions to be able to stand in front of the creator of the universe and hear the words spoken in Matthew 25:21.

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”

And so can you!

God does love you and has a great plan for you. Even if yesterday was full of great shame and self-disappointment. Today is a new day; full of new opportunities to honor the Lord and be an example for others to see what kind of miracles our God is capable of. Your life is that walking miracle!

What Do We Fear?

The next portion of our study, out of Isaiah 11, brings us to a subject that seems to only bring confusion for the Christian of the 20th century. People are taught about a loving God that is only full of good and promises. If this is all that is to our God then why do we need to fear Him? Why did Jesus delight in the fear of the Lord? There are many religions out there that take pieces of scripture they like and create the God that makes sense to them and that is comfortable. As Christian men and women, we do not believe that is an accurate action to take. We believe that we take scripture and apply it to our daily life- even if it causes us to be uncomfortable. I believe that part of the problem in the church and with those who call themselves children of God is the casualness by which God is approached and revered. Yes, God is called many things in scripture and longs to have an intimate relationship with each of us. His hope is that His children will feel comfortable to rest in His mighty arms to find the rest and healing needed. But He is also our Almighty God, who deserves the respect and honor that brings a natural fear and awe upon approaching His very presence.

After people watching for the last 37 years and evaluating my own heart, I have learned that people worship what they fear. This may sound strange, but take a moment and see if it applies. When someone learns that they have a debilitating disease or find themselves in a relationship or financial crisis, a fear begins to set in of the future. If they try to carry it on their own then this fear begins to consume their time. That which we give our heart, mind, and time to is where our worship is given. However, if those same people believed that the Lord was more powerful than the financial crisis, health issue, or relationship turmoil, then they would keep their focus on the Lord and not spend their days reeling and tormented by the circumstances in place. Over the years, I have lost my focus many times and have begun to be consumed by the disappointments of the day instead of being faithful to trusting the Lord. I thank the Lord for His guidance and for staying faithful to me, even when my eyes become blinded to His amazing power and love.

Isaiah 11:1-5

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt

I challenge you to stop and evaluate what gets your worship.

Are you more afraid of your present circumstance than you are of a life absent of the presence of God?

If it has been some time since you have spent time with the Lord, He does not have a whipping stick that is prepared for you. He is waiting for you to choose Him once more and He has nothing but good, honest, fulfilling love in store for you. Be careful. Approach the Lord with the understanding that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but also as His son or daughter. When you begin to step into His presence you may feel out of place or as if you do not deserve to be in that place and will be tempted to run. These feelings are fully understood and should be followed; that is if the Lord had not paid the price for all of our shortcomings. Spend some time with your Jesus today. He has given His very life to be able to have that personal time with you. You do not need to run and hide anymore...

Why the Holy Spirit?

Isaiah 11:1-5

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

This scripture tells us about our Saviour who came to this earth to bring us life and be an example for those who choose to follow. The key elements that I see in this prophecy about the coming Messiah are the Holy Spirit and His affect, the fear of the Lord that He not only walked in but he delighted in, righteousness that affected every decision made, and a faithfulness that was always present. This prophecy, that was just read, has been fulfilled in every way by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I hope to take the next few weeks to focus in on these qualities of Christ and help make sense how we can apply them to our daily decisions.

This week I will focus on verse 2.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD –

What does it mean to have the Spirit of the Lord rest upon Him? Is this some type of strange ethereal concept or is this a practical possibility for you and me?

To answer this question let’s look at more scripture and the words of Jesus himself.

Acts 1:4-5
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Jesus himself came to this earth and showed us how to be led, filled, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Then made it very clear that His disciples should not even think about being a part of any ministry until the Holy Spirit does His work. This is the same mandate for us today. Jesus didn’t function without the Holy Spirit guiding Him and so what makes us think that we should be making any decisions that are not first submitted through the filter of our Counselor, the Holy Spirit?

Isaiah 11:2, tells us that Jesus walked in the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge and fear of the Lord. This all came through the fact that the Holy Spirit rested on Him. At this moment, I am praying for the Holy Spirit to fill me, rest on me, guide me, and if necessary, hog tie me- so I can walk in that same wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear.

How about you? I encourage you to look at each of these results and that were evident in our Lord’s life and see if you need to press in a little more and ask the Holy Spirit to guide more of your life than you are letting Him. Take a moment and pray over each of these areas. i would love to hear what the Lord is saying to you. He will guide you and encourage you if you ask Him.

Wisdom

Understanding

Counsel

Power

Knowledge

Fear of the Lord

Stop Trusting in man

“Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” Isaiah 2:22

This is the message that the Lord is screaming at me today. I say screaming because I think it is the only way He has found to get through my thick skull. This week’s devotional has nothing to do with anyone, but me and my walk with the Lord. I blame no one for the way I act or for the attitudes that are created inside of my heart. They are all just a rotten overflow of a heart that must learn how to yield and trust His creator. I know that I need to quit looking around and comparing my life to others. I know that God has placed so many blessings in my lap and that I should be thankful and show gratitude and joy for His continued healing and support for the battles this life has brought, but instead I get angry and want to shutdown. I feel like the Lord is telling me to grow up. Remember when you were a child and when things did not go correctly in your world and the other children were being nasty. It was then as a child we would just simply run and tell on them. I currently live with my sister and her family, which we are so grateful for. In this home, including my two boys, there are 7 children-- 5 of them being under the age of 11 years old. Let’s just say that there is a lot of tattling going on. I find myself saying on a regular basis. “Go away and worry about yourself. If you keep spending all of your time worried about them your life is going to be very sad.” What a great quote to live by! Quit worrying about other people and what they have and what they do or don’t do. Most of what you think you see is a façade and should not be trusted anyway. Worry about what is front of you and live for the Lord. Last night, I found myself wanting to shutdown and run to God to tell on everybody for the things that I think are not happening or at least when I want them to happen. I believe that He tried to talk to me last night, but I was not in the mood and so I went to bed with all of these swirling emotions- hoping that when I awoke that the Lord would be paying attention this time. Well, I was right. He was paying attention and He told me pretty clear. .

“Worry about yourself! If you keep spending all of your time worried about them your life is going to be very sad. Stop putting your trust in man and put it in me.”

Dear Lord,
Today, right here, and right now, I repent. Please Lord, forgive me, help me keep my eyes focused on you and be grateful for who you are in my life. Help me see those people and situations that you want me to step into and be an example for you. I know that when I am looking at everyone else and allowing attitudes to form that I become blind to the real purpose that you have placed me where I am. I love you and apologize for acting so childish at times. Please help my faith and trust grow.
Love your broken child